Sep 17, 2026

Corporate Influence and Unfair Treatment of Junior Players
Casa Grande, Arizona Sep 16, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - KOBO Pickleball (KOBO SPORTS LLC), www.kobopickleball.co, challenges a PPA rule that excludes junior amateurs' USAP-approved paddles while accepting them in other amateur divisions.
MESA, Arizona -- September 16, 2026 -- Two Phoenix-area junior pickleball players face a difficult choice at this week's Mesa Veolia Arizona Open: stop using the KOBO THUNDER AXE paddles they have trained with and switch to UPA-A-approved equipment, or forgo competition in their junior divisions.
According to KOBO SPORTS LLC, both players are developing amateurs using USAP-approved paddles. Yet the tournament requires UPA-A certification for PPA Juniors while continuing to accept USAP-approved equipment in ordinary amateur age/skill brackets--including 3.0 through 4.5.
A parent could use the same USAP-approved paddle in an amateur bracket that their child cannot use in a junior bracket at the same tournament.
The distinction is explicit in the published event rules.
KOBO considers that blatantly unfair. PPA's notice cites player feedback and fair competition but supplies no junior-specific evidence explaining why these paddles are unacceptable for children competing as amateurs while remaining acceptable for other amateur players.
The rule also determines which brands get access to junior competition.
When a young player's paddle becomes ineligible, the manufacturer supporting that player loses its place on court unless it obtains the additional certification. Equipment purchases, brand exposure, and potential sponsorship opportunities can shift toward participating brands.
KOBO believes that commercial effect deserves scrutiny because the tournament and certification system developed within closely related organizations.
PPA's May 2026 announcement identifies Pickleball Inc. as the parent of PPA and Major League Pickleball. Its businesses also encompass equipment retail, tournament software, and media. The announcement claims a 90% market share for its events and organized-play software business--a company-reported figure, not a measure of the entire pickleball market.
UPA-A's August 2026 announcement describes its transition from an LLC under the UPA umbrella toward an independent nonprofit, with completion expected by November 1. That makes disclosure of its current control, finances, and independence safeguards especially relevant. UPA-A announcement
UPA-A says its performance testing protects competitive integrity. KOBO supports legitimate testing. Its objection is the selective exclusion of amateur juniors' equipment without a substantiated explanation for treating them differently.
KOBO is calling for scrutiny of potentially anticompetitive conduct. The concern is whether concentrated control over competition, certification, retail, and promotion is restricting equipment choice and disadvantaging independent brands. These concerns warrant investigation; they do not establish that an unlawful monopoly has been proven.
KOBO calls on PPA to immediately:
KOBO requests a written decision before the affected juniors' first matches.
Young amateurs should not have to change paddles to satisfy a commercial system whose necessity for their division has not been explained. They deserve fair rules, a clear explanation, and the opportunity to compete with the equipment they have trained to use--the same equipment other amateurs are allowed to use at the same PPA-organized event.
Media contactMark Shields
CEO, KOBO SPORTS LLC
[email protected]
www.kobopickleball.co

Source :KOBO SPORTS LLC
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.
YOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.
Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?
Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.
The Supreme Court has delivered its decision about a high-profile dispute over a Toorak townhouse, which embroiled some of Melbourne’s most famous families.
A persistent sex offender is back in jail months after being released because police found a hidden USB containing indecent images of children.
A Kent couple has described their terrifying escape after a wildfire surrounded their holiday resort, forcing hundreds of guests to flee to the sea.
A teenager who added a McDonald’s chips wrapper to a makeshift bonfire watched as it spiralled into a blaze that caused £4 million of damage.
The government says the reforms will bring migration back in line with its targets and help housing supply catch up.
The Duchess of Sussex's mobile phone number is said to have been leaked from a school parents' WhatsApp group
Labor, the Coalition and One Nation are heading towards an immigration election. This is how we got here.
Corrie actor Ben Price has been heard speaking about the drama his neighbours have been facing on his street
Loke reminds them that they took their oaths in front of the state ruler.
The 'welcome' move will make life easier for remote workers
Contingency plans being weighed for budget airline's operations.
Complainant “M” has told Jones’ criminal trial that the then 2GB broadcaster kissed him non-consensually on two occasions.
A three-year-old boy is among seven people injured after a shooting on East Fayette Street in Baltimore, Maryland
Alan Jones’ court case continued in Sydney, with an alleged kiss during an awards night at the centre of attention.
The suspect was arrested at Malaga Airport on the Manchester Airport flight after a 12-year-old boy was left with a fractured skull
After a lengthy delay, the federal government has rolled out its migration policy.
The distribution of naked images of the fiancee of a former organiser was seen as an attempt to intimidate someone wrongly accused of co-operating with authorities.
Key Takeaways: Singaporean climber Lau Wee Seng (50) died near Camp II during acclimatisation; suspected heart attack Second death this autumn on Manaslu, after porter Tashi She...
Pupils watched on as the headteacher of the primary school in the North West was taken off in an ambulance
What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 9am, 2pm, 6pm, and 9pm.
Chapelhill Primary School in Wirral was on its second morning of an Ofsted inspection when headteacher Sarah McFarlane suffered a suspected heart.
Stephen Gordon received an 18 month community order and a sexual harm prevention order
It is a crime drama series dubbed 'underrated' by fans and described as perfect for viewers who love Silent Witness - and it's streaming free on Channel 4
The former athlete has told a Sydney court that Jones touched him non-consensually and sent him gifts including weekly flowers delivered by his driver.
The predicted AI job apocalypse hasn’t landed yet. But the industry is more concerned about the bigger problem of human extinction.
A comprehensive report on KPMG’s whistleblower failings has come up short, as key staff weren’t interviewed and there were no records of crucial meetings.
In allegations that will send shockwaves through the Royal Family, Charles Spencer's bombshell book lifts the lid on an incendiary row with the now King over funeral arrangements.
Floral tributes have been placed at the scene after the body was discovered in a nearby pond in Brantham in Suffolk
EXCLUSIVE: The county’s best-performing area revealed, plus the two places where house prices have dropped.
Charlize Zmuda, 17, was fatally attacked by a bull shark while swimming at Woorim Beach on Bribie Island, north of Brisbane.
Charlize Zmuda, 17, was fatally attacked by a bull shark while swimming at Woorim Beach on Bribie Island, north of Brisbane.
Planning Minister Paul Scully has hit pause on the divisive project to raze seven buildings for a new plaza. The council has accused him of trying to block it.
Dalaroo Metals has homed in on priority drill targets at its Watheroo copper-nickel-PGE project in WA, after a new IP survey confirmed prior exploration indicators.
The flood in Rasuwa was first and foremost a human tragedy. Lives were lost, people remain unaccounted for, and homes, roads, bridges, and hydropower infrastructure were destroyed...
Elizabeth Siders, 34, appeared to be cradling a protruding bump under her bright orange prison garb during her court appearance on Wednesday in Ohio.
Leaked photos appear to show extensive damage to US military bases in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait following Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Under the current rules, a fuel excise is applied to every litre of petrol and diesel sold in Australia, adding around 51 cents to each litre.
There was a moment in Brisbane’s semi-final triumph that illustrated to coach Chris Fagan just how much Eric Hipwood had transformed public perception.
There was a moment in Brisbane’s semi-final triumph that illustrated to coach Chris Fagan just how much Eric Hipwood had transformed public perception.
It will give shoppers a new space to eat, drink and watch performances