Wisconsin’s Largest Pickleball Tournament: The Madtown Pickleball Open, Wisconsin’s largest pickleball tournament, lasted over four action-packed days at Wyndham Hills Park. Hosted by the Madison Area Sports Commission (MASC) under Destination Madison, the event drew over 400 athletes, including four Badgers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Participants traveled from across Wisconsin, as well as from Florida and Montana, highlighting the tournament’s growing popularity and broad appeal. The tournament not only showed competitive pickleball but also emphasized community unity and the sport’s role in promoting active lifestyles and friendship among players of all backgrounds.
Community Impact and Tournament Growth
“We’ve given out $450,000 over the last 10 years to help get kids into sports and to break down barriers, whether they need equipment or they need transportation or they need scholarships because we think every kid should have a chance to play,” emphasized Jamie Patrick, Executive Vice President of Sales and Sports Strategy for MASC, highlighting the tournament’s charitable contributions.
Tom Schwarz, the tournament organizer, described pickleball as a “mutt sport,” blending elements of tennis, ping pong, and racquetball. “It’s a game that is easily learned,” Schwarz affirmed, reflecting on the sport’s accessibility and appeal.
This year’s registration exceeded previous records, with approximately 415 players anticipated to participate, displaying the tournament’s growing stature and the community’s enthusiasm.
Players’ Perspectives
The event also featured an exhibition game involving four UW-Madison athletes: women’s basketball players Ronnie Porter and Tess Myers, and men’s football players Jake Chaney and Curt Neal. The Badgers received a crash course in pickleball from Schwarz himself, showing the sport’s cross-sport appeal and team-building potential.
Reflecting on their experience, Ronnie Porter expressed newfound interest, noting, “I’ve never really, since high school, stepped out of basketball for other sports, but this is definitely one that I’d be interested in.”
“I think pickleball is easy to get hooked on just because you feel like you can keep making improvements, even for beginners or people without athletic backgrounds or experience. It feels easy to get started.” – (Maggie Yan)
The tournament wasn’t just about competition; it building a sense of community among participants. Maggie Yan, alongside her husband and pickleball partner Chi Li, captured their bracket title amidst the cheers of their fellow players known as the Kitchen Warriors, named after the non-volley zone on a pickleball court.
Amberly Canales and Akash Gupta, who met through pickleball, highlighted the inclusive nature of the sport. “Just give it a try once, and you’ll love it. It doesn’t matter which background sports you have, whether it’s tennis, badminton, ping pong — or even if you don’t have any other (sports) background, you can still play, and you’ll love it.”
Despite their recent start in pickleball, the duo clinched victory in their bracket on Friday. Canales admitted, “I’ve never played a paddle sport before. This is my first one, so I’m still learning.”
Schwarz, also a pickleball instructor, reiterated, “I teach a lot of people, and not one has given up pickleball because it wasn’t fun.”
As pickleball continues to rise in popularity, events like the Madtown Pickleball Open show its inclusive spirit and community-driven ethos, uniting players of all ages and backgrounds through the joy of sport.
News in Brief: Wisconsin’s Largest Pickleball Tournament
The Madtown Pickleball Open, Wisconsin’s largest tournament hosted by MASC and Destination Madison at Wyndham Hills Park, attracted over 400 athletes, including UW-Madison’s Badgers. Participants from across Wisconsin and as far as Florida and Montana showed the sport’s growing appeal.
The event not only highlighted competitive pickleball but also emphasized community engagement and charitable efforts, contributing $450,000 over a decade to support youth sports. Featuring an exhibition with Badger athletes and stories of newfound passion among players like Amberly Canales and Akash Gupta, the tournament celebrated pickleball’s inclusivity and friendliness, promising continued growth and enjoyment for all involved.
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