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REGIONAL
Meet
Steve
Manolis,
Regional
Ambassador of
Education for the
Southwest Region
P
ickleball has spawned
numerous individuals over the
years whose passion for the
sport is an unending display of
love and dedication.
One of those individuals is Steve
Manolis, a tireless worker for the
promotion of the game, who seeks out
ways to reach future players of the sport.
Recently, Drew Wathey, Director of
Media Relations for the USAPA, spoke
with Steve about his new role with the
sport’s governing body and where his
fondness for the game first began.
How did you get started in
pickleball?
After I retired in 2012, my wife and I
started RV’ing on a regular basis. We
were in Cottonwood, AZ, and heard
people playing so we went down to watch
them. I had heard about pickleball many
years ago while living outside of Seattle, and
my wife played once. At the time, I’d been
playing tennis recreationally for 12 years,
my wife for a lot longer, and w