Behind the Scenes with Pro

Historically , pickleball has been a sport for seniors . Now younger players are becoming the face of the game . What do you think should be done to attract more younger players ? I think pickleball needs to be brought into the schools . I gave an exhibition in a high school gym and the students were really interested .

You are a 17-year-old professional . At what age do you think kids should start playing pickleball ? I started playing at 12 because I came from tennis . I think you can start pickleball when you are as young as 4 . If pickleball is to become your main sport , it will help to develop your muscle memory .

Do women play a different game from the men ? Yes , most pros will say that women ’ s doubles is the most entertaining . Women have longer rallies and more chaotic points . Men ’ s doubles involves a lot of dinking and waiting for the perfect shot . Women have more freedom to speed up .

Is there a minimum age you must be to turn pro ? There is not . There are so many pros now and the level of play has improved , so a player has to be old enough to physically achieve a high skill level .

What about school ? That is less of an issue now because of online school . I am an online student . There is no offseason in pickleball . You travel year-round . You are dedicated to the sport .

What about friends ? Most of my friends are people I ’ ve met playing pickleball and people on tour .

Do you drill or play , or both ? I drill , play and do fitness workouts . I work out four times a week : two movement days and two strength days . On the strength days I do weightlifting movement workouts that involve hurdles and cones . My workouts are overseen by a fitness instructor . I used to do this for softball and tennis , so it ’ s not new to me . My brother , JW , does fitness training . I started doing fitness workouts about a year and a half ago , particularly for singles .

How do you handle the pressure of having a mother and a brother who are both outstanding pickleball pros ? Actually , it helps to have them with me to handle the pressure of being on tour . It helps with the outside pressures .

What is your favorite food ? I like a lot of foods . My favorite is birria tacos .

What place would you most like to visit ? Tokyo . I heard it ’ s a really nice city with good shopping and good food . I like Asian food .

What is your favorite movie ? “ The Princess Bride .”

There is a lot of controversy about young people and their cell phone use . What do you think about cell phone use ? It is good in moderation . Cell phones are good tools to stay connected , but I do see the addiction . You need screen time in moderation .

Do you have a pet ? I have a dog named Barry . He is a bichon mix .

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry ? Yes , everyone in my family wears a soapstone pendant on plain twine .

What historical character do you find most interesting ? Amelia Earhart .

What athlete do you most admire ? Novak Djokovic . He is gluten free and so am I due to allergies . I ’ m also dairy free . He has dealt with food issues . •

22 TO SUBSCRIBE , CALL 412.914.8294 OR GO TO PICKLEBALLMAGAZINE . COM