MADDIE
USA Pickleball JUNIOR SPOTLIGHT
TOREN
By Hope Tolley
Maddie Toren , 17 , of Phoenix , Arizona , is making her mark in the pickleball community both as a player and as a referee . Since being introduced to the sport in 2021 , Maddie has played in six tournaments and won gold in 3.0 19 + mixed doubles , become a certified line judge and level one trained referee , and reached more than 600K views on her pickleball-related TikTok videos .
Maddie first started playing pickleball in February , 2021 , when she was introduced to the sport by her uncle . Her initial experience of playing pickleball led her to further explore the sport . As her family ’ s interest grew , they invested in equipment , learned the rules , put a portable net in their garage and have plans to purchase an RV to travel to tournaments throughout the year .
After playing for only a few months , Maddie was falling in love with the sport and the community . She worked with her local pros , Ryan Trefry and Dave Furman , which led to new skills and improved abilities . In May of 2021 , Maddie entered her first tournament at the National Pickleball Celebrity Tanning Open playing 3.0 19 + doubles with her mom , Crystal , and mixed doubles with her dad , Adam . She and her mom finished one game away from the medal matches , and she and her dad won gold in their bracket . After that tournament , Maddie was determined to learn more and improve her game by drilling , watching YouTube and Pickleball 360 videos , and pushing herself by playing with skilled players .
In addition to playing pickleball , Maddie has become a certified
level one referee . Based on guidance from her regional referee trainers , she took an online refereeing course . She was also introduced to Leslie Shaunessy , a referee from Gilbert , Arizona , who was able to guide Maddie through the process to become a referee , which included self-study , online tests , an eye exam , and becoming a certified line judge . Following that , she shadowed referee Bill McManus at a local tournament . After watching him for four games , she decided to give it a try . Bill stood with her as she called out the score , watched for faults , and kept track of the score on her clipboard . Maddie ’ s goal is to become a certified level two referee in early 2022 .
Off the court , Maddie is equally impressive . She is a successful entrepreneur and CEO of an eco-friendly clothing business , OM Warrior . Also , she has been working behind the scenes on a new pickleball apparel brand she is launching with her brothers ( Jacob , 13 and Cash , 11 ) called PKLD . Additionally , she is a certified kids and teen yoga instructor and has an online animated yoga video series for kids , which provides a fun way to practice yoga poses and mindful breathing .
Maddie ’ s goals as a pickleball player are to continue to share her knowledge and tips on social media (@ maddietoren ) so others can learn from her experiences . She wants to reach a younger audience to grow a younger pickleball community . Her goals as a pickleball referee are to referee honest and fair matches , grow with the sport and contribute to the evolution of the rules , guides , and overall professional pickleball playing experience . •