The Stingers Founding Hive

We are so excited to share Kansas City’s only professional pickleball team with our pickleball community but we need your help.  The Stingers are one of 12 teams in the expanding National Pickleball League which features the very best Champion Pro (age 50+) players in the world  (www.nplpickleball.com).  The NPL sports celebrity owners and players (such as actors Vince Vaughn and Vince Van Patton) and athletes crossing over from professional tennis, football, racquetball, volleyball and more.  Hall of Fame pickleball player Jennifer Dawson and co-owner Daryl Wyatt who is currently ranked #5 in the world on the APP tour both return for a second season along with top local players Kyle Gardner and Cristie Sharpsteen.  The team will play one of the six match weekends in Kansas City at the end of an action-packed Stingers Week 2025 (July 7-13).  We hope you will come out and enjoy some high-level pickleball right here at SW19!  Stay tuned for information about the pro-lead adult and kids’ clinics, Dinner with the Stingers at Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery, the 2nd Annual Team Breaker Tournament, and other Stingers Week 2025 events on www.kcstingers.com.  So, here is our request. 

Do you BEE-lieve in the Kansas City Stingers? 
Join other SW19 members and Stinger families for an exclusive opportunity to join the Stingers Founding Hive.  The Stingers rely on community engagement and partnerships to support team operations.  The players and the team must fund their own participation and travel costs to play in the league.  The 2025 Match Weekends will be held in Los Angeles, Denver, Kansas City, Austin, Indianapolis, and Seattle for the 2025 season.  This exclusive opportunity to support the Stingers and assist with players travel and participation costs is for the first 50 who BEE-lieve in the Stingers and the mission to grow the pickleball experience in our Kansas City community through its unique health, wellness, and lifestyle benefits.     

Founding Royalty Level - $1,000 (spaces limited to 20 Bee-lievers)

• Your name listed on the permanent Stingers Founding Hive placard to be displayed at SW19

• Mention as a Stingers Founding Hive member on Stingers social media

• $250 of your contribution will be a tax-deductible donation to the Kansas City Stingers Youth Foundation*

• Invitation to the VIP Founding Hive reception during Stingers Week

• A chance to win a spot in a league at SW19 for one session

• Stingers Swag

• Your choice of 2 tickets to the Dinner with the Stingers at Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery or 4 tickets to the 2nd Annual Team Breaker Tournament – both during Stingers Week 2025

• Quarterly Exclusive Founding Hive pickleball open play/socials

• Invitation to the soft-opening of SW19 at the Stadium (commitment must be made by May 15)

• 12 hours of court time at SW19

Thank you for helping our team grow – one BUZZ at a time!  If you or your business is interested in partnering with the Stingers for more extensive brand exposure, please call, text, or email Julie Gibson – julie@sw19kc.com or 816.522.1119.

*The Kansas City Stinger Youth Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization formed for the purpose of developing youth pickleball programs for underserved youth which include not only pickleball instruction and athletic development, but also development of other important life skills such as discipline, sportsmanship, teamwork, and responsibility.  More and more colleges are offering pickleball scholarships that open other opportunities for our Kansas City youth.