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Youth Take Center Stage at Battle of the Paddles Youth Pickleball Tournament
May 17, 2025 

Welcome to the Academy

The Southern Pickleball Academy is a public charity dedicated to the growth of pickleball by investing in our students and communities while fostering desirable character traits of integrity, teamwork, resilience, patience, and sportsmanship.

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You can help when you invest your time, skills, and finances.

WHO WE ARE

The Southern Pickleball Academy is a community of people dedicated to growing and improving the sport of pickleball, both locally and regionally. The most important part of us is YOU. The time, efforts, and donations provided by generous people like you are what keep the Academy going. Ever since we launched the Southern Pickleball Academy in 2023, our main focus has been to improve lives through the ever-growing market of pickleball!  Join us and be part of something that will last lifetimes.

WHAT WE DO

At Southern Pickleball Academy, we're building stronger communities by introducing youth to the transformative power of pickleball. Through our successful equipment donation program, we've provided over $20,000 in pickleball gear to local middle and high schools, creating new opportunities for students to discover this engaging sport.

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Our innovative First Paddle program goes beyond the court, combining pickleball instruction with character development activities that help shape confident, well-rounded young people. We're also investing in our youth's future through education, offering $1,000 scholarships for post-secondary education, with the next awards to be distributed in May 2025.

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As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, we're committed to expanding our youth outreach because we've seen firsthand how pickleball can positively impact young lives. 

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Want to learn more about our impact? Take a listen to our secretary, Cindy Ogden, on WAFJ's Difference Makers radio show, where she discusses the physical, social, and mental health benefits that make pickleball such a powerful tool for youth development with one of our friends, Cleve Walker.

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First Paddle is a progressive youth pickleball training program designed for players ages 8-14, integrating life skills development with structured on-court instruction.

Southern Pickleball Academy is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity

Copyright © 2022 -2025. Southern Pickleball Academy.

All rights reserved. EIN: 92-0510304

404 Key Ave. New Ellenton SC 29809

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Southern Pickleball Academy has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world's largest source of nonprofit information. This prestigious achievement demonstrates our commitment to complete transparency and accountability to our community and supporters.

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GuideStar's Highest Seal of Transparency

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