Jarod and I have been friends (I'm using this term loosely) since 2012. It wasn't until 2015 that we started playing paddle. One of us has progressed more than the other, but we won't name names - it's not polite. Funny enough, it was another work colleague, Skip - he's a blog writer here, that introduced us to platform tennis (paddle). We were instantly hooked; actually, "addicted" might be a better way to describe it. When we started playing we found it difficult to find people to play with, to find teams to join, or find any resources. Honestly, it was frustrating.
Fast forward to 2019 - we're embedded in the paddle scene. All of a sudden, it dawns on us. Let's solve the problem that we ran into so many years ago. From this idea, PGH Paddle was born.
Creating the Logo
To get started, we knew we'd need a logo - something for people to rally around. A brand people could relate to. I was sketching idea after idea and getting feedback from Jarod and Skip during the process. We knew the logo needed to represent our hometown of Pittsburgh - the Black and Gold.
After much back and forth, we finalized the PGH Paddle logo. The logo was just the beginning, and the easy part. We began sharing the brand with friends in the paddle community and printing up a few shirts for our Spring league team. People immediately identified with the logo so we decided to give this a go.
Still Building the Brand
Logos and merch are simple, taking the next step is difficult. We've run into plenty of speed bumps along the way, but we never waivered. Whether we faced opposition from others or got sidelined by COVID, we kept pressing on. This website is our rebirth, our chance to showcase what makes paddle great - the people that play the sport.
Stay tuned and check back often as we will be adding to the site on a regular basis. Next up is an instructor section and some image galleries to showcase local players. If you're interested in being featured in our player spotlight, head over to our contact page and drop us a line.
Looking forward to seeing you on the court!
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