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Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America and has been on the rise in popularity for the past five years. As the sport grew, Riverside resident and entrepreneur Stacey Cleary developed a new product line of pickleball paddles. 4Joy was created to update his pickleball gear for players who want to express themselves with a performance quality paddle and stylish design.
Paddle is designed to start conversations by being fun and different, allowing players to recognize and support brands that are all-female-owned, have a serious mission, and a positive message. Become.
Riverside entrepreneur Stacey Cleary stands on a pickleball court holding a 4Joy paddle she created.
4 Joy Paddle Company Founded in Riverside by teacher, creator, artist, and pickleball enthusiast Stacey Cleary.
Cleary founded the company as a labor of love in the summer of 2023. Pickleball players are passionate about the sport because, first and foremost, it’s a sport that is fun and builds inclusive communities.
“I love that when you step on the pickleball court, your skill level, age, and gender don’t matter. Pickleball players are open and willing to give up their time to help you learn and improve. “I’ll give it to you,” she said.
The first hint of the idea for the new brand of paddles came from the court where Stacey and her husband, Rich, learned to play during the pandemic.
“We were all wearing masks and standing in the hot sun, clapping paddles instead of shaking hands,” she said, adding that the only activity she could do at work besides binge-watching Netflix and Zooming was Pickle. He added that it was a ball.
“We gradually got better and continued playing indoors through the winter,” she said.
Outdoor spring and summer sessions will resume in 2021 and they have enthusiastically signed up to participate. At that point, the sport was growing in popularity, and the town installed racks on the fence at Laughlin Park to hold paddles as a way to wait your turn.
“People would hold up these paddles and say, whose gray paddle is this, and everyone would turn and look? I saw the line and thought, “Pickleball is a fun and entertaining sport, and a paddle should match that atmosphere!”
Later that summer, Cleary received a very scary diagnosis. She had a brain tumor that had to be surgically removed. Fortunately, the tumor was benign, but it remained in an awkward spot just behind her left eye. Although the surgery was successful, recovery was long and difficult. Ms. Cleary had to use her cane for a while to regain her balance. Pickleball was out of the question for a long time.
When she was ready to start playing again, she started looking for a new, upgraded paddle, but couldn’t find anything that matched what she was looking for. It is a high quality, advanced level paddle that will help you improve your game with high quality, fun and interesting graphics.
From there, she started designing different ideas on the computer that she thought would look good on the paddle. When she showed the design to her friends and pickleball friends, they all encouraged her to turn the idea into her company. The project began in earnest in her summer of 2023, and a lot of research was done. Cleary created a business plan and hired a team of consultants and advisors. Her top priority was to develop a high-tech performance level paddle that meets the needs of most players in terms of size, shape and weight. She found a reliable overseas manufacturer that has been making pickleball paddles for over 10 years and makes paddles for some of the top brands.
Cleary ordered dozens of test paddles before deciding on the final design. Her model of paddle, which she eventually named her Premio series, is actually based on her one of the most popular paddles on the market. However, the handle and grip are very different from other paddles, custom designed for her 4Joy with a special soft handle shape and a comfortable, plush synthetic leather grip wrap.
Throughout this research and development process, Cleary was also trying to decide on a name that could be trademarked for his company. She sent out surveys to her friends and family, created a list, and consulted a marketing company. During that time, she was playing pickleball, and then it happened to her. There are four players on the court…we play with four joys. 4 Joy was born.
Cleary describes 4Joy as more than just a pickleball company, but rather a company with a mission, with a commitment from early on to donate a portion of its profits to charity. One of the most important things Cleary took away from his brain tumor experience was realizing the importance of health. She chose her four medical institutions to focus on because there are great health benefits to playing pickleball.
We decided to start with 4 organizations called “We give 4Joy”. The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance was established in memory of my dear friend Diane Powis, of Greenwich, who passed away the previous year after a brave nine-year battle with the disease. Diane’s story and why this disease is often overlooked by doctors until it’s in an advanced stage is why this organization is so important.
Second, the American Cancer Society was chosen because of Mr. Cleary’s experience with brain cancer and the fact that he is grateful every day that his brain tumor was not cancer, and that all those who have or are suffering from cancer Because it was absolutely necessary to donate to ACS for the people of.
Thirdly, the Alzheimer’s Treatment Fund was chosen to support her friends and family, including her dear brother-in-law John Turner of Ridgefield and her mother-in-law, who was diagnosed with early-onset disease at the age of 52. This is because many of them are suffering from this terrible disease. The Maura Cleary Act has been a struggle for many years.
The fourth organization chosen was the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. That’s because so many women and men suffer from breast cancer, including Cleary’s maternal grandmother, Eleanor Adams Baxell.
Cleary’s business was incorporated in October 2023. Final paddle samples were ordered with logos and submitted to USAP for certification for tournament use.
Cleary said USA Pickleball requires test paddles to be sent to various locations around the country to ensure the paddles meet certain specifications.
Once the paddle passed testing, a final bulk order was placed and the product was finally launched in January 2024.
The paddle is fully USAP certified for tournament use and bears the USAP stamp.
Since its launch, Cleary said the paddle has been a huge hit with rave reviews and exceptional feedback.
“People love the way the paddles play, feel and look,” she said. “A company was born here in Riverside.”
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