Brooklyn Pickleball Team

The publicly documented owners, general manager, coaches, and leadership connected to Brooklyn Pickleball Team.

Brooklyn, NYLast verified 2026-07-1310 profiles

Owners

Al Tylis

Al Tylis

Owner (lead)

CEO, Apollo Sports Capital; investor

Lead owner of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team and a major investor in the MLP–PPA merger. UPA board member. Led Apollo Sports Capital's $225M investment into the parent company of the PPA Tour and MLP.

Worth Knowing

  • Tylis is CEO of Apollo Sports Capital and an owner and chairman across soccer, esports and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team.
  • He serves on the boards of the United Pickleball Association, G2 Esports and Canvas Property Group.
  • Before concentrating on sports, he led NorthStar Asset Management; he earned his undergraduate degree at UMass Amherst and a JD from Suffolk University Law School.
LinkedIn ↗
Sam Porter

Sam Porter

Owner (lead)

Investor

Co-lead owner of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team alongside Al Tylis.

Worth Knowing

  • Porter is Chief Strategy Officer of Apollo Sports Capital and co-owner of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, Club Necaxa and Inter Bogota.
  • He previously served as Chief Strategy Officer of D.C. United during the development and opening of Audi Field.
  • Leaders recognized him on its 40 Under 40 list for Legal and Governance in 2017.
Apollo Profile ↗
Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria

Owner (celebrity)

Actress, producer, entrepreneur

Actress/producer and investor in the Brooklyn ownership group.

Worth Knowing

  • Primary professional background: Actress, producer, entrepreneur.
  • Publicly associated with Los Angeles, CA.
Instagram ↗
Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander

Owner (celebrity)

MLB pitcher

MLB pitcher; part of the Brooklyn ownership group. Married to Kate Upton (also an owner).

Worth Knowing

  • Multiple-time Cy Young winner
Instagram ↗
Kate Upton

Kate Upton

Owner (celebrity)

Model, entrepreneur

Model and entrepreneur; Brooklyn co-owner alongside husband Justin Verlander.

Worth Knowing

  • Primary professional background: Model, entrepreneur.
Instagram ↗
Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckham Jr.

Owner (celebrity)

NFL wide receiver

NFL wide receiver; Brooklyn ownership group.

Worth Knowing

  • Primary professional background: NFL wide receiver.
Instagram ↗

Tara Fieri

Owner (minority, added Dec 2025)

Entrepreneur, media personality

Entrepreneur and media personality; joined the Brooklyn ownership group with Hunter Fieri in December 2025.

Worth Knowing

  • Fieri is a former NCAA champion softball player who moved into entrepreneurship, content creation and pickleball brand work.
  • She and Hunter Fieri joined Brooklyn's ownership group in December 2025 and create food-and-pickleball pop-up experiences together.
  • She is a board member of the National Women's Pickleball Foundation and founded TBCreative.
LinkedIn ↗
Hunter Fieri

Hunter Fieri

Owner (minority, added Dec 2025)

Media personality, entrepreneur

Media personality and entrepreneur; son of Guy Fieri. Joined Brooklyn ownership Dec 2025.

Worth Knowing

  • Fieri is an entrepreneur, television personality and event host whose work spans food festivals, Super Bowl activations and lifestyle events.
  • He studied hospitality management at UNLV and has worked in culinary and media ventures associated with the Fieri brand.
  • He and Tara Fieri joined Brooklyn's ownership group in December 2025 and create food-and-pickleball pop-up experiences together.
LinkedIn ↗Instagram ↗

General Manager

Josh Gartman

Josh Gartman

General Manager

Pickleball front office

General Manager of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team.

Worth Knowing

  • Serves as Brooklyn's general manager and was part of the front office that built the franchise's 2023 MLP championship team when it represented D.C.
  • Joined CityPickle in 2025 to help develop player programming and coach education.
  • Has taught at the Riviera Country Club since 2021, connecting his team-management work with day-to-day instruction.
CityPickle Profile ↗

Head Coach

Kyle McKenzie

Kyle McKenzie

Head Coach

Pickleball coaching

Head coach of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team.

Worth Knowing

  • McKenzie is a professional coach, former professional player and regular pickleball commentator who has coached Brooklyn/DC at the MLP level.
  • He became Tyson McGuffin's training partner after moving to Spokane in 2016 and later helped build McGuffin's national camp program.
  • His background includes Division I college tennis, professional poker and sales, experiences he says shaped his strategy-first coaching and communication style.
Official Coach Profile ↗
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