The Palm Beach Royals, a new professional sports franchise, are set to make their Major League Pickleball debut this week in Columbus, Ohio. This marks an exciting development for Palm Beach County as the Royals join the 20-team Major League Pickleball (MLP) as the latest expansion franchise.

Team Introduction

During the media day on Tuesday, the six-player team was introduced to the public. The roster includes notable players such as Tyson McGuffin, Sofia Sewing, Dekel Bar, Grayson Goldin, Tina Pisnik, and Tammy Emmrich, all of whom were selected during the league’s expansion draft. The team is eager to begin their journey in the league.

“We’ve been anticipating this season for a while. It’s our first time team together, tomorrow is a travel day, and we are looking forward to it,” said Grayson Goldin, expressing the team’s enthusiasm. Sofia Sewing added, “Everyone is really excited to get going. We’ll get in good training today with the team and we are ready for Thursday.”

Local Impact

The debut of the Royals is particularly significant for South Florida native and team co-owner Zach Hunter. “It’s exciting. We’ve been waiting since we bought the team in July, to the draft earlier this year to now. Everything is leading up to this moment — media day and introducing everyone to the fans,” Hunter shared, highlighting the personal and community significance of the team’s launch.

While the Royals will play all their matches on the road this season, they plan to debut their home games at Boca Padel in Boca Raton next season, further rooting the team in the local community.

The emergence of the Palm Beach Royals in Major League Pickleball not only brings a new sports dynamic to the area but also offers an opportunity for local fans to engage with a growing sport on a professional level.

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.