Pickleball fever is on the rise. The game is now America’s fastest-growing sport with an estimated 36 million pickleball players in the United States. People of all ages – from high schoolers to seniors– have picked up their paddles and formed teams. The surrounding BuckHaven area is no different and as summer approaches, indoor and outdoor courts are filling up with pickleball players.
Within the throng of local picklers, you will find residents whose passion for pickleball rises to the top. Buckhead residents Ashish Mistry and Mike Gottfried co-founded an Atlanta-based pickleball gear company, PCKL, that has gained some major traction nationwide. Mistry and Gottfried formerly worked together at a successful e-sports venture, but when they saw the trend in pickleball surging, they joined forces with previous team members to take on traditional sports. The duo set out to develop pickleball paddles and balls for players of all levels with thoughtfully designed features for beginners, intermediate, and pro players.
Most recently, PCKL teamed up with both the Amateur Pickleball Association and the Southern Pickleball Association as the official ball sponsor. Giving back to the community is a priority. The company donated products and time to metro Atlanta YMCAs for Healthy Kids Day.
Gottfried, president and CEO of PCKL, cannot get enough of the game. He plays with friends two to three times a week. “Pickleball is contagious. It is the most accessible form of adult competition out there. It has given me an amazing vehicle to meet so many new people who also enjoy the game and to build a new community of friends that I otherwise would not have had.”
One of those people is pro player and Buckhead resident, Dan Granot, whom you might run into on the court perfecting his serve. Granot, a commercial real estate agent by day, is ranked nationally as one of the top 10 pickleball players over age 50. He has received accolades in senior pickleball categories including professional mixed doubles and men’s doubles.
Granot says, “Pickleball has opened up so many opportunities for me. It allows me to compete professionally, and it has also led to clients seeking real estate for courts across the country.”
PCKL.com
