Running a Top-Notch Pickleball Tournament: Tips from Melissa McCurley
If you want to know how to run a successful pickleball tournament, Melissa McCurley is the person to talk to. Melissa, the former CEO of Pickleball Tournaments, has overseen hundreds of competitions. She is now Executive Vice President of Competition at APP, but when contacted by PickleVisor, Melissa generously agreed to an interview with the goal of helping other pickleball organizers.
Watch the full interview or short clips with Melissa’s take on making money running tournaments, setting goals for your tournament, and Melissa’s favorite tournament, the U.S. Open.
Melissa didn’t plan on becoming a big name in pickleball tournaments. She started out playing pickleball with family in her driveway, then competed locally and stumbled upon PickleballTournaments.com. With a background in IT, she saw the potential and ran with it, growing the platform and eventually overseeing a merger with Pickleball Brackets and Pickleball.com.
Melissa retired from Pickleball Tournaments in 2024, but quickly returned to the industry to work at the Association of Pickleball Players where she oversees the nuts and bolts of APP competitions, from registrations to bracketing.
Tips to Take Your Tournament to the Next Level
Melissa has some advice for planning a pickleball tournament:
- Know Your Financials: Are you aiming to make a profit, support a charity, or gain exposure? Let this guide your sponsorship and pricing strategies.
- Get Sponsors Onboard: Put together appealing sponsorship packages and highlight the benefits to sponsors. Detail everything they’ll get in return for their support.
- Prepare for Weather Surprises: Consider offering registration insurance for rain delays and think ahead about indoor options.
- Logistics and More Logistics: Don’t overlook parking, restrooms, and any necessary permits. These little things can make or break the event.
- Smart Scheduling: Use staggered start times to keep things moving and respect players’ time.
- Create a Smooth Experience for Players: Have a solid check-in system and be clear about everything from court assignments to referee availability.
- Manage Your Volunteers: Make sure your volunteers know their roles back to front, otherwise your volunteers can walk away unhappy.
- Think About Flow and Vendors: Vendors should be where players naturally go, otherwise, you will hear complaints from your exhibitors.
Player experience is the priority, Melissa advised, so players talk about your tournament for all the right reasons.
