The Work in Sports Podcast - Insider Advice for Sports Careers · Brian Clapp - Work in Sports

Careers in Sports That You Haven't Thought of Yet w/ Melissa Zhang of USA Pickelball

·38 min·2 clips

Melissa became the first person in a brand-new Director of Communication and Content role at USA Pickleball.

Brian opens by placing Melissa inside a sport growing fast enough to draw media attention that other sports have to work harder to earn. He notes how difficult it can be to get the media to care about a product, which gives the whole conversation a career lens. Melissa says she feels lucky to work in pickleball at this moment. She also makes it clear that she does not see the sport's rise as a short-lived fad. Brian leans into the speed of that growth and asks what it is like to work inside something moving so quickly. Melissa says the pace keeps the job fresh. She describes the constant activity around ambassadors, referees, volunteers, and the wider pickleball community. That mix, she suggests, is part of what makes the work exciting. The conversation then shifts to National Pickleball Month. Brian mentions that April is National Pickleball Month and says he only learned that recently. Melissa explains that the observance started in 2018, before the sport really took off. She says USA Pickleball had not previously done much to build around it in a coordinated way. This year, the aim was to make the month more intentional. The team wanted to use the moment to connect partners, members, and the broader community. Melissa says they built four weekly themes so the month would not feel repetitive. One theme focused on training and ways people could share tips to improve their game. Another theme centered on member appreciation. She highlights human interest stories, including the first member of USA Pickleball and the organization's growth to nearly 75,000 members. The campaign also brought in user-generated content from people celebrating in their own local pickleball scenes. By the end, Brian returns to the idea that the sport's upside is still ahead of it. He says he has not played pickleball yet, but the conversation has made him more open to trying it. The episode closes with gratitude for Melissa and a broader reflection on how new sports become part of the culture.

As heard by us

A useful look at how a fast-rising sport creates real career pathways.

Pickleball is treated as a business and media story rather than a passing fad, with the conversation centered on how a sport that grows this quickly creates real work around partnerships, community, and promotion.

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Why you'd press play

See how pickleball's rapid growth turns community work into a fast-moving sports role.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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