Kurt Schroeder is no stranger to DUPR, having brought the first Mexican club onto the DUPR platform. Although he only started playing pickleball about two years ago, Kurt is passionate about growing pickleball in his community of Progreso, a port city on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, and promoting fair and equal play for all. After what was supposed to be a one year adventure, Kurt has never looked back and has spent the last 13 years in Mexico since moving from Canada.
Kurt had originally been introduced to pickleball by his friends from the Canadian city, Calgary because they wanted something to do while visiting him over the Christmas holiday. The story starts with Kurt’s long time friends ready and wanting to play, but the local groups would not let them participate because they were already over capacity with winter members. One of Kurt’s friends then said, “Just build me a court.” Kurt went on to measure his backyard parking area to see if a court would fit, and sure enough, it did. Then the Knights Court, named after the last name of his friends who requested it, came alive.
How important is the DUPR rating to you and your club?
DUPR is so important to our club because it allows us to group our players six at a time with people of similar abilities. There is nothing more frustrating than having one player who does not fit in the right category because it ruins the game for everybody else. So, it really helps us sort out who belongs where.
Do you think the DUPR rating helps motivate people?
It does for some people, and people are certainly driven by the rating. We would definitely like to see the latter come into effect.
Do you have any significant milestones or goals that you would like to share?
In the next five to ten years, there will be a lot of growth in pickleball here in Mexico. I also think that when we get more people entering their scores into DUPR, that will be a big thing. If every game was put into DUPR, that would also be great.
The Knights Court is known for having a mural that spans the length of the court which includes paintings of all Kurt’s friends and family, comical pickleball sayings, the name of the court, and even a couple DUPR logos.
“A local muralist did all of these. There are our three dogs, my niece, and my grandma. She also painted my wife and I. There are caricatures of everybody such as our parents, friends, and other family members,” said Kurt. His home offers six suites, which all have access to the court.
As Kurt said, “In Mexico, people can have donkeys, chickens, or roosters living next door and there are no complaints.” But when the pickleball court opened, people complained, ‘Why are people having so much fun at seven in the morning shouting and yelling?’ Kurt then had to move his regularly scheduled pickleball games from the early morning to late evening.
As DUPR grows into different parts of the world, the organization is proud to have enthusiasts such as Kurt, who are passionate about pickleball, help grow the sport, and spread awareness about DUPR.
About The Knights Court
The Knights Court is based in Progreso, Mexico, and was created to ensure a fun spot for all friends to play. Check out their Facebook page for more information: The Knights Court
View the full interview on our YouTube channel.
