Who Are Behind PANSU?
WE THE CARING PICKLERS
PANSU — Pickleball Anywhere: Next Stop Ukraine — is a collaboration between two dedicated organizations:
🇺🇸 Anywhere Pickleball (USA)
A purpose-driven brand that designs joyful, accessible pickleball gear — and brings the sport to places it’s never been before. Mission: Make pickleball accessible anywhere, including conflict zones, refugee spaces, and under-resourced communities.
🇺🇦 Ukrainian Pickleball Federation (Ukraine)
The national federation building pickleball across Ukraine — from city parks to international competition. Mission: Use pickleball as a tool for healing, inclusion, and rebuilding a stronger, more connected Ukraine.
Together, we’re not just shipping gear. We’re building a global bridge through play.
Play Together, Stand Together
Pickleball players are community builders by nature.
We pick up a paddle not just to win — but to connect, to laugh, to heal, to belong.
That spirit doesn’t stop at your local court. Right now, halfway around the world, thousands of new players in Ukraine are discovering the joy of the game — many for the first time, often with borrowed paddles, taped-up shoes, and lines drawn by hand.
Pickleball Anywhere: Next Stop Ukraine (PANSU) is a player-powered movement uniting the U.S. and Ukraine through shared love of the game.
Every donation, message, and act of support brings joy, hope, and connection to a country still in conflict.
Kyivcity.gov.ua, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Life Must Go On
In cities across Ukraine, this quiet courage plays out daily.
People sweep broken glass.
They check on neighbors.
They go to work.
They care for their children.
Not because they’ve forgotten the war —
but because they remember who they are.
This is the soul of Ukraine:
Wounded, yes — but walking forward.
Why Pickleball in a War Zone?
Because joy matters — especially now.
Pickleball is more than a sport in Ukraine. It’s a source of strength, recovery, and belonging.
As the war continues, pickleball offers something simple but powerful:
A reason to gather
A place to laugh
A moment to move, connect, and feel alive
From military veterans to schoolkids, from displaced families to seniors rebuilding their lives — pickleball gives people a way to heal, together.
A Movement Is Already Underway
“Pickleball in Ukraine is more than a sport — it’s a national movement for resilience, connection, and recovery.”
— Anna Glotova, Director of Strategic Partnership, Ukrainian Pickleball Federation
In just one year, Ukraine has gone from a handful of donated paddles to a fast-growing national presence. Today:
- Ukraine is the 60th member of the Global Pickleball Federation
Pickleball is being played in many regions. Players include veterans, youth, seniors, and adaptive athletes
In July 2025, Ukraine opened its first 4-court outdoor facility in Kyiv
This fall, an adaptive team will compete at the Scatchers English Open
The UPF is on a mission to make pickleball a nationally recognized, inclusive sport accessible to every Ukrainian, regardless of age, background, or ability.
How You Can Help
You don’t have to travel far to make a difference. Here’s how U.S. players can support Ukraine’s pickleball journey:
✉️ Write a Message of Support
Say something heartfelt to our pickleball fellows in Ukraine.
🎁 Your Paddle, Their Joy: Transform Lives 6,000 Miles Away
Donate your gently used spare paddle — we’ll send it to a fellow Ukrainian player.
🛒 Order the Freedom Fighter Paddle Set
Keep one, give one. A powerful gift that plays both ways.
From One Court to Another
Pickleball has always been about more than winning points — it’s about building bridges.
In a time of destruction, you can help create connection.
In a time of displacement, you can deliver dignity.
In a time of uncertainty, you can give joy.
This is more than a game. It’s a global community — and it needs players like you.
Join us. Let’s bring the world a little closer, one paddle at a time.