99% Pickleball

What does it take to raise one of the top young players in professional pickleball? This week, Mari Humberg and Nikki Maldonado are joined by Darrin Klinger, coach, mentor, and father of professional pickleball player CJ Klinger, for one of the most thoughtful conversations we've had on 99% Pickleball. Darrin shares his philosophy on parenting, coaching, and building an environment where comp...

There's never a dull moment in professional pickleball. This week, Mari Humberg and Nikki Maldonado break down one of the craziest weekends in professional pickleball from two very different perspectives. As a recently traded MLP player, Mari shares what it's like competing inside the league, while Nikki reflects on the same weekend through the eyes of a commentator, creator, and fan. Ma...

What does it actually take to grow a sport? This week, Mari Humberg and Nikki Maldonado are joined by Adam Behnke, COO of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, to discuss the work happening beyond the professional level to help grow pickleball in meaningful and lasting ways. The conversation covers everything from Major League Pickleball and fan engagement to junior development, minor league competition,...

If you've spent any time on pickleball social media, you've probably come across Zane Navratil and Nico the Lefty. In one of the funniest conversations we've had so far on 99% Pickleball, Zane and Nico join Mari Humberg and Nikki Maldonado to discuss how content creation has evolved alongside the sport, what it takes to build genuine connections with players, and why authenticity ma...

Sarah Ansboury has spent years helping shape pickleball both on and off the court. In this week's episode of 99% Pickleball, Sarah joins Mari Humberg and Nikki Maldonado to discuss the sport's rapid growth, her work building coaching education programs, and the opportunities and challenges that come with pickleball's expanding global reach. The conversation covers everything from in...

Why does pickleball feel so different now than it did a few years ago? In the first episode of 99% Pickleball, hosts Mari Humberg and Nikki Maldonado break down how they found the sport, what pulled them into it, and why they felt the pickleball world needed a different kind of conversation. From Mari's journey from Brazil to professional pickleball to Nikki's perspective as a creator de...