2016 Norm Davis Interview

 

In this 2016 interview, host Jack Olmsted has a lively conversation with pickleball legend Norm Davis. Now 90 years old, Norm has been playing pickleball for over 20 years and was inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2022. He provides insightful perspectives on the sport's origins and growth based on his extensive personal experience and leadership roles expanding pickleball infrastructure and training programs. Norm reflects on his lifelong athletic pursuits, passion for introducing new players to pickleball, and continuing community contributions as he enters his ninth decade. His warmth and humor shine through while recounting pickleball memories and milestones from senior tournaments to schools programs. Norm Davis Bio Born in 1933 in Pontiac, Michigan, Norm displayed natural athleticism from a young age. He played varsity baseball for 3 years in high school despite standing just 5'3" at graduation. His baseball talents continued through stints in Triple A softball with General Motors and helping launch Little League baseball in his California community during the 1960s. Norm spent his professional career in cost accounting after moving to San Diego. He retired in 1988 and relocated to Surprise, Arizona in 1999. The following year, Norm discovered pickleball and immediately became hooked. He served 10 years (2005-2015) on the USA Pickleball Association's original board as Director of Training and Youth Development, producing over 60 instructional videos and developing school curricula. Now 90, Norm remains actively engaged in advancing pickleball. His instrumental advocacy helped fund construction of dedicated pickleball courts in Surprise, AZ and establish the sport in local schools. He has won dozens of medals in senior tournaments nationwide. In 2022, Norm was inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame for his far-reaching contributions over 20-plus years as a tireless ambassador.

[0:29] Host: You started your pickleball experience in Vancouver, Washington. Is that correct? Norm: No, I started it in Surprise, Arizona. I came down visiting Surprise from Vancouver and they introduced me to the game down here, and then I went back to Vancouver. [1:12] Host: When were you introduced to pickleball? Norm: I think it was 2001. [1:40] Host: What got you hooked into pickleball? Norm: A friend tried to get me to play for months and I visualized it as an old person's game. One day I went by the courts and heard the click click click and walked over to see what it was. Somebody handed me a paddle and that got me started and messed up my golf game. [2:20] Host: Do you have any kids that play pickleball? Norm: They don't play regularly like I do, but they do play and they're all pretty good athletes. [2:58] Host: Can you talk about your childhood? Norm: I was a quiet kid, not bad or afraid of people, but I liked playing by myself. I played a lot of baseball and softball as a kid. When I was 16 or 17, I met the beautiful young girl who became my wife, so I wanted out of Michigan. I did not want to be buried in the automobile industry for the rest of my life, so that motivated me to go to the San Diego area. [4:25] Host: What's the story behind this photo from your high school yearbook? Norm: That was in our high school yearbook and I only included it because it showed that I played baseball and band in high school. I played a little bit of everything - drums, cymbals, tuba. [5:22] Host: Did you enjoy playing in the band? Norm: I did. I wanted to play drums but played whatever was needed as a fill-in. I still play instruments but damaged my left hand years ago so I have trouble with some guitar chords. But I've played a lot of different instruments over the years. [6:12] Host: Who is this a photo of? Norm: That's my bride. I met her at her brother's house when I was 19 and she was 17. That's when we got married. [6:39] Host: How long have you been married? Norm: 63 years. [7:12] Host: What's going on in this photo? Norm: That was a paper drive for charity where we collected paper from neighborhoods. [8:01] Host: Were you a greaser in the 1950s? Norm: I wore the t-shirts and did all that goofy stuff, but I never smoked even though it was the thing to do. After about a year when I was 13, it wasn't worth it anymore so I quit. [9:40] Host: What's this photo of? Norm: That's me in my 40s playing racquetball. I played that game from 1971 to 1999. [10:46] Host: How did you get started with pickleball in Arizona? Norm: When we moved to Surprise in 1999, there was only one place to play racquetball and I didn't know anybody. So I decided I would play golf and softball for a while until 2001 when I found pickleball. [11:34] Host: Can you talk about this photo? Norm: That was the first year of pickleball at the Senior Olympics. I didn't actually play that year but I helped with desk work at the tournament. [12:08] Host: Do you remember this medal match you won? Norm: That was my first year playing. I think that was a bronze medal for men's singles. I beat a really good player somehow. [12:44] Host: Who is the woman in this photo with you? Norm: That was the lady who actually introduced me to the game and handed me my first paddle. I still see her around. A very pleasant lady. [13:16] Host: What tournament was this photo taken at? Norm: I think that was my first mixed doubles bronze medal. We played together for several years and did pretty well until I had a shoulder problem and couldn't play much anymore. [13:48] Host: How are your shoulders now for playing? Norm: I have two terrible shoulders but I've learned to play with them. I protect my shoulder and I've done it so long now that I can handle it pretty well. I do some goofy looking shots I call chicken wing shots, but they work for me. [14:31] Host: Can you demonstrate how you compensate for your shoulder when hitting balls? Norm: If I get a high ball on my forehand shoulder high, that's hard on my shoulder. So I cut my elbow in and move my body to come down on the ball. It looks dorky but works for me and it's instinctive now. On the backhand there's no stress on my shoulder so I can follow through fine. [15:59] Host: Where was this photo taken? Norm: That was taken on our neighborhood courts in Surprise right after we got the courts made. [16:27] Host: How long have you had courts in Surprise? Norm: We got those down in 2003 I think it was. Myself and a couple other fellows went to the builders and said we need to get some pickleball courts. After we introduced them to the game, they decided it was a good thing to build the courts. [17:18] Host: How many courts do you have there today? Norm: There's six courts there. We hosted the Senior Olympics for six or seven years and had about 300 players. [17:46] Host: Are these the courts you still play on today? Norm: Yes, I still play there once or twice a week. I also play on the Surprise city courts more because the competition is higher there and I like working with younger players. [18:19] Host: Can you talk about the hats you're wearing in this photo? Norm: We were hosting the Arizona Senior Olympics then and needed to raise money, so we designed shirts and hats to sell. I designed the logo with the paddle and ball. We sold hundreds of them for the club. [19:09] Host: What tournament is this from? Norm: I'm pretty sure we medaled there but I don't remember what we got. It looks like maybe a bronze. [19:40] Host: What tournament is this medal from? Norm: That was the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. Another gold medal in mixed doubles. [20:25] Host: Do you remember this medal match? Norm: I know I medaled again but I couldn't tell you what it was. [20:44] Host: Have you played in all the National pickleball tournaments? Norm: Yes, I've played them all. [20:57] Host: Have you medaled at every National tournament? Norm: Yes, I've gotten a gold, silver or bronze at every National for the last seven tournaments. [21:12] Host: So you're the man to beat then? Norm: Well, everybody gets lucky once in a while. But in my age bracket I guess I have a target on my back. They want to beat me, which is all good fun. [21:47] Host: How did you do at Nationals six in this photo? Norm: I know I medaled again but I don't remember what color. [22:20] Host: Can you talk about the first National tournament? Norm: We selected Palm Springs for the first one because they had courts and space to convert tennis courts temporarily. I think there were over 300 players from at least 25-30 states. It was a great event. [23:27] Host: What's going on in this photo? Norm: That was one of six or seven classes we taught at a local school, starting at 7am and going to 2:30pm. This was one of the groups of kids and teachers. [23:52] Host: Is youth development a hot button for you? Norm: Yes, it is. On April 15th we're hosting a first-ever interschool high school tournament on our city courts. The teachers will play too. In four years we'll have a pretty good sized tournament. My goal is to document the process to use as a roadmap for others nationwide. [24:38] Host: Can you talk about your experience on the USAPA board regarding training? Norm: In 2005 when USAPA formed, they asked me to take up training. I didn't want to be a court trainer, so I created over 60 training videos to show basic rules and aspects of the game. Beyond rules, I also conducted interviews, including with pickleball co-founder Barney McCallum at the original pickleball court. [25:43] Host: I see you have over 250,000 views on your Basic Pickleball Rules video on YouTube. Did you know it was that popular? Norm: Besides the 100,000+ online views, several thousand more have been reproduced and sold. It was intended for schools and is part of a DVD we sold and gave away thousands of to teach the game. The 2-minute clips work well for teens' short attention spans. [26:49] Host: You started making training videos in 2005? What motivated you? Norm: I didn't know what training meant when USAPA asked me to take it on. Making videos was a way to teach the game without being a court trainer. I've now been producing videos for 17 years to grow the sport. Summary In this lively conversation, 89-year-old pickleball great Norm Davis traces his multi-decade involvement elevating the sport he discovered in 2001. Norm provides insightful firsthand accounts of pickleball history and culture spanning his 22 years as a passionate player and ambassador. He reflects on his early roles producing training content and developing youth programs for USA Pickleball Association after its 2005 inception. Norm also describes his successful advocacy to fund public courts and tournaments in his Arizona community. With his 2022 Hall of Fame induction, Norm's indelible contributions will be forever enshrined alongside his dozens of national senior medals. His sustained impact introducing new generations to pickleball exemplifies the spirit and inclusiveness that define this wonderful sport. Even as he approaches 90 years old, Norm Davis continues imparting his wisdom and inspiring newcomers to embrace pickleball. During this lively conversation, he shares timeless insights on succeeding despite physical limitations. Norm demonstrates his patented "chicken wing" stroke adapted to compensate for shoulder issues. And he emphasizes how focusing on strengths, not weaknesses, enabled him to excel against younger competitors. Norm also provides an inside look at the sport's evolution since his 1970s beginnings. He details dramatic improvements in control and strategy compared to pickleball's early power-focused days. Yet Norm proves staying relevant requires constant adaptation, as he's still adding new shots in his 80s. And he predicts bright horizons, including possible Olympic inclusion, as infrastructure and awareness expand pickleball's reach. Above all, Norm Davis' enduring passion for sharing pickleball shines through. He organizes local youth tournaments to firmly establish the sport in schools. His videos and interviews documenting pickleball history preserve institutional knowledge. And Norm plans to continue competing and mentoring new players as long as health permits. His well-rounded contributions explaining, growing and celebrating pickleball reveal a lifetime of devotion to one of his greatest joys. In December 2022, Norm was inducted into the Pickleball Hall Of Fame and honored at the Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships.