Actor Vince Vaughn the new majority owner of Coachella Valley Scorpions pickleball team

He's trading in his dodgeballs for pickleballs.

The Coachella Valley Scorpions, the 50-and-over professional pickleball team hailing from the desert, announced that noted actor Vince Vaughn, star of some of the most influential comedy movies of the past three decades, has signed on as the team's majority owner.

The Scorpions are one of 12 teams in the National Pickleball League. The league formed in 2023, and the Coachella Valley team is one of six new teams playing in its first season this year.

Vaughn, known for mega-hits such as "Swingers," "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," "Old School" and "Wedding Crashers," joined on after meeting Scorpions co-owner and player Kim Jagd on the pickleball courts around Manhattan Beach last year.

New pro pickleball team to call the valley home: Introducing the Coachella Valley Scorpions

"I have always enjoyed the game and in meeting Kim, I was impressed with her, not only as a player, but her passion and style of coaching," Vaughn said in a news release announcing his joining the ownership group of the only California-based NPL franchise. "I'm excited to support her and the Scorpions on their journey."

The Scorpions are in the middle of their inaugural season. They have participated in three NPL events during the current season and hold a 7-5 overall record competing against the top senior pros in the world. The Scorpions return to action Aug. 9-11 in Kansas City. The Scorpions will not play a game in the desert until the 2025 season.

Jagd said that having Vaughn on board is an exciting development for the team and will help the Scorpions continue to build their brand both in Coachella Valley and in the broader Southern California area.

“When you’re on the court with Vince, you can feel his energy and excitement for the game,” said Jagd. “Vince is a natural athlete, who played football, baseball and wrestled in high school. So, as a new player he really picked up the game and has improved immensely. He’s a true student of the game.”

In addition to Jagd, the Scorpions' roster includes top-ranked player Dayne Gingrich of Santa Barbara as well as Piet Aldrich of Solana Beach; Joe Frasca of Colorado Springs; Keith Jain of Carlsbad; Julene James of Bluffdale, Utah; Lily Kordic-Mueller of Carlsbad; Maggie Murch of North Vancouver; John Riedy of Carlsbad; David Smith of Spirit Lake, Iowa; Chrishawn Spackman of Gulfport, Florida; Johan Svensson of Lakeland, Tennessee; Brenda Tilford of Northridge and Stacy Zelenski of Morro Bay.

Other teams on the National Pickleball League include the Austin Ignite, Boca Raton Picklers, Columbus Hotshots, Denver Iconics, Houston Hammers, Indy Drivers, Kansas City Stingers, Naples JBB United, Princeton Bruisers, OKC Punishers and the Seattle United.

Vauhgn's latest project is as the lead in a drama series called "Bad Monkey" that premieres on Apple TV+ on Aug. 14.

For more information on the team, you can visit scorpionspickleball.com or follow the team on Instagram @ScorpionsPickleball and at facebook.com/ScorpionsPickleball.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Actor Vince Vaughn the new majority owner of Coachella Valley Scorpions pickleball team