Kansas City firefighter builds inclusive pickleball club for Black players

Brandan Jackson saw the gap in real time: a sport that sold itself as easy to pick up, yet still did not always feel welcoming once you walked onto the court. The Kansas City, Kansas firefighter founded the Black Pickleball Club of KC in September 2025 after showing up to play, often at Chicken N Pickle, and finding himself as the only Black player in the mix.

That experience pushed Jackson to build something more than another casual run. The club is set up as an open-door space with no membership fees, players of all skill levels are welcome, and newcomers get brief tutorials so first-timers are not left guessing how the game works. In a sport where the learning curve is supposed to be part of the appeal, Jackson is lowering the social barrier first. That matters in Kansas City, where access is not only about court space, but about whether people feel they belong there.

Jackson said the idea took shape while he was playing during downtime at the fire station, then gained momentum quickly after he posted a simple TikTok in September. The need behind it was easy to understand. In one tournament, Jackson said there were 48 players and he was the only Black player. That is the kind of detail that lingers, especially in a hobby scene that keeps growing around new courts, new clubs and new indoor venues.

The timing also fit a larger national push. KSHB 41 News aired its segment on April 23, 2026, during National Pickleball Month, which USA Pickleball celebrates every April with beginner-friendly events, open play sessions and community tournaments. USA Pickleball also invites facilities, clubs, schools and community groups to host events throughout the month, and Jackson’s club has been doing exactly that kind of grassroots work on the local level.

Open play happens at 4:30 p.m. on Sundays at 9119 E. 39th St., and Jackson said the outreach has already spread across Wyandotte County, Jackson County, Overland Park and beyond. The next step is bigger: the club is working on Wednesday-night classes at Klamm Park in Kansas City, Kansas, turning a social meetup into a real development pipeline for players who might never have picked up a paddle otherwise.

Chicken N Pickle’s local growth tells one part of the Kansas City pickleball story. Jackson’s club tells the next one. As the sport moves past its first wave of buzz, the question is not just where the courts are. It is who feels invited to use them.