Life Lessons from Pickleball™

E113: A New Chapter for Life Lessons from Pickleball™

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400

After 112 incredible conversations with guests from around the world, Sher and Shelley are stepping away from recording new episodes of Life Lessons from Pickleball™ for now as they focus on exciting new projects.

In this special episode, they reflect on the journey, share their gratitude, and remind listeners that meaningful stories do not have an expiration date. The podcast library will remain available, and they hope listeners will continue discovering episodes, revisiting favorite conversations, and sharing them with others.

This is not goodbye. It is simply the beginning of a new chapter.

Follow or subscribe to the podcast so you will be the first to know if new episodes are released in the future. Shelley and Sher will also continue sharing inspiring life lessons, updates, and new Life Lessons from Pickleball™ projects, including an expanded edition of their book.

Thank you for listening, supporting the podcast, and being part of this wonderful community. May these stories continue to inspire you on the court and in life.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
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https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E112: Melissa McCurley: The Calm Force Behind Competitive Pickleball

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400

What happens when a Navy veteran, crisis-response leader, and technology executive brings her gifts for service, calm, and innovation into the world of pickleball?

In this episode, we talk with Melissa McCurley, one of the most influential behind-the-scenes leaders in the sport of pickleball. Melissa shares how pickleball found her unexpectedly, at a time when she had already built a successful career in information technology, including leadership roles with EDS and American Express. She explains how a deep inner calling led her to walk away from that path and step into something completely new, even before she had any clear vision of where pickleball would go.

Melissa takes us through the incredible story of acquiring PickleballTournaments.com in 2014 and helping transform it into the operational backbone of tournament pickleball. She talks about the early days of the sport, the explosion of events and players, the growth of tournament technology and services, and the work it took to support everyone from grassroots players to major tours. Along the way, she reflects on launching new systems, becoming the first woman to broadcast pickleball on CBS Sports, joining the APP, and what it meant to be inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2025.

This is a powerful conversation about pickleball, leadership, service, innovation, tournament operations, resilience, women in sports, entrepreneurship, Melissa McCurley, PickleballTournaments.com, APP, and the life lessons that remind us to put ourselves in uncomfortable positions, keep moving forward through failure, and trust that sometimes the things we are called to do arrive before we fully understand them.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1HJScKczdR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.instagram.com/paddleup_pickleball

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E111: Tony Schneider: Fun, Friendship, and Fitness Through U.S. Senior Pickleball

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help seniors live longer, build stronger friendships, and discover that it is never too late to start something new?

In this episode, we talk with Tony Schneider, president of U.S. Senior Pickleball, about the power of sport, community, and active aging. Tony shares how he first discovered pickleball on a family vacation in 2020, quickly fell in love with the game, and learned almost immediately that bringing out the best in your partner can matter just as much as your own athletic ability. That early experience opened the door to a bigger calling in the sport.

Tony explains what U.S. Senior Pickleball is all about: helping adults 50 and older get off the couch, get moving, and enjoy the fun, friendship, and fitness that pickleball brings. He talks about tournaments, grassroots programs, ambassadors, indoor play, and his broader vision of helping seniors live seven to ten more quality years through movement and connection. Along the way, he shares funny stories from tournament play, his thoughts on DUPR, and the importance of keeping pickleball accessible and welcoming for players of all ages and levels.

This is an uplifting conversation about pickleball, U.S. Senior Pickleball, active aging, senior athletes, fitness, friendship, tournaments, ambassadors, community, longevity, and the life lessons that remind us to stay positive, lift up the people around us, and never believe it is too late to begin.

https://usseniorpickleball.org/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E110: Mae Romero: Inventing a Better Way to Carry the Game

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400

What happens when a lifelong inventor falls in love with pickleball and decides the sport deserves something better?

In this episode, we talk with Mae Romero, an inventor, entrepreneur, lifelong problem solver, and founder of Okto Pickleball. Mae shares how growing up on a farm and learning to weld at just seven years old helped shape her confidence, creativity, and ability to figure things out for herself. She has spent her life building things, both literally and creatively, and over the years has taken multiple products from concept to national retail. When pickleball entered her life, it sparked a whole new chapter. For Mae, invention and pickleball have a lot in common — both require resilience, adaptability, and the willingness to keep solving problems in front of you.

Mae talks about how her love for the game led her to create Okto, a brand focused on gear that is not only functional, but intentional and empowering for pickleball players. She shares what it looks like to move from seeing a need to designing a solution, and how her life as an inventor has shaped the way she approaches the game. Along the way, we explore creativity, entrepreneurship, confidence, and what it means to trust your own ideas enough to bring them into the world.

This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, invention, entrepreneurship, women in business, creativity, resilience, product design, Okto Pickleball, innovation, confidence, and the life lessons that remind us to trust ourselves, stay curious, and keep building what we wish existed.

https://oktogear.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E109: Kyle Case: Don’t Stop — The Power of Active Aging Through Pickleball

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400

What if aging was not about slowing down, but about discovering new strength, new community, and new reasons to keep playing?

In this episode, we talk with Kyle Case, CEO of the Huntsman World Senior Games, the largest annual multi-sport event in the world for athletes age 50 and older. Kyle shares how he first fell in love with the idea of amateur sports and event management as a college student, and how that passion grew into a career devoted to active aging, meaningful competition, and creating opportunities for people to keep doing what they love well into later life. Under his leadership, the Huntsman World Senior Games now welcomes more than 12,000 athletes to St. George, Utah each year to compete in over 40 sports, including pickleball.

Kyle talks about why pickleball has been such a powerful part of that growth, from its low barrier to entry to its ability to welcome players across generations and skill levels. He reflects on the inspiring athletes he has watched over the years, including competitors in their 80s, 90s, and even over 100 years old, and shares why the Games are about so much more than medals. They are about purpose, connection, joy, and proving that it is never too late to begin something new. Along the way, he also shares his own experience competing in the senior games and the life lessons he has learned from decades of watching people redefine what aging can look like.

This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, the Huntsman World Senior Games, active aging, senior athletes, longevity, community, resilience, fitness, purpose, lifelong sports, and the life lessons that remind us not to stop, not to count ourselves out, and never to believe it is too late to start.

https://seniorgames.net/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E108: Dotti Berry: Training the Mental Edge in Pickleball and Life

Tue, 19 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400

What if the biggest thing holding pickleball players back is not their mechanics, but the way they think, react, and talk to themselves under pressure?

In this episode, we talk with Dotti Berry, better known as Coach B, a mental and peak performance coach, the creator of Mental Edge: The X Factor, and the recipient of the 2026 PPR Humanitarian Award. Dotti shares how she first discovered pickleball after hearing about it again and again from friends and clients, and how that curiosity eventually led her to a sport that combined movement, community, challenge, and joy. From her early days walking nervously into a local gym to becoming a trusted voice in the mental game of pickleball, Dotti has built a powerful body of work around helping players retrain their brains so they can perform with more steadiness on and off the court.

Dotti explains why she believes the traditional idea of “mindset” is too static, and why what players really need are daily MindShift habits that help them regulate nerves, build emotional resilience, and stop spiraling after mistakes. She talks about the difference between insight and real change, the importance of daily mental training, and why players do not rise to the occasion under pressure, but instead fall to the level of their training. Along the way, she shares practical tools like breathing, touch anchors, noticing and naming emotions, and building routines that can help players recover faster and stay present.

This is a deeply insightful conversation about pickleball, the mental game, peak performance, emotional regulation, self-talk, confidence, pressure, habits, resilience, Coach B, Mental Edge: The X Factor, the PPR Humanitarian Award, and the life lessons that remind us our identity is bigger than our results, our joy matters just as much as our progress, and we can learn to train our minds in ways that change everything.

https://flow.page/pickleballforumforwomen

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E107: A Note to Our Listeners: Our Summer Schedule Update

Tue, 12 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400

Hi friends, we wanted to share a quick update with our Life Lessons from Pickleball™ community.

We’ll still have a brand new episode for you on May 19, and after that we’ll be moving to an every-other-week summer schedule, with our next new episode on June 2.

We’re looking forward to a lighter summer rhythm, and we hope you are too. And with more than 100 episodes already in our library, this is a wonderful time to catch up on any conversations you may have missed and revisit some of your favorites.

And if you’d like another way to enjoy these stories, our paperback book and eBook, Life Lessons from Pickleball™, are available now on Amazon, and a portion of every sale is donated to Operation PaddleLift, helping bring paddles, nets, and resources to underserved communities around the world.

Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of this beautiful pickleball community. We’re so grateful you’re here.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E106: Lydia Hirt: Building Community, Style, and Opportunity Through Pickleball

Tue, 05 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball open the door to new friendships, a whole new career path, and a fresh way to bring style, community, and opportunity into everyday life?

In this episode, we talk with Lydia Hirt, a New York-based pickleball community builder, marketer, and creative voice who has helped grow the sport in exciting and meaningful ways. Lydia shares how she first discovered pickleball during the pandemic in Florida, playing with her family as their small pod, and how that one experience sparked an obsession she carried back to New York City. At the time, pickleball in New York was still underground, with no official courts and very little infrastructure, but Lydia saw not just a fun new sport, but a real opportunity to help build community and grow the game.

Lydia talks about how her background in publishing and marketing eventually led her into major roles with CityPickle and Life Time Pickleball, and how pickleball completely changed the direction of her life and career. She also shares why she is so passionate about women in pickleball, supporting female founders, creators, and players, and helping make sure women are seen, celebrated, and valued in every corner of the sport. Along the way, she reflects on urban pickleball, grassroots community building, pickleball fashion, safety on the court, and the unique way pickleball creates connection between people of all ages and backgrounds.

This is a fun, thoughtful, and inspiring conversation about pickleball, New York City pickleball, Lydia Hirt, women in pickleball, pickleball fashion, urban pickleball, community building, Life Time Pickleball, CityPickle, safety, friendship, marketing, and the life lessons that remind us not to judge a player by appearances, to stay open to new chapters, and to let pickleball surprise us in the very best ways.

https://loveatfirstdink.substack.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E105: Suryaveer Singh Bhullar: Growing Pickleball Across India

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400

How does a filmmaker from Bollywood become one of the key leaders helping grow pickleball across India, and what happens when a sport built on joy, inclusivity, and community begins changing lives across an entire country?

In this episode, we talk with Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, president of the Indian Pickleball Association, about his remarkable journey from player to national leader in one of the fastest-growing pickleball movements in the world. Suryaveer first discovered pickleball during COVID in 2021, when a friend invited him to the courts and he immediately fell in love with the game. What started as personal passion quickly grew into something much bigger. Today, he helps lead pickleball across 26 states in India, with more than 10,000 serious registered players and a vision to make pickleball one of the biggest sports in the country.

Suryaveer shares how his background as a director, producer, and filmmaker in Bollywood has shaped the way he promotes the sport, builds excitement, and thinks about making pickleball more engaging for viewers as well as players. He also talks about the Indian Pickleball Association’s work to bring pickleball into school curriculum, launch national interschool championships, build high performance centers, certify coaches, and create real career opportunities through pickleball for players, coaches, and officials. Along the way, he reflects on the role of the Global Pickleball Federation, the dream of seeing pickleball in the Commonwealth Games and eventually the Olympics, and the powerful stories of young players whose lives are already being transformed by the game.

This is an energizing and inspiring conversation about pickleball, India pickleball, Indian Pickleball Association, Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, Bollywood, youth sports, school pickleball, international pickleball, Global Pickleball Federation, inclusivity, community, leadership, and the life lessons that remind us it is never too late to start, that sport can open doors for anyone, and that pickleball has the power to bring people together across every age, background, and stage of life.

https://www.ipaofficial.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E104: Shari Murphree & Nikki Baker: A Pickleball Friendship That Saved a Life

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball create the kind of community where someone steps forward to save a life, even when that person was once nearly a stranger?

In this deeply moving episode, Nikki Baker and Shari Murphree share an extraordinary story of compassion, courage, and the life-changing power of the pickleball community. Nikki, a retired FedEx leader, certified level two IPTPA instructor, coach, and passionate ambassador for the game, first found pickleball during COVID and quickly fell in love with its competition, camaraderie, and joy. Shari, a retired healthcare executive, was just beginning to enjoy pickleball herself when serious liver disease forced her off the court and into the fight of her life.

As Shari’s condition worsened and the need for a liver transplant became urgent, mutual pickleball friends helped spread the word. Though Nikki and Shari were not close friends at the time, Nikki felt called to step in, get tested, and eventually become Shari’s living liver donor. Together, they share the emotional journey of waiting, testing, surgery, recovery, and the deep bond that formed through this unimaginable act of generosity. Their story is a beautiful reminder that pickleball is about far more than dinks, drives, and competition. It is about community, friendship, kindness, and showing up when someone needs you most.

This is an unforgettable conversation about pickleball, living liver donation, friendship, community, coaching, resilience, recovery, compassion, healthcare, retirement, purpose, and the life lessons that remind us we never know how powerfully our lives may intersect when we choose to care for one another.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E103: John Coray: Pickleball in Prison, Community and Second Chances

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400

What happens when pickleball enters a maximum-security prison?

In this powerful episode, John Coray shares how a simple invitation led him to bring pickleball into a Maine State Prison and how the sport has become a tool for connection, dignity, joy, and personal growth. What began as a lesson for a small group of residents has grown into an ongoing program where incarcerated men learn strategy, discipline, sportsmanship, and community through the game.

John also talks about his work teaching adaptive pickleball, his passion for creating fair tournament play for older athletes, and the life lessons he has learned through service, leadership, and competition. This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, prison reform, second chances, adaptive sports, senior athletes, community, and the power of sport to change lives on both sides of the net.

Midcoast Maine Pickleball: Home

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E102: Zacharie: Building Pickleball in Rwanda

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400

What if pickleball could change an entire community and even a country?

In this inspiring episode, we welcome Zacharie, a pioneer of pickleball in Rwanda who is transforming lives through the power of sport. What began as a chance discovery during COVID quickly became a mission that led Zacharie to build one of the first pickleball courts in Rwanda and grow the game from just a handful of players to a thriving movement.

Zacharie shares how pickleball is helping reduce alcohol consumption, empower women, support mental health, and bring communities together across Rwanda and East Africa. His vision is bold. He wants to see 500 courts across the country, and his impact is already being felt in schools, families, and everyday life.

This episode is a powerful reminder that pickleball is more than a game. It is a tool for connection, healing, and transformation.

https://pickleballrwanda.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E101: Alice Tym: Stop Complaining, Start Playing Pickleball

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400

What if the only reason you played sports was because it was fun?

Alice Tym’s story is a masterclass in courage, action, and joy. From starting a women’s tennis team at the University of Florida when none existed, to competing on the international tennis circuit and reaching a world ranking of 13, Alice has spent a lifetime creating opportunities where there were none.

A Hall of Fame collegiate coach and founding member of U.S. Senior Pickleball, Alice continues to compete and win at the highest levels of senior pickleball today.

Her philosophy is simple and powerful. Stop complaining and do something. Whether she is building programs, fighting for opportunities for women and seniors in sport, or traveling the world through competition, Alice proves that age is not a limit. It is an opportunity.

This episode is about taking action, staying curious, and finding joy in every stage of life.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E100: Mark Palm: Saving Lives and Finding Strength Through Pickleball

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400

What if pickleball became the one thing that carried you through cancer and then helped you change lives around the world?

Mark Palm, founder of Samaritan Aviation, shares his incredible journey from mission pilot to USA Pickleball National Champion. After a cancer diagnosis, pickleball became his lifeline physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Today, Mark is not only saving lives in remote villages in Papua New Guinea through life-saving flights, but also introducing pickleball to kids playing on a helicopter pad. His son, pro pickleball player, Drake Palmer, is also making his mark on the game.

This episode is about resilience, purpose, faith, and the powerful ways pickleball connects us all.

https://samaritanaviation.org/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E99: Randy Fuller: Building a Pickleball Community at Rally Pickleball Club

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400

How does a lifelong racquet sports player turn a local need into one of the Pacific Northwest’s most exciting new indoor pickleball communities?

In this episode, Randy Fuller, founding partner of Rally Pickleball Club in Auburn, Washington, shares how pickleball first came into his life, why the sport hooked him so quickly, and how four local entrepreneurs came together to create a vibrant indoor space for players of all ages and skill levels. Randy talks about his background in tennis, teaching, business ownership, and what inspired the vision for Rally Pickleball Club as a true community-based pickleball destination.

He also gives a behind-the-scenes look at building the facility, from transforming a historic industrial building into 14 indoor cushioned courts to adding amenities like cabanas, a pro shop, physical therapy services, tournaments, intro classes, and flexible event space. Along the way, Randy reflects on family, entrepreneurship, community, and why pickleball continues to be such a welcoming, lifelong sport for everyone.

This is a fun and inspiring conversation about indoor pickleball, Rally Pickleball Club, Auburn Washington, pickleball community, entrepreneurship, family, racquet sports, active living, and the life lessons that come from building a place where people can connect, compete, and belong.

https://rallypickleballclub.net/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E98: Susan Swern: Pickleball for Good and Operation PaddleLift

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball become a force for global good, community connection, and life-changing opportunity?

In this episode, Susan “Dinker Bell” Swern shares her remarkable pickleball journey, from first discovering the game after years of tennis to founding the Pickleball for Good Fund, a nonprofit built on the belief that pickleball can create social impact far beyond the court. Susan talks about how the sport became more than a passion and turned into a calling, leading her to launch initiatives that support underserved communities, expand access to equipment, and help grow the game around the world.

She also shares the heart behind Operation PaddleLift, her effort to bring paddles, balls, and nets to emerging pickleball communities in East Africa, including Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and beyond. Susan reflects on the joy she witnessed, the barriers these communities face, and why pickleball has the power to change lives through connection, inclusion, active aging, youth development, and community building.

Along the way, Susan opens up about the influence of her parents, the love story she has with pickleball, the meaning behind her nickname Dinker Bell, and the life lessons she has learned about purpose, legacy, sustainability, and choosing a life that matters. This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, nonprofit leadership, Operation Paddle Lift, global pickleball growth, active aging, community impact, youth sports, and using sport to make the world better.

https://pickleballforgood.org/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E97: Coach Andy: Growing Pickleball for Girls in Uganda

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball become a bridge to hope, healing, education, and opportunity for girls who have been left behind?

In this episode, Coach Andy from Uganda shares the powerful story behind Pickleball Kids Uganda and Growing the Game for Girls Uganda. Andy explains how pickleball first entered his life through tennis, and how he quickly realized that this simple, accessible sport could become much more than a game. In communities facing poverty, early pregnancy, abuse, and limited access to education, he saw pickleball as a tool to create belonging, confidence, safety, and a new future for disadvantaged girls.

Coach Andy also shares how his programs combine pickleball with vocational education, mentoring, and life skills training. Through sport, girls are being connected to opportunities in tailoring, hairdressing, electrical installation, plumbing, welding, teaching, and other practical skills that can help them support themselves, their children, and their families. He tells inspiring stories of girls whose lives have been transformed through pickleball, education, and community support, and explains why his deeper mission is not only to grow the game, but to develop leaders, mentors, and hope in every community he reaches.

This is a deeply moving conversation about pickleball, Uganda, girls’ empowerment, youth development, education, vocational training, social impact, community transformation, global pickleball, and the life lessons that remind us we are all winners.

https://www.instagram.com/coachandypickleball?igsh=MTMwZmdicmw5c2xtZw==

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E96: Kelsea Thompson: Building Pickleball Community at PickleCon

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500

What happens when one of the biggest pickleball festivals in the country brings competition, connection, vendors, clinics, networking, and community all under one roof?

In this episode, Kelsea Thompson, director of PickleCon, shares how she first discovered pickleball while running an indoor sports complex and how that journey led her to help build one of the largest indoor pickleball festivals in the United States. She talks about the vision behind PickleCon, what makes the event so unique, and how it has grown into a one-of-a-kind experience for amateur players, juniors, seniors, adaptive athletes, vendors, brands, and pickleball fans of every level.

Kelsea also opens up about recovering from a serious accident, how pickleball helped her reconnect with movement during rehab, and why she believes the sport truly is for everyone. She shares thoughtful insights on consistency, community, leadership, and what it takes to create an event where people can compete, learn, network, and feel like they belong.

This is an inspiring conversation about PickleCon, pickleball festivals, amateur pickleball, adaptive pickleball, pickleball community, sports events, recovery, leadership, and the life lessons that come from showing up, staying consistent, and building something bigger than yourself.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E95: Thomas Yelloweyes: From Rock Bottom to Night Train Pickleball

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball help someone rebuild their life, rediscover purpose, and become the kind of coach who changes other people’s lives too?

In this episode, Thomas Yelloweyes shares his extraordinary story of trauma, foster care, loss, survival, and reinvention. Thomas opens up about growing up in the foster care system, facing deep instability and heartbreak from an early age, and later finding himself at another rock-bottom moment as an adult, living out of his car, searching for direction, and trying to figure out what came next. Then pickleball entered the picture, and everything began to change.

Thomas talks about the first time he wandered onto a pickleball court, the older women who welcomed and cared for him, and how the sport gave him not only community but also a path forward. He shares how his background in corrective exercise, coaching, and movement analysis led him to create Night Train Pickleball and the Night Train Method, a five-tier system designed to help recreational players build confidence, strengthen fundamentals, and become resilient, tournament-ready competitors.

This is a deeply moving and inspiring conversation about pickleball, trauma recovery, foster care, resilience, coaching, confidence, mental toughness, pickleball instruction, Night Train Pickleball, and the life lessons that remind us life is not done with us yet.

Night Train Drilling Guide ebook: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/PcKAinvIZQjW8YRUQsHl

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E94: Will Parton: Building Pickleball Community Through Hitch

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0500

Will Parton shares how a major life move and starting over in a new country led him to discover the true power of the pickleball community. As a lifelong racquet sport athlete, Will found connection through pickleball and turned that experience into innovation by creating Hitch, an app designed to help players find partners, games, and meaningful community.

In this episode, we talk about belonging, entrepreneurship, technology that enhances human connection, and how pickleball makes it easier to build friendships at any stage of life.

If you have ever moved to a new place, walked up to open play not knowing anyone, or wished finding your pickleball people was easier, this conversation is for you.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E93: Encore! Mani Barajas-Alexander: The Pura Vida Pickleball Experience

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:00:00 -0500

We are honored to share that Mani Barajas-Alexander is featured in our new book, Life Lessons from Pickleball™ and as this episode airs, Sher and Shelley are experiencing Pura Vida at Mani’s place in Costa Rica.

In this special encore conversation, Mani shares how Pura Vida House became far more than a luxury villa. It is a thoughtfully designed pickleball experience that blends movement, connection, nature, and the Pura Vida lifestyle.

From morning pickleball sessions and world-class instruction, to chef-prepared meals, beach sunsets, wildlife, and unforgettable adventures, Pura Vida House offers a week that nourishes both body and soul.

This is not just a pickleball vacation. It is an experience rooted in relationships, community, and living life fully.

If pickleball in paradise has ever crossed your mind, this episode is for you. 🌴🏓

https://www.thepuravidahouse.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E92: Brian Montgomery: A Pickleball Transformation

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0500

How do you rewrite your life one step at a time when you feel stuck in a body and mindset that no longer feel like your own?

In this episode, Brian Montgomery shares one of the most inspiring transformation stories we’ve heard on Life Lessons from Pickleball. After years of putting himself last, Brian found himself close to 390 pounds, struggling physically, and facing serious health concerns. But instead of waiting for the perfect moment, he started walking, setting small goals, building consistency, and choosing himself one decision at a time.

That journey led to more than 190 pounds of weight loss, a reversal of type 2 diabetes, and a whole new life on and off the pickleball court. Brian talks about discipline, identity, community, and how pickleball gave him joy, confidence, friendship, and a new sense of purpose. He also shares the importance of starting small, staying consistent, and not waiting for “someday” to begin.

This is a powerful and uplifting conversation about weight loss, health, mindset, pickleball, accountability, community, and the life lessons that come from finally choosing yourself.

ProDrive Pickleball (affiliate): https://prodrivepickleball.com/?ref=BRIANMONTGOMERY

PickleStrong: https://picklestrong.com/

https://www.instagram.com/briantmontgomery?igsh=ZXJib2w2MXA0ZmY5

TikTok: @brianmontgomery01

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E91: Audrey Phillips: Pickleball, Travel, and Connection

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball, psychology, and travel come together to create joy, connection, and a more vibrant way of aging?

In this episode, Audrey Phillips shares her remarkable journey as a psychotherapist, educator, tournament player, pickleball ambassador, and creator of unforgettable group adventures that have brought people together for decades. Audrey talks about how her early calling to psychology, her love of people, and her lifelong passion for sports all came together in pickleball, a game she fell in love with nearly 20 years ago and has continued to champion ever since.

She also shares the story behind her pickleball travel experiences, how those trips grew from one joyful idea into a beloved tradition, and why she believes pickleball is unlike any other sport when it comes to building community across ages, backgrounds, and skill levels. Along the way, Audrey reflects on competing into her late 70s, staying mentally and physically engaged, and the life lessons she has learned about positivity, openness, humor, fear, and choosing love over limitation.

This is a warm and inspiring conversation about pickleball, psychology, active aging, pickleball travel, senior pickleball, community, friendship, emotional wellness, and the life lessons that come from staying curious, staying connected, and continuing to play.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E90: Rachael Kroog: Pickleball, Music, and the Joy of Connection

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball become both a high-level competitive sport and a joyful creative expression of mind, body, and spirit?

In this episode, senior pro Rachael Kroog shares her extraordinary pickleball journey, from the moment her 79-year-old father introduced her to the game to winning national titles, competing around the world, and continuing to play at a 5.0 level. Rachel talks about how her background as a college tennis player and multi-sport athlete helped her fall in love with pickleball’s quickness, strategy, and joy, and how the sport became a lifelong calling.

Rachael also opens up about the deeper philosophy she brings to the game through her mind, body, spirit approach to teaching and competing. She shares her belief in patience, placement, and power, the importance of breath and relaxation, and why pickleball can be one of the most powerful tools for connection, creativity, and community.

And yes, she tells the story of inventing a musical instrument made from a pickleball paddle, and how she now combines performance, music, comedy, travel, and pickleball to spread joy around the world. This is a delightful and inspiring conversation about pickleball, competition, creativity, family, legacy, kindness, and the life lessons that emerge when we play with heart

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E89: Mike “Sleeves” Sliwa: Pickleball Off the Grid

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0500

What happens when someone living off the grid in a yurt becomes one of the most connected voices in senior pickleball?

In this episode, Mike "Sleeves" Sliwa shares his fascinating journey from leaving the traditional teaching path to building a life rooted in simplicity, intentional community, and freedom in rural New Mexico. Living in a hand-painted Mongolian yurt with his wife, Mike has chosen a life far from the usual hustle, yet he has become deeply involved in the growing world of pickleball through media, product reviews, interviews, travel, and advocacy for the 50-plus player.

Mike talks about creating the Senior Pickleball Report, helping connect players and brands through the Pickleball Manufacturers Association, and why the senior pickleball community remains the foundation of the sport. He also reflects on the importance of warming up, staying active as we age, and the surprising ways pickleball creates belonging, purpose, and community.

This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about senior pickleball, off-grid living, simplicity, community, aging well, purposeful work, and the life lessons that come from building a life that is both unplugged and deeply connected.

VAiR: https://www.vairified.com/

NPCA: https://ncpaofficial.com/

Sleeves website: https://sleeves-spr.com

PMA: https://pmaapproved.com/

Daily Travel: https://dailey-travels.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E88: Scott Manthorne: The Pickleball Effect

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0500

Why does pickleball create such powerful connection so quickly, and what happens when one author sets out to capture that magic in a book?

In this episode, Scott Manthorn shares the story behind The Pickleball Effect, his bestselling book featuring 50 voices from across the pickleball world. Scott talks about his own journey from a longtime tennis player who once dismissed pickleball to someone who discovered the sport’s extraordinary power to build community, create belonging, and connect people across generations, backgrounds, and life experiences.

He also shares how his broader “Effect” book series was born, why storytelling matters so much, and what he learned from the remarkable people featured in the book, from pro players and coaches to adaptive athletes, global travelers, and everyday players whose lives have been changed by this game. Along the way, Scott reflects on why pickleball is so uniquely social, why it makes people feel relevant and seen, and how this silly game with a silly name may be helping the world heal.

This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about pickleball, storytelling, community, connection, The Pickleball Effect, tennis, belonging, and the life lessons that come from listening more, laughing often, and sharing the game with others.

https://www.theeffectseries.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E87: Sandy Smith: Healing, Resilience, and Community Through Pickleball

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball help someone rebuild strength after cancer, find a new community, and become a coach, referee, and leader in the sport?

In this episode, Sandy Smith shares her inspiring pickleball journey, from being diagnosed with uterine cancer and undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, to finding her way back to sport through pickleball. Sandy talks about returning to play while still living with a port, discovering that pickleball was both physically possible and emotionally healing, and how the game gave her a new path forward after she had stepped away from running, tennis, bowling, and other sports she once loved.

Sandy also shares how pickleball led her into coaching, refereeing, and community leadership. She explains what it takes to become a certified USA Pickleball referee, what players misunderstand about referees, and how she helped grow the Macon Area Pickleball Club from just 16 members to more than 100. Along the way, she offers practical advice for new players, including key fundamentals like “return and run” and the importance of building confidence, community, and consistency on the court.

This is a heartfelt and helpful conversation about pickleball, uterine cancer, cancer recovery, Lynch syndrome, pickleball coaching, pickleball refereeing, USA Pickleball, beginner pickleball tips, pickleball community, and the life lessons that remind us we have more in common than we do differences.

sandyrumzsmith@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CeJux8WyU/?mibextid=wwXIfr

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E86: Aaron Trost: Pickleball Without Borders

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball become a tool for healing, community, faith, and hope in countries all around the world?

In this episode, Aaron Trost, founder of Pickleball Planter, shares how a sport he once resisted became a life-changing calling. Aaron talks about first getting pulled onto the court by a friend, how pickleball helped him lose weight and find joy, and why he eventually stepped away from chasing his own competitive results to focus on using the game for something bigger. From Honduras and Hungary to Ukraine, Malaysia, Indonesia, and beyond, Aaron has taken pickleball across the globe as a way to build connection, teach life skills, and support communities through sport.

Aaron also opens up about his background as a 5.0 player, teaching pro, and seminary graduate, and how those experiences came together in Pickleball Planter. He shares what it looks like to introduce pickleball in churches, youth camps, children’s homes, and urban communities, and why the game works so well across cultures, languages, generations, and faith backgrounds. Along the way, he reflects on meaningful work in Ukraine, the explosive growth of pickleball in Southeast Asia, and the friendships he has built in 14 countries through this silly game with a plastic ball.

This is a heartfelt and inspiring conversation about pickleball, global pickleball growth, Pickleball Planter, faith, missions, Ukraine, Southeast Asia, youth sports, community building, and the life lessons that come from using pickleball for someone else’s good.

https://pickleballplanter.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E85: Sean McCoy: Pickleball, Healing, and Life Is a Team Sport

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball create connection across ages, backgrounds, beliefs, and life experiences, and even become part of mental health healing?

In this episode, Sean McCoy shares his thoughtful and deeply human pickleball journey, from discovering the sport by accident in Houston to becoming passionate about the way pickleball brings people together like almost nothing else. Sean talks about his background in the military, oil and gas, technology, entrepreneurship, and community service, and explains why this silly game with a plastic ball feels so uniquely social, intimate, and egalitarian.

Sean also opens up about why pickleball stands apart from other sports, how it allows nine-year-olds and ninety-year-olds to compete side by side, and why its low barrier to entry makes it such a powerful tool for belonging, communication, and well-being. He reflects on Houston’s rich diversity, the friendships he has found through the sport, and the life lesson that “life is a team sport.”

Along the way, Sean shares how his path toward a master’s in clinical mental health counseling was shaped by his own experiences, and why he believes pickleball can play a meaningful role in therapy, relationships, connection, and emotional growth. This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about pickleball, mental health, counseling, community, belonging, diversity, connection, relationships, and the life lessons that remind us we are enough and that life is meant to be lived as a team sport.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/4seanmccoy/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E84: Mike Branon: Pickleball and the Power of Positive Dinking

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball teach us not only how to play better, but how to age well, find joy, and live more intentionally?

In this episode, bestselling author Mike Brannon shares his remarkable journey from business executive to nonprofit leader, teacher, massage therapist, and finally pickleball writer and coach. Mike talks about how a chance stop during an oil change led him to discover pickleball, and how that late-life love affair with the game eventually inspired his books Pickleball and the Art of Living and The Joy of Pickleball.

Mike also reflects on why pickleball is such a powerful mirror for life. He explores the deeper lessons hidden in the game, including gratitude, resilience, flexibility, healthy aging, mindset, habit, and the importance of staying open to learning. He shares why pickleball is especially meaningful for senior players, how habits matter more than willpower, and why playing happier is just as important as playing better.

This is a thoughtful and uplifting conversation about pickleball, senior pickleball, healthy aging, pickleball strategy, mindset, joy, gratitude, resilience, habit, community, and the life lessons that help us play better, feel better, and live with more meaning.

https://www.mikebranon.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E83: Melinda Alcosser: Pickleball With Purpose

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball and travel come together to create deeper connection, purpose, joy, and meaningful impact around the world?

In this episode, Melinda Alcosser shares her unique journey from educator and co-founder of the Connecticut Experiential Learning Center to certified IPTPA coach, USA Pickleball ambassador, and travel expert creating intentional pickleball experiences through Carpe Dinkum Pickleball and With Heart Travel. Melinda talks about first discovering pickleball on Frye Island in Maine, the surprising family connection her husband had to the game’s early roots near Whidbey Island, and how the sport gradually became more than recreation and turned into a vehicle for connection, service, and transformation.

Melinda also shares how she began leading pickleball trips that combine coaching, community, and cultural exchange, including her work in Punta Cana where travelers connect with local students through pickleball and support schools with equipment and encouragement. She explains why travel can be far more than tourism, how “transformational travel” and “regenerative travel” can open hearts and minds, and why she believes pickleball can help people connect across generations, cultures, and experiences in deeply meaningful ways.

Along the way, Melinda opens up about her fundraising work connected to Uganda, her vision for the Carpe Dinkum Giving Club, and the life lessons pickleball continues to teach her about joy, patience, presence, curiosity, and slowing down enough to truly experience life. This is an uplifting conversation about pickleball, pickleball travel, transformational travel, regenerative travel, Punta Cana, Uganda, community impact, joy, mindfulness, and the life lessons that remind us to be present, stay curious, and seize the dink.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CnymmY1u9/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.withhearttravel.com/

https://travelandpickleball.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E82: Rick Cipes: The Zen of Pickleball

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball become a doorway to mindfulness, creativity, and deeper connection with others?

In this episode, writer, storyteller, and pickleball creative Rick Cipes shares how he found pickleball during the upheaval of 2020 and discovered that the game offered far more than competition. What began as a substitute for basketball quickly became a path toward self-awareness, community, and personal growth.

Rick talks about writing for Pickleball Magazine, creating Bite-Sized Pickleball, publishing his books How to Play Better Pickleball and Pickleball Riffs, and using the sport as a way to explore mindfulness, flow, self-talk, and emotional resilience. He also reflects on the lessons pickleball teaches about patience, respect, breathing, and learning how to move through life with more grace.

This is a thoughtful, funny, and inspiring conversation about pickleball, mindfulness, creativity, sports psychology, community, storytelling, and the life lessons that emerge when we slow down, stay present, and keep flowing.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19vfyphtTn/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Bite Size Pickleball Clothing & Gift Shop - Best Pickleball Swag

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bite-size-pickleball-podcast/id1694241191

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E81: Dr. Jerry “Dr. J” Brinegar: Leveling the Playing Field in Pickleball

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball open the door to joy, healing, and purpose at every age and ability level?

In this episode, Dr. Jerry Brenniger shares his remarkable pickleball journey, from discovering the sport as a racquetball player with a vision challenge to becoming a USA Pickleball ambassador, senior competitor, and passionate advocate for adaptive athletes and older players. Dr. Jay talks about how one invitation from his cousin changed everything and led him into a sport that became not only a competitive outlet but also a meaningful way to serve others.

He shares powerful stories from his work teaching adaptive pickleball to veterans with spinal cord injuries, including the lessons he learned about sports wheelchairs, accessibility, and the life-changing joy the game can bring. He also speaks candidly about the need for more fair age-plus-skill tournament brackets, especially for players in their 70s and 80s, and why leveling the playing field matters so much for keeping competition meaningful and fun.

This is an inspiring conversation about adaptive pickleball, senior competition, inclusion, aging well, friendship, resilience, and the life lessons that come from staying active, staying connected, and never being too old to have fun.

https://www.drjbrinegar.com

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E80: Ezekiel and Matthias Wagner: The Next Generation of Pickleball

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can two brothers use pickleball to strengthen family, grow their faith community, and inspire the next generation of players?

In this episode, brothers Ezekiel and Matthias Wagner share how a simple vacation discovery at a park in Southern California turned into a full family passion for pickleball. What started with borrowed paddles and casual games became something much bigger, leading to tournament play, a backyard court built by hand, and a growing commitment to bringing pickleball into their church, school, and community.

As Selkirk Junior Advocates, Ezekiel and Matthias talk about helping others discover the sport, introducing pickleball to new spaces like churches and first responder communities, and learning important life lessons about humility, teamwork, encouragement, and playing for something bigger than yourself.

This is a joyful and inspiring conversation about youth pickleball, family, faith, community, Selkirk Junior Advocates, personal growth, and the life lessons that come from competition, connection, and sharing the game with others.

https://www.instagram.com/just_bert_and_erne_?igsh=MXZ1dTloMnN0ejh3ZA==

https://m.youtube.com/@Just_bert_and_erne

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E79: Ron Ponder: Spreading Pickleball Across the Globe

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How does a casual invitation to try pickleball turn into a life of international travel, officiating, and helping grow the sport around the world?

In this episode, Ron Ponder shares how he first discovered pickleball in 2017 after a biking friend invited him to play, and how that simple introduction quickly led to a new calling. Ron talks about becoming a referee, serving as a USA Pickleball ambassador, working on the USA Pickleball Rules Committee, and now traveling globally as the Global Pickleball Federation’s Director of Officiating.

He also shares unforgettable stories from places like Madagascar and Ghana, where pickleball is creating connection, joy, and opportunity in remarkable ways. Along the way, Ron reflects on the deeper life lessons the sport teaches about honesty, teamwork, community, and why pickleball may be one of the only games in the world that can truly bring every generation together.

This is a fascinating and uplifting conversation about pickleball refereeing, global pickleball growth, international travel, sportsmanship, community, and the life lessons that come from saying yes to unexpected adventures.

ronponder@hotmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AnvomWrKs/?mibextid=wwXIfr

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E78: Anna Glotova: Hope, Healing, And Pickleball in Ukraine

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 16:00:00 -0400

How can a simple paddle and wiffle ball become a source of healing, resilience, and hope in the middle of war?

In this deeply moving episode, Anna Glotova shares how pickleball entered her life while she was displaced from Ukraine and living in Poland, and how the game became a powerful source of community, support, and emotional recovery during one of the darkest periods of her life. Anna now divides her time between New Zealand and Ukraine and serves as co-founder and director of strategic partnerships for the Ukrainian Pickleball Federation.

She talks about what daily life in Ukraine feels like during war, why pickleball has become much more than a sport, and how the Ukrainian Pickleball Federation is using the game to bring people together, support veterans and civilians with injuries, and create new pathways for adaptive athletes, including wheelchair and prosthetic players.

Anna also shares the incredible story of how Ukraine helped introduce a new prosthetic player category at the English Open and how Ukrainian players will now represent their country at the Pickleball World Cup. This is a powerful conversation about war, resilience, adaptive pickleball, healing, community, and the life lessons that come from choosing hope in the hardest of circumstances.

https://www.instagram.com/ukrainianpickleballfederation?igsh=dGxqNzl0bW1ua2Ey

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E77: Riley “Smiley Riley” Palmer: The Floating Court That Went Viral

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help heal heartbreak, spark new love, and even inspire a floating court in the middle of the water?

In this episode, Riley Palmer, better known as Smiley Riley, shares her incredible pickleball journey from rebuilding her life after divorce to becoming a coach, mentor, USA Pickleball ambassador, and entrepreneur with a passion for growing the game. Riley opens up about how pickleball helped her heal, refocus, and rediscover herself, and how the court became a place of joy, community, and new beginnings.

She also shares the story of reconnecting with an old classmate who eventually became her partner after finally agreeing to take a pickleball lesson, proving that sometimes love and pickleball really do go hand in hand. And then Riley tells the fascinating story behind her floating pickleball courts, from the original idea in Croatia to designing and launching courts that can now be played on both water and land.

This is a fun, heartfelt, and inspiring conversation about pickleball, healing after divorce, entrepreneurship, second chances, coaching, creativity, travel, and the life lessons that come from saying yes to joy and trying something new.

https://smileyrileypickleball.com

https://www.instagram.com/smileyrileypickleball?igsh=MW1lMDU1M3lqd3V6OA==

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E76: Bob Gress: Parkinson's and Pickleball

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How do you keep moving forward when Parkinson’s tries to rewrite your life?

In this episode, Bob Gress shares his powerful journey from a lifetime of physical work and sports to facing the life-changing challenges of Parkinson’s disease. Bob opens up about the long road to diagnosis, the emotional toll of losing strength and mobility, and the turning point that came when his wife encouraged him to get out of the recliner and start moving again.

That decision led him to pickleball, and the game became a lifeline. Bob talks about how pickleball helped restore his strength, confidence, joy, and sense of purpose, while also giving him community, connection, and hope. He also shares what it means to adapt, keep working, accept support, and continue showing up with courage.

This is a deeply moving and inspiring conversation about Parkinson’s disease, resilience, caregiving, marriage, healing, faith, pickleball, and the life lessons that come from refusing to give up.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E75: Dr. Lynn Ianni: The Pickleball Mindset That Changes Everything

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball become a pathway to emotional healing, deeper connection, and greater peace of mind?

In this episode, Dr. Lynn Yanni, a seasoned psychotherapist with more than 35 years of clinical experience, shares how pickleball opened the door to a whole new level of joy, connection, and personal growth after her knee replacements. What began as a new activity in her neighborhood quickly became a powerful reminder of how sport, community, and emotional awareness can come together in life-changing ways.

Lynn brings her background in trauma-informed therapy and sports psychology to this conversation, offering practical wisdom about being present, resetting after mistakes, quieting self-criticism, and learning to compete without losing kindness toward yourself or others. She also explores why pickleball is so uniquely addictive, how it creates meaningful social connection, and why the game can become a profound tool for healing, resilience, and well-being.

This is a thoughtful and uplifting conversation about pickleball, sports psychology, relationships, trauma healing, self-compassion, community, and the life lessons that come from staying present and playing with heart.

https://www.drlynnianni.com

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E74: Joesph R. Gannascoli: From The Sopranos to the Pickleball Court

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0400

What happens when a Sopranos star discovers pickleball and starts a whole new wellness journey?

In this episode, Joseph R. Gannascoli, best known for playing Vito Spatafore on HBO’s The Sopranos, shares his fascinating path from New York kitchens to television fame, and from celebrity life to food, health, and pickleball. Joe talks about working as a chef, landing his role on The Sopranos, creating unforgettable storylines for his character, and how pickleball became part of his life after losing 80 pounds and focusing on wellness.

He also opens up about acting, resilience, reinvention, family, and the life lessons he has learned through food, sports, and life in the spotlight.

This is a fun and engaging conversation about The Sopranos, Joseph Gannascoli, celebrity pickleball, weight loss, wellness, acting, food, and finding joy on and off the court.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E73: John Gallucci Jr: Dr. JAG’s Guide to Injury Free Pickleball

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help us stay active, prevent injuries, and keep doing what we love for years to come?

In this episode, Dr. John Gallucci Jr., president and CEO of JAG Physical Therapy, shares how his lifelong passion for helping people heal and move better led him to bring his expertise to the pickleball world. With more than 30 years of experience as a physical therapist and athletic trainer, John explains why pickleball has become such an important lifetime sport and why injury prevention is the key to staying on the court.

He breaks down the most common pickleball injuries, including Achilles, knee, elbow, and tendon issues, and offers practical advice on warmups, hydration, recovery, footwear, and knowing the difference between soreness and a warning sign. He also shares why movement is essential for long-term health and how pickleball can help people of all ages improve fitness, community, and overall well-being.

This is an informative and inspiring conversation about pickleball, physical therapy, injury prevention, movement, hydration, healthy aging, and the life lessons that come from taking care of your body so you can keep playing the game you love.

https://www.jagpt.com

https://www.instagram.com/DrJAGPT/

https://www.facebook.com/share/15fs9jeDQw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-a-gallucci-jr-ms-atc-pt-dpt-38b194a?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E72: Lee Baucom: Pickleball as a Path to Thriving

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help us move from simply surviving to truly thriving?

In this episode, Dr. Lee Baucom, self-described “Thrivologist,” shares what it means to thrive in life and how many of those same lessons show up on the pickleball court. With a background in therapy, coaching, relationships, and personal development, Lee explains why thriving is rooted in meaning, purpose, strong relationships, and learning how to respond well to life’s challenges.

Lee also talks about how he discovered pickleball after moving to a new town, why the game became such a natural place for building community, and how the court offers powerful lessons in mindset, resilience, teamwork, communication, and grace. He shares practical wisdom about beginner’s mindset, resetting after mistakes, learning one point at a time, and why the best partner is not always the best player, but the one who brings out the best in others.

This is a thoughtful and encouraging conversation about pickleball, thriving, relationships, resilience, beginner mindset, emotional health, communication, coaching, teamwork, and the life lessons that help us grow stronger on and off the court.

https://thriveology.com

thriveologypodcast.com

@thriveology

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E71: Encore! Megan Fudge: Fast, Fierce & Family-Fueled

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0400

In this encore episode, professional pickleball player Megan Fudge shares the remarkable journey that took her from working in insurance during COVID to becoming one of the top-ranked women in professional pickleball. Megan talks about how she and her husband Ryler DeHeart first discovered pickleball, instantly fell in love with the sport, and built an entirely new life around competition, coaching, travel, and family.

Megan also opens up about her international background, growing up between Germany and England with parents from New Zealand and London, and how that global perspective now connects with her life in pickleball. She shares what it has been like helping grow the sport in India and China, where pickleball is expanding rapidly, and why she feels so passionate about opening doors for women, girls, and future players around the world.

Along the way, Megan reflects on balancing motherhood, professional pickleball, RV travel, coaching, and the pursuit of excellence. She talks about discipline, hard work, equal opportunity in pickleball, and why this sport has given her the chance to become the best version of herself while showing her children what it looks like to chase a dream with courage and commitment.

This is an inspiring conversation about professional pickleball, women in sports, APP Tour, international pickleball, India pickleball, China pickleball, coaching, family travel, motherhood, discipline, and the life lessons that come from pursuing excellence and believing that it is never too late to go after something big.

https://www.meganfudgepb.com

https://www.instagram.com/officialmeganfudge/?igsh=Ynptb3J6aTc0Y3lu

https://www.instagram.com/franklinpickleball/?igsh=dndqMDduY2x5YmZk

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E70: Mani Barajas-Alexander: Pickleball Paradise: Finding Joy in Costa Rica

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 10:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball and Costa Rica come together to create the ultimate wellness vacation for body, mind, and soul?

In this episode, Mani Barajas Alexander of Pura Vida House in Costa Rica shares how he went from Division I tennis player and tennis entrepreneur to building one of the most unique pickleball vacation experiences in the world. Mani talks about buying the original Pura Vida House property just before COVID, facing enormous uncertainty when travel suddenly stopped, and then slowly rebuilding the dream into a growing brand with multiple luxury villa properties and world-class pickleball retreats.

He also shares what makes a Pura Vida House pickleball vacation so special, from private chef meals and daily pickleball instruction to beach club access, wildlife, golf carts, adventure excursions, and the deeper Costa Rican philosophy of “Pura Vida,” living with gratitude, joy, and presence. Mani explains how the retreats are designed to balance pickleball, relaxation, connection, and cultural experiences so guests leave feeling restored, energized, and inspired.

Along the way, Mani reflects on entrepreneurship, emotional resilience, partnership, communication, and the life lessons pickleball has taught him about mistakes, momentum shifts, relationships, and staying open to people from all walks of life. This is a fun and inspiring conversation about pickleball vacations, Costa Rica travel, Pura Vida House, wellness travel, luxury villas, pickleball retreats, entrepreneurship, connection, and the life lessons that remind us to slow down, enjoy life, and make relationships matter.

https://www.thepuravidahouse.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E69: Cheryl Rempis—Aka Samara Rayne: Timeline Shifts and Pickleball Transformations

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can healing old patterns, shifting your energy, and becoming more aware of your thoughts help you step into your highest timeline on and off the pickleball court?

In this episode, Cheryl Rempis, also known as Samara Rayne, shares her remarkable journey from mother-baby nursing into transformational mentoring, energy healing, and the creation of Timeline Catalyst. With more than 20 years of experience as a registered nurse and healer, Cheryl talks about what first called her into a life of service, how her own awakening began through deep personal healing, and why she now helps others release limiting beliefs, process life transitions, and align with their highest potential.

She also explains the idea of the “highest timeline,” how our thoughts, emotions, and choices shape the energy we live in, and why awareness, presence, and intention can change the trajectory of our lives. Cheryl opens up about dark nights of the soul, grief, relationship loss, and emotional healing, and offers a compassionate perspective on what it means to move through pain instead of avoiding it.

Along the way, Cheryl reflects on the healing power of the pickleball community, the loving environment created through the Pickleball Experience, and the profound ways connection, trust, and open-heartedness can spark transformation. This is a thoughtful and expansive conversation about pickleball, energy healing, spiritual awakening, emotional healing, transformation, highest timeline, intuition, mindset, and the life lessons that remind us we can choose a more aligned path one moment at a time.

https://www.timelinecatalyst.com

@timelinecatalyst

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571219746291

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E68: CJ Johnson: Crushing Pickleball at Any Age

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help adults over 50 play better, stay injury-free, and build more confidence both on and off the court?

In this episode, CJ Johnson of Better Pickleball shares how a simple invitation from a friend in 2013 led her into a sport that would become both a passion and a mission. With nearly 40 years of coaching experience across skiing, golf, personal training, and multiple sports, CJ quickly saw two big problems in pickleball: too many players were getting injured, and too many adults were getting confusing or incomplete advice that was holding back their progress. That realization led her to create Better Pickleball, a training platform designed to help players, especially those 50 and better, learn the game in a smarter, healthier, and more confidence-building way.

CJ also talks about what makes adult pickleball players unique, why older athletes need a different approach to movement, recovery, and learning, and how simple concepts like “return and run, serve and stay,” the block volley, warming up, cooling down, and understanding strategy can completely change a player’s game. She explains why pickleball is absolutely a sport, why players should start seeing themselves as athletes, and why the right mindset matters just as much as mechanics.

Along the way, CJ reflects on confidence, women in sports, injury prevention, beginner mindset, and the importance of making learning feel possible and fun. This is a practical and inspiring conversation about pickleball, Better Pickleball, pickleball strategy, pickleball instruction, injury prevention, block volley, beginner mindset, confidence, women athletes, and the life lessons that come from learning, adapting, and believing it is never too late to get better.

@betterpickleballcom

https://facebook.com/betterpickleball.com

https://betterpickleball.com

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E67: Sherry “Eseosa Rain”: Pickleball with Purpose—From PTSD to Global Impact

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help heal trauma, bridge racial and economic divides, and bring hope to communities with almost no resources?

In this episode, Sherry, also known as Eseosa Rain, shares one of the most powerful stories we’ve heard on Life Lessons from Pickleball. A military veteran, missionary, artist, and community builder, Sherry opens up about her service in the Air Force, the trauma and PTSD she carried for years, and how pickleball unexpectedly became part of her own healing during the isolation of COVID. What began as one friend inviting her to the YMCA became a life-changing path toward joy, connection, and purpose.

Sherry also shares how that healing journey led her to take pickleball to South Africa, where she now works in townships, schools, churches, and senior communities with very limited equipment but extraordinary passion. She talks about training youth and pensioners, building the Tembisa Gold team, mentoring new coaches, providing basic necessities like food and hygiene supplies, and watching pickleball create confidence, belonging, and unity across racial, tribal, economic, and generational lines.

Along the way, she reflects on missions work in Kenya, Zambia, Thailand, and beyond, the emotional toll of rescuing vulnerable children, the humility and laughter pickleball requires, and why this game is far bigger than sport. This is a deeply moving conversation about pickleball, PTSD, veterans, South Africa, township youth, missions, racial healing, community transformation, servant leadership, and the life lessons that remind us to stay humble, open-hearted, and willing to serve.

@pickleballmissionary

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E66: Annemarie & Terry: Love, Resilience, and the Healing Power of Pickleball

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball strengthen a relationship, carry you through cancer, and remind you that love, patience, and community matter more than winning?

In this episode, Annemarie Riese and Terry Kisner share their heartfelt story of partnership on and off the pickleball court. Introduced to the game during COVID by Terry’s family in Hays, Kansas, they quickly fell in love with pickleball as a way to stay active, connect with others, and spend meaningful time together. They talk about what it is like to play mixed doubles as life partners, how they handle mistakes, competition, communication, and frustration, and why fun and friendship always matter more than the final score.

Annemarie also opens up about her recent breast cancer diagnosis, surgery, radiation, and recovery, and the extraordinary support she received from the pickleball community through it all. She shares how the court became a place of encouragement, normalcy, laughter, and healing, while Terry reflects on what it was like to walk beside the person he loves through such a difficult journey. Together, they offer a moving picture of resilience, vulnerability, caregiving, and the power of letting others help.

Along the way, Annemarie and Terry talk about patience, humility, communication, mixed doubles, tournaments, breast cancer awareness, and why pickleball continues to bring people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities together. This is a warm and inspiring conversation about pickleball, mixed doubles, relationships, breast cancer recovery, caregiving, patience, partnership, community, resilience, and the life lessons that remind us the relationship is always more important than the result.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E65: Jemuel “Jem” Morris: Gratitude, Growth & the Heart of Pickleball

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball become more than a sport and turn into a path for confidence, connection, gratitude, and personal transformation?

In this episode, Jemuel “Jem” Morris shares the remarkable story of how a dead car battery in a parking lot led to a life-changing introduction to pickleball. What began as a simple request for a jump turned into an invitation to play with four of the best players on Orcas Island, and that one moment completely changed the direction of his life. Jem talks about moving from Los Angeles to Orcas Island, discovering pickleball in 2017, and quickly becoming immersed in the game, the coaching world, and the community that now defines his work.

Jem also opens up about the creation of the Pickleball Experience with Brian Ashworth and Peter Hudak, and how their coaching model grew out of a desire to offer more than standard instruction. He explains why their customizable four-to-one coaching approach focuses on the whole player, not just technique, and why connection, confidence, the mental game, and belonging are just as important as drills and strategy. Along the way, he shares stories from destination camps, small-town clinics, and the many players who have taught him as much as he has taught them.

This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about pickleball, Pickleball Experience, Jemuel Morris, Brian Ashworth, Peter Hudak, mental game, confidence, gratitude, community, coaching, Orcas Island, and the life lessons that remind us to stay present, focus on the positive, and use every point as an opportunity to grow.

https://thepickleballexperience.com

@thepickleballexperience

https://tashiratorphanage.org

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E64: Ilana Long: From Comedy Stages to Pickleball Pages

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How did a comedian, actress, and author with “no eye-hand coordination” end up writing two pickleball romantic comedies and falling in love with the game?

In this episode, Ilana Long shares her funny, fearless, and deeply relatable journey into comedy, storytelling, and pickleball. From writing humor pieces as a student to performing improv at Second City, doing stand-up, sketch comedy, and acting, Ilana has always found her voice through laughter. She talks about the challenges of being a woman in comedy, learning to create her own opportunities, and how persistence eventually led to publishing her pickleball romantic comedy Pickleballers and her upcoming novel Pickle Perfect.

Ilana also shares how she first discovered pickleball through a friend who described it as “ping pong but standing on the table,” and why the sport immediately hooked her despite not seeing herself as an athlete. She reflects on the joy of the pickleball community, the quirky characters who inspired her fiction, and how the game opened her life to new friendships, new confidence, and a whole new creative path.

Along the way, Ilana talks about writing later in life, trying new things after 50, finding humor in heartbreak, and the life lessons pickleball continues to teach her about openness, perseverance, bad habits, second chances, and letting yourself begin again. This is a warm, witty, and inspiring conversation about pickleball, comedy, romantic comedy, Pickleballers, Pickle Perfect, creativity, women in comedy, friendship, reinvention, and the life lessons that remind us it is never too late to start something new.

Website: IlanaLong.com

Insta: @IlanaLongWrites

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E63: Raj Chikkalingaiah: Pickleball and the Power of Mental Strategy

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can competitive tennis, mental toughness, and pickleball come together to teach you about courage, confidence, and defining success on your own terms?

In this episode, Raj Chikkalingaiah shares his journey from picking up a racket as a young child in Corvallis, Oregon, to competing in tennis at a national level, playing collegiate tennis at Whitman College, and eventually finding his way into the fast-growing world of pickleball. Raj talks about how he first resisted pickleball after seeing the crowded courts at Green Lake, but quickly got hooked once someone handed him a paddle. He reflects on how his years in competitive tennis shaped his athletic mindset, his love of the mental side of sports, and his growing passion for coaching and competition in local open tournaments and professional qualifying events.

Raj also opens up about the emotional and psychological side of competing, including nerves, fear, pressure, momentum, body language, partner chemistry, and the importance of staying present on the court. He shares one of his most valuable mindset shifts: learning to define success not just by winning, but by how you perform, how you respond under pressure, and whether you stay true to the game plan you set for yourself. Along the way, he offers practical insights on communication in doubles, strategy with new partners, managing tightness in competition, and the power of positive self-talk and gratitude.

This is a thoughtful and energizing conversation about pickleball, tennis, competitive mindset, pickleball coaching, partner chemistry, mental toughness, local tournaments, professional qualifying events, growth, gratitude, and the life lessons that remind us to follow our joy, trust our instincts, and define success in a way that helps us play free.

@rajulchikkalingaiah

https://calendly.com/rajulgrant

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E62: Linda Goos: Pickleball and Rediscovering Power in Midlife

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can strength training, sports psychology, and pickleball help women in midlife and beyond build more confidence, mobility, and independence?

In this episode, Linda Goos shares her remarkable journey from elite gymnast and Pac-10 all-decade honoree at Oregon State University to coach at the University of Washington, sports psychology professional, Microsoft marketing leader, and now founder of Studio Bloom in Kirkland, Washington. Linda talks about her lifelong connection to athletics, what competitive gymnastics taught her about discipline and commitment, and how her background in sports psychology, physical rehab, and personal training shaped the way she now helps women reconnect with their bodies and their strength.

Linda also opens up about why she returned to fitness and wellness after 20 years at Microsoft, and how Studio Bloom was created to serve women in midlife and beyond who want to improve strength, mobility, bone health, balance, agility, and confidence. She explains why strength training is essential for healthy aging, osteoporosis and osteopenia prevention, pickleball performance, and long-term independence, and why women are never too old to start building strength.

Along the way, Linda shares how pickleball became part of her own wellness journey, why the sport adds community, quickness, and joy to her life, and the life lesson she keeps coming back to: enjoy the moment you are in. This is an inspiring and practical conversation about pickleball, women’s fitness, healthy aging, strength training, mobility, bone density, osteoporosis, sports psychology, Studio Bloom, Kirkland, and the life lessons that remind us to stay strong, stay present, and keep moving forward.

https://www.studiobloomfitness.com

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E61: Coco Lococo: Australia’s Only Female Pro Pickleball Coach

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How does a young tennis coach from Australia become a pro pickleball player, international coach, and one of the sport’s rising leaders around the world?

In this episode, Coco Lococo shares her incredible journey from growing up in Australia with very little, to playing and coaching tennis from a young age, to rebuilding her athletic path after a devastating ankle injury ended her professional tennis dreams. She opens up about how pickleball entered her life in 2022, why the game immediately hooked her, and how she quickly rose from beginner to pro in Australia’s fast-growing pickleball scene.

Coco also talks about coaching pro teams in Major League Pickleball Australia and India’s World Pickleball League, what it means to be the first female pro coach in those spaces, and the lessons she has learned about pressure, forgiveness, focus, and staying mentally steady both on and off the court.

This is an inspiring conversation about professional pickleball, coaching, women in sports, Australian pickleball, tennis, resilience, mental toughness, and the life lessons that come from adapting, growing, and staying in the game.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E60: Brian Ashworth: The Pickleball Experience: Fun Over Perfection

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How does someone go from getting kicked off a basketball court for pickleball to becoming a 5.0 pro, international instructor, and one of the most respected coaches in the game?

In this episode, Brian Ashworth shares his incredible pickleball journey, from first discovering the sport at the YMCA in Billings, Montana, to winning major titles, teaching around the world, and helping shape the game through coaching, clinics, and the Pickleball Experience. Brian talks about how coming to pickleball without a racquet sports background helped him think differently, play differently, and develop a unique style that set him apart on the court.

He also reflects on playing with top-level partners, working at Pickleball Central during the sport’s explosive growth, building the Pickleball Experience with Peter Hudak and Jemuel Morris, and what he has learned from years of teaching players at every level. Along the way, Brian shares thoughtful insights about patience, confidence, creativity, family priorities, and why no player should ever be the reason someone quits the game.

This is a fun and inspiring conversation about professional pickleball, pickleball coaching, Pickleball Central, the Pickleball Experience, international clinics, patience, partnership, and the life lessons that come from growing with the sport while helping others love it too.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E59: Joelle Kantor: My Wake Up Fall — Healing, Resilience & Finding Pickleball

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 12:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball become part of healing after trauma, brain injury, and years of feeling disconnected from yourself?

In this episode, Joelle Kantor shares her powerful story of resilience, recovery, and rediscovery. A lifelong caregiver, preschool teacher, nanny, mom, and former franchise owner of the Playball sports and movement program, Joelle has always been drawn to children, connection, and helping others thrive. But everything changed after her fourth traumatic brain injury, which led to years of vertigo, insomnia, sensory overload, anxiety, and an almost unimaginable healing journey. Through her book My Wake Up Fall, Joelle opens up about living through profound pain, learning to surrender, and slowly finding her way back to herself.

Joelle also talks about the many healing modalities she explored, the support of her family, and the deep life lessons that emerged along the way about gratitude, courage, presence, and self-discovery. She reflects on how writing her book became part of her recovery, why community matters so much when someone is suffering, and how even the most difficult chapters of life can become a doorway to growth and meaning.

Along the way, Joelle shares how pickleball found its way back into her life, becoming a joyful source of connection, freedom, and friendship. She explains why the pickleball community has meant so much to her, how the sport reminds her to leave the court with gratitude no matter how she plays, and why healing, strength, and joy often return in unexpected ways. This is a moving and inspiring conversation about pickleball, traumatic brain injury, healing, vertigo, recovery, self-discovery, motherhood, resilience, gratitude, and the life lessons that remind us how strong we really are.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E58: Elise Woodward: Basketball, Broadcasting and a Pickleball Surprise

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can a lifetime in sports, from college basketball to professional broadcasting, shape the way someone shows up on the pickleball court and in life?

In this episode, Elise Woodward shares her remarkable journey from being an all-state athlete in soccer, basketball, and fast-pitch softball at North Eugene High School to captaining the University of Washington women’s basketball team to the NCAA Sweet 16, and then building an impressive broadcasting career covering Husky football, the Seattle Storm, and major college sports for Fox, FS1, and the Big Ten Network. Elise talks about growing up in Eugene in a sports-loving family, why she chose the University of Washington, and how her love of competition and storytelling led her into sports broadcasting.

Elise also reflects on the lessons sport has taught her about teamwork, resilience, leadership, failure, and getting back up after hard moments. She shares what it has been like to witness the growth of women’s sports over the decades, why sports remain one of the few places where people from every background can come together around a common passion, and how broadcasting has given her a front-row seat to both the heartbreak and the beauty of competition.

Along the way, Elise talks about discovering pickleball later in life, why the game’s mix of fun, fitness, strategy, and social connection immediately clicked for her, and how pickleball has become a new way to compete, stay active, and build community. This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, women’s sports, sports broadcasting, University of Washington basketball, Seattle Storm, teamwork, competition, healthy aging, resilience, and the life lessons that remind us to keep playing, keep learning, and keep showing up for the people around us.

@elisewoodwardsports (instagram)

@EliseMWoodward (X)

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E57: Dill Dinkers: Creating Community Through Indoor Pickleball

Tue, 27 May 2025 03:00:00 -0400

What does it take to turn a pandemic hobby into one of the fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchises in the country?

In this episode, Denise and Will Richards share the story behind Dill Dinkers and how a simple pickleball set picked up during the pandemic led to a shared passion, a bold business idea, and the creation of a thriving indoor pickleball community. They talk about discovering the game together, struggling to find dependable court time in Maryland winters, and realizing there was a huge opportunity to create a better indoor pickleball experience.

Denise and Will also open up about building Dill Dinkers from the ground up, designing clubs that prioritize community, programming, and player experience, and growing from one location to a rapidly expanding franchise brand. Along the way, they reflect on the powerful life lessons pickleball has taught them about belonging, culture, leadership, and the importance of creating spaces where people feel connected, welcomed, and inspired.

This is an inspiring conversation about indoor pickleball, pickleball franchises, community building, entrepreneurship, leadership, Dill Dinkers, business growth, and the life lessons that come from creating something people truly need.

DillDinkers.com

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E56: Martin Clark: From ER Doctor to Pickleball Champion

Tue, 20 May 2025 03:00:00 -0400

What can pickleball teach us about resilience, healing, and purpose?

In this episode, Dr. Martin Clark shares his remarkable journey from ER doctor to international pickleball champion. After a throat cancer diagnosis, Martin was forced to rethink life, health, competition, and what it means to keep moving forward.

He talks about cancer recovery, mental toughness, athletic mindset, and how pickleball became a source of connection, joy, and renewed purpose. His story is a powerful example of resilience on and off the court.

If you enjoy podcasts about pickleball, cancer survivorship, sports psychology, health, healing, and overcoming adversity, this episode offers inspiration, perspective, and hope.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E55: Fran Myer: Pickleball Pioneer

Tue, 13 May 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How do you help build a sport before most people even know it exists?

In this episode, Pickleball Hall of Famer Fran Myer shares her remarkable journey from discovering pickleball after back surgery to becoming one of the sport’s true pioneers. She created the first online pickleball store, helped organize early major tournaments, served as a charter member of the USA Pickleball Association, and played a major role in the growth of the game at a time when equipment, information, and organized competition were still hard to find.

Fran also reflects on her beautiful partnership with her husband Barney Myer, their unforgettable pickleball wedding, and the deeper life lessons that have shaped her path. She talks about showing up, staying fit, trying new things, seeing opportunity, and staying grateful through every stage of life.

This is a heartfelt conversation about pickleball history, entrepreneurship, aging well, resilience, love, and the joy of continuing to grow.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E54: Kate Spencer: Best Selling Author - All's Fair in Love and Pickleball

Tue, 06 May 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How does pickleball inspire a bestselling author to write her steamiest romance yet?

In this episode, bestselling author Kate Spencer shares how discovering pickleball during the pandemic brought her joy, connection, community, and a whole new creative spark. Kate talks about learning the game as an adult beginner, navigating perfectionism and vulnerability on the court, and how pickleball became part of the inspiration behind her new novel, All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball.

She also opens up about writing romance, blending grief and humor into fiction, embracing fun, and the life lessons pickleball continues to teach her about confidence, self-talk, competition, and being kinder to herself.

This is a thoughtful and funny conversation about pickleball, romance novels, women’s fiction, creativity, vulnerability, adult beginners, and the joy of trying something new.

https://katespencer.substack.com/

https://www.katespencerwrites.com/

@katespencer

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E53: Steve Paranto: Pickleball Legend and Hall of Famer

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How does someone become part of pickleball history from the very beginning and continue shaping the game for nearly five decades?

In this episode, Pickleball Hall of Famer Steve Paranto shares his extraordinary journey through the history of pickleball, from competing in the very first Pickleball Championship in 1976 to becoming the longest-running tournament player in the sport. Steve talks about discovering pickleball while playing college tennis at Green River Community College, how he and his doubles partner quickly realized they had a knack for the game, and what it was like to compete in those early tournaments when wooden paddles, gym floors, and a much smaller community defined the sport.

Steve also reflects on his family’s remarkable role in pickleball history, including how his father, a Boeing engineer, designed the first composite pickleball paddle after noticing that the original wooden paddle-to-ball ratio was all wrong. He shares stories about his father’s creativity, sportsmanship, and Hall of Fame legacy, along with the heartfelt meaning behind having his dad’s ashes placed under the courts at the Paranto Playhouse, where Steve now teaches, hosts friends, and continues growing the game.

Along the way, Steve opens up about his life as an athlete, PE teacher, ventriloquist, inventor’s son, coach, and ambassador for pickleball. He talks about the evolution of the game, the importance of preserving its social spirit, and why pickleball remains such a powerful fountain of youth for players of every age. This is a joyful and deeply meaningful conversation about pickleball history, Steve Paranto, the first pickleball championship, composite paddles, pickleball instruction, the Hall of Fame, healthy aging, sportsmanship, community, and the life lessons that come from doing what you love for a lifetime.

Pickleball Fountain of Youth Podcast -https://www.recsmedia.podbean.com

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E52: Marie Manuchehri: The Energy of Joy—On and Off the Pickleball Court

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help us become more present, more joyful, and more connected to ourselves?

In this episode, energy medicine healer, medium, teacher, and author Marie Manuchehri shares her remarkable life journey, from working as an oncology nurse to discovering her intuitive gifts and building a healing practice that has touched thousands of people around the world.

Marie also talks about how pickleball has brought more freedom, playfulness, movement, and joy into her life. She shares beautiful life lessons about following your joy, learning to love yourself, quieting the mind, being present, and letting go of expectations.

This is a thoughtful and uplifting conversation about pickleball, intuition, energy healing, spirituality, self-love, mindfulness, and the healing power of play.

https://energyintuitive.com

The Marie Manuchehri Podcast: Where Energy Meets the Divine https://energyintuitive.com/podcast/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E51: Wes Gabrielsen: A Hall of Famer and Pro’s Journey Through the Evolution of Pickleball

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0400

What does it take to stay at the top of professional pickleball for more than a decade while continuing to grow as a player, coach, and person?

In this episode, Pickleball Hall of Famer Wes Gabrielsen shares his journey from first discovering pickleball in middle school in 1998 to becoming one of the most accomplished players in the sport. Wes talks about the early days of pickleball in the Pacific Northwest, his path into professional competition, and the incredible experiences he has had playing and coaching around the world, including in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, and India.

He also reflects on the life lessons pickleball has taught him about patience, grace, partnership, and understanding the different reasons people come to the court. From teaching and coaching to competing on center court at the sport’s biggest events, Wes brings a thoughtful perspective on what makes pickleball special both on and off the court.

This is an inspiring conversation about professional pickleball, coaching, international competition, partnership, patience, sportsmanship, and the life lessons that come from the game we love.

https://wesleygabrielsenpickleball.com

https://facebook.com/wesley.gabrielsen

@wesley_gabrielsen_pickleball

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E50: Jim Lopez: Kirkland's Deputy City Manager & Pickleball Champion

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0400

JHow can pickleball help build community, create flow, and even shape the way we think about leadership and civic life?

In this episode, Jim Lopez, Deputy City Manager for External Affairs for the City of Kirkland, Washington, shares how his work in public service, law, communications, and civic engagement connects with his growing love for pickleball. Jim talks about his role in city administration, what it means to help a community feel informed, heard, and connected, and why creating spaces for belonging, communication, and collaboration matters so much in local government. He also gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what the Deputy City Manager for External Affairs actually does, from economic development and diversity initiatives to arts, tourism, library support, and public engagement.

Jim also opens up about how pickleball became part of his life, why the sport immediately appealed to him as a tennis fan, and what he loves most about the game: fun, fashion, and flow. He reflects on the growing demand for pickleball courts in Kirkland, how cities are thinking through the challenge of meeting that demand, and why pickleball has become such a powerful source of community, health, connection, and joy. Along the way, he shares one of his favorite life lessons from the court: sometimes you have to take a step back to take a step forward, whether that means learning soft shots in pickleball or slowing down in life to build something stronger over time.

This is a thoughtful, upbeat conversation about pickleball, Kirkland, public service, community engagement, city leadership, local government, tennis, civic connection, flow, strategy, healthy aging, and the life lessons that remind us growth often starts when we are willing to slow down, listen, and play the long game.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E49: Clay Roberts (Mr. Pickleball): Keeping Pickleball's Founding Spirit Alive

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0400

What if pickleball could do more than build courts and actually help build community?

In this episode, Bainbridge Island’s own “Mr. Pickleball,” Clay Roberts, shares how his work in youth development, prevention, and community building naturally shaped the way he approached the growth of pickleball in the place where the game began. Clay talks about helping create more courts on Bainbridge, preserving the spirit of the founders, and why pickleball can be a powerful force for connection across age, politics, grief, and difference.

Clay also reflects on the lessons he has learned through the game, from the importance of keeping pickleball friendly and inclusive to why he believes it may be one of the best models for youth development and healthy community life. This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about pickleball history, Bainbridge Island, youth development, civic connection, and the deeper spirit of the sport.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E48: Pablo Granados: From Soccer Star to Pickleball Ambassador

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help transform a life, rebuild health, and create community across every age, background, and skill level?

In this episode, Pablo Granados shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Costa Rica dreaming of soccer, to surviving a life-threatening medical crisis, moving to the United States, struggling with major health challenges, and eventually finding a new path through pickleball. Pablo talks about his early years as a competitive soccer player, the injuries that changed his direction, the devastating surgery complications that nearly took his life, and the difficult seasons that followed as he gained weight, lost confidence, and searched for a fresh start.

Pablo also shares how pickleball entered his life at exactly the right time, beginning with one welcoming moment at the YMCA that opened the door to a completely new future. He reflects on losing more than 100 pounds, rediscovering competition, becoming a USA Pickleball ambassador, running tournaments with a player-first mindset, and eventually stepping into leadership as general manager and tournament director at Pickleball Kingdom. Along the way, he opens up about the mistakes he made, the lessons he learned, and why kindness, inclusion, and remembering where you came from matter so much in the pickleball community.

This is an uplifting and heartfelt conversation about pickleball, Costa Rica, health transformation, weight loss, community, Pickleball Kingdom, tournament directing, sportsmanship, inclusion, teaching, resilience, and the life lessons that remind us never to underestimate anyone and never to say no to the chance to welcome someone in.

http://www.zz2pickleball.com

https://pickleballkingdom.com/lynnwood-wa/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E47: Joel Bell: Double Lives: The CIA Spy Who Co-Created Pickleball

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 03:00:00 -0400

What was it like growing up as the son of one of pickleball’s creators and discovering years later that your father had also lived a secret life as a CIA operative?

In this fascinating episode, Joel Bell shares the origin story of pickleball through the eyes of his family and reflects on the surprising legacy of his father, Bill Bell. Joel talks about how the game was first created on Bainbridge Island, how it got its unforgettable name, and how it gradually spread far beyond the backyard.

He also opens up about writing his memoir, Five Star Trust, and what it was like to piece together the truth about his father’s hidden work, his family’s years abroad, and the emotional impact of growing up in a home shaped by secrecy. Along the way, Joel shares thoughtful reflections on therapy, music, identity, family, and the enduring power of pickleball to bring people together.

https://drjoelbell.com/

Five Star Trust: A Memoir by Joel Bell https://shorturl.at/jKDZj

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E46: Mara and John Hylton: The Story of Pickleball Kingdom

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 03:00:00 -0400

How can indoor pickleball help solve one of the sport’s biggest problems while also creating more community, connection, and joy?

In this episode, siblings Mara and John Hylton share how their family partnership and professional experience led them into one of the most exciting developments in the Pacific Northwest pickleball scene: bringing Pickleball Kingdom to Washington. John, with a long background in real estate development, and Mara, with decades of experience in operations, HR, marketing, and business development, explain how pickleball first entered their lives during COVID and recovery from injury, and why they quickly saw the sport as more than just a game. For John, pickleball became an instant competitive obsession after getting humbled by older players in Arizona. For Mara, it became a meaningful way to reconnect with her family and find a sport she could enjoy despite a knee injury.

They also share the behind-the-scenes story of how Pickleball Kingdom came to Washington, what makes the concept different from simply building indoor pickleball courts, and why their mission is so focused on creating an experience. From free Pickleball 101 sessions and beginner-friendly programming to community rooms, mezzanines, replay technology, organized open play, and a hospitality-first mindset, Mara and John are building spaces designed to make players feel welcomed, supported, and excited to return. They talk about the explosive growth of pickleball, the challenge of finding places to play, and why indoor pickleball in the Pacific Northwest is such a game changer for people who want year-round access, better court availability, and a strong social environment.

Along the way, they reflect on working together as siblings, serving the pickleball community with intention, and the life lesson both of them keep coming back to: relationships matter. This is an upbeat and inspiring conversation about pickleball, indoor pickleball, Pickleball Kingdom, Washington pickleball, Pacific Northwest pickleball, community, family business, beginner pickleball, open play, hospitality, connection, and the life lessons that remind us life is better when people have a place to gather, play, and belong.

www.pickleballkingdom.com

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E45: Diane Baumgartner: Pickleball: Not Just a Game, But a Lifeline!

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball become a lifelong calling, a ministry of service, and a way to help kids, first responders, seniors, and entire communities feel stronger, healthier, and more connected?

In this episode, Diane Baumgartner shares her extraordinary pickleball journey, from first being introduced to the game as a middle school PE teacher in Oregon in 1981 to becoming a USA Pickleball Ambassador in both Arizona and Oregon, an IPTPA certified instructor, and a medalist in 14 different states. Diane also reflects on her background as a middle school principal, athletic director, PE teacher, and college tennis player, and how all of those experiences prepared her to become one of pickleball’s most passionate advocates and coaches.

Diane talks about learning the finer points of pickleball from top players like Wes Gabrielson, how she continues competing at a 4.5 level in her 70s, and why the game remains so meaningful to her after all these years. She also shares the inspiring work she does with kids, college students, first responders, and local pickleball clubs, including helping schools and communities get paddles, nets, and balls, introducing beginners to the sport, and creating programs like Night Glow Pickleball and Helping Hands Pickleball to build both fun and support into the pickleball community.

Along the way, Diane opens up about the joy of helping young players discover they can do a sport, the power of pickleball to create belonging for people who feel left out, and why she believes this game offers so much more than competition. This is an uplifting conversation about pickleball, USA Pickleball ambassadors, IPTPA instruction, youth pickleball, senior pickleball, Arizona pickleball, Oregon pickleball, first responders, community service, Night Glow Pickleball, and the life lessons that remind us everybody deserves a place to play, belong, and be seen.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E44: Ella and Angie Cosma: Ella's Inspiring Rise in Pickleball

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0500

What does it take to become one of the brightest young stars in pickleball while overcoming major health challenges along the way?

In this episode, junior pickleball standout Ella Cosma and her mom, Angie, share their remarkable story of resilience, family, and determination. Ella opens up about the serious medical issues she faced as a child, the long hospital stays that shaped her perspective, and how those experiences helped build the mindset she now brings to the court.

Together, Ella and Angie talk about discovering pickleball as a family, growing from beginners to tournament players, and the journey that led Ella to become the first female to earn a Triple Crown on the Junior PPA Tour. They also share powerful insights about handling losses, trusting yourself, staying mentally strong, and learning to let life unfold.

This is a moving and inspiring conversation about junior pickleball, perseverance, family support, mental toughness, and chasing big dreams on and off the court.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E43: Tony Roig: Winning Strategies for Pickleball and Beyond

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0500

What if the key to better pickleball is not just better shots, but a better understanding of the game?

Senior pickleball pro Tony Roig joins us for a thoughtful and energizing conversation about strategy, mindset, and what it really takes to improve. As co-founder of Better Pickleball, host of Pickleball Therapy, and a full-time coach, Tony helps players understand the game from the inside out.

In this episode, Tony shares how he found pickleball after a strong tennis background, why losses often teach us more than wins, and how understanding the framework of the game can completely change the way we play.

He also offers powerful life lessons about competition, self-talk, and why every time you step on the pickleball court, you still deserve a bowl of ice cream.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E42: Michele Heffron: Beyond the Pickleball Court: Rebuilding Life After a Divorce

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0500

What happens when life falls apart and you have to rebuild from the ground up?

In this heartfelt episode, Michele Heffron shares how a difficult divorce became the beginning of a powerful personal transformation. After years as a stay-at-home mom, Michele found herself having to reinvent her life, rebuild her confidence, and learn how to truly support herself.

Today, she is a certified life, relationship, and divorce coach who helps women navigate major transitions with more clarity, self-worth, and intention. Michele opens up about grief, anxiety, people-pleasing, boundaries, and the deep inner work that helps us create a life with more joy, love, and purpose.

This is a meaningful conversation about personal agency, healing, and becoming who you are meant to be.

https://micheleheffron.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E41: Brian De Herrera: Turning Adversity into Triumph with Pickleball Passion

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How do you rebuild your life after losing a limb and return to the court stronger than ever?

In this episode, Brian De Herrera shares his remarkable journey from surviving a life-threatening bacterial infection to becoming a competitive pickleball player, coach, and inspiration to everyone who meets him. Brian opens up about the infection that led to his leg amputation, the recovery process, learning to use a prosthetic, and why he says the amputation ultimately gave him a better quality of life.

He also talks about his love of pickleball, how the sport has given him community, purpose, friendship, and joy, and the powerful life lessons he has learned about resilience, presence, gratitude, and overcoming adversity.

This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, amputation, prosthetics, disability, resilience, mental strength, recovery, community, and living life fully on and off the court.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E40: Dr. Stormy Hill and Teri Citterman: Mastering Love and Relationships Through Pickleball

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball test a relationship, reveal our communication patterns, and actually help couples love each other better instead of wanting to pull out a kitchen knife?

In this episode, Teri Citterman and Dr. Stormy Hill, co-authors of the Amazon bestselling book In a Pickle: How to Master Love and Pickleball and Not Kill Each Other, share how their personal pickleball journeys, professional expertise, and real-life relationship struggles inspired them to write one of the most relatable books in the sport. Teri brings her background as an executive coach helping people with communication, feedback, and difficult conversations, while Stormy brings 20 years of experience as a mental health occupational therapist and relationship and intimacy coach. Together, they explain why the pickleball court can become a surprisingly intense communication workshop for couples, and why so many loving relationships can suddenly go sideways once the score starts counting.

They also open up about their own stories, from discovering pickleball in Austin and Costa Rica to watching their otherwise strong romantic relationships get tested on the court. Teri and Stormy talk honestly about expectations, competitiveness, learning differences, assumptions, frustration, mixed doubles, tournament pressure, and the emotional charge that comes from playing with the person you love most. Along the way, they share practical tools from the book, including safe words, intention setting, the importance of humor, and their unforgettable first rule of pickleball: don’t be a dick.

This is a funny, wise, and surprisingly insightful conversation about pickleball, relationships, communication, mixed doubles, marriage, dating, couples coaching, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, Costa Rica pickleball, and the life lessons that remind us that love and pickleball can absolutely go together, if we learn how to play with more grace, honesty, and fun.

Book: https://a.co/d/ikVvTgo

Website: www.Loveandpickleball.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love_and_pickleball/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/love.and.pickleball?mibextid=LQQJ4d

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E39: Glen Peterson: A Senior Pickleball Pro Serving up Life Lessons

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball become more than a game and turn into a source of friendship, character, joy, and lifelong growth?

In this episode, Glen Peterson shares his remarkable pickleball journey, from being introduced to doubles by his 85-year-old father at the North Shore Senior Center to becoming a decorated senior pickleball player with medals in singles and doubles at major championships. Glen reflects on growing up in Seattle, playing high school tennis, retiring at 48 after a worldwide career with Caterpillar, and then unexpectedly finding a new passion in pickleball in his early 50s. Along the way, he talks about his years with Pickleball Central, creating instructional videos, developing the SwiftNet, and working with Selkirk on a signature paddle.

Glen also opens up about the evolution of pickleball from a fun hobby into a true sport, and why he still believes the heart of the game is not winning, but people. He shares stories about learning from stronger players, traveling to tournaments in Japan, partnering with top senior pros, and discovering that the friendships built through pickleball often matter more than the medals. He also offers thoughtful insights on how pickleball reveals character, teaches humility, and reminds us that looks can be deceiving, conflict can teach us something, and the right partner can change everything.

This is a wise and uplifting conversation about pickleball, senior pickleball, Pickleball Central, SwiftNet, Selkirk, Japan pickleball, doubles strategy, friendship, sportsmanship, healthy aging, character, and the life lessons that remind us to smile, include others, choose great partners, and enjoy the people on the court more than the score.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E38: Deano Guyer: Pickleball Saves Lives

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball become a new career, a creative brand, and a powerful community that truly changes lives?

In this episode, Dean “Deano” Guyer shares his inspiring journey from playing tennis at age four and competing in collegiate tennis in Indiana to becoming a pro pickleball player, coach, and one of the passionate voices behind the pickleball lifestyle brand VIVUS Pickleball. Deano talks about first seeing pickleball as more of a lawn game than a serious sport, then discovering just how athletic, competitive, and addictive it could be after moving to Bend, Oregon and stumbling upon a professional tournament. From that point on, his pickleball journey took off.

Deano also shares how his love for the sport led him into coaching at the Premier Pickleball Club in Redmond, Oregon, where he now helps players of all levels grow their game by focusing on both their strengths and the areas that need refinement. He explains why pickleball coaching is not about forcing everyone into the same mold, but about helping each player find a style that fits their body, instincts, and confidence. Along the way, he reflects on the huge difference between tennis and pickleball culture, the extraordinary diversity of the pickleball community, and why the sport creates friendships and belonging in a way he has never experienced anywhere else.

He also opens up about co-founding VIVUS Pickleball and the message behind “Pickleball Saves Lives,” a phrase born from the countless stories he and his friend Jessica heard from players whose lives were changed through movement, recovery, friendship, grief, healing, and purpose on the pickleball court. This is a heartfelt and energizing conversation about pickleball, pro pickleball, pickleball coaching, Redmond Oregon, Bend Oregon, VIVUS Pickleball, Pickleball Saves Lives, tennis to pickleball, friendship, community, growth, and the life lessons that remind us the game is never just about winning, but about the people we meet and the lives we build along the way.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E37: Sandy Halkett: Changing Lives Through the World of Adaptive Pickleball

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball be adapted so every person, regardless of physical, cognitive, or developmental ability, has the chance to succeed on the court?

In this episode, Sandy Halkett, founder of Adaptive Pickleball, shares how she built a groundbreaking nonprofit that teaches pickleball to athletes with diverse abilities, including physical disabilities, cognitive challenges, and developmental differences. Sandy explains how her background in golf instruction and Special Olympics coaching led her to create adaptive pickleball programs, including her innovative version of simplified play called Thunderball.

She also shares powerful stories of transformation, from veterans with PTSD to nonverbal athletes whose families say pickleball has changed their lives. This is an inspiring conversation about adaptive sports, inclusive pickleball, disability, Special Olympics, coaching, community, and the life lessons that come from helping every person find meaningful involvement.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E36: Encore! Roger BelAir: Prison Life Transformed With Pickleball

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0500

In this encore episode, Roger BelAir shares one of the most extraordinary stories we have ever heard about the power of pickleball to change lives. After a successful 30-year career as a financial professional, author, and speaker, Roger found a new passion in pickleball and then followed an unexpected idea that would take him far beyond the court. After watching a 60 Minutes segment about Cook County Jail, he had a simple but bold thought: the inmates should be playing pickleball. That one idea led Roger to write a letter, show up in person, and begin introducing pickleball inside prisons, where the game quickly became much more than recreation.

Roger explains how pickleball in prisons has helped reduce disciplinary problems, create healthier interactions between inmates and staff, and even break down barriers between rival gang members who previously would not even speak to one another. He shares powerful stories from Cook County Jail, Rikers Island, San Quentin, and other correctional facilities, where pickleball has brought exercise, laughter, dignity, teamwork, and human connection into places that desperately need hope. Along the way, Roger reflects on why pickleball works so well in prison, how it differs from other sports like basketball, and why the game’s social nature creates community one rally at a time.

This is a moving and unforgettable conversation about pickleball, prisons, rehabilitation, restorative justice, prison reform, gang violence, second chances, human dignity, community, hope, and the life lessons that remind us people can change when they are treated with respect, invited into connection, and given a chance to discover something better inside themselves.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E35: Huishan Wan: Bridging Academia and Pickleball

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball inspire perseverance, reshape the way we teach, and help students see that effort, discipline, and hope really do matter?

In this episode, Huishan Wan shares his unique pickleball journey, from first being introduced to the sport through a friend from church to becoming a gold medal singles player and a passionate advocate for pickleball on the University of Northern Iowa campus. A professor of accounting who teaches financial accounting to undergraduate and graduate students, Huishan brings a thoughtful, reflective perspective to the game, connecting pickleball not only to competition and strategy, but also to character, resilience, and personal growth.

Huishan talks about how his background in table tennis and badminton helped him understand spin, control, and court instincts in pickleball, and how—almost by accident—he entered his first singles tournament and won gold. He also shares the story of how students at the University of Northern Iowa were inspired by his enthusiasm for pickleball and asked him to become the faculty advisor for a new student pickleball club, which now competes at college tournaments. Along the way, he explains why the lessons of pickleball apply so naturally to education, especially the importance of preparation, practice, persistence, and never giving up when the score—or life—feels stacked against you.

Drawing from both the classroom and the court, Huishan reflects on the connection between habits and destiny, the value of encouragement over criticism, and the importance of having a balanced life filled with hobbies, interests, and meaningful human connection. This is a thoughtful and uplifting conversation about pickleball, University of Northern Iowa, accounting professor, college pickleball, singles pickleball, table tennis, badminton, perseverance, encouragement, discipline, and the life lessons that remind us growth happens point by point, habit by habit, and day by day.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E34: Jennifer Sienes: Unraveling Life's Lessons Through Pickleball

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball reflect the deeper lessons of life, faith, writing, and learning to let go of what we cannot control?

In this episode, award-winning author Jennifer Sienes shares her heartfelt story of discovering pickleball, navigating profound life challenges, and finding inspiration both on and off the court. Jennifer talks about first being introduced to pickleball by retired teacher friends in Northern California, showing up in sandals with no idea what the game even was, and quickly falling in love with the fun, competition, and community of the sport. She also opens up about her life as a writer of inspirational contemporary Christian fiction, the role faith plays in her work, and how life experience became the teacher that ultimately gave depth and meaning to her stories.

Jennifer reflects on the difficult seasons that shaped her writing, including her son’s serious accident, her daughter’s traumatic brain injury and long recovery, her brother’s suicide, her mother’s leukemia diagnosis, and the collapse of her first marriage. She shares how those experiences became the emotional ground for her novels, how writing helped her process grief and healing, and why she believes hope, humor, and faith must remain at the center of even the hardest stories. Along the way, she also talks about her article “Life Is Like a Game of Pickleball,” drawing connections between dinking, the kitchen, keeping your eye on the ball, and the life lessons we learn when we stop trying to control everything and trust God with the rest.

This is a moving and encouraging conversation about pickleball, inspirational fiction, contemporary Christian fiction, faith, grief, traumatic brain injury, healing, marriage, resilience, writing, hope, and the life lessons that remind us to stay focused on the point in front of us, lean on others when we need help, and trust that even life’s hardest chapters can become part of a larger story of grace.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E33: Beth Abu-Haydar: Discover Her Passion for Pickleball and Global Health

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball arrive at exactly the right moment in life and become a source of joy, friendship, balance, and renewal after years of meaningful work in the world?

In this episode, Beth Abu-Haydar shares her remarkable life journey, from growing up in Beirut, Lebanon during its golden era, speaking Arabic, English, and French, to building a career in global health that helped improve the lives of women and families around the world. Beth reflects on her multicultural upbringing, her move to the United States for graduate school, and her many years with PATH, the international nonprofit where she worked on major public health initiatives, including efforts to reduce maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhage through affordable, life-saving innovation.

Beth also talks about how pickleball entered her life during COVID, when a friend encouraged her to try this funny-sounding sport that quickly became a bright spot in a difficult season. What started as a new activity soon turned into a deeply meaningful part of her life, bringing laughter, movement, friendship, and a sense of community at exactly the right time. She shares why pickleball felt like recess for adults, how it helped strengthen friendships, and why trying something new can be one of life’s greatest gifts.

This is a thoughtful and uplifting conversation about pickleball, global health, PATH, maternal health, postpartum hemorrhage, Lebanon, Seattle, friendship, resilience, healthy aging, community, and the life lessons that remind us to stay open to new experiences, embrace joy, and trust that even late in life, something unexpected can become a beautiful new chapter.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E32: Tracy and Cass: Transforming Pickleball with Ruley - The Official Pickleball E-Referee™

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 03:00:00 -0500

How can technology, friendship, and a shared love of pickleball come together to solve one of the game’s biggest everyday frustrations?

In this episode, Tracy Thomas and Cass Toroian share the story behind their new AI-powered pickleball app, the official Pickleball eReferee, designed to help players quickly understand rules, settle on-court disputes, and build more confidence in the game. Tracy, a luxury travel agency owner and self-described pickleball addict, first found pickleball during a difficult season of life and discovered in it a new source of stress relief, purpose, and joy. Cass, with a background in finance and technology and a lifetime of competitive tennis, came into pickleball more recently but immediately noticed a major gap: players often disagree about rules, especially in open play, and there was no easy tool to help.

Together, they explain how the idea for Pickleball eReferee was born, how artificial intelligence and machine learning make the app work, and why they believe it can be a game changer for both beginners and experienced players. Whether someone wants a fast answer about a kitchen fault, a service rule, an out ball, or the differences between amateur and pro pickleball rules, the app is designed to give a quick, accurate response right from a phone or smartwatch. Tracy and Cass also talk about their bigger vision for the platform, including tutorials, rules quizzes, and training tools that can help newer players feel more confident walking onto a court for the first time.

Along the way, they reflect on how pickleball has shaped their lives in very different ways, from helping Tracy rediscover athletic joy after injury to giving Cass a new challenge, a new sport, and a new way to reconnect with competition and community. This is a fun and forward-looking conversation about pickleball, AI, machine learning, pickleball rules, pickleball app, sportsmanship, open play etiquette, confidence, community, and the life lessons that remind us innovation often starts when we notice a small problem and decide to do something about it.

https://pickleball-e-referee.com

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E31: Mark "Yoda" Friedenberg: Hall of Fame Legend and Organizer of USA Pickleball Association

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 03:00:00 -0500

How did pickleball grow from a little-known backyard game into one of the fastest-growing sports in America?

In this episode, Mark “Yoda” Friedenberg shares his extraordinary journey from discovering pickleball in 1989 to becoming one of the most influential pioneers in the sport’s history. Mark talks about owning ProLite Sports, helping develop some of the earliest lightweight composite and graphite paddles, organizing the USA Pickleball Association, serving as its first president, and helping create the ambassador system that fueled pickleball’s national and international growth.

He also shares stories from his own competitive career, reflections on the Pickleball Hall of Fame, and the unforgettable “12 Commandments of Pickleball” that connect strategy, sportsmanship, communication, and mindset on and off the court.

This is a fascinating conversation about pickleball history, USA Pickleball, paddle innovation, competitive strategy, sportsmanship, leadership, and the life lessons that helped build the game we love today.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E30: Ed Beazer: Inventor of the Bzer Ball Capturing Attention of Pickleball Players Worldwide

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball support addiction recovery, build community, and even inspire a brand-new training tool to improve your game?

In this episode, Ed Beezer shares his remarkable journey from the restaurant and coffee business, including helping launch Starbucks in Utah, to discovering pickleball during residential treatment for alcoholism. Ed opens up about his recovery story and explains how pickleball became a powerful source of healing through movement, mindfulness, connection, accountability, and community.

Ed also tells the story behind Beezer Sports and the invention of the Beezer Ball, a soft rubber mini pickleball training ball designed to improve hand-eye coordination, focus, follow-through, and ball tracking. He explains how the Beezer Ball can be used for pickleball warmups, dink practice, volley drills, indoor training, and overall pickleball skill development.

This is an inspiring and practical conversation about pickleball, addiction recovery, sobriety, mindfulness, connection, pickleball training, hand-eye coordination, the Beezer Ball, and the life lessons that come from starting over, staying present, and never giving up.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E29: Megan Fudge: Pro Pickleball Player Empowering Women and Families Through a Global Pickleball Journey

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 03:00:00 -0500

What does it take to become one of the top professional pickleball players in the world while balancing motherhood, marriage, travel, coaching, and competition?

In this episode, professional pickleball player Megan Fudge shares her incredible journey from discovering pickleball during COVID to becoming the top ranked female player on the APP Tour. Megan talks about her tennis background, traveling full time in an RV with her husband and two children, competing around the world, and helping grow pickleball in places like India and China.

She also opens up about life as a mom on tour, building a family around the sport, coaching the next generation, and inspiring women and girls to chase big dreams. Megan shares powerful insights on discipline, confidence, hard work, the pursuit of excellence, and what it means to become the best version of yourself.

This is an inspiring conversation about professional pickleball, women in sports, family life, coaching, international pickleball growth, and the life lessons that come from going all in on your dream.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E28: Sara Weiss: Listen to her Inspiring Pickleball Journey from Adversity to Empowerment

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 03:00:00 -0500

How can pickleball help someone rediscover joy, rebuild purpose, and turn life’s hardest challenges into strength, freedom, and connection?

In this episode, Sara Weiss shares her powerful and deeply personal journey, from growing up in a low-income household in Canada with big dreams and a fierce desire to break cycles, to becoming a successful entrepreneur, high-performance success coach, best-selling author, motivational speaker, and sponsored amateur pickleball champion. Sara opens up about building multiple businesses, pushing herself to succeed, and eventually reaching a point of burnout where, despite all the outward success, something essential was missing: fun. That honest realization became the doorway to a whole new chapter when pickleball entered her life and changed everything.

Sara also talks about how quickly she fell in love with pickleball, how she used her mindset coaching tools to improve rapidly, and how the sport gave her a place to release energy, reconnect with joy, and channel her competitive fire in a healthy way. She shares what it has been like to compete at a high level, to coach pickleball players using life coaching principles, and to navigate the challenges and visibility that came with being a transgender athlete in the sport. Along the way, she reflects on fear, resilience, identity, showing up anyway, and why the moments that test us most often become the moments that shape us most.

This is an honest, energizing, and inspiring conversation about pickleball, mindset, entrepreneurship, burnout, transgender athlete experience, resilience, life coaching, personal growth, joy, competition, and the life lessons that remind us how we do one thing is often how we do everything, and that choosing courage over fear can open doors we never imagined.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E27: Max Manthou aka "Purple Jesus": Transformation to a Professional Pickleball Athlete

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How does a Peace Corps volunteer, anthropology scholar, and lifelong athlete become a professional pickleball player known as Purple Jesus?

In this episode, Max Manthou shares his fascinating path from basketball, table tennis, tennis, and the Peace Corps in Indonesia to the professional pickleball world. Max talks about how he discovered pickleball, why the sport immediately hooked him, and how his unusual mix of athletic, academic, and cultural experiences shaped the player and person he is today.

He also shares the story behind his nickname, Purple Jesus, and opens up about his book, A Pickleball Gospel, which explores the deeper meaning of pickleball through community, fun, play, competition, and what he calls “coopetition” — the powerful blend of cooperation and competition that makes the sport so unique.

This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about professional pickleball, anthropology, identity, language, competition, community, and the life lessons that come from sport, curiosity, and connection.

A Pickleball Gospel by Purple Jesus: https://a.co/d/06SS6ucb

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E26: Akash Agarwal: Discovering Life Lessons and Building Community Through Pickleball

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball open the door to joy, community, adaptability, and lifelong learning while bringing together people from every walk of life?

In this episode, Akash Agarwal shares his fascinating journey from the enterprise software world to becoming a passionate pickleball coach and self-described pickleball junkie in San Francisco. With more than 25 years of experience in enterprise software, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a life that has spanned three continents, Akash brings a global perspective to everything he does. He talks about first discovering pickleball in 2018 with his son near their home in Foster City, California, and how what started as simple curiosity quickly grew into a deep love for the sport.

Akash also reflects on the unique culture of pickleball, especially the way open play creates connection, conversation, and friendship across generations, languages, backgrounds, and skill levels. He explains why pickleball feels so different from tennis, how doubles strategy became a whole new world for him, and why the sport’s social nature has made it one of the most welcoming communities he has ever experienced. Along the way, he shares how he became a coach through the TeachMe.To platform, why he sees himself as a lifelong student of the game, and how teaching pickleball has deepened his own understanding of strategy, sportsmanship, and joy.

This is a thoughtful and energizing conversation about pickleball, Foster City pickleball, San Francisco pickleball, TeachMe.To, pickleball coaching, tennis, doubles strategy, community, adaptability, sportsmanship, lifelong learning, and the life lessons that remind us to stay present, keep learning, play with joy, and build meaningful connections wherever we can.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E25: Ruth Rosenquist: The Unifying Force of the Global Pickleball Federation

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How is pickleball bringing people together across borders, cultures, generations, and continents?

In this episode, Ruth Rosenquist shares her extraordinary journey from discovering pickleball in 1992 to helping lead the sport on a global scale as an at-large board member and chair of marketing and communications for the Global Pickleball Federation. Ruth talks about the rapid worldwide growth of pickleball, the Federation’s mission, the push toward Olympic recognition, and what it means to support emerging pickleball communities in places like Africa, Iran, Latin America, and beyond.

She also reflects on the life-changing power of the sport, from its ability to foster unity and joy to the way it creates connection, purpose, and opportunity for people all over the world.

This is an inspiring conversation about global pickleball, the Global Pickleball Federation, Olympic dreams, international sport, community, unity, and the life lessons that come from building something bigger than yourself.

https://globalpickleballfederation.org

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E24: Leanne Ely: Nutritional Wisdom and Pickleball Passion

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help a woman rediscover her strength, reclaim her vitality, and remember that life is far from over at any age?

In this episode, New York Times bestselling author and nutritionist Leanne Ely shares her powerful journey from transforming family life through meal planning and nutrition to finding a whole new kind of joy and athletic confidence on the pickleball court. As the creator of SavingDinner.com, Leanne has spent more than two decades helping women nourish their families, heal their relationship with food, and step off the exhausting carousel of dieting and self-criticism. She talks about why the family dinner table matters, how food became such an emotional battleground for so many women, and what it means to finally become friends with food instead of fighting it.

Leanne also opens up about discovering pickleball during the pandemic after first dismissing it as “slow motion tennis,” only to fall completely in love the moment she stepped on the court. She shares how pickleball helped her reconnect with her athletic side, lose 30 pounds, build confidence, and feel like a badass again after years of feeling disconnected from that part of herself. Along the way, she reflects on a dramatic on-court face plant that became its own life lesson in resilience, grit, and refusing to quit on yourself, even when things get messy and painful.

This is a heartfelt and empowering conversation about pickleball, nutrition, SavingDinner.com, women’s health, menopause, family dinner, resilience, healthy aging, mindset, confidence, body image, and the life lessons that remind us it is never too late to get strong, take back your body, and live fully in bloom.

https://www.savingdinner.com

https://www.savingdinner.com/retreat/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E23: Maverick Helmer: Insights on Navigating LIfe and Pickleball

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball teach us to step outside our comfort zone, take smart risks, move in sync with others, and keep finding joy in the game no matter who is across the net?

In this episode, Maverick Helmer shares his unique pickleball journey, from playing a homemade version of the game as a kid on a family court to becoming a highly competitive 5.0 singles and 4.5 doubles player in Denver. A recent University of Denver graduate and now an investment banking analyst, Maverick talks about rediscovering pickleball in 2021 at Congress Park, where the lively open play culture, music, grilling, and welcoming community helped transform the sport into a central part of his life. With a background in tennis and years of athletic play, he explains how pickleball eventually overtook tennis because of its joy, social energy, and sense of connection.

Maverick also shares what has helped him improve so quickly, including watching high-level tennis and pickleball, drilling intentionally, learning from stronger players, and embracing the value of playing with people at every level. He gives thoughtful insight into the Denver pickleball scene, why open play can be such a powerful teacher, and how he has been able to train with senior pros and practice with top players while continuing to refine both his singles and doubles game. Along the way, he reflects on his hopes of eventually playing pro pickleball, the physical demands of tournament play, and the discipline it takes to balance serious competition with work and adult life.

This is a fun and insightful conversation about pickleball, Denver pickleball, Congress Park, open play, singles strategy, doubles strategy, drilling, partner communication, risk-taking, confidence, resilience, and the life lessons that remind us to be intentional, stay connected, keep learning, and never be afraid to put ourselves out there.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E22: Jakob Eliason: Revolutionizing Community Engagement with Pop-Up Pickleball Events

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball become a marketing strategy, a community builder, and a joyful pop-up experience that transforms empty spaces into unforgettable moments?

In this episode, Jakob Eliason shares the entrepreneurial story behind Pickleball Pop-Ups, the company he co-founded that has quickly become the world’s number one provider of temporary pickleball experiences in less than a year. A marketer by trade and the co-founder and chief marketing officer of the business, Jacob explains how his background in digital marketing, sales, startups, and helping innovative entrepreneurs uncover new growth opportunities led him into an entirely unexpected lane: using pickleball to create powerful real-world experiences for brands, companies, breweries, trade shows, and communities.

Jakob also talks about first encountering pickleball in middle school PE, then rediscovering it years later through his business partner and the growing Memphis pickleball scene. What started as a plan to open an indoor pickleball facility called Pickleball 901 quickly evolved when the team began throwing social pickleball events at local breweries and realized there was enormous demand for temporary courts, branded activations, and pickleball experiences that were fun, social, and easy to access. He explains how Pickleball Pop-Ups now brings everything needed for a turnkey event—courts, nets, paddles, barriers, music, branding, and staff—and why this model has taken off so quickly in cities across the country.

Along the way, Jakob reflects on risk-taking, testing ideas, knowing when to pivot, and what pickleball has taught him about joy, connection, and the incredible speed at which this sport builds community. This is an exciting conversation about pickleball, Pickleball Pop-Ups, Pickleball 901, temporary pickleball courts, Memphis, event marketing, community building, entrepreneurship, branding, social fitness, and the life lessons that remind us the best ideas often start as simple experiments and grow because they bring people together in ways that truly matter.

https://www.pickleballpopups.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E21: Indy Dagnall: Rising to Pickleball Stardom at 14 with Dedication and Family Support

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How does a 14-year-old become a 5.0 pickleball player in just two years, earn major sponsorships, and start chasing the dream of going pro?

In this episode, Indigo “Indy” Dagnall shares his remarkable pickleball journey, from learning the game through his family’s deep pickleball roots to becoming one of the most exciting young players in Southern California. Sponsored by Gearbox Pickleball and SoCal Pickleball Club, Indy talks about how his grandparents taught his dad, his dad taught him, and how the game really clicked for him during COVID when basketball shut down and he started joining his parents on the courts. What began as something to do while reading on the sidelines quickly turned into a full-fledged passion and a serious commitment to improvement.

Indy also shares what it takes to train at a high level while still being a student, including drilling four to five times a week, rotating among several coaches, and learning to compete almost entirely against adults. He opens up about strategy, hand signals in doubles, the importance of dinking and resets, and why staying level-headed on the court has become one of the most important parts of his game. Along the way, he talks about his hopes of playing professional pickleball, his first junior PPA event, and what it means to balance school, family, and the demands of becoming a serious athlete.

This is an inspiring and fun conversation about pickleball, junior pickleball, Indigo Dagnall, Gearbox Pickleball, SoCal Pickleball Club, youth sports, drilling, doubles strategy, dinking, tournament play, perseverance, family support, and the life lessons that remind us success comes from hard work, staying calm under pressure, and showing up every day for the dream you want most.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E20: Niko and Christie Fronimos: Transforming Lives and Communities in Greece Through Pickleball

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help two people completely transform their lives, leave behind destructive habits, rediscover faith, and start chasing a dream as senior professional players and future Olympic hopefuls?

In this episode, Niko and Christie Fronimos share one of the most powerful transformation stories in the pickleball world. Senior professional pickleball players, coaches, International Pickleball Federation ambassadors to Greece, and leaders of Ultimate Pickleball Greece Vacations, Niko and Christie open up about the dramatic shift that happened when pickleball entered their lives. After years of overwork, unhealthy habits, burnout, grief, and feeling disconnected from true joy, they found themselves at a crossroads. What began as a visit to The Villages in Florida and a simple introduction to pickleball soon became the catalyst for a complete life reset.

Niko shares with remarkable honesty about the pain, addiction, loss, and spiritual emptiness he carried for years, and how pickleball unexpectedly helped him begin healing in ways nothing else had. Christie reflects on the shared decision they made to change their lives, get healthy, create daily discipline, and support each other in building a stronger future. Together, they talk about losing weight, quitting destructive behaviors, embracing faith, and committing to a “day one” mindset that helped them rebuild physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Along the way, they explain how pickleball became more than a sport. It became the doorway to purpose, connection, gratitude, and a new vision for the future.

They also share their passion for bringing pickleball to Greece, where they are helping grow the sport through clinics, events, and pickleball vacations, all while pursuing their own goal of competing as Olympic pickleball athletes in 2032. This is a moving and inspiring conversation about pickleball, senior pro pickleball, The Villages, addiction recovery, faith, gratitude, healing, Greece pickleball, pickleball vacations, discipline, partnership, and the life lessons that remind us it is never too late to start over, become a better teammate, and build a life rooted in joy and purpose.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E19: Dean Matt: The Pickleball Pilot's 48-State Challenge

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How far would you go to share your love of pickleball, meet people across America, and prove that joy, community, and adventure can all fit into one unforgettable journey?

In this episode, Dean Matt Dean shares the remarkable story behind his 48-48-48 Challenge, an ambitious pickleball adventure that took him by plane to 48 states in less than a month to play pickleball with people from every walk of life. A longtime CFO, pilot, filmmaker, author, and proud owner of his own aircraft, Dean talks about how he first discovered pickleball after moving from the Chicago area to Florida, and how the game quickly became more than just a hobby. What started as curiosity soon turned into a big dream inspired by endurance athletes and his own desire to combine flying, travel, and pickleball into something totally unique.

Dean explains how he planned the route, coordinated courts, transportation, housing, and local players in nearly every stop, and ultimately traveled more than 9,000 miles while playing pickleball with senior pros, local club players, public officials, Special Olympics athletes, and even a 97-year-old woman who became one of the most memorable people on the trip. Along the way, he shares stories from places like West Virginia, New Mexico, California, Wisconsin, Idaho, and beyond, revealing how each stop offered its own version of hospitality, joy, and human connection.

This is a fun, uplifting, and inspiring conversation about pickleball, aviation, the 48-48-48 Challenge, Florida pickleball, senior pickleball, community, travel, friendship, resilience, adventure, and the life lessons that remind us there is nothing quite like pickleball for bringing people together, softening our edges, and showing us the best of what people can be.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E18: Jim and Yvonne Hackenberg: Hall of Fame Legends Shaping the Pickleball Community

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How do two Pickleball Hall of Famers build a lifetime of excellence, stay kind and connected on the court, and use the sport they love to give back in meaningful ways?

In this episode, Jim and Yvonne Hackenberg share their extraordinary pickleball journey, from first trying the sport at the YMCA in Michigan to becoming two of the most respected names in the history of pickleball. Jim, inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2020, and Yvonne, inducted in 2021, talk about their athletic backgrounds in tennis, platform tennis, running, and table tennis, and how those skills helped them quickly fall in love with pickleball and rise to the top of the sport. Yvonne also shares how her platform tennis experience and national championships shaped her transition into pickleball, while Jim reflects on the joy of finding a game that brought them both a new community and a new competitive outlet.

They also open up about the famous “Hackenberg Rule,” the simple but powerful habit of touching hands between points to reset, stay connected, and keep their partnership strong under pressure. Along the way, they reflect on sportsmanship, teamwork, and how kindness, respect, and leaving the past behind can change not only a match, but a relationship. They share moving stories about pickleball friendships, the incredible support of the pickleball community during a serious health crisis, and why they feel such a deep responsibility to give back to the game through refereeing, mentoring, tournament leadership, and their nonprofit work with Pickleball Outreach.

This is a warm, inspiring, and wisdom-filled conversation about pickleball, Pickleball Hall of Fame, Jim Hackenberg, Yvonne Hackenberg, the Hackenberg Rule, platform tennis, sportsmanship, teamwork, recovery, community, Pickleball Outreach, and the life lessons that remind us to stay kind, stay connected, and use what we love to lift others up.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E17: Dr. Erik Korem: Building Resilient Athletes for Pickleball Excellence

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball become a gateway to better health, smarter training, mental resilience, and a longer, stronger life on and off the court?

In this episode, Dr. Erik Korem, PhD, shares the fascinating journey that took him from the world of elite sports science to the fast-growing world of pickleball. As the founder and CEO of AIM7 and host of the Blueprint podcast, Erik has spent years helping athletes and everyday people improve performance, reduce injury, and build greater resilience through data, recovery, mental fitness, sleep, strength training, and stress adaptation. He talks about his groundbreaking work in the NFL and college sports, where he helped pioneer the use of wearable technology to measure performance and dramatically reduce injuries, and how that experience shaped the way he now helps pickleball players stay healthy and perform better.

Erik also explains why pickleball is such a unique and powerful sport for health and longevity. He shares how the game combines cardiovascular fitness, balance, agility, coordination, reaction time, social connection, and mental focus in a way few activities can match. Along the way, he talks about why so many pickleball players get injured, what they can do to prevent common issues like pickleball elbow and soft tissue injuries, and how AIM7 gives players tools for warmups, recovery, mobility, strength training, nutrition, breath work, sleep, and mental performance. He also offers practical insight into emotional regulation on the court, including how to release frustration, reset quickly, and refocus on the next point.

This is an energizing and insightful conversation about pickleball, sports science, AIM7, Dr. Erik Korem, the Blueprint podcast, wearable technology, recovery, sleep, stress resilience, pickleball injuries, mental performance, mobility, strength training, and the life lessons that remind us to stay curious, stay consistent, build capacity, and keep chasing excellence both on and off the court.

https://www.erikkorem.com/

https://www.AIM7.com

@ErikKorem

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E16: Karen Butera: Connecting Singles Worldwide Through Pickleball

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help single people find connection, friendship, community, and maybe even love in a way that feels natural, active, and genuinely fun?

In this episode, Karen Butera shares the story behind Pickleball Singles Mingles, the thriving community she created for single pickleball players looking to meet others who understand the passion, joy, and lifestyle that come with the game. A former corporate attorney, mother of three, grandmother of eight, and longtime athlete with a background in racquetball, swimming, and golf, Karen talks about discovering pickleball about nine years ago when racquetball became harder on her body and quickly realizing she had found a new sport to love. What she did not expect was that pickleball would also inspire an entirely new chapter of purpose and leadership in her life.

Karen explains how a simple conversation about how hard it can be to date as a pickleball player sparked the idea for a Facebook group for singles who love pickleball. What began as a small online connection point has now grown into Pickleball Singles Mingles, with more than 15,000 members from across the United States and around the world, plus local chapters, festivals, travel events, and even destination trips to places like Turks and Caicos. Along the way, she shares how the group carefully builds a respectful, welcoming, and drama-free environment where people can connect through pickleball first, whether that leads to friendship, companionship, dating, or even marriage.

This is a fun, thoughtful, and uplifting conversation about pickleball, singles, dating, friendship, community, Pickleball Singles Mingles, Daytona Beach pickleball, pickleball travel, social connection, living in the moment, and the life lessons that remind us it is never too late to try something new, step outside your comfort zone, and create meaningful relationships around something you truly love.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E15: Dan Magee: Changing Young Lives in Juvenile Detention with Pickleball

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball become a bridge to healing, hope, and second chances?

In this episode, Dan McGee shares his extraordinary pickleball journey, from first discovering the game in 1975 as a young physical education teacher to teaching it for decades before ever playing it himself. Dan talks about how pickleball grew in schools, how he now teaches players of all ages, and why he believes the sport has the power to change lives.

He also shares moving stories from his work bringing pickleball into King County Juvenile Detention and recovery programs, where the game has become a tool for connection, confidence, joy, and transformation. Dan reflects on the life lessons pickleball teaches about patience, belonging, resilience, and the importance of showing people they are not alone.

This is a powerful and inspiring conversation about pickleball history, youth development, physical education, juvenile detention, recovery, community, healing, and the life-changing impact of sport.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E14: Jeannine Ewing: Empowering Women Through Pickleball and Lifelong Fitness

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can a lifetime of coaching, teaching, competition, and resilience prepare someone to fall in love with pickleball and embrace a whole new chapter of strength, play, and community?

In this episode, Jeannine Ewing shares her inspiring journey from decades of teaching and coaching at Redmond High School to becoming a true pickleball enthusiast in the Seattle area. A former national-level softball player, college basketball athlete, longtime softball and basketball coach, and dedicated educator for 32 years, Jeannine brings a remarkable athletic background to everything she does. She talks about first being introduced to pickleball years ago while teaching physical education, then truly discovering the sport later in life in Colorado and quickly getting hooked by the fun, challenge, and joy of the game.

Jeannine also reflects on the many ways movement and sport have shaped her life, from long-distance running and hiking in places like Nepal, Scotland, Iceland, and Bend, Oregon, to committing to serious weightlifting and strength training as she has gotten older. She shares how increasing protein, lifting heavier weights, and staying active have helped her recover from surgeries, prevent injury, feel stronger on the pickleball court, and continue doing the things she loves. Along the way, she opens up about what it means to keep adapting, keep playing, and keep saying yes to new challenges even after knee replacement, shoulder replacement, and a broken wrist.

Ryan Bond
Instagram: bond.strength
e-mail: bondstrength2023@gmail.com

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E13: Dori West and Dr. Cameron Smith: Finding Balance and Resilience Through Pickleball

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help us become calmer, kinder, more resilient, and more connected while also making us better players on the court?

In this episode, Dr. Cameron Smith, known as the Dink Shrink, and Dori West share how their love of pickleball led them to combine sports psychology, coaching, and community into something much bigger than the game itself. Cameron, a clinical sports psychologist with decades of experience working with Olympic athletes, professional teams, and elite performers, explains how he discovered pickleball and quickly saw it as the perfect setting for growth, not just in skill and competition, but in emotional regulation, attention control, confidence, and joy. Dori, a former teacher, tennis player, and accomplished pickleball coach in Redmond, Washington, shares how she found pickleball after injuries ended her tennis journey and how coaching players of all levels helped her see the extraordinary potential this sport has to change lives.

Together, Cameron and Dori talk about their work through Dear Pickleball, where they are creating content and co-writing a book designed to help everyday pickleball players become more effective, self-aware, and fulfilled both on and off the court. They discuss how pickleball gives players the opportunity to practice focus, patience, self-talk, emotional resilience, teamwork, and compassion in real time. Along the way, they explain how sports psychology can help players manage frustration, calm themselves under pressure, stay present, and improve performance, while great coaching can unlock the one key change that helps a player move forward more confidently and consistently.

This is a thoughtful and uplifting conversation about pickleball, sports psychology, the Dink Shrink, Dear Pickleball, Dori West, coaching, emotional resilience, self-talk, attention control, confidence, community, personal growth, and the life lessons that remind us there is always more potential in each of us than we realize, especially when we learn to be patient, stay present, and trust the process.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E12: Julie Billett: Strength, Resilience and Pickleball Through Her Cancer Journey

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball become a source of joy, strength, community, and healing when life suddenly changes in ways you never expected?

In this episode, Julie Billett shares her deeply moving story of resilience, connection, and gratitude. A longtime Seattle-area real estate professional, top-producing agent, athlete, former runner, spinner, triathlete, and now avid pickleball player, Julie talks about how movement and community have shaped her life for years. She reflects on discovering pickleball after already living a full athletic life, and how the sport quickly became not only a passion for her, but also a joyful family affair shared with her husband, children, and extended community.

Julie also opens up about the life-changing moment when she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer after a routine mammogram, and how everything shifted in an instant. She shares honestly about chemotherapy, trust, vulnerability, patience, and what it means to keep living fully even while walking through fear and uncertainty. Along the way, she reflects on the outpouring of love from her pickleball community, the importance of letting others care for you, and the lesson that while suffering can change us, it can also deepen our empathy, humility, gratitude, and openness to love.

This is a heartfelt and inspiring conversation about pickleball, breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer, mammograms, friendship, community, vulnerability, patience, humility, gratitude, resilience, joy, and the life lessons that remind us not to take life for granted, to stay present, to risk opening our hearts, and to keep choosing connection even in the hardest seasons.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E11: Twila Adams: Resilience and Triumph Through Pickleball and Life

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help someone reclaim joy, redefine possibility, and prove that community, faith, and determination can carry us through even the hardest chapters of life?

In this episode, Twila Adams shares her extraordinary story of resilience, service, and strength. A U.S. Army veteran who served during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Twila reflects on her military years, the medical issues that led her to leave the Army, and the life of service she built afterward through holistic mobile nail care, Reiki, and caring for the elderly, disabled, and underserved. She talks about how simple acts of kindness, presence, and human connection can change someone’s entire day, and how those same values have shaped every chapter of her life.

Twila also opens up about the devastating 1994 car accident that left her with a spinal cord injury and paralysis from the neck down, and the powerful mindset that carried her through recovery. Rather than accepting only the limits others placed on her, she chose to believe in possibility, lean into faith, and fight for every bit of movement, independence, and quality of life she could reclaim. Along the way, she shares how adaptive sports, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, and eventually wheelchair pickleball opened a whole new world of competition, friendship, purpose, and empowerment she never expected.

Extra bonus discussion included at the end of the show so stay tuned!

https://secure.pva.org/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E10: Roger BelAir: Transforming Lives Behind Bars Through Pickleball

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0400

What happens when pickleball is introduced inside prison walls?

In this episode, Roger BelAir shares his unexpected journey of bringing pickleball to correctional facilities across the United States. Inspired by a 60 Minutes segment, Roger proposed the idea of introducing the sport at Cook County Jail and soon found himself teaching inmates the game.

What followed surprised everyone. In facilities such as Cook County Jail, Rikers Island, and San Quentin, the simple act of playing pickleball began to shift the atmosphere. Inmates and staff alike discovered that the sport encouraged respect, teamwork, and community.

Roger also reflects on the importance of rehabilitation, his admiration for Norway’s approach to corrections, and the powerful reactions from inmates who experienced the game for the first time.

His story reveals how a simple paddle and ball can spark hope, connection, and transformation in the most unexpected places.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E9: Joyce Jones: Pickleball Pioneer and Hall of Fame Contender

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How does a 94-year-old become a pickleball legend?

In this episode, we sit down with Joyce Jones, a remarkable nonagenarian who has dedicated more than four decades to the sport of pickleball. Introduced to the game in 1980 by pickleball co-creator Joel Pritchard, Joyce quickly developed a love for competition that has carried her through countless tournaments and unforgettable moments on the court.

Joined by her daughter Sandy, Joyce shares stories from her lifelong athletic journey, including her playful rivalry with her late husband Don and the incredible support of her family throughout the years.

Joyce’s story is a powerful reminder that passion, perseverance, and community can keep us active and inspired at any stage of life.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E8: Lorraine Schneider: Finding Patience and Growth on the Pickleball Court

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball teach patience, sharpen communication, build resilience, and bring joy even for someone whose daily work is preparing for crisis?

In this episode, Lorraine Schneider shares her unique perspective on the life lessons of pickleball through the lens of crisis management, community, and personal growth. Lorraine is the chief operating officer of the Resiliency Initiative, a crisis management and business continuity consulting firm, and she also writes Future Risk on Substack, where she explores crisis management, international relations, and climate change. She talks about growing up in Europe, studying at UCLA, unexpectedly falling in love with emergency management, and building a career focused on helping organizations prepare for earthquakes, active shooter events, hurricanes, pandemics, and other large-scale disruptions.

Lorraine also shares how pickleball entered her life in Los Angeles in 2022 and quickly became more than just a sport. What started as an introduction from a softball friend turned into a powerful outlet for connection, mindfulness, fun, and emotional resilience. She reflects on how meditation and pickleball helped her navigate anxiety, how tournaments taught her about patience, teamwork, feedback, energy, and self-awareness, and why the sport’s welcoming community has been so meaningful. Along the way, she draws fascinating parallels between pickleball and crisis management, including the importance of preparation, adaptability, communication, and staying calm under pressure.

This is a thoughtful and insightful conversation about pickleball, crisis management, resilience, emergency preparedness, communication, meditation, teamwork, tournaments, emotional regulation, community, personal growth, and the life lessons that remind us to stay present, plan ahead, communicate well, and keep choosing joy even in an unpredictable world.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E7: Dr. Kwabena Akufo: Transforming a Continent with Pickleball Across Africa

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can one person’s passion for pickleball help spark a movement across an entire continent and create new opportunities for health, community, and joy?

In this episode, Apostle Dr. Kwabena Akufo shares the remarkable story of how pickleball began spreading through Ghana and across Africa. A former ministry leader, author, scientist, and now president of the Ghana Pickleball Association, president of the Confederation of African Pickleball, and African representative on the board of the Global Pickleball Federation, Dr. Kwabena explains how he first discovered pickleball in Massachusetts after the pandemic and quickly became so captivated by the game that he began introducing it everywhere he went. What started as a personal passion soon turned into a mission to bring pickleball to Ghana, where he began teaching on borrowed tennis courts with a few paddles, some balls, and a deep belief that this sport could change lives.

Dr. Kwabena also shares the incredible story of how pickleball became part of the African Games, the Olympic-style multi-sport event for the continent, even though there was no formal confederation at the time. Through determination, relationship-building, and what he describes as the providence of God, he helped unite countries, create the Confederation of African Pickleball, and gather enough nations to host pickleball as a demonstration sport in the 2024 African Games in Ghana. Along the way, he reflects on the power of entrepreneurship, leadership, and faith, and why he believes pickleball’s low barrier to entry makes it one of the best tools for reaching children, students, older adults, and underserved communities across Africa.

This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, Ghana pickleball, African pickleball, the African Games, the Global Pickleball Federation, community, entrepreneurship, ministry, healthy aging, youth sports, grassroots development, and the life lessons that remind us that when passion meets purpose, one simple sport can open doors to connection, wellness, and hope for people everywhere.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E6: Will & Lilly Terry: Finding Joy and Growth on the Pickleball Court

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help us discover hidden strength, build confidence, practice grace under pressure, and even inspire stories for children and adults alike?

In this episode, Will and Lilly Terry share their joyful pickleball journey and the creative story behind their beloved Pickleball Paul books. Will, a freelance illustrator for more than 30 years and co-founder of the School of Visual Storytelling, and Lilly, his warm and insightful partner on and off the court, talk about how moving to a retirement community in Arizona led them from tennis into pickleball and into a whole new chapter of friendship, competition, and personal growth. What began as curiosity quickly turned into full-on pickleball addiction, with drilling sessions, open play, league matches, and the challenge of learning how to play together as a couple.

They also reflect on the deeper lessons the game has taught them, from handling pressure and giving yourself grace to trusting your body, staying positive, and remembering that every new point is a fresh start. Lilly shares how pickleball helped her realize just how strong and capable she really is, while Will opens up about how sports, art, and teaching helped him understand that traditional school systems often miss the gifts of visual and kinesthetic learners. Along the way, they explain how those same ideas of belonging, perseverance, confidence, and growth found their way into the Pickleball Paul children’s books, which are helping introduce a new generation to the game.

This is a fun, thoughtful, and uplifting conversation about pickleball, Pickleball Paul, children’s books, illustration, creativity, Arizona pickleball, retirement community pickleball, couples pickleball, confidence, sportsmanship, encouragement, learning styles, and the life lessons that remind us to watch the ball, trust our body, stay kind to ourselves, and never stop growing.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E5: Wenting Nie & Kim Landesberg: Recreational Joy and Competitive Spirit in Pickleball

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 18:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help us stay present, build confidence, find joy after loss, and create the kind of friendship that makes us feel safe enough to grow?

In this episode, Wenting Nie and Kim Landesberg share their heartfelt and uplifting pickleball journeys, from first picking up a paddle to becoming strong tournament partners and treasured members of their local pickleball community. Wenting, a neonatal intensive care nurse and mother of two, talks about how pickleball became a joyful reset from the emotional intensity of NICU work, giving her something to look forward to every day and a community that brings energy, connection, and fun into her life. Kim, a former first grade teacher and mom through adoption, reflects on how pickleball entered her life during a season shaped by family loss and grief, and how the sport helped her laugh again, reconnect with others, and step into new adventures with courage and openness.

They also share the unique bond that helps make them such a strong doubles team, including the surprising discovery that both of them are identical twins. Together, they talk about communication, trust, encouragement, patience, and the importance of having a partner who makes you feel comfortable enough to make mistakes and keep going. Along the way, they reflect on how pickleball has taught them to focus on the present moment, move on from errors quickly, celebrate each other, and remember that at the end of the day, the game is meant to bring joy.

This is a warm and meaningful conversation about pickleball, doubles partnership, tournament play, friendship, grief, healing, NICU nursing, teaching, identical twins, focus, patience, confidence, encouragement, and the life lessons that remind us to believe in ourselves, be kind to each other, and keep choosing fun, connection, and grace both on and off the court.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E4: Sarah Moore: From Small Town Roots to Pickleball Wisdom

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 16:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball help us feel like we belong, teach us to encourage others more openly, and remind us that kindness matters just as much as competition?

In this episode, Sarah Moore shares her thoughtful and heartfelt pickleball journey, from growing up in tiny Hayward, Wisconsin to building a life in the Pacific Northwest filled with family, work, and a growing love for the game. Sarah talks about her background in retail, her eye for style, her years of raising three children, and the life experiences that shaped her long before pickleball entered the picture. She reflects on how a friend encouraged her to try the sport in 2023, and how what began as a simple class quickly became a joyful new chapter filled with movement, friendship, challenge, and connection.

Sarah also opens up about the difficult season when she lost both of her parents within a short span of time, and how those life experiences deepened her appreciation for community, compassion, and showing up for one another. Along the way, she shares what stands out most to her about pickleball: the supportiveness of the pickleball community, the way players of all levels can feel like they have something meaningful to contribute, and how the sport creates space for growth, resilience, and belonging. She also reflects on the importance of sportsmanship, gratitude, and being the kind of player who makes others want to come back and play again.

This is a warm and meaningful conversation about pickleball, community, grief, encouragement, sportsmanship, kindness, confidence, belonging, family, friendship, resilience, and the life lessons that remind us to support each other, speak appreciation out loud, and never underestimate the power of making someone feel welcome on and off the court.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E3: Daphna Robon: Discovering Passion and Resilience Through Pickleball

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 14:00:00 -0400

What if you discovered a passion you never knew you had, and it changed your life in unexpected ways? Join us as we sit down with Daphna Robon, a retired casualty claims adjuster and real estate agent who found a newfound love for pickleball. Despite never having played a sport, Daphna didn't just pick up a paddle—she embraced the challenge, even facing her initial intimidation of playing with men. Daphna’s story is a journey of overcoming fears and finding joy, offering insights into how sports can foster growth and community.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E2: Shannon Burkhalter: Embracing the Pickleball Life

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 13:00:00 -0400

Join us as we welcome Shannon Burkhalter, who shares her inspiring journey from Tennis to becoming an avid pickleball player. Shannon recounts her early days, the welcoming community she found, and how pickleball has become an essential part of her life. Through lessons, flights, round-robin groups, open play sessions and tournaments, Shannon’s passion for the game shines through, along with her camaraderie with tournament buddy Shelley. This episode captures the joy, inclusivity, and myriad opportunities that pickleball offers.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

E1: Madeleine Lapke: Building Community Through Pickleball

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

How can pickleball transform the life of someone who never saw themselves as athletic and go on to build community, confidence, and connection for hundreds of others?

In this episode, beloved coach Madeline Lapke shares her remarkable journey from being a self-described non-athlete to becoming one of the most joyful and influential pickleball leaders in the Pacific Northwest. Madeline talks about how pickleball changed her marriage, gave her a new career path, and helped her create an inclusive pickleball community where players of all ages and backgrounds feel welcome, supported, and successful.

She also reflects on the deeper life lessons the game teaches, including patience, humility, presence, connection, and the power of not judging others by appearances. This is a heartfelt and inspiring conversation about pickleball coaching, community, belonging, confidence, friendship, and the ways pickleball can truly change lives.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

Life Lessons from Pickleball™ Trailer

Fri, 24 May 2024 14:00:00 -0400

Meet Shelley Maurer and Sher Emerick, the dynamic duo, who found more than just a sport on the Pickleball court - they discovered how Pickleball was weaving its magic, creating connections, boosting confidence, and sprinkling their lives with amazing joy. Inspired by their own personal transformation and the contagious enthusiasm of their fellow players, they knew this was more than a game. Join them on their weekly podcast as they serve up engaging conversations with people from all walks of life, and all around the world reaching across the net to uncover the valuable Life Lessons from Pickleball™.

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us: www.lifelessonsfrompickleball@gmail.com

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.