Photo credit: Ke’ale Dorries
Gold Coast native Ke’ale Dorries is helping to shape the growth of professional pickleball in Australia. As marketing manager for the PPA Tour Australia, Major League Pickleball Australia, and Minor League Pickleball Australia, Dorries oversees everything from social media and content production to live broadcasts, and event marketing across the country.
Can you briefly introduce yourself? What you do, where you’re from, etc?
My name is Ke’ale Dorries. I am the Marketing Manager for PPA Tour Australia, Major League Pickleball Australia, and Minor League Pickleball Australia. I’m from the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, and am 28 years old.
Alongside the general aspects of marketing, I am also the head of content and social media, running all of our channels including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. I also manage the broadcast section of our events, which includes our live streams running on YouTube for Championship and Grandstand Court.
How did you get involved in the pickleball scene?
One day about 2.5 years ago, I was sitting in the infrared sauna at my gym. Luckily someone else was in there, so I was able to yap for 30 minutes to endure the 75 degree box of heat. That person was none other than League Commissioner Sange Carter. She told me all about pickleball and her job with the team. That was my first introduction to the sport, and pretty much from then on I was constantly hearing about it.
Six months later, I was on the hunt for a new job in the sports space, and a mutual friend from my gym officially connected me with Sange [Carter], who then put me through to an interview with the PPA Australia team.
How do you approach your work on a daily basis in marketing, and is there one aspect of your career you enjoy most?
Running events every month across three different businesses means there are a lot of moving parts all of the time. I’d like to say I thrive in the fast paced environment that is sports and events marketing, but every day I am learning something new and finding new ways to approach work.
I specifically love being on site at the events, seeing them grow from the ground up, and experiencing the atmosphere created by both the amateur and professional players.
Pickleball has been on a pretty rapid rise in Australia for the past couple years in particular. What’s it like being at the centre of it in your position with the PPA/MLP?
As a sports person myself, it’s been amazing to watch the sport grow and see the potential coming from the US and Asia markets. There is so much opportunity in pickleball, and I’m excited to see where the sport goes over the next five to 10 years.
Do you have any highlights that stand out in your career or just in pickleball generally?
Being part of the Australia Pickleball Open alongside the Carvana PPA Tour in 2025 was definitely a highlight. Getting to see our Aussie pros go head to head with the best in the world was incredible.
It was also an amazing learning experience to see how such a large business in the US operates. Working directly with their marketing team was extremely valuable for me.
Any big pickleball plans with PPA Australia you can share? Events, milestones, etc?
I think you’ll just have to keep an eye on our socials, sign up to our newsletter through the website, and make sure you get yourself to a PPA Australia event to see what the hype is all about.
Anything you’d like to add? Any shout outs?
This company wouldn’t be anything without the team we have. Sange Carter, Dan Sypkes, and Tim Joiner, along with our amazing crew of contractors, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters.
And shout out to Tim, the second half of the Vibe Hires. IYKYK.