Membership Spotlight: The National Womens Pickleball Foundation

When and where was your organization started? Tell us about their history and about the team:
The National Women’s Pickleball Foundation (NWPF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2024 in Palm Beach County, Florida, dedicated to empowering individuals through the sport of pickleball. Focused on community building, education, and physical fitness, NWPF provides resources, programs, and events that uplift communities and enrich the sport.

NWPF leadership includes co-founders Catherine Barton and Alita Friedman, supported by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, which includes Tara Fieri, a co-owner of the Brooklyn MLP team.

The Foundation’s activities are largely supported by a strong network of volunteers who are players in the National Women’s Pickleball League, formerly known as the POWER Pickleball League of Palm Beach County.

What is your organization’s history and your background?
Driven by a shared passion for pickleball, two female founders set out to build a business that merges sport with philanthropy. The journey began when Catherine, a lifelong racket sports enthusiast and competitive player, launched a local women’s league after relocating to Florida. There, she met Alita—an enthusiastic player, team captain, and entrepreneurial brand-building executive. In just a few short years, the duo cultivated a thriving community engaging over 2,000 competitive female players and enthusiasts.

Since its inception in late 2024, the National Women’s Pickleball Foundation (NWPF) has rapidly scaled its impact—developing custom programming, installing temporary courts, and providing free instruction and equipment to multiple charitable partners. Through dedicated events, summer camps, and specialized clinics, NWPF actively boosts the physical and mental wellness of underserved communities and individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Catherine Barton, Co-Founder of NWPF, oversees program development and community outreach. After decades as a competitive tennis player, Catherine discovered pickleball, quickly earning her coaching certification and stepping onto the tournament circuit. Within a year, she founded the Women’s POWER Pickleball League to meet a clear market need: women wanting structured, competitive play alongside like-skilled peers in a welcoming, all-female setting. Today, the league has grown to over 2,500 players across Palm Beach and Brevard counties in Florida. “Women’s participation is deeply personal to me,” Catherine shares. “I’ve watched firsthand how creating a space designed specifically for women turns first-timers into lifelong athletes.”

Alita Friedman, Co-Founder of NWPF, heads the organization’s strategic vision and development. An entrepreneur, former CPA, and seasoned brand licensing expert, Alita fell in love with pickleball’s dynamic energy and immediately jumped into competitive play. Driven by her passion for creative business strategies, she envisioned a suite of brands that could leverage the sport’s massive popularity for national philanthropic impact. “Once I looked at the data, I recognized a massive opportunity to build a business dedicated to women’s pickleball while creating a platform to give back,” Alita shares. “I wanted everyone to experience the same joy I felt on the court.”

What ties our work together is a belief that pickleball is one of the most powerful community-building and health tools available — and that women have historically been underserved by the organized side of the sport. – NWPF Founders

Tell us about the products/services your organization provides.
We are proud to launch our flagship initiative of 2026: the America250 National Pickleball Challenge. In celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, this free, beginner-friendly program invites Americans everywhere to get active and try the sport. We’ve eliminated all barriers to entry—there is no cost to play and no experience necessary. Thanks to our partnership with The Picklr, the Challenge comes to life across a powerhouse network of over 70 locations nationwide, making it easier than ever for communities to connect on the court.

Do you have plans for partnerships or expanding into different industries/markets?
Our impact spans a broad community thanks to vital partnerships with groups like the Police Athletic League and the Children’s Foundation of Palm Beach County. We are also proud to foster adaptive sports and specialized care alongside the Special Olympics, Love Serving Autism, and the Alzheimer’s Association. By providing a platform that amplifies our partners’ incredible work, we create meaningful community engagement—and we look forward to expanding this coalition of change-makers in the future.

Does your organization have any memorable successes or big wins?
Since 2024, NWPF has turned court time into community impact: over $350K raised, 6,500+ people served, 1,500+ pieces of equipment donated, and 15,000+ volunteer hours logged across 30+ community partners. The numbers tell the story — see below.

What are some upcoming plans? Where do you see your organization in five years?
NWPF’s immediate focus is securing strategic corporate sponsorships to fuel our growth. Our five-year roadmap is clear: leverage partnerships with industries including healthcare, insurance, and consumer products to become the go-to charitable entity in the pickleball ecosystem, known nationwide for breaking down barriers to play.

What is one thing people should know that they may not know from the website?
At our core, we are passionate about health and community. To maximize our impact, we run a remarkably lean organization powered by the energy of thousands of volunteers. As we grow, we are actively looking for more hands on deck and new opportunities to make a difference on a national scale.

How and why did your organization come to become an SFIA member? Thanks to Alita’s extensive history with Licensing International, SFIA and NWPF teamed up for a joint presentation at the Sports Licensing Summit in NYC—sparking an invaluable industry alliance. For NWPF, SFIA’s insights are the absolute gold standard. We utilize their data every single day to back up pickleball’s massive growth, track its rising popularity among women, and answer the big question on everyone’s mind: “Why pickleball, and where is it going?”

How do you see your organization’s services and expertise benefiting the SFIA community?
SFIA data shows where the pickleball market is expanding and who needs access: women, beginners, and cost-constrained communities. NWPF doesn’t just study this data—we activate it. Our programs serve as a free, national on-ramp designed specifically to bring these players onto the court and keep them there. We offer the industry invaluable, on-the-ground insights into the thriving women’s pickleball market, alongside a replicable framework for any member looking to actively grow underserved segments, rather than just measure them.

Please add anything else you would like included.
The America250 National Pickleball Challenge is a once-in-a-generation civic moment — a chance to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary by getting Americans off the sidelines and onto the court, for FREE. We’d welcome partners across the SFIA network who want to help us bring the Challenge to their communities through 2027.