COLLEGIATE PICKLEBALL TAILGATE: New Weekly Series

 

Collegiate Pickleball Clubs - Growth and Community

Insights from Leaders at Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio State

Introduction:

On January 31st, 2024, pickleball club leaders from the University of Michigan, Indiana University, and The Ohio State University met for a virtual roundtable to discuss key topics related to collegiate pickleball. The 1-hour discussion covered club structures, campus growth, community building, competitive teams, tournaments, coaching, and more.

Key insights are summarized below from club presidents Suzanne Chapman (Michigan), Sam Hutner (Indiana), and Jace Fitzpatrick (Ohio State).

Key Topics Covered:

Club Structures & Growth Strategies (0:05 - 0:59)

• Social vs competitive teams
• Tryouts & membership numbers
• Securing indoor/outdoor courts
• Getting other sports teams involved

Building Community (0:59 - 1:33)

• Bonding between competitive team members
• Bridging social and competitive sides
• Support from broader pickleball community

Tournaments & Competition (1:33 - 2:43)

• Dupre, AP College, other local tournaments
• Enjoyable team bonding experiences
• Prizes and fundraising opportunities

Coaching & Funding (2:43 - 3:28)

• Coach contracts and pay
• University funding status
• Dues, sponsors, fundraisers

Engaging Other Groups on Campus (3:28 - 4:15)

• Networking events with business/medical schools
• Introducing pickleball across majors

Pro Integration (4:15 - 5:16)

• Tennis conversion challenges
• Watching tournaments for technique

Unique Aspects of Pickleball (5:16 - 6:09)

• Cross-sport athlete participation
• Lower barrier to entry than many sports

Competition Mindsets (6:09 - 7:10)

• Less adversarial than some sports
• Confidence building over time

Plans Going Forward (7:10 - End)

• Continuing collegiate play
• Coaching certificates
• Turning passion into a career

Club Growth Strategies:

• Indiana utilized club tennis rosters to recruit competitive female players (40:52)
• Ohio State hopes to build partnerships with schools like Maryland and Johns Hopkins to expand conference play (30:45)
• Michigan is hosting local tournaments with prizes and sponsors to draw teams (13:03)
• Indiana discussed hosting networking events with graduate programs to introduce pickleball (24:03)

On Community:

• The group bonding from traveling to tournaments was discussed, including dinners together (17:51)
• Opportunities to cheer on other schools and support sportsmanship (7:35)
• Friendships developing across the Big 10 through social media connections (8:11)

Competition Insights:

• The mix of nervousness and fun in a pickleball tournament environment (32:50)
• Differences in scoring format/rules across various tournament circuits (10:08)
• Training plans to strategically prepare for tournaments (31:37)

Conclusion: The roundtable discussion between these collegiate pickleball leaders covered many topics important to growing the sport at the university level, building community, supporting competition, and planning for the future. Key takeaways highlight the welcoming community that makes pickleball unique, strategies for sustainably developing clubs, and passion that college students have for taking pickleball to the next level.

Interview Questions Time Code List (2013-2024)

 

MaryGoRound: March 29, 2024

1. 0:00 - MaryGoRound Podcast Episode 20 Introduction 🎬
2. 1:20 - Guest Intro 🔥
3. 1:39 - Connor Garnett's birthday🎂
4. 3:00 - Connor's hidden golf skills ⛳️
5. 3:55 - Traveling life ✈️
6. 5:25 - International travel 🇦🇺
7. 6:34 - Connor Garnett's background 😁
8. 8:28 - Knowing Tyson in the tennis world 🎾
9. 12:49 - Pickleball connect's people 👥
10. 15:07 - Grand Slams 🏓
11. 16:40 - Prediction on singles 👤
12. 19:17 - Connor's most memorable match 💭
13. 21:33 - Recovering from singles 🛁
14. 25:20 - Going full-time pickleball 💼
15. 30:03 - Connor Garnett's two-handed backhand 😱
16. 32:12 - Goals for the rest of 2024 📋

DUPR Chat January 19, 2024

1. 0:10 What sparked your interest in Minor League and how did you learn about it?
2. 1:08 Do you feel like Minor League Pickleball prepared you for your first Major League event?
3. 2:44 Who would you recommend Minor League Pickleball for, and why?
4. 3:17 What do you think about DUPR as a rating system?
5. 3:40 Any general thoughts on the importance of having one rating for the sport?

Sleeve’s Senior Pickleball Report podcast January 6, 2024

1. 0:51 Connor Garnett Introduction
2. 1:14 How did pickleball find you?
3. 2:50 Was the two-handed backhand your best shot in tennis?
4. 4:43 If you were to give one (two-handed backhand) drill, would it be to work with the non-dominant hand first?
5. 6:27 When playing doubles, do you prefer to hit the ball to a particular side of the court?
6. 7:22 2023 Recap
7. 9:24 Talk about the process of finding partners in Doubles and Mixed Doubles
8. 11:51 Chemistry plays a role. Who will you be playing with in 2024?
9. 14:53 MLP Experinece
10. 17:21 Event Head Space
11. 19:14 Pro XR Signature Paddle
12. 22:21 Paddle Weight
13. 23:45 YouTube Instructional Videos
14. 25:40 Sponsors

Briones Pickleball Podcast December, 13 2023 

1. 00:00:00- Introducing pro pickleball player Connor Garnett
2. 00:01:40 - College Tennis and the Journey to Pro Pickleball Competition
3. 00:04:38 - First tournament experience
4. 00:09:28 - Developing Deception, and the nuances of pro doubles PB
5. 00:11:02 - The extremely quick rise of Connor Garnett
6. 00:14:13 - A Winning Strategy in pro singles pickleball
7. 00:18:54 - The Importance of a Strong Serve and the Two-Handed Backhand in Pickleball
8. 00:20:30 - Evolution of Paddle Technology and Two-Handed Backhands in Pickleball
9. 00:27:02 - From Investment Banking to Full-Time Pickleball
10. 00:29:35 - MLP SUCCESS
11. 00:31:52 - The Pros and Cons of Rally Scoring in Pickleball, and Which one is Preferable?
12. 00:36:39 - Improving Dinking and Mid Court Resets in Pickleball
13. 00:38:12 - Two-Handed Pickleball Technique and Its Evolution
14. 00:42:40 - The Mental Side of Pickleball: Handling Pressure and Playing to Win or Playing to Lose
15. 00:52:11 - The Tricky Process of Finding Partners in Pro Pickleball
16. 00:59:30 - Closing thoughts and Connor Garnett pickleball camps!

Front Row Podcast December 13, 2023

1. 0:12 – Coach Mark Gottfried talks to one of the top Pickleball players in the world.
2. 5:02 – Transition from Tennis to Pickleball.
3. 7:02 – Inherent stubbornness fuels competitive spirit.
4. 9:48 – “Tough tennis coach shaped me, made me tougher.”
5. 13:37 – Growing interest in UFC and combat sports.
6. 19:01 – Pressure on sports leaders to secure lucrative TV contracts.
7. 21:36 – Reflect on past struggles, beat the obstacles, and keep moving forward.
8. 25:31 – “Top players study film to improve their game.”
9. 27:58 – Aggressive two-handed backhand revolutionizes tennis shots.
10. 32:21 – Influencers, balancing making money & improving, and the evolving role of social media.
11. 34:34 – Pickleball may become an Olympic sport in the future.
12. 39:06 – Different tennis player styles adapting to pickleball.
13. 41:27 – Balancing competitiveness and off-court preparation for success.
14. 43:35 – Work hard in silence, let results speak.”
15. 47:42 – “Staying at the top in sports is tough.”

Pickleball Pod November 16, 2023

1. 0:00 Explaining the rules to Connor Garnett
2. 3:10 Banker in previous life
3. 7:10 The decision to go full-time
4. 9:51 Let’s talk about Nationals
5. 16:00 The amateur experience with UTPR and sandbagging
6. 21:16 Progression draw loved it, hated it and indifferent
7. 30:20 JW the first new champ in 7 years
8. 36:46 Haworth’s big upset
9. 39:16 Collin claps back at DUPR
10. 46:18 Do JW and Collin share secrets at MLP?
11. 50:42 Lea Jansen wants to change the serve game
12. 58:08 AJ and Fed at Nationals
13. 1:06:13 The status of San Clemente

The Pickleball Clinic Interview September 12, 2023

1. 0:00 - Intro
2. 0:40 - Why Connor's singles game is so lethal
3. 1:20 - The future of singles in pro pickleball
4. 3:50 - How Connor hits his two-handed backhand
5. 6:00 - The importance of footwork
6. 6:40 - Being Novak Djokovic's hitting partner
7. 8:40 - Depth vs. slice vs. power
8. 10:30 - Historic pickleball paddles
9. 11:30 - Connor on pickleball's growth
10. 14:45 - Reaction to MLP/PPA merger
11. 15:20 - What other pros think about the merger
12. 16:00 - Investing in pickleball
13. 19:10 - Why Connor loves pickleball

Inside MLP: EP 43 Connor 'The Condor' Garnett Has Arrived! July 26, 2023

1. 3:34 Where did Picklabell start? Why are you so good?
2. 5:35 Tennis experience
3. 6:43 US Open - Hitting partner
4. 8:05 Will tennis pros dominate pickleball
5. 9:50 Discovering pickleball
6. 11:00 What ultimately got Connor into pickleball
7. 11:44 Turning pro
8. 14:21 Family reaction to - I'm hanging up this finance job and going to play pro pickleball
9. 15:49 MLP Season 1: The Chicago Slice Experience
10. 17:13 San Clemente Super Final
11. 19:23 Dreambreaker strategy
12. 20:59 Susannah Barr
13. 22:26 What did you learn from the Chicago Slice Challenger experience
14. 23:41 Did you have an inkling that you were going to be in Premiere
15. 24:35 You not only made it, but you made it, over some staple Premiere level players from last season. What was your reaction?
16. 26:18 Is there pressure on you right now
17. 27:22 Teammates: Lea Jansen, Rafa Hewett, Etta Wright
18. 28:37 You played with Rafa this past weekend
19. 30:07 Watching old matches
20. 30:44 Why do you think you and Rafa could be a winning combination
21. 32:05 The draft
22. 33:14 MLP vs PPA
23. 34:58 MLP Super Final vs 10 PPA Gold Medals - Proof Of Concept
24. 36:24 Haters
25. 37:23 What do you have coming up
26. 38:06 Nicest Pro
27. 39:17 Winning helps

2013 Seattle Times: Five questions 

1: What’s your most memorable athletic moment so far, and did it come in tennis? my first tournament 2: Got a tennis hero, and what do you like about them? Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3: When did you start playing tennis and why? From the tender age of 5, Garnett embarked on a tennis journey initiated by his father. 4: Is there one inspirational quote that really speaks to you and that you’ve built your athletic career behind? "No pain, no gain," 5: Do you have any career goals in tennis, and is being 5-foot-8, 140 pounds an obstacle? collegiate play and professional tennis

AI Generated Question List Based On The Above Interview Questions 

Get to Know Connor Garnett:

1. During a 2013 interview with the Seattle Times, you mentioned that the quote "No pain, no gain" resonated deeply with you as a guiding principle. Can you expand on how your commitment to fitness and rigorous training has influenced your performance on the tennis court?
2. According to a 2014 Seattle Times article, your coach, Matthew Perlman, emphasized the importance of your mental resilience in tennis. How do you nurture and utilize this mental strength, particularly in crucial moments on the pickleball court today?
3. Can you share a memorable moment from your first pickleball tournament experience?
4. You've been known for your lethal singles game. What do you think sets your singles play apart from others?
5. Let's talk about your two-handed backhand. How did you develop such a strong shot, and how does it benefit your game?
6. How has your experience as Novak Djokovic's hitting partner influenced your approach to pickleball?
7. What inspired you to leave your previous career in investment banking to pursue pickleball full-time?
8. How do you balance competitiveness with off-court preparation for success in pickleball?
9. Reflecting on past struggles, what obstacles have you overcome in your sports career, and how have they shaped you?
10. As a top pickleball player, how do you handle pressure during matches?
11. Pickleball is rapidly growing. Where do you see the sport heading in the next few years?
12. You've experienced both Minor League and Major League events. How do you feel Minor League Pickleball prepared you for the big stage?
13. What's your take on the DUPR rating system and its importance in the sport?
14. Can you share any insights on finding partners in doubles and mixed doubles play? How do you build chemistry with your partners?
15. With the evolving role of social media, how do you balance making money and improving your game as a professional athlete?
16. What are your thoughts on the potential for pickleball to become an Olympic sport in the future?
17. Who are some of your pickleball inspirations or mentors, and what have you learned from them?
18. What advice would you give to aspiring pickleball players looking to improve their game?
19. Share some of your goals and aspirations for the remainder of 2024 in pickleball.
20. Finally, if you could play pickleball against any famous athlete, dead or alive, who would it be and why?