Published 8 Apr 2026 · 3 min read

VAIR Launches VAIR Pro, Giving Certified Raters the Tools to Run High-Quality Rating Events at Scale

VAIR Launches VAIR Pro, Giving Certified Raters the Tools to Run High-Quality Rating Events at Scale

Ryan Van Winkle
Ryan Van WinkleCo-Founder & CEO
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VAIR Launches VAIR Pro, Giving Certified Raters the Tools to Run High-Quality Rating Events at Scale

Powered by Bounce, VAIR Pro enables ratings clinics, round robins, and tournaments—plus marketplace distribution to reach more players.

VAIR, the innovative pickleball rating system designed to help players find better matches and track progress, today announced VAIR Pro—a new program for VAIR’s certified raters and community leaders. VAIR Pro equips raters with a standardized toolkit to run premium on-court experiences, including VAIR rating events, round robins and tournaments all powered by the Bounce platform and designed to make events easy to run and easy for players to join.

VAIR Pro is built around a simple idea: better ratings start with better experiences. By giving certified raters streamlined event operations and a repeatable format, VAIR Pro helps produce more consistent results while growing local pickleball communities through well-run events.

“VAIR Pro is about making it easy for our best community leaders to deliver great on-court experiences—consistently,” said Mike Barker, CEO of VAIR. “When raters have the right tools, players get better matches, clubs and communities get higher-quality programming, and the entire ecosystem grows.”

What VAIR Pro Includes

VAIR Pro members can use Bounce-powered tools to:

  • Run VAIR rating events with standardized formats designed to support consistent outcomes
  • Host round robins and tournaments, including robust formats that organizers can run without spreadsheets
  • Publish ratings clinics created by certified raters so they automatically appear on the Bounce clinics marketplace, helping raters reach more players and fill sessions faster

"We’re grateful to support VAIR’s team as they invest in growing the pickleball community." said Ryan Van Winkle, CEO of Bounce. “Our focus is simple: help more people find opportunities to play, and help organizers run those experiences smoothly."

Expanding Access to Better Pickleball Experiences

VAIR Pro is intended for certified raters and ambassadors who want to run repeatable events in their local communities. Through the Bounce marketplace, VAIR Pro experiences can also reach new players who are actively looking for clinics, events, and competitive formats in their area.

About VAIR

VAIR is a pickleball rating system designed to help players find better matches, track improvement, and compete with confidence. VAIR works with community leaders, clubs, and organizers to support a growing ecosystem of rated play and high-quality events. Learn more by visiting VAIR.

About Bounce

Bounce is the discovery and booking marketplace for racket sports—connecting players to courts, lessons, clinics, leagues, tournaments, and events, while empowering clubs and coaches with technology to grow. Learn more by visiting Bounce.

Ryan Van Winkle

Ryan Van Winkle

Co-Founder & CEO

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