UTR Sports has announced a new partnership with the Tennessee Junior Pickleball Association (TNJPA) to bring competitive pickleball programming to youth across Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). The 2025 pilot initiative will leverage UTR Sports' innovative Tournament Management Software and the UTR-P Rating to support interscholastic play and club development at the middle and high school levels.
The program will launch this summer by introducing pickleball to nine schools with plans to scale to 20 schools in the fall. The initiative prioritizes underserved communities and is designed to foster community engagement, athletic participation, and academic support.
"This partnership with TNJPA marks a pivotal moment for youth pickleball," said Chase Hodges, Senior Vice President at UTR Sports. "Our mission is to grow the sport of pickleball at all ages and levels, and with TNJPA, we’re building a model that can be replicated statewide and nationally. We're excited to support youth, school-based pickleball."
As part of the agreement, TNJPA will host all organized tournaments and events on the UTR Sports platform and utilize the UTR-P Rating system, offering seamless access to digital club pages, player profiles, match results, and performance tracking.
The programming is introducing pickleball to a new, enthusiastic audience, aligning with UTR Sports’ mission to innovate and expand within the sports community.
About UTR Sports
The mission of UTR Sports is to connect and grow the sports of tennis and pickleball with accurate global ratings, innovative software and events, and a global community centered around level-based play. The UTR Sports Platform is anchored by our renowned ratings technology. UTR Sports provides the technology and solutions relevant and valuable to players, from recreational to professional, coaches, and organizers. UTR Sports is creating opportunities and pathways, including the UTR Pro Tennis Tour, for players from all over the world, in all stages of life, to find better matches and unlock a more fun, affordable, and flexible experience.