Randall's Island/JMTA New York City

Major League Pickleball (MLP) and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team (BKPT)  - a Premier Level MLP franchise - proudly hosted MLP New York at SPORTIME Randall’s Island from July 3–6.

The four-day event showcased the best pickleball professionals in the world across 30 coed team matches - including four featuring hometown favorites BKPT - and brought an exciting mix of food, drinks, music, and sponsor activations to the venue.

Top professional teams, including the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, New York Hustlers, Florida Smash, Chicago Slice, and D.C. Pickleball Team, delivered nonstop action throughout the holiday weekend. It was the perfect way to celebrate the 4th of July in NYC - with fireworks on and off the court.

Our own SPORTIME Pickleball community had the rare opportunity to compete just steps from the pros, creating an unforgettable environment where elite play met local passion. Practices and matches buzzed with energy as fans lined the courts to watch, cheer, and be part of the action.

Home to the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, and built to host world-class events, SPORTIME Randall’s Island, the largest year-round tennis and paddle sports club in the world, was proud to welcome Major League Pickleball and to support the continued growth of the sport. Thank you to MLP, BKPT, our vendors, and the incredible fans who made this event one to remember. 
 

Hometown Brooklyn Pickleball Team to Play in Four Matches at MLP New York 
Brooklyn Pickleball Team to Host Open Practice and Media Availability at SPORTIME Randall’s Island, Thursday, June 12, Starting at 10 a.m. ET 

Brooklyn, NY, June 9, 2025 — Major League Pickleball (MLP presented by DoorDash) and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team (BKPT) - a Premier Level MLP franchise - are proud to announce that MLP New York will be hosted at SPORTIME Randall’s Island, July 3-6. 

The four-day event at SPORTIME will showcase the best pickleball professionals in the world across 30 coed team matches - including four featuring the hometown Brooklyn Pickleball Team - and bring a festival-style feel to SPORTIME Randall’s Island that will include food, beverage, music, an amateur pickleball tournament, and local and nationwide sponsors participating in the fun. All are welcome to join the festivities and can find ticketing information here and amateur tournament registration info here. 

BKPT is opening up a contest for any new followers of @brooklynpickleball.team on Instagram between today and Sunday, June 29, with a lucky winner earning a VIP ticket package for the event. 

“Being able to bring an MLP event to New York within months of announcing Brooklyn Pickleball Team is a major step forward in our mission to be a beacon of positivity and lasting impact in our community,” said Adam Behnke, Chief Operating Officer of Brooklyn Pickleball Team. “We are looking forward to continuing to work together with all key stakeholders to create programming surrounding the event that serves our pickleball-loving community and will shine a bright light on our city.” 
"SPORTIME Randall's Island was built to host world-class events, and welcoming Major League Pickleball to our flagship facility is exactly the type of opportunity we envisioned," said Ben Schlansky, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of SPORTIME. "With that, and our ongoing expansion of SPORTIME’s pickleball footprint, hosting this MLP event is a perfect fit. We're excited to showcase our venue, support the growth of pickleball and be a part of this major moment for the sport." 

Media is invited to join Brooklyn Pickleball Team players Rachel Rohrabacher, Dekel Bar, Jackie Kawamoto, Pat Smith, Hannah Blatt and COO Adam Behnke at SPORTIME Randall’s Island this Thursday, June 12, for team training from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET. Staff will be available to the media during training and players will be available after it concludes. To attend, please RSVP to pr@bklynpickleballteam.com. 

The 2025 MLP schedule features 14 total events - hosted in nine different states - showcasing ten regular season events, a Mid-Season Tournament, two rounds of the 2025 MLP Playoffs, and November's standalone MLP Cup. All MLP teams will appear in five regular season events playing a total of 25 matches, with a combination of Premier Level and Challenger Level teams in action at each event. The top four teams standing after the first round of playoffs in August will return to New York for the Semifinals and Championship that will take place at Wollman Rink, Central Park. 
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About Brooklyn Pickleball Team
Brooklyn Pickleball Team (BKPT) is Brooklyn’s Premier Level Major League Pickleball (MLP) team. The BKPT ownership group includes Al Tylis, Sam Porter, Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Rip Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Odell Beckham Jr., Cliff Avril and Mesut Ozil. 

The franchise’s first ever MLP Championship was won on November 5, 2023 in Dallas as DC Pickleball Team (DCPT). The current roster includes Rachel Rohrabacher, former D1 tennis star at the University of South Carolina, MLP Champion, and top four ranked pickleballer; Dekel Bar, former pro tennis player and world pickleball ranked #6; Riley Newman, world ranked #7 in pickleball and Champion; Jackie Kawamoto, former D1 tennis standout at the University of Dayton, and key player from the 2023 Championship roster; Hannah Blatt, former pro Canadian squash player and rising pickleball talent; and Pat Smith, Men’s Conference Player of the Year at UMKC and former pro tennis star. 

For more information about Brooklyn Pickleball Team, visit brooklynpickleballteam.com and follow on social media: X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and the Team Shop. Photos of the team from the MLP season opener in Orlando can be found here.

About Major League Pickleball (MLP presented by DoorDash) 
Founded in 2021, Major League Pickleball (MLP presented by DoorDash) is the preeminent, coed, team-based professional pickleball league, featuring over 100 of the best athletes across 22 teams, iconic team owners, and the most electric live events and fan experience in the sport. In 2024, MLP and the PPA Tour merged under the newly-formed United Pickleball Association (UPA), bringing together the leading pro pickleball organizations under a single entity. Visit the official website and follow MLP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for more information. 

About SPORTIME: 
Since 1994, SPORTIME has been proud to operate the finest tennis and sports facilities in the New York area. SPORTIME features 17 club locations, including its flagship on Randall’s Island in NYC, most recently expanded to include the iconic Port Washington Tennis Academy, now SPORTIME Port Washington, SPORTIME Pickleball Westbury and SPORTIME Pickleball Englewood. SPORTIME currently offers 192 indoor and outdoor tennis courts and 95 pickleball courts, as well as rinks, turf, camps, gyms and more, at sites across Long Island, in NYC, in Westchester, in the NY Capital Region and in New Jersey. SPORTIME clubs are state-of-the-art, yet affordable, and feature the best tennis, pickleball, sports and camp facilities and programs, including the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and SPORTIME Volleyball Club. SPORTIME clubs serve individuals of every age and athletic ability, 365 days a year. Learn more: www.sportimeny.com.

Join us this summer for Pickleball at SPORTIME Randall's Island - click here to see our Membership Special!

Over 600 students joined JMTP’s inaugural Community Day, while the sold-out Comedy Night raised more than $330,000 to support youth programming.

New York, NY - [May 27, 2025] - The Johnny Mac Tennis Project (JMTP), a non-profit dedicated to providing free, community-based tennis instruction to as many as 1,500 school children each week, many of whom come from New York’s under-resourced and underserved neighborhoods, recently hosted two dynamic events. The events brought together over 600 students from local area partner schools for the first-ever Community Day and raised over $330,000 at the 7th Annual JMTP Comedy Night to support ongoing youth programming.

Community Day was a vibrant, hands-on celebration of tennis, education, and civic engagement, featuring an impressive array of activities led by both brand and nonprofit partners. Students participated in tennis drills, robotics demonstrations, and wellness activities, with NYC FIRST Robotics leading STEM challenges and popular brands like Mezcla, It’s Nola, Brooklyn Bred, and Common Pantry offering snacks and educational experiences. HEAD/Penn, a key partner, provided insight into the professional equipment used by JMTP students and gifted hats the children happily wore throughout the day. YETI kept everyone refreshed with hydration stations and provided gift bags to the delight of the young players. 

Right on the heels of Community Day’s success, the 7th Annual JMTP Comedy Night brought laughter and generosity to the forefront at Sony Hall in the Paramount Hotel. Hosted by John and Patrick McEnroe and MC-ed by comedian Seth Herzog, the sold-out event raised over $330,000 and featured performances from all-star comedians Ricky Velez, Pete Lee, Mike Birbiglia, Ronnie Chieng, and Jeff Garlin. 

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who came out to support JMTP at this year’s Comedy Night,” said JMTP Board Member and Event Founder Marci Klein. “A huge thank you to the comedians, supporters, and the entire JMTP community for helping us continue to provide life-changing opportunities to young tennis players across New York City.”

JMTP Executive Director Ryann Cutillo reflected on the night’s success: “We could not be prouder to have raised over $330,000 at our sold-out Comedy Night. The room was buzzing with energy and laughter, and the incredible performances from the comedians made our evening so special. These critical funds will help us expand opportunities to New York City kids on and off the court.”

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Editor's Note: Photos of the Community Day and Comedy Night

• JMTP Community Day
• JMTP Comedy Night

Photo Credit - http://www.heritagehousephoto.com/ 

CONTACT:
Jennefer Witter                
The Boreland Group Inc.
917 532 9907
Jwitter@theborelandgroup.com