The Men’s 55+ 4.5-5.0 team won the Arizona Pickleball Players League (APPL) State Championship for 2023. Captains are Alex Potapoff and Steve Schaefer, and team members are Greg Wellington, Howard Mendel, Kerry Krueger, Javier Barron, and, living outside PebbleCreek (PC), Todd Anderson, Brett Augsburger, and David Overmoyer.
APPL league was started in 2012 here in Arizona as EVIL league. Then with a team of volunteers, Greg Mather and Dave Zapatka, changed it into the Arizona Pickleball Players League. Now more than 3,000 people across the state of Arizona are making meaningful connections and developing new skills with other players in this league. Players participate on 6- to 10-player teams using a format that had not existed before in their pickleball community.
We love competition, but it’s not everything. APPL strikes the perfect social and competitive balance. APPL gives players the chance to play consistently while growing their pickleball community.
Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, as an APPL player, you’ll crave the excitement of competing against others at your level.
Greg and Dave were often frustrated playing the same group of people in their area. Everyone knew everyone else’s game and what to expect when they played against each other. So, they rounded up a few other guys and headed for Fountain Hills. An afternoon of exhilarating pickleball ensued. They experienced players with different techniques and play styles with a social and competitive balance that they hadn’t encountered before.
APPL was incorporated in late 2019 as a nonprofit corporation with the following mission statement: To provide infrastructure and leadership for the operation and expansion of amateur competitive team-based pickleball for men and women throughout the state of Arizona.
APPL league has four regions: West, East, South, and Casa Grande. This year, the season started the first week of January with 128 teams! This includes Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed 2.5-5.0 ages 55+. Breaking News: This year, the age limit will drop to 50+.
At the end of the season, the team with the most wins in the bracket played winners of the other brackets and the final winner became No. 1 in the state.
It’s a great way to meet new people and it only costs $20 for the season. The season usually lasts 2-3 months. Games are played weekly—depending upon the number of teams in your flight. Another great benefit is that you get to go off campus, but you don’t have to travel very far—just here in the West Valley. If you are interested in starting a team or being a member of a team, feel free to contact Sandy Schaefer at [email protected]. She helps team managers get started and answers questions during the season. She will also help you find a team if you don’t have one.
Sandy’s goal for the new year is to have a full flight of teams at a playing level of 2.5 so everyone can feel confident playing. Therefore, if you are a 2.5 player, please call Sandy and help get a team started.