The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) has announced the addition of pickleball hall of famer Kyle Yates to serve as a co-director of its player development initiatives at The Fort, the APP’s global headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. Yates will serve as one of three high performance directors helping oversee the APP Academy and APP Touring Pro Program, alongside APP Founder Ken Herrmann.  

“I am excited to be working with Kyle to continue the strong player development initiatives that the APP has been passionate about since the beginning,” said Herrmann. “Kyle is an all-time great player and industry leader who will bring his high level of knowledge into each player’s individual game”.

Yates will soon be enshrined as the youngest member of the Pickleball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. Since launching his pickleball career in 2014, Yates has enjoyed an illustrious list of accolades, earning seven U.S. Open pro doubles titles and four USA Pickleball National Championships in pro doubles. A native of Fort Myers, Fla., Yates has competed on the APP Tour since its beginning in 2019, garnering 13 total career medals including five golds.

“I am honored to be leading the charge in training the next generation of pickleball champions,” said Yates. “For young players around the world, there will be no better place to launch your pickleball career than at The Fort. The facility is second-to-none when it comes to training and mentorship resources, and I’m excited to be lending my expertise and guidance through it all.”

Yates will be a foundational leader as the APP launches an elite training curriculum for full-time pickleball professionals known as the APP Touring Pro Program. Debuting in January 2025 at The Fort, the invitation-only program is designed to bring up-and-coming professional players together in a world-class training atmosphere. It will create a pool of talent in a disciplined environment to help each pro attain their personal goals and career ambitions. Herrmann, Yates and his fellow co-directors will lead a team of High Performance coaches to develop a year-round training program for up to 16 selected players. The APP Touring Pro Program coincides with the launch of the APP Academy, the sport’s first-ever U.S. and international pickleball training and development program

“The APP Touring Pro Program will be the first of its kind, and I am very excited to be working with this team of coaches to bring it to fruition,” Herrmann added. “Our staff will feature some of the best pickleball minds in the U.S., and we’ll work together to continue our vision of success for current and future generations of players.”

Additional members of the APP High Performance team will include APP U.S. Next Gen National Team head coaches Chad Edwards and Lee Whitwell along with touring pro coach and APP broadcaster Dominic Catalano, with more co-directors and staff members to be announced at a later date. The APP High Performance coaching staff will accompany players to various pro tournaments both domestic and internationally as set by the director.