00:00 Intro
4:00 Best under $25 gift
5:22 OH OH, MEXICOOOOO
6:52 Nationals GOLD
10:30 “I hope nothing bad happens to you”
15:45 When to switch sides with your male/female partner
20:30 Down 7 match points
23:45 Biggest gripe about Nationals
26:00 How to win 3 game matches
29:30 40% OFF Gamma?!
31:50 “Unsportsmanlike conduct” in the women’s semis
41:50 Championship Sunday
47:15 What will MLP look like next year?
52:45 Big Money opportunities internationally
56:30 PADDLE TALK
1:04:00 Interview w/ Pran Kohli, CEO of PWR
1:08:00 Does he want to “own” it all?
1:16:00 Where is Steve Kuhn?
1:28:00 Pickleball & the Olympics: THE TRUTH (finally)
1:35:20 Will UPA & PWR partner?
1:44:00 Will pickleball be at the Vegas Sphere?!
1:45:40 PWR India Team League is here
0:00 Will Howells flips the ball to Christian Alshon
New Jersey 5s vs Texas Ranchers2:58 WD: Anna Leigh Waters/Mari Humbery vs Etta Wright/Tina Pisnik
5:51 MD: Zane Navratil/Will Howells vs Quang Duong/Christian Alshon
7:16 MxD: Zane Navratil/Mari Humberg vs Christian Alshon/Etta Wright
Match 2
9:15 WD: Anna Leigh Waters/Mari Humberg vs Etta Wright/Tina Pisnik
10:19 MD: Zane Navratil/Christian Alshon vs Quang Duong/Christian Alshon
16:00 MxD: Zane Navratil/Mari Humberg vs Christian Alshon/Etta Wright
STL Shock vs Dallas Flash18:29 WD: Anna Bright/Kate Fahey vs Trya Black/Jorja Johnson
20:16 MD: Hayden Patriquin/Gabe Tardio vs JW Johnson/Augie Ge
22:23 MxD: Anna Bright/Hayden Patriquin vs JW Johnson/Jorja Johnson
Match 2
27:25 WD: Anna Bright/Kate Fahey vs Trya Black/Jorja Johnson
28:23 MD: Hayden Patriquin/Gabe Tardio vs JW Johnson/Augie Ge
29:03 MxD: Kate Fahey/Gabe Tardio vs JW Johnson/Jorja Johnson
31:35 MxD: Anna Bright/Hayden Patriquin vs Augie Ge/Trya Black
37:43 STL Shock vs Texas Ranchers38:30 WD: Anna Bright/Kate Fahey vs Etta Wright/Tina Pisnik
42:15 MD: Hayden Patriquin/Gabe Tardio vs Quang Duong/Christian Alshon
44:44 MxD: Kate Fahey/Gabe Tardio vs Quang Duong/Tina Pisnik
45:25 MxD: Anna Bright/Hayden Patriquin vs Christian Alshon/Etta Wright
46:20 Dreambreaker
49:11 New Jersey 5s vs Dallas Flash49:21 WD: Anna Leigh Waters/Mari Humbery vs Trya Black/Jorja Johnson
54:12 MD: Zane Navratil/Will Howells vs JW Johnson/Augie Ge
55:42 MxD: Zane Navratil/Mari Humberg vs JW Johnson/Jorja Johnson
59:09 MxD: Anna Leigh Waters/Will Howells vs Augie Ge/Trya Black
1:00:29 Dreambreaker
Match 2
1:02:59 WD: Anna Leigh Waters/Mari Humbery vs Trya Black/Jorja Johnson
1:04:03 MD: Zane Navratil/Will Howells vs JW Johnson/Augie Ge
1:05:02 MxD: Zane Navratil/Mari Humberg vs JW Johnson/Jorja Johnson
1:05:37 MxD: Anna Leigh Waters/Will Howells vs Augie Ge/Trya Black
1:07:55 Dreambreaker
Match 3
1:11:24 MD: Zane Navratil/Will Howells vs JW Johnson/Augie Ge
1:12:19 WD: Anna Leigh Waters/Mari Humbery vs Trya Black/Jorja Johnson
1:14:09 MxD: Zane Navratil/Mari Humberg vs JW Johnson/Jorja Johnson
1:19:11 MxD: Anna Leigh Waters/Will Howells vs Augie Ge/Trya Black
1:23:30 Presentation
1:25:07 Hooks Of The Week
Pickleball's Maverick: Lucy Kovalova Serves Up Unfiltered Truth
A Slovakian Sensation Redefines the Game's Professional Landscape
In the rapidly evolving world of pickleball, few players capture the sport's spirit quite like Lucy Kovalova. With a blend of raw honesty, strategic prowess, and an unapologetic approach to competition, she represents a generation of athletes transforming a once-casual pastime into a serious professional pursuit.
During an interview on the King Of The Court podcast at the Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships, Kovalova peeled back the curtain on her journey, offering a penetrating look into the sport's transformation and her own remarkable career. Far from a polished PR narrative, her conversation was a refreshingly candid exploration of pickleball's professional metamorphosis.
Pickleball's Behind-the-Scenes Drama: A GM's Tale of Triumph and Turmoil
How One Team's Rise and Fall Reveals the Cutthroat World of Major League Pickleball
In the high-stakes world of Major League Pickleball (MLP), success is as much about strategic vision as it is about athletic prowess. Few understand this better than Kaitlyn Kerr, the former general manager of the Las Vegas Night Owls, whose meteoric rise and sudden fall encapsulates the sport's emerging competitive landscape. What began as a groundbreaking draft strategy, meticulously crafted with the help of pickleball aficionado Jim Claus, transformed an underestimated team into a league front runner—only to be dismantled by the very ownership group she had helped create.
This is a story of passion, ambition, and the razor-thin margins that separate triumph from disappointment in professional sports. It's a narrative that goes beyond paddle and ball, revealing the human drama behind the emerging pickleball phenomenon—a sport rapidly transitioning from backyard recreation to a serious professional endeavor with million-dollar stakes and complex organizational dynamics.
Through exclusive insights and behind-the-scenes revelations, this article peels back the curtain on one team's extraordinary journey, offering a rare glimpse into the heart of a sports revolution in the making.
1. Draft Strategy and Collaboration [3:00]
The GM partnered with Jim Claus, a retired lawyer and pickleball enthusiast, to create a draft strategy for the Las Vegas Night Owls. Despite initial skepticism, they meticulously researched players, spending over 100 hours evaluating talent. Their collaborative approach focused on gender balance and player potential, ultimately selecting key players like Kate Fahe, Chiai, and Scarpa.
2. Team Chemistry and Unexpected Success [11:25]
Defying analyst predictions, the Night Owls became a powerhouse team. With players from four different countries and languages, they developed exceptional team chemistry. The roster, initially considered the "worst team," proved critics wrong through their performance and unity.
3. Unexpected Dismissal [8:22]
Despite leading the league and creating the ownership group, the GM was abruptly fired without clear explanation. The ownership replaced her with new management, causing the team to drop from first to fifth or sixth place.
4. Future Aspirations [19:36]
Now focusing on building her brand, the former GM plans to launch a podcast called "Talk Pickle to Me," with a mission to highlight women's roles in the pickleball business ecosystem. She remains passionate about the sport and exploring opportunities in league management and player representation.
5. Personal Reflection [24:38]
The GM shared personal insights about her love for the sport and country, reflecting on experiences like international travel and the importance of perseverance in professional sports.
Article Summary
In a compelling narrative of ambition and resilience, this story illuminates the complex world of Major League Pickleball. A dedicated GM built a championship-caliber team through strategic drafting and exceptional team-building, only to be unexpectedly removed from her position. Despite the setback, she remains committed to advancing the sport, particularly focusing on increasing women's representation in pickleball's business leadership.
Kaitlyn's journey underscores the volatile nature of professional sports management, where success can be fleeting and organizational dynamics unpredictable. The narrative serves as a testament to personal passion, strategic thinking, and the ability to transform challenges into opportunities.
The Unexpected Journey: Anna Bright’s Path from Tennis to Pickleball Stardom
How a Chance Game with Family Sparked a Pro Career
Anna Bright’s trajectory from collegiate tennis star to professional pickleball player was neither straightforward nor foreseen. Once skeptical of the sport, Bright’s initial exposure was marred by a negative first impression. Yet, in a candid conversation with Mac Engel on The Engel Angle podcast, she revealed how curiosity, family influences, and an addictive competitive spirit drove her to become one of pickleball’s top players. Here, Bright shares her story of reluctance turned passion, shedding light on what makes pickleball so compelling for athletes transitioning from other racket sports.
1. Before you picked up the pickleball racket, before you even played it, what were your perceptions of the game coming from your background in tennis?
Anna Bright: My perception was pretty negative, actually. In my community here in Florida around 2015, one of our tennis courts was taken away, and they put in two pickleball courts. But no one was playing pickleball, so we were upset. We went from having two or three tennis courts to having one less, and it was quite a hassle. A lot of people in the community complained, and within a couple of months, they turned it back into a tennis court. That was my first exposure to pickleball. It’s crazy to think that if I had given it a try in 2015, I could have been one of the true OGs of the game. But at the time, my perception was very negative. The game only started to pick up in 2021 or early 2022, and even then, I had no intention to enjoy it or get good at it. My dad had been nagging me to play, and by that point, I was a little less firmly anti-pickleball.
2. When you go back to your original thoughts of the sport, did you think it was a sport?
Anna Bright: No, I thought it was just a silly game for unathletic people—kind of the stereotypical view that people have today.
3. You obviously had a lot of success with racket sports and played collegiately at the University of California. What prompted you to give pickleball a try, even if just casually?
Anna Bright: I was just done with tennis. After college, I was good but not good enough to go pro, and I knew that chapter in my life was over. My parents were playing pickleball twice a week—not fully addicted, but interested. I was home, I was bored, and I didn’t start working until January after graduating in May. So, I decided to give it a try. I played against my parents one-on-two, and I was beating them, which was fun. Then, a guy at the local park told me I was really good and should play in another area with higher-level players. Once I played with those better players, I got hooked. I have a bit of an addictive personality, and pickleball itself is addictive. Combine that with someone like me, and it’s like lighting a fire.
4. At what point did you recognize that you weren’t just good at pickleball, but really good, with a much higher ceiling than just casual play?
Anna Bright: I think it took me a few months, maybe even until my first pro tournament, to realize I was actually very good. I was lucky to be in a group with a few strong professionals and was losing all the time during practice. But at my first tournament, I played against competitors who were a bit below the level of those I practiced with, and I did really well. That’s when everything changed quickly. Playing outside my practice bubble showed me that I wasn’t just average—I might have had a little extra talent compared to the typical tennis player transitioning to pickleball.
Summary
Anna Bright’s evolution from skeptical tennis player to top-tier pickleball competitor encapsulates the sport’s burgeoning appeal. Initially dismissive of pickleball as a pastime for the less athletic, Bright’s journey underscores the sport’s potential for serious competition and personal transformation. What started as casual family games during a break from her tennis career turned into an unforeseen calling. Her story highlights the importance of trying new experiences and staying open to possibilities, demonstrating that talent and passion can ignite even where least expected.
1:15 Tennis to Pickleball
Jack Sock, Former Tennis Pro
Genie Bouchard, Former Tennis Pro
Host: Dave Fleming
38:19 Pro Player Panel
Anna Bright, Pro
Zane Navratil, Pro
Host: Dave Fleming
2:14 Pickleball Facilities
Gina Miller, Host
David Pillsbury, CEO, Invited Clubs
Austin Wood, Co-Founder/Chief Visionary Officer, The Picklr
35:50 Growing A MLP Team
Gina Miller, Host
Zubin Mehta, Co-Founder and General Partner, Good Alpha Industries
Connor Pardoe, CEO, PPA Tour
Mark Molthan, Owner Dallas Flash
1:19:37 Media Partners
Gina Miller, Host
Bob Whyley, Tennis Channel
