How Empower Pickleball Got Started
With years of experience in the pickleball industry, Kim Bastien had seen the sport’s rapid growth up close. Participation was exploding across the country. New court. New leagues. New communities forming in parks, rec centers, and local clubs.
But the way pickleball was being covered hadn’t evolved with it.
Much of pickleball media focused on the same headline. Pro tournament results. Rankings. On-court drama. Viral moments. Meanwhile, the biggest story in the sport was being missed.
What was missing were the people actually growing the sport.
The weekend warriors building local pickleball communities. Women creating college clubs and social leagues. Older players and adaptive athletes finding ways to stay active, competitive, and connected through the game. Pickleball was growing fast, but the coverage wasn’t reflecting who was really playing.
Empower Pickleball didn’t start as a media company. It started as a realization.
In 2024, Kim decided to build something different. She launched Empower Pickleball—an independent pickleball media company designed to bring value to the everyday player, celebrate real people and organizations growing the sport, and assist brands in reaching them.
Why Empower Pickleball Was Created
As exclusion, politics, and gatekeeping became louder parts of the pickleball conversation, Kim saw an opportunity to build something different. A platform focused on voices that were being overlooked.
Empower Pickleball launched with a clear mission: to cover pickleball through the lens of community, access, and real participation.
“Pickleball was growing faster than the stories being told about it,” says founder Kim Bastien. “I kept seeing the same narratives over and over, while the people actually building this sport were being overlooked. Empower Pickleball was about to change that.”
What Empower Pickleball Is Today
Empower Pickleball is an online media brand focused on real players, real communities, and the forces shaping the sport beyond the pro level.
Coverage includes:
Pickleball news and current events
Tips, strategy, and skill development
Health and wellness for pickleball players
Gear reviews and equipment insights
Travel and destination pickleball
Community spotlights and opinion pieces
At the center of Empower Pickleball, is its newsletter platform. The team publishes twice weekly:
A Tuesday edition for all pickleball players
A Thursday edition created specifically for women, by women
In addition to weekly newsletters, Empower Pickleball produces special editions including gear guides, adaptive pickleball features, and in-depth coverage of topics shaping the future of the sport.
Growth, Reach, and Community Impact
In just one year, Empower Pickleball has reached more than 100,000 players and grown by over 600 percent.
The platform consistently features local leaders, grassroots organizers, and community builders, highlighting stories that often go untold in traditional pickleball media.
Engagement remains industry-leading, driven by a community-first approach rather than algorithm-chasing headlines.
Empower Pickleball covers pickleball as culture, not just competition. The platform intentionally makes room for women, adaptive players, beginners, and non-traditional stories. It also asks harder questions about growth, governance, and access as the sport continues to evolve.
Why Empower Pickleball and Pickleheads Align
Pickleheads has become one of the most trusted tools in pickleball, helping players find courts, connect with local play, and build lasting relationships through the sport.
That focus on participation, accessibility, and community mirrors Empower Pickleball’s mission. Both brands believe the long-term health of pickleball depends on the everyday player, not just the professional game.
Through its partnership with Pickleheads, Empower Pickleball will continue expanding coverage, launching new formats, and deepening its reach into local pickleball communities.
Together, both platforms aim to spotlight the people, places, and stories that keep pickleball growing from the ground up.
With its first year behind it, Empower Pickleball is focused on what’s ahead.
