a city of champions

We’re home to the loudest stadium in the country and the first professional women’s soccer stadium in the world. We’re hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026. We’ve taken home trophies in the Super Bowl, World Series, and MLS Cup. We’re home to two major NASCAR races each year. We’re the unofficial home of college basketball, hosting more teams than anywhere else in the country. And now, Kansas City is home to a professional pickleball team, America’s fastest growing sport.

Night view of a lit historic building with green and purple lights, set against a city skyline with skyscrapers in the background.

UNLEASH THE SWARM

UNLEASH THE SWARM

The Kansas City Stingers are a professional pickleball team in the National Pickleball League®, the first pro pickleball league for the 50+ age group. The NPL was founded in 2022 by Champions Pro players Rick Witsken, Beth Bellamy, and Michael “Hammer Mike” Chen. The league is made up of twelve teams in metropolitan locations in Indianapolis, Austin, Boca Raton, Naples, Denver, Oklahoma City, Houston, Seattle, Kansas City, Columbus, Coachella Valley and Princeton. National Pickleball League® is owned by National Pickleball League, LLC. The NPL is dedicated to expanding the reach of pickleball, fostering community engagement, physical and mental health, and elevating the sport to new heights.

TEAM OWNERS

  • A person wearing a green hoodie with 'SW19 Tennis and Pickleball' in a sports facility.

    Julie Gibson

    CO-OWNER

    Julie graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law and has practiced law for over 25 years in Kansas City. She specializes in the areas of personal injury, commercial litigation, appellate advocacy, insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, and general business. An avid pickleball player, Julie joined forces with Daryl to acquire the team and will take on an operational role. Outside of her full-time career, you can typically find her working the desk and planning events for SW19. She also loves spending time with her children and tending to her backyard apiary where she and her son manage several bee hives.

  • Man in a green hoodie standing in an indoor sports facility, likely a tennis or pickleball court.

    Daryl Wyatt

    CO-OWNER

    Born and raised in DC, Daryl started playing tennis at the age of 11. By age 14, he had already secured the impressive ranking of number 8 nationally. His talent led him to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where he earned the prestigious All-American title during his freshman year. Daryl left UNC to pursue a career as a professional tennis player in 1993, and ranked on the ATP Tour. Despite his early success, a career-ending injury redirected Daryl's path to coaching. In 2022, Daryl acquired SW19 Tennis Club and turned it into a thriving pickleball community, where he also found a passion for playing the sport. Daryl is a proud player on the Stingers and is currently ranked #6 in Men’s Pro Doubles Champions Division (APP).