In The News

Local 50+ Pickleball Turns Pro

Proudly joining the league of 12 national teams drafting top players from across the country is the newly formed Coachella Valley Scorpions. Established by local pro Kim Jagd, a former pro volleyball player who turned to pickleball ten years ago at 49, and local real estate exec Rob Zwemmer, the Scorpions are the first and only Champion Pro team in California.
The NPL is a 50+ league made up of 12 professional teams, each team drafting seven men and women through a triple-A player rating system curated based on player performance during combines hosted in March.

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Jain goes pro, joins National Pickleball League

If you ask social studies teacher Keith Jain what he did over the weekend, there’s a good chance he’ll say he played in a pickleball tournament. You might even catch him during prep periods going down to the tennis courts on campus to get some shots in, or at a country club, playing with his buddies. As a pro pickleball player in the midst of his first National Pickleball League (NPL) season, he likes to maintain an edge.

The NPL is a 50+ league made up of 12 professional teams, each team drafting seven men and women through a triple-A player rating system curated based on player performance during combines hosted in March.

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Ex-tennis pro Vince Van Patten joins Coachella Valley Scorpions’ pickleball roster

The Coachella Valley Scorpions of the National Pickleball League announced a pair of roster moves today, including the addition of former tennis pro-Vince Van Patten.

Van Patten, who notably defeated then-world No. 1 John McEnroe in 1981, is also a longtime commentator on the World Poker Tour and made regular appearances on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.'' He joins the Scorpions as an injury substitute, according to team minority owner and player Kim Jagd.

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Vince Vaughn buys Coachella Valley pickleball team

Vince Vaughn is the latest celebrity to enter the professional pickleball space.

The award-winning comedy actor has acquired a majority stake in the Coachella Valley Scorpions of the National Pickleball League, a 12-team competition for Champions Division (age 50+) players. The team sold at a valuation in the mid-six figures, NPL CEO Paul Bamundo told SBJ.

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Vince Vaughn Is 'Excited' to Become Majority Stake Owner of Pickleball Team: 'I Have Always Enjoyed the Game'

Vince Vaughn is expanding his empire.

On Thursday, July 25, it was announced that the Freaky star, 54, was venturing outside of acting and into sports ownership after becoming a majority stake owner of California's Coachella Valley Scorpions.

The National Pickleball League (NPL) team’s co-owner Kim Jagd shared the news in a press release, saying, “When you’re on the court with Vince, you can feel his energy and excitement for pickleball.”

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Vince Vaughn buys majority stake in pro pickleball team: Go Scorpions

Actor Vince Vaughn has purchased a majority ownership stake in the National Pickleball League’s Coachella Valley Scorpions, one of 12 teams in the 2-year-old professional league.

Co-owner Kim Jagd, who is also a member of the team, will retain a minority share, the team said in a statement.

The NPL is a professional pickleball league for players ages 50 and over. Jagd, the Scorpions’ general manager, and Vaughn — a pickleball enthusiast whose film credits include the sports-adjacent comedy “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” — met on a pickleball court near Manhattan Beach, the Scorpions said.

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Coachella Valley Scorpions introduced as first California professional pickleball team

The Coachella Valley Scorpions were introduced as the first professional 50+ pickleball team at the Desert Horizons Country Club in Indian Wells.

Today was the offical team launch and media day for the Scorpions as Owner Rob Zwemmer, Owner/Player/General Manager Kim Jagd, and the team manager Ryan Willin spoke at the event. After the ceremony, players of the team, fans, and young pickleball athletes all played exhibition games.

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