Indoor franchisor The Picklr has filed for Chapter 11 in the Northern District of Texas, FOX Business reports. An investor group led by franchisee Tom Neale has committed $4.5 million, pending court approval, although Sports Business Journal put the figure at $4.8 million.
Founder Jorge Barragan told SBJ the company had guaranteed leases for about 40 early locations. He said no club will shut because of the filing itself, though some contraction is likely. The Picklr has more than 70 U.S. sites plus clubs in Australia, Canada and Japan, and lost $4.4 million in 2025.
Coachino Insight
For club owners the lesson is financial rather than sporting: rapid growth backed by lease guarantees can strain even a busy brand, so know who carries the rent risk before signing.
Life Time is expanding the LT Classic into a quarterly amateur tournament series, beginning at Life Time Rancho San Clemente on October 16. Every host club runs its own prize pool, adding up to more than $20,000, with cash in every skill division and top awards of at least $2,000.
The fall swing moves to Peachtree Corners near Atlanta from October 21 to 25, then to Northbrook near Chicago and Lakeville near Minneapolis, both on November 13 to 15. The operator says it runs more than 960 permanent pickleball courts across over 195 clubs in the U.S. and Canada.
Coachino Insight
Real prize money at amateur level gives club players a reason to chase tournament experience. Coaches can treat these regional stops as targets for students ready to test themselves.
The Virginia Beach Open began with pro qualifying on Monday before main-draw play starts Tuesday in Virginia Beach, Virginia. With several leading players absent during the PPA Tour’s third consecutive tournament week and the PPA Tour Australia Pickleball Cup running concurrently, other competitors have an opportunity to collect the 1,000 ranking points available to each division winner.
Coachino Insight
The depleted field creates an important opening for emerging and lower-ranked professionals to advance deeper, gain tour experience and improve their ranking positions.
Vernon's first Okanagan Open runs from October 15 to 18 at the Vernon Pickleball Association's Marshall Field complex, with a $10,000 purse and more than 400 players entered, the Vernon Morning Star reports. Over 300 signed up on the day registration opened.
Four Team Canada players headline the open division: 17-year-old Chayton Hauberg of Coldstream, back from the World Cup in Vietnam, fellow U18 international Jacob Bolkowy, and national team members Kim Layton and Anna Dyachenko. Amateur men's doubles starts play on Thursday before three days of pro and amateur events.
Coachino Insight
A sold-out first edition with national team players shows strong demand in B.C. Local juniors can watch a Coldstream teenager compete against the best in the country on their own doorstep.
