DECEMBER IN-REVIEW
First off, Happy New Year! I hope 2022 is good to you and yours!
December was an action packed month for me that started in Casa Grande, AZ, where I earned a silver medal in singles. I also got spanked by JW Johnson in a match that will be broadcast on the Tennis Channel!
Next up was Nationals, where I earned a silver medal, but not the traditional way! Those who know me know that I’m a glutton for controversey! I made my way through the main draw of the singles bracket undefeated, however I could not attend the Sunday final because I was headed to Connecticut to support my girlfriend Jenny at Miss America. If you missed it, here’s a more in depth explanation of the situation.
From Palm Springs, I drove to Los Angeles, took the red-eye, connected in Charlotte, landed in Hartford, CT, and took an hour long shuttle to the Mohegan Sun Casino. I’ve had better days to say the least, but I would never miss the opportunity to watch Jenny compete at Miss America! While she didn’t win the competition, she still walked away with $5,000 in scholarships and 49 lifelong friends.
Finally, it was really nice to spend a bit of downtime with the family around the Holidays! Here’s a picture of us at Gameshow Battle Rooms. I’m slightly competitive. Probably too much so!
The Highs
2021 was my first full year of being a fulltime professional pickleball player. The high of the year was most definitely claiming my first professional gold medal at the APP Punta Gorda Open in January. It gave me a ton of confidence for the rest of the year, and it was super cool that my whole family was there: Dad, Mom, Jenny, and even Murray!
The Lows
The low would have to be the end of the “honeymoon phase”, meaning that all of the travel and being away from home does begin to get taxing. One “this sucks” moment was sleeping on the floor of the Denver airport on the Fourth of July. It wasn’t fun. However, overall I love this job and the people I work with, and I wouldn’t change it for anything!
I’ve never shied away from lofty goals – why would 2022 be any different?
Check out my top for this year:
- Win a triple crown at an event
- Earn the world #1 singles ranking
- Build the APP Academy to the premier teaching camps in the country.
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Upcoming Clinics
I’ve partnered with the APP Tour to bring world class instruction to world class tournaments. I’ll be teaching at each and every domestic APP Tour event in 2022 – and the first two clinics of the year are now open for registration!
Sign up for Mesa, AZ on January 17th or Boca Raton, FL on January 24th.
Since I wasn’t busy enough (joking), I decided to start blogging for the Dink newsletter. My first two posts outlined the men and women to watch in 2022! Check the articles out here.
For those who may not know, the Dink runs the premier newsletter in pickleball. I highly recommend subscribing!
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