MILWAUKEE — As the sport of pickleball continues to grow, a Milwaukee company is making sure the world has the gear to play it.
ProLite Sports makes pickleball paddles that are sold and shipped all over the world.
The owner of the company, Neil Friedenberg, has loved playing pickleball ever since he was a kid. These days, he approaches the game from a different side of the court.
“I fell in love with the sport, but on this side of things, I took over in 2011 and my goal has been to make paddles for other backgrounds that people are coming from,” said Friedenberg.
Friedenburg said as pickleball grows in popularity, it’s important to recognize that the styles of play will too.
He explained that many people who play pickleball either come from a tennis, ping-pong, or racquetball background.
For Friedenberg, it’s special to see their made-in-Milwaukee racquets shipped all over the world.
“The sport sells itself. It’s just a great sport,” said Friedenberg. “It adds years to your life. It saves lives. Any age can play it, but having our paddles go from here to Singapore or Denmark or Finland, you name it — it’s amazing. It’s kind of beyond me. It’s over my head.”
Deserae Brannin has been making some of the pickleball paddles at ProLite Sports for the past year and a half.
“It really motivates me to make sure that they look the best that they can and there is no defects to them or anything, and it makes me proud to know that what I make is out there,” said Brannin.
But Friedenberg said it’s not just about making paddles.
“Our brand is really about those recreational players everywhere throughout the world. We put a lot of focus on it and that’s our philosophy,” said Friedenberg. “Those ProLite professionals that are out there, our teachers, our nurses, our firefighters, our police officers, they can all be found on the court.”
Friedenberg said the most important thing to him is that everyone who plays has a good time. He said he believes how someone approaches the game should reflect who they are as a person.