Isenberg HTM Students Win National Shark Tank Competition

Pickleball is exploding in popularity—with relatively simple rules and a smaller court than tennis, it’s the fastest-growing sport in the country.

What could make it even more attractive to recreational athletes? Two Isenberg HTM students won first place at the Club Management Association of America (CMAA) national Shark Tank competition by pitching a high-tech pickleball court with an automated scoring system.

“XPickleTM is a high-end pickleball court manufacturer, with the target audience being country clubs with a pickleball-enjoying member base,” says Jack Sorensen ’24. “The most distinctive feature is the doppler radar technology that scans the court, tracking the ball while the game is being played. This technology informs the players if the ball is in or out and when a point is awarded. The radar also collects data points allowing for game review to fine-tune your pickleball game.”

Sorensen and Grace Canzano ’25 traveled to Las Vegas in March to compete with the idea against two other finalists as part of the annual competition of ideas to revolutionize the club space and were rewarded with $500 apiece.

“Our concept of developing high-tech pickleball courts that will attract players of all ages and skill levels has piqued the interest of important people in the industry, including the National Pickleball Association,” says Canzano.

Sorensen calls the courts a brand-new twist on the game. “When a point is awarded, the system indicates the point scored and who is next to serve using the voice feature that speaks to the players,” he says. “The radar is synced to the scoreboard scoring the game in real time letting the players focus solely on their performance, not trying to officiate the game and keep track of the score.”

The CMAA Shark Tank Process

Canzano says that the CMAA world conference is the biggest event every year for students and managers in the club industry. “The conference is a six-day affair that hosts roughly 2,500 participants,” she says. “It is a collection of educational sessions, networking events, a business expo, job fairs, and an idea fair. All the big names in the industry attend this event and people often go year after year.”

Both Sorensen and Canzano have participated in the CMAA Shark Tank in previous years, but for the first time in their educational careers, the duo’s three-month concept endeavor beat out a nationwide pool of entrepreneurial ideas from 40 schools.

“Pickleball is the biggest sport in the industry right now and we saw an opportunity for our idea,” Canzano says. After submitting a video pitch for the competition’s first round, their idea was chosen to proceed to the next stage of the competition—they were assigned a professional in the club industry to be a mentor and used his feedback to prepare for the second round, which they presented to a panel of club managers via Zoom.

“Our polished delivery and quick thinking helped us earn a spot in the third and final round,” Canzano says. “In the final round—in front of a much larger room full of managers and students— we were given a different mentor, a UMass alum who coached us through the process.”

The duo received feedback from club managers across the country about their idea’s innovation and pertinence to its members.

“Jack and I are continuing to work on this concept and want to reach out to as many companies that are interested in the idea,” Canzano says.

Sorensen is confident that their idea will be successful: “There is a void to be filled, and we are going to be the ones to do it!”

Watch Grace and Jack present their CMAA Shark Tank idea here.