Our Team
Built by a player,
for players.
Pingly isn't a corporate product. It's born from a real frustration, by someone who just wanted to play more pickleball.
John Hosking
Founder, Pingly
John's DUPR
4.0
on a good day 😅
Community first
Always
Meet John Hosking — Founder of Pingly
John isn't a professional pickleball player. In fact, he'll happily admit he's a very average 4.0 on a good day.
But what he is passionate about is the community around the game.
Like many players, John discovered pickleball during the strange years around COVID — a time when people were looking for ways to get outside, stay active, and reconnect with others. What started as a casual hit quickly became something much bigger: a sport that brings people together in a way few others do.
On a pickleball court, you'll see retirees playing with university students, neighbours meeting for the first time, and competitive rallies followed by plenty of laughs. It's social, it's energetic, and it's one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
After experiencing that first-hand, John realised something important: while pickleball is exploding globally, the systems that help people organise games and connect locally haven't caught up yet.
So he decided to build one.
"Pingly is my attempt to make playing pickleball easier for everyone — whether you're brand new to the sport or a seasoned player chasing better matches. The goal is simple: help players find their local crew, organise games without the chaos of group chats, and build consistent momentum on the court."
And yes, John is still chasing that elusive "solid 4.5 day." But in the meantime, he's focused on something much bigger — helping grow the pickleball movement across Australia and building a community where people can show up, play, and connect week after week.
The problems John saw in the market
Playing pickleball shouldn't be this hard. But for most Australians, these were real daily frustrations.
The group chat chaos
Finding a game meant 20 messages across random WhatsApp groups, half of which had no reply. There was no reliable, structured way to find players at your level, near you, this week.
No local discovery
Pickleball courts are popping up everywhere — but there was no easy way to find out who else was playing there. You'd show up and hope for a game.
No consistent crew
Even when you found people to play with, keeping a reliable group going was hard. People drifted, schedules clashed, and the momentum died.
No competitive pathway
For players wanting to grow and compete, there was no accessible, flexible league system that fit around real life — work, family, and everything else.
Find players. Join games. Grow your pickleball community.
Join the waitlist and be the first to access Pingly when we launch in your area.