What. A. Month. ✈️
I know I say this every month, but this time I really mean it—this might have been the wildest stretch of travel I’ve ever had, and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon. In just a few weeks, I bounced from Salt Lake City to New York, San Diego, Chicago, New York (again), Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York (again), Las Vegas, and finally Raleigh, NC. Needless to say, I really missed my dogs 🐶.
NYC + Major League Pickleball at Grand Central 🗽
Early in the month, Jenny and I headed to Grand Central Station for a Major League Pickleball activation. Local news outlets came out, and even The Today Show got in on the fun—one host tried to sneak a ball through the middle, but I wasn’t having it. Instead, I ripped a backhand counter past none other than NFL Hall of Famer Chad Ochocinco. Casual. We also squeezed in the Harry Potter play on Broadway 🎭—10/10 recommend.
San Diego → Chicago → NYC 🏓
From there, the Fives competed in San Diego and earned a trip to NYC the following weekend. In between, Jenny and I stopped in Chicago for an incredible pickleball event at Wrigley Field ⚾. While we didn’t manage to snag the championship in New York, the Columbus Sliders pulled off something we won’t see again anytime soon—definitely check out the recap video if you missed it.
Clinics Coast to Coast 📍
No time to sulk about the MLP championship results, because the next few days were jam-packed with clinics in Malvern, PA (Bounce Pickleball), Fair Lawn, NJ (Montclair Pickleball), and back in NYC (Gotham Pickleball). I loved meeting everyone and running sessions at such great facilities. I’ll have some availability this fall—so if you’d like me to come to your club, just hit reply to this email and we’ll get something set up!
Vegas + A Wedding to Close It Out 🎰💍
Next stop was Las Vegas for the PPA on the strip. Results weren’t what I wanted, but before I could dwell on it, I was off to Raleigh for Lukas and Sara’s wedding—a perfect way to wrap up a crazy month.
Recovery with Wired 💪
With all this travel, I’ve been leaning on Wired to keep me moving. They’ve been helping me strengthen my calves and Achilles, and the difference is huge—though I can tell I need to get back in soon! If you’re in Austin and curious to try Wired, reply to this email and I can get you a substantial discount on your first session.
Next Up: International Play 🌏
This month, I’m heading international for PPA Asia in Kuala Lumpur and Da Nang! I’ll be partnering with Indian player Arman Bhatia and Dutch player Roos Van Reek in Malaysia, then Arman again and Australian Danni Townsend in Vietnam. It’s so exciting to see pickleball’s growth overseas, and if you have any travel tips for those cities, I’d love to hear them.
I’ll be sharing plenty Instagram Stories 📲 and will put together a vlog on YouTube 🎥—so be sure to follow along for all the updates!
News
Birdwatching in Pro Pickleball! Follow along to see the ever-rare double bird 🐦🐦
Paddle Regulation is becoming pickleball's most difficult problems to solve.
YouTube
🎥 New Episodes: Pros vs 5.0’s!
👉 Episode 1: We flip the script on traditional pickleball as the pros face off against skilled 5.0 amateurs—with a twist! Instead of paddles, we’re swinging mini tennis racquets while our opponents stick with their paddles. 🏓 Can pro experience overcome the 5.0 advantage? Expect big laughs, surprising points, and plenty of tips along the way!
👉 Episode 2: Things get even spicier! I team up with fellow pro Dillin to take on 5.0 standouts Jeff Lee and Ryan Smosna in a one-game-to-25 showdown—with rally scoring and $500 on the line 💵. The catch? We’ve added a rule change that flips the challenge once again. Will the 5.0s rise to the occasion, or will we find a way to outsmart them?
Pro Pickleball is popping off—and we’re diving headfirst into the chaos! Join Thomas and me as we break it all down, talk some smack, and chat with awesome guests from around the sport. Hit that subscribe button, tune in, or watch—we’re serving up the good stuff!
I'm proud to support Stop Alzheimer's Now (SAN), a non-profit committed to eliminating Alzheimer’s Disease. SAN is led by passionate individuals who volunteer their time, ensuring that 100% of contributions are allocated towards research and awareness programs. To date, SAN has raised close to $850,000 for Alzheimer’s Research since 2013. Donate here.
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