USA Pickleball
JUNIOR SPOTLIGHT
DANNY
PHILLIPS
BIG WEAPON IN A SMALL PACKAGE
By Bob Nibarger
USA PICKLEBALL JUNIORS COMMITTEE CHAIR
A
10-year-old from northern Utah has
been the youngest player to enter the
Margaritaville USA Pickleball National
Championships for the past two years.
At 8 years old, Danny Phillips won bronze in Junior
Boys Doubles with his partner Tate Klein at the 2018
Championships. In 2019, the pair took silver in the
same division. Danny has also played in many other USA
Pickleball and recreational pickleball events, medaling
a dozen times—half of those being gold—while playing
against adults.
Wherever he plays, Danny draws an appreciative
crowd. He surprises spectators as well as opponents
with his powerful baseline strokes, soft hands at the net,
natural court savvy, and remarkably consistent lobs. He
likes to try trick shots and loves to slice, drop, and go
around the post. Added to this, Danny has a charming
personality that makes him a favorite of adults and
juniors alike.
When he was 7 years old, Danny accompanied his dad
at a tournament in southern Utah. Though he was too
young to play as a participant, he continually looked for
opportunities to get on courts between games and hit
with any willing player. During a rain delay, pickleball
legend Scott Moore saw Danny playing and joined him
on court for an impromptu foursome exhibition. When
they came off the court, a couple who had been watching
stopped Danny and asked him to sign their pickleball.
They said they wanted to be the first to get his autograph
because they expected to see him as a pro
one day.
Danny has been playing pickleball
for four years. In addition to playing in
tournaments and in adult recreational
leagues, he practices regularly with his
large family. Danny is the youngest of eight children
born to Vic and Lisa Phillips. The Phillips family came
to pickleball from a strong tennis background, and they
are all hooked. They have made pickleball a huge part
of their lives by playing in and supporting each other in
tournaments, organizing community clinics and leagues,
and most recently adding a pickleball court to their own
backyard.
“I’m glad I have a family who always wants to play
pickleball because that’s what makes me better,” Danny
says. “I love to go to Nationals because I get to hang out
with the other juniors and meet so many new people.”
He always looks forward to the Junior Party “where we
get to play with the pros like Kyle Yates and Ben Johns.”
As much as he loves pickleball, Danny also has many
other interests and talents. He plays competitive soccer,
baseball, basketball, and tennis. He is an honor student
and excels academically. Additionally, Danny loves to
sing and act. He is a veteran of community musical
theater, having performed regularly in shows since the
age of 6. Some of his past roles include Tiny Tim in “A
Christmas Carol,” Michael Darling in “Peter Pan,” and
Fletcher in “Freaky Friday.”
Danny fulfilled one of his pickleball goals this summer
when he joined his dad as a sponsored player with
Paddletek. Two of his sisters are also sponsored players.
Danny’s future goals for pickleball include winning a
gold medal at Nationals, becoming a 5.0 rated player
by age 15, and eventually becoming a pro. He thinks
it would be “cool” one day if pickleball
became an Olympic sport and he could
represent the USA.
We both expect and look forward to
seeing a lot more of Danny in the future! •
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