PPA Welcomes New Deputy Commissioner to its Ranks

Chris Patrick joins the PPA Tour team after nearly 15 years in the sports industry and will hold the title of Deputy Commissioner. His role will include working closely with PPA Commissioner Connor Pardoe and acting as the Commissioner’s right-hand man in matters of business, law, and the pickleball industry as a whole.

While in law school, Chris began representing NBA and international players under his first company, Court Vision XL. Chris later teamed up with Happy Walters, COO of Relativity Media, to create a sports division for the well-known movie production company. As Vice President of Basketball Operations for Relativity Sports, Chris worked directly under Happy, representing players and advising on contractual matters for other agents and their clients. What started as a small, basketball-only division, with clients such as Amar’e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert and Jimmy Butler, quickly grew. Relativity acquired part of Lagardère Basketball, as well as SFX Baseball and Maximum Football. During this period, Chris assisted the legal team and oversaw the transition and integration of new agents. By 2015, Relativity Sports was ranked #3 on Forbes list of multi-sport agencies, and Chris was ranked in the top 50 NBA agents. Some of his clients have included Ty Lawson, Robert Covington, Davis Bertans, Garrison Mathews, Jason Terry, Royce White, and Eric Moreland, among others.

In the fall of 2016, Chris left Relativity and has since been the managing partner of The Sports Law Group, PLLC – a D.C.-based law firm. In addition to representing professional athletes and college coaches, the firm also advises players and universities on NCAA compliance matters. Chris continues to represent NBA players, as well as consult with agents and player managers as it relates to matters for their clients both on and off the court – free agency analytics, draft preparation, business acquisition, non-profit formation, and real estate transactional matters.

Most importantly, Chris is an avid pickleball player. This month marks the 3-year anniversary of Chris first picking up a paddle. He is a 5.0 rated player with multiple gold and silver medals, including wins at the US Open, as well as several PPA, APP, and USAPA regional tournaments. He is also an IPTPA level II instructor and enjoys being on the court and giving lessons whenever possible. Toward the end of 2020, Chris began representing Steve Deakin in contractual matters. This led to him working with other pickleball pros such as Catherine Parenteau, Michelle Esquivel, Callie Smith, Riley Newman, Lindsey Newman, Lea Jansen, and most recently, Yana Grechkina, and AJ Koller. He has been closely involved in all aspects of the business side of pickleball as it relates to these players.

Chris resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife Jill, and their four children. He is a member of the D.C. Bar, the American Bar Association, and the Sports Lawyers Association. He is also a proud alumnus of UMass Amherst, where he received his MBA.

Look for Chris Patrick at PPA Tour events all over the U.S. during the 2022 season and beyond! Read more about our Tour Schedule at www.ppatour.com.

Media Contact:
Hannah Johns
PPA Tour
hannah@ppatour.com