Bigger Than Sports Pickleball Tournament Draws 70 Contestants
Bigger Than Sports, Phi Sigma Kappa, DJ Marcielo and tournament participants. Photo: Bigger Than Sports
The unique plink of pickleballs reverberated across the tennis courts at Mill River Recreation Area on Sunday morning, September 21, as 70 people from across Western Massachusetts competed in singles and doubles at the inaugural “Bigger than Pickleball Amherst Open Pickleball Tournament.” The event was sponsored by Bigger Than Sports and Phi Omega Kappa fraternity.
Attendees enjoyed competitive singles and doubles matches alongside performances from DJ Marcielo and local band Local Mojo. Community partners and sponsors, including Playa Bowls, Bank ESB, Pioneer Valley Home, BHHS Realty, Team Trompke, Amherst Business Improvement District, Lilly’s Pond Quarry, and Bueno Y Sano, helped make the event possible.
Siddharth Vandrangi of the UMass Club Tennis won the singles competition. The Doubles Champion was Milos Fan Club (William Gerlach & Matthew Catuccio). The winners received cash prizes. Tournament organizers donated all proceeds to Bigger Than Sports, The Tommy Strong Foundation, and The Wounded Warrior Project.
“The Phi Sigma Kappa x Bigger Than Sports Pickleball Invitational was designed as more than a tournament — it was a celebration of Amherst’s vibrant community. Featuring local businesses, live music, and activities for all ages, the event underscored the growing role of pickleball as a sport that bridges generations and strengthens community ties. Beyond the courts, this event created space for connection, highlighting the power of sport to bring people together,” said Junoon Giridhar, an event organizer from Phi Omega Kappa.
About Bigger than Sports
Bigger than Sports (BTS), founded by 2023 Amherst Regional High School graduate Ian Waite, is a youth-led nonprofit organization, fighting educational inequality through the power of sports. BTS provides educational resources and guidance to student athletes in under-resourced communities during their final year of high school. Through their ”youth mentoring youth model,” students build post-graduation plans in a space that feels authentic, relatable, and empowering, guiding them toward connecting the life skills they’ve learned through sports to a successful future beyond just the dream of going pro. BTS was recognized as a Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award recipient at the 2025 ESPY awards. Read More: here.Bigger Than Sports: How Amherst’s Ian Waite turned a dream into an ESPY Award (Daily Hampshire Gazette)