National Junior Pickleball Tour Launches Fair, Family-First Rankings for Junior Athletes
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New juniors-only pickleball rankings use each athlete’s Best Four NJP Tour results within a rolling twelve months—rewarding performance, not attendance.
Las Vegas, NV — September twelve, 2025 — The National Junior Pickleball (NJP) Tour today announced NJP Tour Rankings, built for junior athletes and their families. The framework highlights true competitive performance while honoring the realities of school, family life, and budgets.
“For too long, junior players felt pressure to chase points by showing up everywhere,” said Courtney Loughridge, Founder & CEO of the National Junior Pickleball Tour. “NJP Tour Rankings recognize talent and growth at all levels of play with age- and skill-based rankings. Kids can focus on school and family, compete when it makes sense, and still track improvement and be rewarded for excellence.”
Why the NJP Tour “Best Four” Ranking Matters
NJP Tour Rankings use a rolling twelve-month Best Four results model to reward performance without demanding constant travel. By counting juniors-only results and an athlete’s top four finishes, families can choose NJP Tour events that fit their lives while maintaining a fair, transparent measure of progress. This approach aligns with a growing youth-sports movement that prioritizes balance—fostering a lifelong love of sport and physical activity by ensuring competition doesn’t eclipse family time, academics, or personal development. When sport is a positive—not all-consuming—part of life, young athletes are more likely to stay active for the long haul.
Built for Development
College programs, coaches, and sponsors have been searching for a credible, comparable source to identify top junior talent to fill their rosters. NJP Tour Rankings provide a national metric to validate potential and align recruitment and sponsorship opportunities with players who are progressing. NJP Tour Rankings creates an apples-to-apples benchmark that spotlights true performance and reduces attendance bias—so talent, not itinerary, leads the conversation.
NJP Tour Rankings provide the development pathway juniors have needed—recognizing excellence, encouraging healthy balance, and giving the whole ecosystem a reliable standard as collegiate and sponsorship opportunities expand.
Tracking Personal Growth
NJP Tour Rankings are designed to help each player see their own improvement, independent of overall leaderboard movement. As athletes move up in skill level and improve medal placement, their points reflect tangible progress for players at every stage of play —without burdening family budgets or requiring constant travel.
The NJP Tour Is More Than Points
Rankings are a powerful new feature—but at its core, the NJP Tour is about friends, community, and growth: meeting partners, cheering each other on, and playing lots of high-quality pickleball together. NJP Tour celebrates sportsmanship, attitude, and improvement right alongside medals and rankings.
“Players still get the thrill of tracking their achievements—without the pressure to live on the road,” Loughridge added. “You don’t have to skip school, faith commitments, or family vacations to chase an arbitrary points event. Families can choose the locations and dates that fit their lives and keep a healthy balance while progressing in the sport.”
How NJP Tour Rankings Work
- Juniors-only results: Calculated exclusively from age- and skill-based junior competition at NJP Tour events.
- Rolling twelve months: Rankings consider the preceding twelve months and update after each NJP Tour event.
- Best Four results: Each athlete’s ranking is based on their top four NJP Tour results within the window. Singles and Doubles are calculated separately, using each discipline’s Best Four results.
- Smart points curve: Points scale with both placement and division (Recreational, Intermediate, Advanced, Elite), aligning rewards with performance and competitive level.
- Open-entry commitment: To maintain an inclusive, community-focused atmosphere, NJP Tour Regionals and the NJP Tour Championship remain open-entry—no ranking required.
Next Up: NJP Tour Championship Cup
October 16-19 | Center Court | Glendale, AZ
The NJP Tour Championship Cup is the nation’s most play-packed juniors-only weekend for ages 8–18—built for competition, camaraderie, and family-friendly fun. One all-inclusive registration unlocks the Evaluation & Skills Clinic plus Singles, Doubles, and 4-Player Team competitions—guaranteeing tons of court time and big smiles. With age & skill divisions from Recreational through Elite, players get quality matches against true peers. Every player receives a swag bag packed with goodies and an event T-shirt, with Championship Cup trophies for all podium finishers. Meet the brands you love and the programs you want to play for—vendors, sponsors, and college pickleball reps will be onsite all weekend, making this the can’t-miss juniors event of the year. Register at www.nationaljuniorpickleball.com
About the National Junior Pickleball Tour
The National Junior Pickleball (NJP) Tour runs age- and skill-based tournaments for athletes 8–18, emphasizing competition, community, and character. Since launching in 2024, the NJP Tour has welcomed thousands of junior players from across the U.S. to NJP Tour events spanning Singles, Doubles, and Team play. The Tour celebrates character as much as results with sportsmanship recognition, on-court referees, and a family-first environment for connection. The result: high-quality matches, genuine friendships, and a pathway where juniors grow as competitors and people.
Media Contact:
Courtney Loughridge
Founder CEO, National Junior Pickleball Tour
