NYC Launches MLP-Backed Conquer Kids Youth Pickleball Program in Schools

Conquer Kids has launched a Major League Pickleball-backed youth program in New York City public schools, naming itself the Official Youth Pickleball Program of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team and aiming to scale access across the city. The program serves students from second grade through high school with in-school instruction, after-school enrichment, and community-based programming designed to introduce pickleball as a regular option for young New Yorkers.

Initial programming will roll out at a group of seven schools across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, including PS 307 and East Side Community School. The rollout is powered by JOOLA and backed by Major League Pickleball and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, which fields a franchise whose ownership includes Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton and Odell Beckham Jr. The Brooklyn Pickleball Team won the MLP championship in 2023.

Louis Long, Co-Founder of Conquer Kids, framed the partnership as a milestone for the sport. "This is a first-of-its-kind partnership, and it’s exactly what the sport needs right now," Long said. Long also positioned the effort as an accessibility push, saying that by partnering with the Brooklyn Pickleball Team and JOOLA, the program will help children across the city discover and play pickleball. That phrasing includes an aspirational reference to all five boroughs; program materials and initial site choices explicitly list four boroughs as currently active.

Matthew Lee, co-founder, emphasized long-term development rather than a one-off introduction. "This initiative is not just about sparking an interest in pickleball. It is about building a sustainable pipeline for the future of the sport," Lee said. "We are making participation accessible and empowering students to become lifelong enthusiasts." Adam Behnke of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team highlighted youth development as central to sustainable growth: "Youth development is the cornerstone of any sport seeking sustainable growth. By investing in the next generation, especially in a city as diverse as New York, we are expanding pickleball and fostering community, opportunity, and a new generation of dedicated players."

Program leaders have set an ambitious long-term goal: to put a paddle in the hands of every NYC public school student over time, a student population that totals more than one million citywide. If the pilot proves successful, Conquer Kids and its partners anticipate expanding the model to additional schools and potentially to other U.S. cities.

For parents, coaches and community organizers, the immediate value is clear: organized access to equipment, coached sessions and after-school options that can introduce kids as young as second grade to a low-cost, lifelong sport. What comes next are details still to be confirmed publicly, full school lists, student counts, program budgets and timelines, but the pilot establishes a visible partnership model between a professional franchise, a league and a local community operator that could reshape how pickleball scales in urban public schools.