Pickle with Mickle: Dinking Around with Eric Little

Pickleball is not slowing down, and Eric Little says the data proves it. The APP Tour executive director of strategic partnerships breaks down why the sport is still on a rocket-ship trajectory, how it is expanding from youth to college to 50-plus play, and why the next big growth wave may come from making pickleball feel less like a spectator sport and more like an experience.Eric shares how a basketball career with the Phoenix Suns, Mercury, and Arizona Rattlers led him into pickleball almost by accident, and why that front-row view of sports business now helps him build partnerships across the APP. He and Mickle dig into the real numbers behind the sport’s boom, the rise of rooftop and indoor courts, and why more businesses are using pickleball for team building, fundraising, and fan engagement.You’ll discover:

• Why the "pickleball lull" narrative misses what is actually happening in the market
• How the APP and Pickleball Kingdom partnership creates a pathway from amateur to pro
• Why collegiate and high school pickleball may be the sport’s biggest long-term accelerator
• How the APP is building events around military appreciation, interactive courts, and local community engagement
• What international expansion could mean for the sport’s future, including the long game toward Olympic recognition

Eric also explains why APP events are built for every level of player, with hundreds of amateurs competing alongside some of the best pros in the world. If you want to understand where pickleball is really headed - in Phoenix, across the country, and around the world - this conversation is essential listening.Eric Little is the Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships for the APP Tour and Intersport, where he helps grow the sport through brand partnerships, events, and market expansion. He brings more than a decade of Arizona sports experience, including a long run with the Phoenix Suns, Mercury, and Arizona Rattlers.Perfect for pickleball players, sports business fans, event organizers, and anyone who wants the real story behind the sport’s next chapter.