Few additional details have emerged since news broke last Thursday that Jeff Webb died at 76, reportedly about two weeks after suffering a fall while playing pickleball, leaving the public with little information about the circumstances preceding the passing of the Tennessee entrepreneur who is credited with catapulting competitive cheerleading into an international sport.
It remains unclear when the accident took place, with the announcement of his passing suggesting it occurred sometime between March 3 and March 6. The hospital where Webb was treated for about two weeks after the fall, before his family decided to remove life support, has also yet to be named.
Also unknown is exactly where the fall took place, though Sportico reported last week that the Varsity Spirit founder’s most recent address was a condominium located adjacent to the Memphis Country Club.
The club’s website states it offers six outdoor pickleball courts and four indoor pickleball courts, while an event listing for the upcoming Memphis Country Club Spring Invitational states the facilities include a total of 10 courts, indoor and outdoor.
The Tennessee Star contacted the Memphis Fire Department to confirm whether it responded to a medical call involving Webb during the time he reportedly fell, and to clarify the location, Webb’s condition, and where he was transported, but did not receive a response before press time.
USA Pickleball, the governing body for the sport in the United States, similarly did not respond to an inquiry asking if it was aware of the accident, whether it occurred at a sanctioned or affiliated facility, or if the fall happened during an organized pickleball game.
Additional inquiries from The Star to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, including those questioning whether either agency is investigating the accident, and whether a cause of death has been established, did not receive an immediate response.
Webb was an early donor to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated while speaking at a college campus last year. Citing the connection, some pundits and social media influencers have already expressed skepticism on social media, including Cenk Uygur, the founder of the progressive The Young Turks network, who described Webb’s passing as “an incredibly strange coincidence.”
A study of 66,350 pickleball injuries reported from 2014-2024 determined those aged 65-80 experienced injuries most common, but found virtually all injuries were non-fatal. Falls were the most common cause, while fractures were the most common injury.
Reports of pickleball-related incidents resulting in death are rare, but an 80-year-old man in Ontario, Canada, was reported to have suffered a fatal blow to the head while playing the sport in 2024. Another man reportedly fell to his death after climbing over a safety rail to retrieve a ball while playing pickleball last year.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected]. Michael Patrick Leahy is the CEO of Star News Digital Media Inc. and Editor-in-Chief of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Jeff Webb” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
