Fort Lauderdale celebrated an historic moment in sports history as leaders from the Fort Lauderdale community and the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) celebrated breaking ground for The Fort, setting in motion construction for the state-of-the-art global pickleball hub scheduled to open in December 2024.
Through its partnership with The Fort, the APP became the first pickleball organization ever to establish an official headquarters and training center. Located within the 93-acre Snyder Park and adjacent to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the world-class facility will feature 43 courts and the world’s first pickleball stadium, and further support the APP’s mission in developing the sport’s talent and growing pickleball at all levels.
Speakers at the ceremony thanked local and state officials and members of the Fort Lauderdale community for their steadfast support of The Fort and the economic and cultural impact that the year-round venue will bring.
“We are honored to be here today in Fort Lauderdale and make our mark in pickleball history,” commented APP Founder Ken Herrmann. “The APP now embarks on its most exciting chapter yet with a global headquarters and a place where pickleball players of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds can call home. The Fort will be the absolute best in pickleball, and we’re grateful for our friends at The Fort for their continued support of the world’s first and world’s best pickleball tour.”
.webp)
“Pickleball is a sport that brings people together,” said Brad Tuckman, Co-Founder of The Fort. This is a place for everyone. There will always be something fun going on here, because that’s what this sport is. It’s a sport for all ages that offers inclusion, the chance to be with your family and friends, and be as good as you can be. Thank you to the City of Fort Lauderdale, Ken [Herrmann] and everyone at the APP. We can’t wait to open in December.
The APP and The Fort share a mutual vision to support the growth of pickleball and develop the sport’s talent at its core. This builds on the APP Tour’s reputation as the world’s first and world’s best pickleball tour and the only tour officially sanctioned by the sport’s governing body, USA Pickleball. A wide range of year-round programming opportunities tailored to pickleball players of all skill levels and ages will be hosted at The Fort, including:
- World-class, international pickleball tournaments and events for elite pros and amateurs
- Junior player development for U.S. and international students through the APP Junior Circuit, including hosting the APP Junior National Championships in December 2024
- Host site for the National Championships of APP UTR Sports Pickleball Leagues, the largest-ever grassroots team pickleball competition initiative
- Community-wide events such as Doubles Dink for Cancer benefitting American Cancer Society
- Serve as a hub for the global pickleball community, welcoming recreational play, training and coaching opportunities
- Serve as the official training home for the APP Next Gen U.S. National Team
The APP’s new headquarters in Fort Lauderdale embeds the organization in one of the strongest pickleball communities in the world. In addition to being the home of The Fort, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area represents the single largest concentration of pickleball players in Florida, with 20 percent of the state’s pickleball-playing population residing in the area. According to the APP’s 2023 player participation research data, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area is the fourth largest pickleball market in the nation, with 3.1 percent of their population having played the sport at least once in the past twelve months.
