Charlie Kirk’s mentor, Jeff Webb, has died at the age of 76 following a pickleball accident. Jeff played a pivotal role in cheerleading, founding Varsity Spirit in 1974, and turning the sport into a global industry. Cheer Daily reported that Jeff died after he sustained a severe head injury following a fall while playing pickleball two weeks before his death on March 20, 2026. Varsity Spirit President Bill Seely revealed that Jeff had been placed on life support, and his family decided to turn off the machines. © Getty ImagesJeff Webb, former President and CEO Varsity Brands, in 2014 Pickleball is played indoors and outdoors, and is played with two or four players who use a paddle to hit a plastic ball over a net, until one side is unable to return the ball or commits an error. It was created in the 1960s but has grown in the last five years; a 2023 report by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association revealed the sport grew by 223.5% between 2019 and 2022 and a 2024 report …