Fresh squeeze on sports: New pickleball team comes to Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — A new sports team is coming to Orlando.

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Major League Pickleball announced Thursday that the Orlando Squeeze will be a new franchise for the 2023 season.

According to a release, there are more than five million pickleball fans around the country.

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Pickleball is a sport that combines elements of ping-pong, badminton and tennis, according to usapickleball.org.

Ryan DeVos owns the Orlando Squeeze and is also the vice president of the Orlando Magic.

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He said this will be a good opportunity for the sport to grow.

“Orlando is a tremendous sports town,” DeVos said. “As our family has seen over its 30-plus years of stewardship with the Orlando Magic franchise, fans here love their teams and I’m excited to see the Squeeze added to that mix.”

See the Orlando Magic gallery below:

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Orlando Magic AdventHealth Training Center The $70 million facility, one block from Amway Center, features 130,000-square-feet located on a nearly four-acre site at South Division Avenue and West Central Boulevard. (WFTV.com News Staff)

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