How I Turned a Pickleball Frustration Into a Brand

Hi, I’m Heidi.

The idea that would become Playly first started on Long Beach Island during COVID.

Like so many families, we were looking for something to do together—something active, something social, something that got us outside. We picked up paddles, stepped onto the court… and I was hooked.

Before pickleball, tennis was my sport. I was drawn not just to the competition, but to the tradition, the style, and the gear that was intentionally designed for the way the game is actually played. Entire brands were dedicated to the nuances of the sport. Golf had that too.

But pickleball?
The fastest growing sport in the country?

We were playing in repurposed tennis clothes and assorted activewear.

It didn’t sit right with me.

Pickleball isn’t tennis. It’s faster at the net. It’s social. It’s dynamic. It’s playful. The movement is different. The essentials we carry are different. It deserved gear created specifically for pickleball players—not borrowed from somewhere else.

My career-long experience in marketing and innovation taught me how to spot opportunity. When I saw the gap in pickleball apparel, I decided to fill it.

In 2022, we launched our very first styles: a men’s shirt and short and a skort and tank in three colors each, including what’s now our signature print—Geode. That print captured exactly what I felt on the court: fun, movement, energy, personality. It defines the nature of the sport.

And the skort and short?
That’s where I introduced what we now call Smart Ball Pockets—intentionally designed to hold a pickleball securely out of the way during play. No bulging in the front. No awkward tucking under a spandex short. Just thoughtful design for the way pickleball is actually played.

What started as those first few styles has grown into a full collection of men’s and women’s pickleball-specific apparel and accessories, available on our website and in nearly 50 retail locations across 8 states.

I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come.

But the best part of pickleball isn’t the gear.

It’s the connection.
It’s the social energy.
It’s the accessibility of the sport—the fact that anyone, any age, any background, any level of athletic experience, can step onto the court and feel that they belong.

I’ve had the privilege of teaching hundreds of people how to play. I’ve traveled across the country meeting players and experiencing different pickleball communities. Everywhere I go, it’s the same: laughter between points, competitive fire, friendships forming before the game is even over.

That’s what makes this sport special.

Playly was built to honor that spirit—to create gear that matches the energy of the game and the real needs of the people who play it. 

I fell in love with pickleball because of the community.
I built Playly because it deserved its own identity.

And now, this incredible community finally gets to look the part.

With gratitude,
Heidi