Brett Warner, a five-time national pickleball champion who lives in Mesa, has moved beyond his own competitive career to help bring the sport into local classrooms. Working through PURE Pickleball & Padel, Warner has assisted in forming pickleball clubs at roughly 30 Arizona schools, creating a structure that lets students learn the game, organize teams and compete against neighboring programs. The development comes even as attention around other Arizona stories, such as a dust storm, drew occasional headlines; Warner’s focus has remained on expanding opportunities for youth play in the state. "I’ve got great friends and training partners here in Arizona," he said, and he added, "Whether it’s your first time walking on the court by yourself, or families coming together to play, Arizona has the best pickleball community in the world."
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The model PURE Pickleball & Padel has put in place is designed to let high school students across the Valley form official clubs under their school banners and then use those clubs as a foundation for organized competition. Warner described the school-club initiative as more than an introduction to the sport: it is intended to be a bridge to structured matches and a potential route for players who want to pursue the game further. "Having the option of playing on high school teams and giving kids the chance to play at the next level is the goal at the end of the day," he said, framing the clubs as an entry point into a broader competitive landscape.
Parents and players who responded to the initial school outreach made clear they wanted more than a one-time clinic, Warner said, and that demand prompted PURE to expand its offerings. "We are moving so fast, and the feedback from players and parents is so consistent of wanting to play more that we actually started PURE academy," he said. The academy functions as a separate place for families to keep playing once school clubs are established, maintaining momentum and allowing students and community members to continue receiving coaching, practice and competitive opportunities beyond the school season.
Warner’s own route into pickleball includes deep roots in racket sports and college athletics. He began playing tennis at a very young age and later competed collegiately at George Washington University. His introduction to pickleball came more recently, through his brother during a holiday visit; from that beginning he progressed quickly to the top ranks of the sport. Warner captured national championships in five consecutive years — 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 — a run that now informs his work in Arizona schools as he brings competitive experience to the development of youth programs.
The combination of Warner’s competitive résumé and a background in tennis helps explain why he has become a visible figure in the local expansion of pickleball. The sport itself originated decades earlier on Bainbridge Island, Washington, but Warner’s push illustrates how pickleball is moving into different community settings, including public-school programs rather than only private clubs or recreational courts. For students in participating schools, the practical changes are direct: clubs provide structured ways to learn, practice and play, and inter-club matches create local competition that did not exist on many campuses before.
Already, about 30 schools have established pickleball clubs through the PURE framework, and those clubs are able to schedule matches against one another. The PURE academy exists to sustain interest and participation after the initial club formation, providing coaching and additional playing opportunities for families and students who want to continue. Warner has emphasized the importance of keeping the program active beyond introductory sessions so that participation does not fade after the first season; the academy is the vehicle intended to maintain that continuity.
The five-time national pickleball champion referenced in the story returns a shot at Dink & Dine Pickle Park in Arizona during a coaching session tied to his effort to expand pickleball clubs in local schools.
Warner framed his motivation in straightforward terms: he wants to build on the community that already exists in Arizona and offer young players access to organized play. The initiatives he leads — school clubs, inter-school competition and the PURE academy — are presented as parts of the same effort to provide students and families with clear pathways for participation. For now, the program’s footprint stands at roughly 30 schools with the capacity to expand further as clubs and the academy continue to develop and as interest from players and parents persists.
Warner serves as Commissioner of Arizona High School Pickleball and directed the inaugural state championships last December in Mesa, which drew 145 athletes from 25 schools. PURE is now advancing regional leagues this year and a planned $65 million Scottsdale facility with 40 indoor pickleball courts opening in spring 2027, according to USA Pickleball.
Caliber Cos. announced on April 13, 2026 that PURE’s Scottsdale-area project has received final building permits and is a co-developed, ~196,000-square-foot facility on 11.44 acres at the Riverwalk adjacent to Scottsdale on the Salt River Pima‑Maricopa Indian Community, with Caliber finalizing construction financing and having originally filed permits in September 2025.
PURE announced a follow-up team event, the Arizona High School Pickleball Club Cup Championship, scheduled for April 25, 2026 at Fremont Junior High in Mesa; the company described the Club Cup as the first USA Pickleball‑certified high school team championship, featuring a 12‑school field across 14 courts and a format intended to align with the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s criteria for sport sanctioning.
The inaugural Arizona High School Pickleball Championships were held Dec. 6–7, 2025 at Dink & Dine Pickle Park in Mesa, were presented by HonorHealth and certified by USA Pickleball, and crowned the combined Brophy/Xavier team as the overall state champion after 145 student‑athletes from 25 schools competed.
PURE’s academy program limits coach‑led teams to small rosters (typically eight players) and organizes youth teams by Elementary, Middle School and High School with Fall, Winter and Spring seasons, offering continuing coaching and seasonal programs (including summer camps) beyond one‑off school clinics.