Costa Rising
Costa Rising™
Character in Motion
Costa Rising helps young players advance their game and grow as people. The court is the classroom. Character is what they carry into every path they take.
Apply for the Founding ClassMore than a game
Costa Rising is Costa Pickleball's youth program. Its goal is to help young players advance their skills and grow as people, with the hope that they become better young people who pass their knowledge on to others. This isn't only about pickleball. It's about the values that make someone a good teammate, a good friend, and a good person, whatever path they take.
Pickleball already teaches those values through the way it's played. Players call their own lines. Partners tap paddles after every match. The kitchen rewards patience over force. Costa Rising makes those lessons explicit, and it carries COSTA's core belief, Identity in Motion, to young players: who you are matters as much as how you play.
Six values. Three stages.
Every Rising Athlete works on all six, all year. The examples below show what each value can look like on the court. There are many more.
Rooted
Know who you are
- Integrity
- Honest when no one is checking. Calling your own lines fairly, even at match point.
- Confidence
- Belief built through preparation. Committing to your shot instead of playing scared.
Rising
Grow with discipline
- Perseverance
- Staying in the point and in the process. The reset shot that turns a bad position into a fair one.
- Responsibility
- Owning your effort and your mistakes. Taking your share of a doubles loss without blaming your partner.
Reaching
Lift others
- Respect
- For opponents, partners, officials, and the game. The paddle tap, win or lose.
- Generosity
- Passing on what you've learned. Hitting with a newer player who can't help your rating.
Rising Athletes, our first program
Rising Athletes launches with a select Founding Class. It is a development program with a real path forward, built for juniors who love the game, whether they are chasing a national ranking or still finding their best level. Athletes are chosen for who they are as much as how they play. Every athlete gets a COSTA paddle fitted to their game and size, and every athlete lifts others by helping a younger or newer player each spring and fall. Skill sets your tier. Character earns your place.
For juniors with a DUPR rating
Apply directly
- Ages 8 to 17
- A DUPR rating at any level. Choose the tier below that fits your current game.
- Tournament experience is welcome but not required
- A short statement, in your own words, about who you are on the court and what you stand for
For developing players
Recommended by a Vanguard
- Ages 8 to 17, no rating needed
- Recommended by a COSTA Vanguard ambassador who has coached or played with you for at least three months
- Showing real progress and a real love of the game
- Your Vanguard will let your family know. COSTA will contact you directly from there.
Three tiers, built on skill, not age
Athletes choose the tier that matches their current game. We confirm it with a DUPR rating or an assessment by a Vanguard or coach, then review progress twice a year, in spring and fall. A strong 11-year-old and a newer 15-year-old are placed by how they play, not by how old they are.
| Tier | DUPR range | Focus | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Futures | 2.0 to 2.74 | Consistency | Serves, returns, and keeps score. Wins points with power or scrambling defense. Rallies are short. |
| Challengers | 2.75 to 3.49 | Intent | Understands court position, hits an intentional drop shot, and holds a dink rally without rushing. |
| Champions | 3.5 and up | Strategy | Adult-level pace and spin, a serve that sets up the point, quick hands at the kitchen, and tactical play. |
What moving up earns
Each tier keeps everything from the tier before it.
| Futures | Challengers | Champions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddle | A youth-fitted COSTA paddle | A performance paddle upgrade fitted to the new level | COSTA's top performance paddle |
| Visibility | Founding Class profile | Featured athlete spotlight on COSTA channels, with parent approval | Content created together with COSTA |
| Product voice | Feedback on youth paddles | Youth paddle test group | New-model feedback panel |
| Leadership | Helps a newer player each spring and fall | Helps a newer player each spring and fall | Mentors and supports skills advancement for other young players |
| At 18 | Vanguard Program option to join | ||
| Consideration for pro-level sponsorship by invitation only | |||
Moving up is earned.Athletes move up when they hold a rating above their tier between reviews and their assessment agrees. Tier benefits are given at the spring or fall review.
No one moves down.A tier reflects progress already made. Athletes who settle into a level stay there and keep growing in every other way.
Every tier counts.Athletes at every level represent COSTA, share their experience, and lift others. Results are not the only measure of success here.
Age still guides care.We group events and communication by age, and we fit paddles to each athlete's size and age.
What it involves
What COSTA provides
- A COSTA paddle fitted to your level and size. It's yours to keep.
- A Founding Class profile on this page
- A spring and fall progress review against your tier, including a 15-minute check-in with COSTA
- Early feedback opportunities on new youth paddles
- After a full year, a reference letter on request for school or college applications
What we ask of athletes
- One honest review of your paddle, written or a short video. We don't script reviews.
- Share your experience and tag COSTA when you're already posting about your game. No schedule. For athletes under 13, posts go through a parent's account or COSTA's own channels.
- Note that your paddle came from COSTA, for example with #CostaRising and #gifted. We'll show you how.
- One leadership action between each spring and fall review that lifts others, like helping a newer player or sharing a tip
- Compete hard and respect everyone on the court
No cost, no exclusivity, and no sales involved. Costa Rising does not include cash, apparel, travel, or tournament fees. Participation is reviewed each spring and fall, and either side can end it at any time.
Our commitments to families
We talk to parents.Every message goes to a parent or guardian. We never message athletes directly.
Nothing to sell.No commissions, discount codes, or sales goals for anyone under 18.
You control the story.You choose how your athlete's name, photos, and words are used, and you can change your mind.
Privacy by default.We use first name and last initial and never share schools, cities, or schedules.
Apply for the Founding Class
Applications are open for the Founding Class, the select group of athletes launching Costa Rising. A parent or guardian completes this application. Your submission will be read and replied to within 7 days.
Questions families ask
Does my athlete need to be highly competitive?
No. Costa Rising welcomes committed juniors at every tier. Athletes who want to compete at the highest level have a path to do that, and athletes who simply love the game and want to grow belong here too.
How do we choose a tier?
Use the tier table as a guide and pick your best estimate. If your athlete has a DUPR rating, that's the starting point. If not, choose Not sure yet, and we'll confirm placement with a short assessment by a Vanguard or coach.
How often is progress reviewed?
Twice a year, in spring and fall. At each review, we look at your athlete's rating, assessment, and leadership, confirm their tier, and give any new tier benefits they've earned.
What does moving up a tier earn?
Each tier adds to the one before it: a paddle upgrade fitted to the new level, more visibility on COSTA channels with your approval, a bigger voice in new products, and at the Champions tier, a mentoring role supporting other young players and, at 18, consideration for pro-level sponsorship by invitation only. Athletes at every tier have the option to join the Vanguard Program at 18.
Does my athlete have to use COSTA paddles exclusively?
No. Costa Rising is non-exclusive. Athletes can play any paddle in any event.
What does it cost?
Nothing. There's no fee, and there's nothing to buy.
How are athletes selected?
We start with character, commitment, and how the athlete describes their own game. Rating places an athlete in a tier, but it doesn't decide who is selected. Every finalist has a short call with COSTA, with a parent present.
How many athletes are you accepting?
We're launching with a select Founding Class and will grow the program as we go. If we can't add an athlete right away, qualified applicants go on a waitlist and hear from us first. Applications reopen each spring and fall.
Who are the Vanguards, and how does a recommendation work?
Vanguards are COSTA's brand ambassadors: adult players and coaches who are active in their local pickleball communities and share COSTA's values. They represent COSTA on and off the court, demo COSTA paddles at clinics and events, help players find the right paddle for their game, and share player feedback that shapes new products. A Vanguard who has coached or played with your athlete for at least three months can recommend them. They'll tell you first, and then COSTA will contact you directly.
Is this only about pickleball?
No. Pickleball is where the lessons happen, but the values are for life. We consider an athlete who carries integrity, perseverance, and respect into school, work, and family a success, whether or not they keep playing.
What happens at 18?
Athletes graduate and remain part of the Founding Class. Every graduate has the option to join Vanguard, our brand ambassador program. Some will compete at a professional level, and Champions-tier athletes can be considered for pro-level sponsorship, by invitation only. Many will take other paths entirely, and those count just as much.
Questions about Costa Rising: rising@costapickleball.com