With the rapid rise in popularity of pickleball, it’s no surprise that elite players began forming professional leagues to showcase their skills. Equally unsurprising is that those of us who are not elite envy some of the shots and skills we see on TV.

Whether it’s buying the latest paddle or adding a new shot to our arsenal, recreational players are frequently looking for a leg up that makes us feel a little closer to pro-level play – no matter how elusive that feeling may be.

One of the unique elements of professional league play (Major League Pickleball, or MLP) is the format. It’s a team-based format where two men and two women come together to compete as a team, playing women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and two games of mixed doubles. It’s a fun and fast-paced format that has generated a lot of interest from recreational players. And it’s one way lower level players can immediately emulate the pros despite our obvious skill differences.

Minor League Pickleball (MiLP), managed by the team at Dynamic Universal Pickleball Ratings (DUPR), works to bring this exciting format to competitive venues nationwide. This year’s Sequim Fling (June 26 – 29 at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim) will mark the debut of MiLP on the Olympic Peninsula and will draw players from throughout the region hoping to earn their way into regional and national championship events.

MiLP began in 2023 with 60 events, about 5,000 players, and $31,000 in prize money. Just two years later, 2025 will see 300 events, over 20,000 players, and over $100,000 in prize money. That explosive growth and Sequim’s strong support for pickleball makes the Sequim Fling an ideal destination for an MiLP event, named The Lavender Cup at The Sequim Fling.

“Sequim is known for its thriving pickleball community and we’re excited to partner with The Sequim Picklers to bring an official MiLP event to the courts at Carrie Blake Park,” said Pablo Granados, founder of Zero Zero Two Pickleball and tournament director for The Lavender Cup and Sequim Fling. “With the size of the club and the passion for pickleball throughout the membership, we think Sequim will be an ideal destination for this event.”

Because the team at DUPR has designated The Lavender Cup a National Path Event, players will earn points towards qualification for both the Northwest Regional Showdown in Lake Stevens, Washington and the MiLP National Championships in Austin, Texas.

“With Sequim’s long history of promoting and growing the sport of pickleball, it’s exciting to see them enter the national stage by hosting a National Path Event,” added Granados.

The Sequim Picklers are partnering with area hotels, restaurants, and food trucks to give participants and spectators a full taste of Sequim while they are here for the event. The Picklers are also hosting an innovative Scramble tournament for players who want to stay and play longer in Sequim or for those locally that don’t want to form teams of four.

The Scramble format allows players to register individually and play with a different randomly assigned partner in each game of the qualifying rounds. Based on those results, partners are selected and teams then stay together through the championship rounds. It promises to be a fun event with a different twist than a traditional pickleball tournament.

Anyone interested can visit DUPR.com/minorleague to learn more about MiLP and The Lavender Cup or visit PickleballTournaments.com to learn more about the Scramble event.