I was introduced to pickleball by my close friend at the end of 2019, and became instantly hooked. I started with barely any experience in sports, and definitely no background in racquet sports. I finally got the guts to enter my first tournament in the summer of 2021, and ended up taking silver amongst the 10+ doubles teams. The same partner and I won gold at the following 2 iterations of the same tournament. My wife and I competed together in a tournament for the first time in 2022, taking bronze in the 3.5 mixed division. I won 3 gold medals and 1 silver in 3.5 men’s doubles tournaments from spring 2022 to summer 2023. From summer 2023 to summer 2024, I frustratingly placed 4th in 3 consecutive 4.0 men’s doubles tournaments, finally breaking through with a silver followed by 2 golds in 4.0 men’s doubles. Last year, I began competing at the 4.5 level, and won bronze in 4.5 men’s doubles at the last tournament I played. I hope to compete in more brackets soon!

My dad! Growing up as a shy homeschooler, I never gathered the confidence to approach local public schools about participating in their sports programs. I did, however, play one season of baseball when I was 6 years old through a public program in my town, and my dad volunteered as a coach. The guidance and support my father showed me was invaluable and a special monument in our relationship. He played every sport available in his early years, and carried that passion into adulthood. He was able to channel his immense knowledge and skill in a way that connected with that shy little 6 year old, and he did everything he could to help all the kids feel like a part of the team. In pickleball, he continues to coach me even though I’ve definitely eclipsed his pickleball acumen. He is constantly teaching me lessons on sportsmanship and teamwork, and his keen eye for technique and strategy always gives me a valuable perspective on my performance. The most memorable moment we’ve had on court together was taking first place in a league run by a local rec center. We had a blast playing together, regardless of the skill-mismatch between us. The pressure and intense competition of being the underdog battling through the playoff bracket was an incredible bonding experience. Capping it off with an upset win in the final to take the gold medal was simply unbelievable. It will always be one of my favorite moments in life!

I am beyond passionate about pickleball! This sport has truly changed my life. It has gifted me an incredible community of great people, given me a healthy outlet for my competitive spirit, and tremendously improved my physical and mental health. I feel so much joy when I can share these benefits with others. As for my personality, I’ve always loved making people laugh. I crack jokes and thrive where there is humor and laughter! I am measured in my approach to nearly everything, sometimes to my detriment. I seek to always be empathetic, thoughtful, dependable, friendly, inclusive, and supportive. Beyond the court, I play music in any form I can get my hands on. From age 7, I taught myself to play guitar, and have since also learned bass, drums, piano, ukulele, and various percussion. I was formerly a background vocalist and guitarist in a metalcore band, and I currently play guitar, keys, bass, and sing in a progressive rock band with my wife and 3 of my best friends. My wife plays violin in the band and works in the mental health field. We have a scruffy little dachshund/yorkie name Dave Growl. I have 2 nephews that I intend to train to be the next big pickleball stars, but for now one will soon start kindergarten and the other can’t quite walk yet. They’ll be holding paddles soon enough!

I began pickleball coaching informally with family, friends, and players in my community in early 2022. I have been coaching in a professional capacity since becoming a Pickleball Pro at The Valley Athletic Club in Olympia in late 2024. I am a DUPR Coach, and am in the final stretch of receiving a Pickleball Coaching International credential.

Over the past 5 years I have poured myself into the game, soaking up all the knowledge I can and working diligently to apply any technique, tactic, and mindset that can improve my game. Starting from the absolute bottom, there isn’t a single hurdle in the way of a player’s development that I haven’t had to overcome myself. I have gleaned a vast wealth of knowledge of building the skills vital to pickleball that I will enthusiastically share with a strong emphasis on both efficient improvement and infectious fun!

A typical training session will begin with a dynamic warmup to ensure we are prepared for the physical demands of the lesson. If a goal is not already established, the student(s) and I will play rallies in which I will intentionally incorporate a wide variety of challenges in order to identify skills, techniques, strategic elements, etc. to target in our session(s). Once a target has been established, I will give a clear rundown of what the session will entail. Each session will be uniquely tailored to the student and their goals, but the essential components and a basic progression are: collaboratively discuss the “why” behind the skill, practice the skill in an isolated fashion starting at its most basic foundation, perform one or multiple fun and challenging drills that specifically incorporate and hone in on the targeted skill, and integrate the skill into a real game or a game-like scenario, sometimes with a level of simulated pressure. This approach offers the student the opportunity to understand why the skill matters, learn the skill in an isolated and repeated fashion to develop it correctly and efficiently, further practice the skill in an engaging and fun setting, and put it all together in the context of a game scenario.