USA Pickleball (USAP) has just named Steve Wong its Vice President of Competition. For the colossal task, the Pickleball Hall of Famer from Seattle shall oversee the growing number of sanctioned tournaments and competitions, including the Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships.
"On behalf of our team, I am thrilled to welcome Steve back to USA Pickleball," Justin Maloof, USA Pickleball's Chief Operating Officer, said in the press release. "Steve was one of the first contacts I had the pleasure of meeting when I started at USA Pickleball a dozen years ago, and he's been one of the most dedicated and impactful figures in pickleball over the last two decades."
"I am beyond ecstatic to join USA Pickleball once again in this role of Vice President of Competition. I hope to incorporate my history and passion for the game to propel the sport to the next level and someday see pickleball in the Olympics. I'm looking forward to serving the pickleball community, and I appreciate everyone's support for USA Pickleball!" Wong said, who was inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Who is Steve Wong in Pickleball?
To know if Steve Wong deserves the role, let's quickly look back on his colorful career in pickleball. Born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 1978, Wong tried various racket sports, including badminton and table tennis. Interestingly, the right-handed player started playing pickleball in the 8th Grade at Odle Middle School in Bellevue, Washington.
With his extreme dedication to pickleball, Steve Wong has won numerous medals in prestigious tournaments. This includes the USA Pickleball Nationals (2009, 2012, and 2015) and Arizona State Pickleball Championships (2012, 2013, and 2015). As a right-handed player, Wong has won over 38 gold medals, 35 silver medals, and 27 bronze medals since 2009. These numbers don't include those he won before that year.
Apart from his brilliant performances in pickleball, Steve Wong is also instrumental in the rise and expansion of USA Pickleball. In 2005, when the sport was still finding its footing, Wong stepped forward as a charter board member to establish the organization. He was USA Pickleball's first webmaster, a giant task that helped introduce the sport into the digital world.
That same year, Wong established his first paddle company, S-Type Sports, which was the third supplier of a commercially marketed line of pickleball paddles during that era. It was renamed to the powerhouse known today as Onix Sports and acquired by Escalade Sports in 2015. Four years later, he launched Armour Pickleball, featuring a cutting-edge line of paddles, accessories, and training videos.
Wong's dedication to the sport called him back to the fold of USA Pickleball. He was a co-director of the prestigious 2012 USA Pickleball National Championship. This event showcased the best talents in the sport and highlighted the incredible growth the sport had experienced since its inception. He also played a pivotal role in forming Arizona's Surprise Pickleball Association.
What to Expect From Steve Wong Joining USA Pickleball
While we congratulate USA Pickleball for its new milestone and Steve Wong for elevating his career, the million-dollar question now is, "What can pickleball players and fanatics expect?"
First, pickleball is now played in over 90 countries worldwide, and Wong's strong influence on the new breed of players can surely help increase the number. As a six-time gold medalist at the USA Pickleball National Championships, he has become a childhood hero to many aspiring players who want to follow in his footsteps.
From his statement alone, it seems Wong is serious about bringing pickleball to the Olympics. To achieve this, he will most likely put additional focus on the continuous growth of amateur players. Therefore, we can expect future competitions to be more exciting for players and millions of pickleball followers under his leadership.
With USA Pickleball adding the Quiet Category for pickleball products, the organization is taking the noise problem seriously. With Wong's solid experience in the business aspect of pickleball, we can assume that his appointment will further attract makers of pickleball paddles to continue improving their products for quieter pickleball.
