Photo courtesy of Atlanta Vibe
I don't know if you've ever tried starting a professional sports team, but there's a lot to it. Logo selection. Schedule settings. Building hype. But apparently choosing a hometown is easy in Atlanta. In addition to the familiar big leagues, a new professional team is coming to his ATL.
The Atlanta Bouncers, Major League Pickleball's only Deep South franchise outside of Florida, will have Hawks star Trae Young join team owner Anheuser as an investor during the Bouncers' first year of paddling chaos in 2023. – He gained momentum by joining Bush. They hope to make more headlines. In 2024.
“Georgia has always been important to us,” said Matt Davis, vice president of partnerships at Anheuser-Busch. “We are seeing a huge increase in the South Atlantic when it comes to pickleball, and participation in the sport in our city, state and surrounding areas is a big reason why we decided to plant the flag. [in Atlanta] With the team. ”
With new franchises, there's also the issue of actually building a team. For his vibe in Atlanta, a member of the all-new Professional Volleyball Federation (PVF), that wasn't a concern at all. From signing Leah Edmonds, the first player in PVF history, to filling out the roster with proven stars like Morgan Hentz, the vibe continues to grow from winter to spring in one of America's most vibrant sports. It should set Duluth's Gus South Arena ablaze.
“I'm used to the fans and I know how crazy SEC country is,” said Edmond, a four-time All-American at Kentucky. “I'm so excited to get back to the fans who are used to watching me play. It's the perfect time to do just that. Volleyball is on the rise, but it's a great time to be playing professionally right after the college season ends. Are we going to add more leagues? That's very exciting.”
Finally, the Tomorrow's Golf League (TGL), Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's indoor team golf organization, had hoped to launch the Arthur Blank-led Atlanta Drive Golf Club this winter. , TGL's state-of-the-art arena in Palm Beach was damaged. Gardens, Florida, was forced to postpone its league start until 2025.
Vibe and Bouncer aim to be comfortably on top of the standings and the hearts of fans in the area by then. “We want to win championships,” says Vibe owner Colleen Durham Craig. “That's what we're building for. We want people to support the team and the players. We know this is a new team. We know this is a new league. I know it takes a lot of time for people to spread the word.”
This article will be published in the February 2024 issue.
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