She grew up in Sherwood Forest, Arizona( population 150) about halfway between Flagstaff and Williams, off Route 66.
“ We lived in a pretty rustic house,” Diahann says.“ We hauled our own water. We did not have indoor plumbing at first. As a little kid, I did not appreciate going out to the outhouse at night! I learned a lot about taking care of myself. My mom worked the graveyard shift, and my stepdad worked during the day. My older sister and I spent a lot of time on our own, playing in the dirt, riding bikes, playing darts.”
Diahann played softball and basketball at Flagstaff High School. She discovered pickleball in 2016 in Oceanside, California, and was immediately hooked.
“ I love the inclusivity of the game,” she says.“ You may have a 70-year-old, me( 57), and a couple of 20-year-olds all playing together. I don’ t know of another sport where you can do that and still play a fun game together.”
Diahann is a solid player and tries to play two or three times per week.“ When I get into games with more-competitive players, I have a good time talking smack and laughing,” she adds.
Diahann got into officiating because a friend was attending refereeing classes and wanted her to join.
“ From there, it was the challenge of getting certified. I wanted to be part of the elite group of certified referees. I found out there was a national tournament and wanted to be a part of that. Then once the opportunity came to be part of a pro group of referees, that was exciting to me. I enjoy pickleball and wanted to be a part of the growth of the sport. I wanted the challenge of working at the highest levels.”
Diahann officiated at 20 tournaments in 2025 between the PPA, Major League Pickleball, USA Pickleball, and the Association of Pickleball Players.“ I enjoy the camaraderie with other referees,” she says.“ I have made many friends in the ref tent and on the court. I enjoy the intricacies of some of the rules. I enjoy learning and growing as a person.”
She also gets a kick out of officiating matches involving charismatic players such as Jack Sock and Zane Navratil.“ Jack tries to make everyone on the court laugh,” Diahann says.“ As a referee I try to just allow the pace of the game to happen and only get involved when I need to. If they are talking, it’ s not generally to me. It’ s either out loud to themselves or joking with their opponent.
“ I can’ t think of a specific pro player who I do not want to referee. Players are human. They have good days and bad, just like referees do. As I learned from a fellow referee, treat the players with respect and hold them to that standard as well. Any unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that I have called have not been because they disrespected me.
“ The shots that the pros are making now compared to even a couple of years ago are unbelievable,” she adds.“ The two-handed backhand is becoming very dominant. That was not being done a couple of years ago. The change in the speed and pace of the game now is dramatically different.”
Diahann offered some capsule thoughts on a few of the top pros...
Ben Johns:“ A very cerebral player. He is very calculated in what he does on the court.”
Anna Leigh Waters:“ She works hard at her craft and has earned her ranking. She has amazing court coverage.”
Christian Alshon:“ An emotional player. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. He can challenge a ref, but typically only when he doesn’ t understand a call.”
Federico Staksrud:“ Very competitive. He goes about his game very businesslike.”
Hayden Patriquin:“ He has changed his game a lot since I first saw him. He can be a talkative player at times.”
Tyra Black:“ She seems to be a very underrated player. She is quiet on the court.”
Diahann says the hardest part of officiating at tournaments is the travel, and being away from her Tucson home.“ My wife is very understanding, so I feel lucky. It can also be a challenge to eat healthy while on the road. You need to develop a habit of eating healthily.” During the MLP season, she is traveling to tournaments every weekend.
Diahann notes that the PPA’ s standard pay for certified referees is $ 220 per day( however the PPA doesn’ t disclose salaries). The refs pay out of pocket for flights, hotels and other expenses.
“ You have to love pickleball because you’ re not getting rich at this,” she laughs.
The PPA’ s first female referee, who came from a tiny town to the spotlight of center court, clearly loves America’ s fastest-growing sport. •
Matthew Schwartz spent 40 years in television news and won more than 200 awards, including four Emmys and four Edward R. Murrow awards for investigative reporting. His 2020 memoir,“ Confessions of an Investigative Reporter,” was an Amazon # 1 bestseller. He writes a weekly blog for Hudef Sport and plays pickleball six days a week.
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2026 | MAGAZINE 51