A lot of the incredible momentum behind pickleball comes from the stories you rarely hear of on the ground in the many local communities that are actively helping to bring the game of pickleball to everyone.
We recently had the chance to sit down with Justin Debron of Del Boca Vista Pickleball League to dive into how he launched a successful regional pickleball league in Charlotte, NC — from his first idea to building community, navigating challenges, and creating an experience that players look forward to week after week.
Whether you’re thinking about starting your own league or simply curious about what goes into organizing competitive pickleball, Justin’s insights offer a down-to-earth and motivating look at what it takes to get off the ground and stay in the game.
About Yourself
Tell us a little bit more about you and your pickleball journey.
I first played pickleball in 1994 during a PE class, but I didn’t truly get into it until 2022, when I rediscovered the game through a local recreation center in Matthews, NC. What started as casual play turned into running league nights, giving lessons, and eventually founding Del Boca Vista Pickleball. I love bringing people together through organized, competitive play.
What inspired you to start a league?
I was part of a few leagues that either didn’t feel very organized or leaned too heavily on social aspects without offering a truly competitive format. I wanted to create something that felt like a real season—stats, standings, MVPs, uniforms, you name it. And I loved the team format of Major League Pickleball, so I built our league around that concept.
How much time do you dedicate to running the league?
I probably shouldn’t admit how many hours I’ve spent building this thing—it started as a passion project and quickly became my part-time job. However, I’ve become much more efficient over time. During the season, I’m down to spending maybe 1–2 hours a week keeping everything running. Thanks to the systems I’ve developed and the templates I’ve created, most of it operates like clockwork now. Offseason planning… well, that’s another story. Let’s not discuss how many Google Sheets I’ve made.
About Your League
Where is your league based? How long has the league been around?
We’re based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and just wrapped up our second season earlier this year. Season 3 is launching in August, and we already have returning teams and new captains signed up.
Where do you guys play? When are the games played?
We play outdoors at a private club that has six courts. Next season, we’re expanding into eight country clubs and local parks in the area. Captains coordinate their matches each week, so matches happen all week long, depending on when teams are available.
How many players/teams do you have in your league?
We had 8 teams in Season 1, each with 4 players—2 men and 2 women. We also had a pool of subs for each division. Altogether, about 50 players participated in the first season. For Season 3, we’ll max out at 128 players.
What is the format of your league?
We use a format inspired by Major League Pickleball: each match includes a men's doubles game, a women's doubles game, and four mixed doubles games. Rally scoring to 21, with a few fun twists like the Freeze Rule at 20 points. If the match is tied 3-3, we go into a DreamBreaker tiebreaker, which is played with a Del Boca Vista Pink ball! Depending on the division, we either play mixed doubles, skinny singles, or full court singles for the DreamBreaker.
Are you the only league in the area? What makes yours different?
We’re definitely not the only league, but we like to think we’re the most fun and competitive. Most leagues around here focus on individual ladder play or weekly doubles rotations. Del Boca Vista is team-based, stats-heavy, and themed. Every season has awards, player highlights, and good-natured rivalries.
Any other interesting facts or rules?
We try to keep things light, competitive, and community-focused. After each match, Captains fill out a short form voting for league superlatives like:
- GatorStrike (Pickleball) (or title sponsor) Player of the Week – For the player who brought the heat and empowered their team with skill and sportsmanship.
- Del Boca Vibes – The ultimate team player who shows up with fun, focus, and flair. They make every match better just by being there.
- The Golden Paddle – Awarded to the player with the most clutch, creative, or downright filthy shots of the week. Think cross-court dinks, sideline lasers, or ice-cold finishes that leave everyone shook.
We also have a scheduling rule to keep the season flowing: if a team can’t play their match that week, it must be rescheduled the following week. No ghosting your opponents allowed.
The Process for Starting a League
What was the first thing you did to start your league?
I’d been running some low-key “flex leagues” at our private club—very casual, no commitment, just show up and play. Players moved up or down each week depending on how they did. I ended up organizing three women’s leagues and two men’s leagues that way. That gave me a chance to test the waters, build trust, and understand what players actually wanted.
After a few rounds of that, I pitched the idea of a team-based league modeled after Major League Pickleball. A few players were immediately on board, which gave me just enough motivation to go for it. I figured I might get four teams or maybe 10(1), but I was happy with whatever came together. We ended up launching Season 1 with 8 teams.
Any regulations or city approvals? Challenges?
Since we use private courts, we didn’t have to go through city approvals, but I did need to get the buy-in from the club’s board. I had to make sure the schedule didn’t interfere with existing programming. The club’s priority are protecting the paying members – taking up too much court time was a no-no.
What is the cost of starting a league? Did you need funding?
It was low-cost to start, mostly time. I already had a Google account, and I used free tools like Notion and Google Sheets. Entry fees from players helped cover small expenses like printing, signage, and awards, shirts and referee fees.
Getting the Word Out
How did you recruit players?
Word of mouth was key. I reached out to people I knew from open play, social media, and other leagues. I also have an army of ambassadors that recuit players for the league. I tried to make the vibe welcoming but competitive, so it attracted people who wanted more structure.
Did you create a website or use social media?
Yes! We launched our website at the end of last season to host standings, rules, sign-up forms, and match results. We have a small social presence on Instagram.
What worked best? What didn’t?
I believe the overall operations worked really well. We developed a scoresheet, schedule, and rules for captains that I think were well received. However, next season, we’ll provide players with a clearer understanding of their substitute player situation and the ability to enter their scores for each match.
How have you grown or plan to grow the league?
For Season 3, we’re being more regulated with the player ratings. We’ll have four divisions based on DUPR ratings. Starting from one group of players to now having diverse, equal-level players will be excellent for a player’s experience.
Managing the League on an Ongoing Basis
How do you communicate with players?
Generally, we’ve been using Geneva and email blasts to connect with our players. We’ll continue to leverage those tools to push out messaging and hopefully create a great experience for players.
How do you stay organized?
Notion and Google Sheets. I’ve also created templates for standings, score sheets, and weekly updates. Notion has been my lifesaver with its large-scale functionality.
How do you track and record scores? Do you use DUPR?
Captains fill out a score sheet, which I then upload manually. I manually submit the scores to DUPR on their behalf. But next season we’ll be asking captains to add their own scores!
How do you prevent sandbagging and maintain fairness?
For our first two seasons, it didn’t go well in regards to sandbagging. For Season 3, we’ve implemented DUPR as the rating system. We’ll still have a season or two of unbalanced teams, but over time, as DUPRs equalize, we’ll see some real tight matchups!
How do you keep players motivated?
Weekly emails, stats, polls, and superlatives. Players love seeing their names highlighted. Plus, the jerseys are fun to be in!
Advice for Others
What are 3–5 must-haves when starting/managing a league?
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A clear format: keep it structured but allow flexibility.
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A good communication plan: people need reminders.
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Fun extras: awards, stats, team names, uniforms.
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Tools that scale: start simple but plan to grow.
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Captains and ambassadors who care: invest in them early.
3–5 things to avoid?
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Overcomplicating it from day one.
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Ignoring feedback.
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Relying too heavily on subs.
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Scheduling too many matches at once.
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Assuming everyone reads every email.
What would you do differently in hindsight?
I would’ve launched the website earlier and created a digital hub for everything. I was doing way too much manually at first.
Any trends or patterns you’ve noticed?
People love team formats. They show up for each other. Also, it’s not always the “best” players who perform best in team settings—chemistry matters. And players really respond to being part of something bigger than just a match.