Surprise woman will be inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame

Catch up quick: The Pickleball Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class in 2017.

• Laymon, who formerly served on the USA Pickleball board of directors, is one of two "contributor" inductees in this year's class. There are also three "competitor" inductees.
• Per a Hall of Fame announcement, she's credited with creating "the sport's first comprehensive referee training program, referee handbook, and officiating guidelines."

What they're saying: Laymon "helped establish the standards of officiating that have strengthened competition across the world," Hall acting president Melissa McCurley said in a news release.

• Laymon tells Axios that her husband, Lynn, deserves just as much credit as she does.
• "It was quite a surprise," says Laymon, who retired in 2022. "I actually had thought that the Hall of Fame had forgotten about my husband and I."

By the numbers: An estimated 24 million people played pickleball recreationally or otherwise in 2025, according to an analysis by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, up from an estimated 4 million in 2020.

• Phoenix was an early pickleball hotspot, and Laymon, who has a quarter-century of involvement, says the sport's rise in popularity has "been a wonderful thing."
• "There were many times when we were promoting pickleball that people just went, 'What? Pickleball?'" Laymon says.

What's next: Laymon and her fellow honorees will be formally inducted during the Hall's three-day celebration Nov. 12-14, with events in Mesa and Gold Canyon.