MAJ is an organization of Pickleball clubs in Arizona that agree to operate within a traditional sports club framework designed and managed by Monster Athlete Juniors, LLC.
Our teams have 4-8 athletes depending on registrations and skill levels. Each team will have at least one dedicated coach.
Our age groups range from 8-17 years of age. Ages are grouped in brackets, For example age brackets may be 8-10 yrs, 11-13 yrs, 14-15 yrs and 16-17 yrs.
Yes, if skill level suggests a higher bracket, an athlete may be offered a higher bracket.
We typically hold two practices per week. Practice times will consider the needs of the athletes to the extent possible.
A typical full season lasts about 3 months, twice per year.
Monster Athlete Juniors will sponsor several tournament in and around Phoenix, as well as Prescott. Other organizations such as PPA and NJP will offer tournaments in our area as well as other parts of the US. Coaches will decide which tournaments their team members will attend based on skill levels and athlete needs.
We will have numerous practice locations, both indoors and outdoors in the greater Phoenix area. We also have access to a large practice facility in Prescott. There will likely be a practice location within reasonable traveling distance for clubs and teams with the MAJ structure.
MAJ consists of numerous clubs within the MAJ infrastructure. There will be three types.
- The first type will be managed and coached by MAJ staff.
- The second type will be an independent club that will be self-managed which has chosen to function within our operational framework.
- The third type will be a club coached by facility staff but managed by MAJ.
There are two common athlete rating systems.
DUPR calculates ratings based on the results of both singles and doubles matches. After each match, an athlete’s DUPR is recalculated, reflecting current performance level. It applies to all players regardless of skill or age.
UTPR uses USA Pickleball sanctioned tournament results to calculate either a 4-digit or 2-digit rating. It considers both the outcome and the opponent’s rating.
Monster Athlete Juniors will use the DUPR rating for our athletes because it will apply to all tournament competitions, both sanctioned and unsanctioned.
There are a wide range of Pickleball organizations that exist because of the enormous growth of the sport and the desire for various organizations to get a foothold in the sport. Some organizations have merged to gain more control of the Pickleball landscape.
APP – Association of Pickleball Players – Adult and junior leagues/tournaments. Home for many professional players.
MLP – Major League Pickleball – Adult athlete organization with a format of its own using a non-traditional scoring system. Home for many professional players.
USAP – USA Pickleball – Refering to itself as the national governing body for the sport in the USA, USAP offers training, coach certification, and competition opportunities.
PPA – Pickleball Players Association – A tournament organization offering an adult tour as well as a junior tour around the US. PPA recently merged with MLP.
NJP – National Juniors Pickleball – A tournament organization dedicated exclusively to junior players that offers competition opportunities across the US.
Monster Athlete Junior currently is not officially aligned with any Pickleball organizations. However, MAJ is building a relationship with NJP due to its common focus on junior athletes. MAJ is sponsored by Rogue Fitness, a major provider of American made fitness equipment for commercial and home gyms. MAJ also uses services provided by the other organizations such as insurance coverage, playing formats, and tournament offerings. MAJ will seek sponsorships from organizations that support the MAJ vision including private businesses, sports organizations, and private donors.