I headed to Daytona Beach for the Hertz National Championship with two first time partners: Lacy Schneeman aka “Steamin Schneeman” and Julian Arnold aka “Andiamo Arnold”. The entire weekend was a downpour, and my performance wasn’t much better than the weather, unfortunately.
I was welcomed home with a blown transmission in my Ford Fusion, which was the first car I ever bought. Jenny and I did a bit of Black Friday shopping and purchased a 2023 Hyundai Elantra. You can take me out of accounting, but you can’t take the accountant out of me!
We started going to Yin Yoga classes, which are amazing. Honestly, I’m sick of warrior two. That sh*t is too hard. Yin is a very relaxing form of yoga where you hold the poses for longer periods of time. I highly recommend it!
Jenny and I celebrated Thanksgiving here in Austin, but we’re heading back home for Christmas for a longer trip!
Finally, Jenny and I got to go to Orlando for pickleball night with the Orlando Magic, and it was definitely one of the coolest things we’ve had the opportunity to do. We had a meet and greet with Squeeze fans, got to sit courtside, got to throw out t-shirts and Squeeze merch to the fans, and I made Joe Ingles, Orlando’s Forward, an honorary member of the Squeeze. Thank you so much to the whole Squeeze team for an unforgettable night!
Earlier this week was the final showdown in San Clemente. The top four teams from this season, the DC Pickleball Club, Chicago Slice, Miami Pickleball Club, and the Orlando Squeeze competed in an abbreviated MLP event. First the Squeeze and DC faced off in a rematch of the Atlanta and Dallas finals. We came out strong and swept 3-0 to advance directly to the gold medal match and DC into the ‘backdraw.’
The Chicago Slice then beat Miami Pickleball Club (3-1) and came back to upset DC (3-2) to advance to the finals against the Squeeze. We started the finals strong with decisive wins in the gender doubles but ended up losing in close mixed games and the dreambreaker.
It’s not how we wanted to end the year, but that’s the beauty (not so beautiful for us today) of MLP and what makes it so exciting. You never know what’s going to happen. In the end, we were grateful to have a third event at all. Special thanks to my Orlando Squeeze teammates Andrei, Anna and Rachel, wonderful owners and support team who took great care of us, and especially the best fans! What a year!
At the end of the tournament, I was named as ProXr’s Sportsmanship Award recipient! I am deeply honored and humbled. It’s not just about the competition on the court, but also about the spirit of camaraderie, respect, and fair play that defines our pickleball community.
I want to express my gratitude to ProXr for acknowledging the importance of sportsmanship and for promoting a positive and inclusive environment within the sport. This award is not just a personal achievement, but a reflection of the wonderful community that surrounds pickleball, and I am proud to be a part of it.
The season of giving continues ✨
Congrats to the 10 winners of a bag of More Than Energy Daily Energy & Wellness powder, as well as Benedict Yuan who will receive a year supply of MTE!
Two weeks ago ProXR announced a new line of Color Splash paddles made in the Standard 16mm. Thanks to ProXR who is gifting a paddle to Toni Wachtl and Austin Barker! And congrats to the winners of our ProXR bundle prizes: Taylor Calman, Jon Chan, and Landon Scates!
The War of Art – Steven Pressfield
Zane’s Rating – 8/10
The War of Art was suggested to me by Austin Podcaster Chris Williamson, who I met randomly at the South Austin Rec Center last year. Chris is a productivity guru, so I figured I’d give it a shot, and it didn’t disappoint.
The War of Art was a quick read which contributed to it’s 8/10 rating. I like it when people get to the point. The author labels “resistance” as the enemy of productive work. Resistance takes the form of procrastination, self-sabotage, fear of failure, and other things. Everybody struggles with resistance.
Treat your dream or goal like a professional. Don’t treat your dream like a hobby, but rather as if it was your job. When you don’t feel like going to work, what do you do? You go to work. That’s what professionals do.
This is a very quick and dirty summary, but my main takeaway from this book would definitely be finding creative ways to eliminate resistance. When things become automatic and non-negotiable, they become easier. I practice pickleball every single day. It’s automatic. I don’t think about it. I know, however, that I should be working out and stretching, but that’s not as easy to do. My homework from this book is to eliminate resistance to activities that I know that I need to do!
Last week PicklePod special guest Altaf Merchant and I announced our Big Give competition supporting Stop Alzheimers Now. Not only will 100% of all donations raised go directly to fund Alzheimer’s research, but each donation will be entered into drawings for some amazing prizes. Scan QR code to Donate Now ⤵️
Don’t miss Thomas Shields and me on the PicklePod, presented by The Dink. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.
Check out our latest episodes below ⤵️
We are thrilled to share that Pickle and Socials’ grand opening for the Gwinnett location is TODAY! I’m looking forward to checking out the finished space, food and adult beverages in the new year! See where their future locations are planned in 2024 and 2025.
Get personalized online instruction from me and my coaching team at My Pickleball Coach. You tell us your goals, and your personal pickleball coach will help you get there.
Yobow continues to be my go-to for muscle pain relief and recovery. And since it’s so light and compact, its perfect to take with me to pickleball tournaments. You can try one risk-free for 30 days when you buy from my shop.
For a limited time, use code “yobow39” to get yours for $100 ($39 off) and free shipping.
For my videos on tips, tricks, and drills to improve your pickleball game, checkout and subscribe to my YouTube channel! Got comments, feedback, or requests? Leave me a comment!
