Utah’s own ‘father of professional pickleball’ inducted into National Pickleball Hall of Fame

SALT LAKE CITY — John Gullo, a man from Ogden, has been inducted into the National Pickleball Hall of Fame.

Gullo has been credited with bringing the sport to Northern Utah, and has been deemed the ‘father of professional pickleball.’

According to a release, Gullo paid for the first eight pickleball courts in Ogden, called the Gullo Pickleball Grotto.

He also helped with the construction of the first courts in Brigham City. The courts were later used in the Tournament of Champions, which Gullo founded. It’s the first tournament to offer “substantial” prize money for professional players.

There are now over 360 pickleball courts in Northern Utah.

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Gullo created the American Dream Foundation and donated over $25,000 in scholarships for junior events at the Tournament of Champions to encourage youth participation.

“I am thrilled with this honor,” Gullo said in a release. “The establishment of pickleball in Utah and the inclusion of the professional element, through the first official paid tournaments held right in Ogden and Brigham City, Utah, established the game that has now become well-known worldwide and played in many neighborhoods and city parks around the world.”

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Gullo funded paddles and nets in junior high and high schools in Ogden, along with the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, and Youth Impact. He organized the Professional Pickleball Federation, which brought over 300 professionals together and held its first-ever professional tour.

“Play hard, work hard, and do something for your community,” is Gullo’s mantra.

Gullo also assisted with the construction of courts in Wyoming and Mexico, “in an effort to teach and expand the game – especially for younger participants.”

Gullo will be officially inducted at a ceremony in Mesa, AZ on Nov. 14.