Life Lessons from Pickleball™

How can pickleball help seniors live longer, build stronger friendships, and discover that it is never too late to start something new? In this episode, we talk with Tony Schneider, president of U.S. Senior Pickleball, about the power of sport, community, and active aging. Tony shares how he first discovered pickleball on a family vacation in 2020, quickly fell in love with the game, and learned a...

What happens when a lifelong inventor falls in love with pickleball and decides the sport deserves something better? In this episode, we talk with Mae Romero , an inventor, entrepreneur, lifelong problem solver, and founder of Okto Pickleball . Mae shares how growing up on a farm and learning to weld at just seven years old helped shape her confidence, creativity, and ability to figure things out...

What if aging was not about slowing down, but about discovering new strength, new community, and new reasons to keep playing? In this episode, we talk with Kyle Case, CEO of the Huntsman World Senior Games, the largest annual multi-sport event in the world for athletes age 50 and older. Kyle shares how he first fell in love with the idea of amateur sports and event management as a college student,...

What if the biggest thing holding pickleball players back is not their mechanics, but the way they think, react, and talk to themselves under pressure? In this episode, we talk with Dotti Berry, better known as Coach B, a mental and peak performance coach, the creator of Mental Edge: The X Factor , and the recipient of the 2026 PPR Humanitarian Award . Dotti shares how she first discovered pickleb...

Hi friends, we wanted to share a quick update with our Life Lessons from Pickleball™ community. We’ll still have a brand new episode for you on May 19, and after that we’ll be moving to an every-other-week summer schedule, with our next new episode on June 2. We’re looking forward to a lighter summer rhythm, and we hope you are too. And with more than 100 episodes already in our library, this is a...

How can pickleball open the door to new friendships, a whole new career path, and a fresh way to bring style, community, and opportunity into everyday life? In this episode, we talk with Lydia Hirt, a New York-based pickleball community builder, marketer, and creative voice who has helped grow the sport in exciting and meaningful ways. Lydia shares how she first discovered pickleball during the pa...

How does a filmmaker from Bollywood become one of the key leaders helping grow pickleball across India, and what happens when a sport built on joy, inclusivity, and community begins changing lives across an entire country? In this episode, we talk with Suryaveer Singh Bhullar, president of the Indian Pickleball Association, about his remarkable journey from player to national leader in one of the...

How can pickleball create the kind of community where someone steps forward to save a life, even when that person was once nearly a stranger? In this deeply moving episode, Nikki Baker and Shari Murphree share an extraordinary story of compassion, courage, and the life-changing power of the pickleball community. Nikki, a retired FedEx leader, certified level two IPTPA instructor, coach, and passio...

What happens when pickleball enters a maximum-security prison? In this powerful episode, John Coray shares how a simple invitation led him to bring pickleball into a Maine State Prison and how the sport has become a tool for connection, dignity, joy, and personal growth. What began as a lesson for a small group of residents has grown into an ongoing program where incarcerated men learn strategy, d...

What if pickleball could change an entire community and even a country? In this inspiring episode, we welcome Zacharie, a pioneer of pickleball in Rwanda who is transforming lives through the power of sport. What began as a chance discovery during COVID quickly became a mission that led Zacharie to build one of the first pickleball courts in Rwanda and grow the game from just a handful of players...

What if the only reason you played sports was because it was fun? Alice Tym’s story is a masterclass in courage, action, and joy. From starting a women’s tennis team at the University of Florida when none existed, to competing on the international tennis circuit and reaching a world ranking of 13, Alice has spent a lifetime creating opportunities where there were none. A Hall of Fame collegiate co...

What if pickleball became the one thing that carried you through cancer and then helped you change lives around the world? Mark Palm, founder of Samaritan Aviation, shares his incredible journey from mission pilot to USA Pickleball National Champion. After a cancer diagnosis, pickleball became his lifeline physically, mentally, and emotionally. Today, Mark is not only saving lives in remote villag...

How does a lifelong racquet sports player turn a local need into one of the Pacific Northwest’s most exciting new indoor pickleball communities? In this episode, Randy Fuller, founding partner of Rally Pickleball Club in Auburn, Washington, shares how pickleball first came into his life, why the sport hooked him so quickly, and how four local entrepreneurs came together to create a vibrant indoor...

How can pickleball become a force for global good, community connection, and life-changing opportunity? In this episode, Susan “Dinker Bell” Swern shares her remarkable pickleball journey, from first discovering the game after years of tennis to founding the Pickleball for Good Fund, a nonprofit built on the belief that pickleball can create social impact far beyond the court. Susan talks about ho...

How can pickleball become a bridge to hope, healing, education, and opportunity for girls who have been left behind? In this episode, Coach Andy from Uganda shares the powerful story behind Pickleball Kids Uganda and Growing the Game for Girls Uganda. Andy explains how pickleball first entered his life through tennis, and how he quickly realized that this simple, accessible sport could become much...

What happens when one of the biggest pickleball festivals in the country brings competition, connection, vendors, clinics, networking, and community all under one roof? In this episode, Kelsea Thompson, director of PickleCon, shares how she first discovered pickleball while running an indoor sports complex and how that journey led her to help build one of the largest indoor pickleball festivals in...

How can pickleball help someone rebuild their life, rediscover purpose, and become the kind of coach who changes other people’s lives too? In this episode, Thomas Yelloweyes shares his extraordinary story of trauma, foster care, loss, survival, and reinvention. Thomas opens up about growing up in the foster care system, facing deep instability and heartbreak from an early age, and later finding hi...

Will Parton shares how a major life move and starting over in a new country led him to discover the true power of the pickleball community. As a lifelong racquet sport athlete, Will found connection through pickleball and turned that experience into innovation by creating Hitch, an app designed to help players find partners, games, and meaningful community. In this episode, we talk about belonging...

We are honored to share that Mani Barajas-Alexander is featured in our new book, Life Lessons from Pickleball ™ and as this episode airs, Sher and Shelley are experiencing Pura Vida at Mani’s place in Costa Rica. In this special encore conversation, Mani shares how Pura Vida House became far more than a luxury villa. It is a thoughtfully designed pickleball experience that blends movement, connect...

How do you rewrite your life one step at a time when you feel stuck in a body and mindset that no longer feel like your own? In this episode, Brian Montgomery shares one of the most inspiring transformation stories we’ve heard on Life Lessons from Pickleball. After years of putting himself last, Brian found himself close to 390 pounds, struggling physically, and facing serious health concerns. But...

How can pickleball, psychology, and travel come together to create joy, connection, and a more vibrant way of aging? In this episode, Audrey Phillips shares her remarkable journey as a psychotherapist, educator, tournament player, pickleball ambassador, and creator of unforgettable group adventures that have brought people together for decades. Audrey talks about how her early calling to psycholog...

How can pickleball become both a high-level competitive sport and a joyful creative expression of mind, body, and spirit? In this episode, senior pro Rachael Kroog shares her extraordinary pickleball journey, from the moment her 79-year-old father introduced her to the game to winning national titles, competing around the world, and continuing to play at a 5.0 level. Rachel talks about how her bac...

What happens when someone living off the grid in a yurt becomes one of the most connected voices in senior pickleball? In this episode, Mike "Sleeves" Sliwa shares his fascinating journey from leaving the traditional teaching path to building a life rooted in simplicity, intentional community, and freedom in rural New Mexico. Living in a hand-painted Mongolian yurt with his wife, Mike ha...

Why does pickleball create such powerful connection so quickly, and what happens when one author sets out to capture that magic in a book? In this episode, Scott Manthorn shares the story behind The Pickleball Effect , his bestselling book featuring 50 voices from across the pickleball world. Scott talks about his own journey from a longtime tennis player who once dismissed pickleball to someone w...

How can pickleball help someone rebuild strength after cancer, find a new community, and become a coach, referee, and leader in the sport? In this episode, Sandy Smith shares her inspiring pickleball journey, from being diagnosed with uterine cancer and undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, to finding her way back to sport through pickleball. Sandy talks about returning to play while st...