The New Jersey 5s Return for Major League Pickleball’s Season Opener in Mesa, AZ
The official VeeFriends pickleball team, The New Jersey 5s, is back with a new look and new team players! After hosting several VeeFriends invite-only activations for the tournaments last year, we are collaborating with MLP to give away limited General Admission tickets to VeeFriends’ Friends & Family for the first 2023 event in Mesa, AZ. But that is not all…GaryVee will be hosting a meet and greet for our community members in attendance!
The New Jersey 5s — The Official VeeFriends MLP Pickleball Team
In 2022, VeeFriends CEO and Founder GaryVee, alongside Ryan Harwood, CEO of Gallery Media Group, purchased an MLP professional pickleball team, The New Jersey 5s. As the official VeeFriends Pickleball team, The New Jersey 5s are looking to make some noise in the first official MLP event of the year in Mesa, AZ. GaryVee and Ryan Harwood saw purchasing an MLP team as an opportunity to channel their competitive spirits and contribute to the sport’s growth.
( Image Source: https://www.majorleaguepickleball.net/ )
Ryan Harwood is a former Division 1 Player / Captain for the University of Pennsylvania’s men’s tennis team and is the current CEO of Gallery Media Group, Founder of PureWow, and ONE37pm. His expertise was a perfect fit for the general manager position with The New Jersey 5s. Heading into another season under his management, The New Jersey 5s are poised to take the sport by storm and make the VeeFriends community proud.
VeeFriends Competitive Clown Character — The Official Mascot of The New Jersey 5s!
As VeeFriends continues to develop the IP of characters, featuring the Competitive Clown as the mascot of The New Jersey 5s was a no-brainer. Not only does this bring more awareness to VeeFriends characters to a new audience, but this direct connection of the VeeFriends Competitive Clown AND professional pickleball easily makes The New Jersey 5s the official team the VeeFriends Community can rally behind!
In addition, we have already showcased how NFT ownership of the Competitive Clown character and THE Pickleball Scene tokens granted fun and exclusive experiences at official MLP events.
The New Jersey 5s — 2023 MLP Draft
The New Jersey 5s had the FIRST PICK this year in the MLP 2023 Draft! They selected the #1 ranked professional female player, Anna Leigh Waters, as the very first pick of the season. Waters is joined on the team by Lea Jansen, James Ignatowich, and Hayden Patriquin. VeeFriends is ecstatic to cheer on this amazing roster for the 2023 MLP season.
Major League Pickleball 2023 — Mesa, AZ
MLP returns this year with the season-opening tournament in Mesa, AZ. MLP has expanded this year to include two levels of play: Premiere and Challenger. Premier Level is where the top 48 players are drafted to play. While Challenger Level is for 48 upcoming draftees looking to make their journey to the league’s top. Both levels will play at the Mesa, AZ, event to kick off the season.
When: Friday January 27th, — Sunday January 29th, 2023
Where: Legacy Sports USA | 6321 S Ellsworth Rd, Mesa, AZ 85212
GaryVee Meet and Greet on Saturday, January 28th!
GaryVee will be attending the Major League Pickleball season opener event in Mesa, AZ on Saturday January 28th. Not only will he be cheering on the official VeeFriends pickleball team, The New Jersey 5s, but he’ll also be hosting a meet and greet for our community member attendees. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet GaryVee and be a part of the action. See you on the courts! Additional details will be shared via email to those who register.
VeeFriends Friends & Family Benefits:
VeeFriends Community members are eligible to claim 2 tickets (for yourself + 1) per day via google form claim submission until capacity is met for each day…Please DO NOT claim a ticket if you cannot go. With the short notice and limited space, we want to encourage those who can attend the opportunity to go.
Please fill out the below google form for the days you wish to attend. Once max RSVP is reached, the forms will no longer be available.
Friday, January 27th, 2023
Saturday, January 28th, 2023
Sunday, January 29th, 2023
FAQ on MLP Mesa EVENT
I’m in the area, can I still attend the event without VeeFriends?
Yes, MLP Mesa is selling General Admission tickets for $10 per day. Click on this link to purchase tickets. https://www.majorleaguepickleball.net
Can I Bring a +1?
Yes, this is a VeeFriends Friends & Family event, so a plus 1 is allowed for VeeFriends community members who sign up.
Please Note: Out of respect for the event organizers and VeeFriends Community, please do not RSVP if you do not plan on attending the event. Once capacity is filled the RSVP forms will be closed.
