There's a Nine-Year-Old Elephant on Your Tennis Courts

Season 26, Episode 17There's a Nine-Year-Old Elephant on Your Tennis CourtsShaun Boyce & Bobby Schindler with Dr. Rommie MaxeySummaryDr. Rommie Maxey didn't set out to become a pickleball entrepreneur. The sport found him — and he ran with it. Six-time national champion, co-owner of the Houston Hammers, trainer to 14,000 players across five continents, and now a member of the ARA National Advisory Board, Dr. Maxey joins Shaun and Bobby to talk about where pickleball actually is right now: the demographics shift nobody expected, why Houston went from 1 to 42 indoor facilities in four years, what the VAIR rating system changes, and why pickleball is basically a nine-year-old who just walked into a room full of adults and refused to leave.Dr. Maxey recently joined the National Advisory Board of the American Racket Sports Association — the national organization uniting tennis, pickleball, and padel professionals. Learn more at americanracketsportsassociation.com.Key TopicsDr. Maxey's path from collegiate athlete to pickleball influencer and entrepreneurThe demographic surprise: average pickleball player age is now 34 and droppingGlobal expansion — Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and why badminton culture fuels itHouston's indoor pickleball boom: 1 facility to 42 in four yearsClub conversions, court-sharing, and the monetization reality for facilitiesThe VAIR rating system: recreational vs. certified ratings and why it mattersPickleball as "a nine-year-old" — what that means for the industry's futureKeywordsPickleball, Dr. Rommie Maxey, Houston Hammers, VAIR Rating System, Pickleball Growth, Indoor Pickleball, Tennis to Pickleball, Racket Sports Industry, Entrepreneurship, Global Pickleball, ARA, American Racket Sports AssociationSound Bites"Pickleball found me.""Houston went from one indoor facility to 42 in four years.""Pickleball is basically a nine-year-old — it doesn't even know what it is yet."Full YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/7aFSqMzkoxQDr. Maxey's King of Pickleball Answer: https://youtube.com/shorts/nwuG9p-4qwwShort Clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/mwIxTt_VGbMLearn more about Dr. Rommie Maxey: https://www.nomercypickleball.comContact Our HostsShaun Boyce | shaun@americanracketsportsassociation.com | americanracketsportsassociation.comBobby Schindler | schindlerb@comcast.net | letsgotennis.com/windermereGeovanna Boyce | geovy@regeovinate.com | regeovinate.comGoTennis! | letsgotennis.comAwardThe GoTennis! Podcast is a recipient of the Marc Kaplan Media Excellence Award from USTA Georgia. Learn more: letsgotennis.com/captivate-podcast/gotennis-podcast-wins-the-marc-kaplan-media-excellence-award/Join Our CommunityGoTennis! Atlanta on Facebook — deals, updates, events, podcasts, news, coach profiles, club info, and more.Support the ShowDonate directly: gotennispodcast.captivate.fm/supportStart Your Own PodcastWe host on Captivate. Try it free: captivate.fm/signup?ref=atlantatennispodcast