Pickleball Phenom Meghan Dezon Shares Her Journey to the Top Up-and-coming star opens up about her introduction to the sport, daily routine, and goals for the future Meghan Dezon (Instagram) burst onto the professional pickleball scene just a few years ago, but she has already established herself as one of the top players in the world. As the current #5 ranked women's singles player on the Pickleball Global Rankings, Dezon has been racking up impressive results on tour. In this exclusive interview on The Mary-Go-Around podcast hosted by fellow pro Mary Brascia, Dezon provides keen insights into her rapid rise in pickleball as well as her approach to training, competing, and life on the road. 1. Intro to Episode 12 (0:00) In the introduction to Episode 12 of The Mary-Go-Around podcast, host Mary Brascia sets the stage for her conversation with Meghan Dezon. She mentions they recently competed at the PPA Finals tournament in San Clemente, CA. 2. Meghan is in SoCal (2:36) Brascia asks where Dezon is calling from, and Dezon shares that she is in Southern California visiting her parents for the holidays after competing at the PPA Finals. 3. Family Involvement (3:22) The two discuss how invested their families are in following their pickleball careers. Both Brascia and Dezon note that they talk about pickleball almost every day. 4. When and How Did You Get Introduced to The Sport? (4:23) Dezon traces her introduction to pickleball back to 2020 during the pandemic when everything was shut down. After seeing fellow college tennis player Tyler Loong posting about playing professionally, she decided to give pickleball a try and quickly became hooked. 5. PPA Las Vegas (5:39) Brascia and Dezon reminisce about competing at one of their first professional tournaments together in Las Vegas. This was an early sign of the success to come for both players. 6. Close to Family (6:15) Dezon emphasizes how special it is to be able to share her pickleball journey with her tight-knit family, since she is very close to her parents and they attend many of her tournaments. 7. Playing Against Each Other at First Pro Event (6:58) In one of their first pro tournaments, Dezon and Brascia ended up matched up against each other in an early round. They joke about the unusual situation where their match got cancelled halfway through due to an issue with the tournament draw. 8. Memories with Meghan - PPA Masters (7:45) Brascia recalls another early memory with Dezon when they paired up for mixed doubles at the PPA Masters at The Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. She emphasizes how it is always fun to make new memories together as part of the pickleball community. 9. What Did Meghan Do Before Pickleball? (8:30) When asked what she was doing before becoming a professional pickleball player, Dezon shares that she was coaching tennis and substitute teaching after graduating college. She wanted to figure out her long-term career path. The timing aligned perfectly for her to transition to pickleball as it was growing exponentially. 10. Meghan's Daily Routine (10:16) Regarding her daily routine when home in Utah, Dezon admits that she does not currently have the most structured schedule. Her main focus is getting in 2-3 hours per day of practice plus 5-6 gym sessions per week. Some goals looking ahead are to start incorporating more strategic solo training rather than exclusively playing games. 11. Who Does Meghan Train With in Utah? (11:57) Dezon mentions fellow Utah pros Etta Wright, Allyce Jones and Callie Smith as primary training partners along with some skilled senior players like Scott Johnston. The top Utah women want to collaborate more regularly to push each other to the next level. 12. What is Life Like on the Road? (13:01) For tournaments, Dezon typically stays in an Air BnB so she can cook her own food and settle in more than a hotel. She likes to fly in a few days early to get acclimated through practicing and playing casual games. In terms of pre-match routine, she aims to arrive 60 minutes prior to warm up properly and get some rallies in to prepare both physically and mentally. 13. What are Meghan's Go-To Foods/Food Recs (15:29) As a vegan, Dezon seeks out restaurants and cafes with quality plant-based options wherever she travels. She stocks her kitchen with nutritious staples like protein smoothies, avocado toast, nut butters and fruit. On match days, she snacks on items that provide long-lasting energy like bananas, apples, dates and protein bars. 14. What is Meghan Working on in Her Game? (19:06) When asked about her pickleball development objectives, Dezon singles out incorporating a two-handed backhand roll dink rather than exclusively using a two-hander to speed up the ball. Her goal is to disguise her shots more effectively and force opponents into uncertain situations. 15. Favorite Pickleball Memories from 2023 (20:51) Dezon names winning several high-profile tournaments with partner Etta Wright as favorite memories from this past year. Specifically, she points to triumphing at the Red Rock Open (in front of her parents) as well as securing Major League Pickleball titles in San Clemente and Daytona.
- Red Rock Open Women’s Doubles Final: (4) Lea Jansen/Allyce Jones vs. (6) Etta Wright/Meghan Dizon (Pro Stats) (Highlight Reel)
- MLP San Clemente: Los Angeles Mad Drops vs Seattle Pioneers I Premier Final
1:28:54 Interviews - MLP Daytona: Seattle Pioneers vs. California BLQK Bears I Premier Final
16. Who is the Next Best Pickleball Player in Meghan's Family? (23:37) According to Dezon, while her parents and siblings all enjoy playing recreationally, her brother Cory probably has the most natural talent besides her. She jokes they may partner up someday as a sibling duo on the professional tours. 17. Go-To Karaoke Song (24:32) When prompted by Brascia about what she would sing at a karaoke bar, Dezon admits she has never actually gone up on stage to sing karaoke. However, stepping out of her comfort zone more in 2024 is a goal she sets for herself. 18. Closing Thoughts (25:47) In closing, Dezon thanks fans for their ongoing support of her career. She relishes being part of the vibrant, welcoming pickleball community and building friendships with fellow players on the tour. Summery On The Mary-Go-Around podcast, professional pickleball player Meghan Dezon offers insightful commentary about her personal journey within the up-and-coming sport. Hosted by fellow pro Mary Brascia, the conversation spans Dezon's introduction to pickleball a few years ago, her training regimen and travel routine for competitions, areas she's targeting for skill development, standout memories from the 2023 season, and aspirations looking ahead. Regarding her backstory, Dezon explains that she started playing pickleball on a whim during the pandemic after seeing a college tennis teammate post about competing professionally. She quickly determined that her athletic background would translate well and provide a unique opportunity to thrive as part of a bourgeoning sport. Her family is now highly invested in following her burgeoning career. In terms of daily lifestyle, Dezon acknowledges needing a more structured solo training plan tailored to her individual objectives. Her current focus revolves around getting regular practice reps in with hitting partners and fellow Utah-based players, including pros like Etta Wright, Allyce Jones and Callie Smith. She also emphasizes the importance of adequate warm-up time and routines prior to tournaments. From a skills perspective, Dezon is actively working on disguising her two-handed backhand more effectively with a mix of power dinks and speed changes. Making opponents uncertain about her intentions will elicit mistakes. She also names some of her proudest memories over the past year, including winning the Red Rock Open in front of family and securing two Major League Pickleball titles with partner Wright. Looking ahead, Dezon is eager to step outside her comfort zone in 2024 whether trying karaoke publicly for the first time or continuing her vegan food explorations while traveling the country for competitions. She expresses heartfelt gratitude to fans for their support and is thrilled to be an integral part of the welcoming pickleball community.
YouTube Time Code List
- 0:00 Intro to Episode 12
- 2:36 Meghan is in SoCal
- 3:22 Family involvement
- 4:23 When and how did you get introduced to the sport?
- 5:39 PPA Las Vegas
- 6:15 Close to Family
- 6:58 Playing against each other at first pro event
- 7:45 Memories with Meghan - PPA Masters
- 8:30 What did Meghan do before pickleball?
- 10:16 Meghan's daily routine
- 11:57 Who does Meghan train with in Utah?
- 13:01 What is life like on the road ?
- 15:29 What are Meghan’s go to foods / food recs
- 19:06 - What is Meghan working on in her game?
- 20:51 Favorite pickleball memories from 2023
- 23:37 - Who is the next best pickleball player in Meghan’s family?
- 24:32 - Go to Karaoke song
- 25:47 - Closing Thoughts
What Do You Know About Rising Pickleball Star Meghan Dizon?
- What is Meghan's current pickleball ranking?
a) #3 b) #5 c) #8 d) #10
- When did Meghan first start playing pickleball?
a) 2018 b) 2019 c) 2020 d) 2021
- Who inspired Meghan to try pickleball originally?
a) Her parents b) A college friend c) A pickleball coach d) Her siblings
- Where does Meghan primarily train?
a) California b) Utah c) Florida d) New York
- What is one thing Meghan admitted needing to work on?
a) Mental toughness b) Consistency c) Structured training routine d) Nutrition
- What tricky shot is Meghan trying to perfect?
a) Drop shots b) Third shot drops c) Two-handed backhand roll dink d) Overheads
- Who has Meghan won multiple tournaments with?
a) Her sister b) Simone Jardim c) Anna Leigh Waters d) Etta Wright
- What is Meghan's favorite home tournament location?
a) Palm Springs b) Austin c) Denver d) St. George
- How does Meghan typically find food while traveling?
a) Hotel restaurants b) Yelp searches c) Asking other players d) Calling her parents
- Why doesn't Meghan have a go-to karaoke song?
a) She's tone deaf b) She doesn't enjoy singing c) She's never done karaoke before d) She only sings country songs
- What are two words Meghan uses to describe the pickleball community?
a) Friendly and positive b) Welcoming and vibrant c) Tight-knit and competitive d) Small but mighty
- Why was winning the Red Rock Open especially meaningful for Meghan?
a) It was her first gold medal b) Her whole extended family attended c) She won MVP honors d) She won it with her regular partner
- What is a personal goal that Meghan set for herself in 2024?
a) Break into the top 3 rankings
b) Master her backhand slice c) Keep a better routine d) Try karaoke for the first time
- Who might partner up with Meghan someday on tour?
a) Her mom b) Her brother c) Her hitting coach d) A new doubles partner
15. What kind of diet does Meghan follow?
a) Paleo b) Keto c) Vegetarian d) Vegan
Answer Key:
- b
- c
- b
- b
- c
- c
- d
- d
- b
- c
- b
- a
- d
- b
- d
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