This spring, DUPR hit pause on your history and asked a simple question: Who are you right now, without all that baggage?

Turns out that's a harder question than it sounds.

We know because Casie did the Reset, knew it didn't count, watched her number drop, and still had to talk herself off the ledge on the way home. So we brought Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR and the man who's spent years trying to convince the pickleball community that a number is just a number, back to Dinks on Tap for a second time, fresh off a DUPR Reset period that generated more player data than anyone anticipated. 

We get into what the Reset actually was, what it wasn't, and why so many people signed up hoping it was a cheat code, plus:

Why "DUPR Reset" was never meant to be a path to a higher pickleball rating, and why everyone heard it that way anyway

The myth that playing up is the fastest way to move your number (the algorithm disagrees)

How DUPR accidentally became a social gatekeeper, and why Tito says that's their fault

Career High, Age Ratings, and DUPR Impact: the new metrics, who loves them, and who's already mad about them

Why DUPR forecast might be the perfect gambling tool (Tito's words, not ours)

The AI + camera integration coming that could finally account for what everyone knows matters most: chemistry

And why, when asked what the Forecast would look like if Tito's team played Casie and Lauren, he bet against himself

Pour something cold and press play, this one's for anyone who's ever refreshed their DUPR after a loss and told themselves it doesn't matter. 

Cheers,

Casie and Lauren

Dinks on Tap

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For those wanting to fortify their mental game on the court, check out Lauren’s Mental Caddie offerings on her website or book a Chemistry Call. 

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This week, Casie and Lauren sit down with Jay Paterno, son of Penn State coaching legend Joe Paterno, and author of Blitzed: The All-Out Pressure of College Football's New Era. 

This one is part sports conversation, part cultural temperature check, and we did what we do best: take a sports story and find the human behavior hiding underneath it. Because it turns out that money, pressure, loyalty, ego, and identity do not stay neatly on the football field. They show up everywhere people care deeply about something, including a 20X44 pickleball court with a plastic ball and a surprisingly complicated rulebook.

In this episode we talk about:

The trick Jay uses to tell the truth (and why it lands better when it comes with a little plausible deniability)

The NIL era, and what happens when college football starts operating more like a franchise than a tradition

What the pickleball community should probably get in writing before growth outruns the pickleball culture

Why the most intense person in any pickleball competition is rarely having the most fun

The chaos of a game growing faster than its guardrails and what a pickleball strategy looks like when the rulebook is still being written

The women in Jay's book who keep asking the inconvenient questions

And the question underneath it all: when something you love becomes valuable to everyone else, does it still feel like yours

The pickleball lessons here have nothing to do with your backhand and everything to do with what happens when a sport you love starts growing faster than the values that built it. So whether you're following NIL headlines or just wondering where pickleball goes from here, this episode gives you plenty to chew on. 

Pour something cold, hit play, and spend some time with the man who knows what happens when a game gets bigger than its guardrails.

Cheers,

Casie and Lauren

Dinks on Tap

You can purchase Blitzed!: The All-Out Pressure of College Football's New Era by Jay Paterno here. 

Other ways to connect with Jay Paterno:Website

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For those wanting to fortify their mental game on the court, check out Lauren’s Mental Caddie offerings on her website or book a Chemistry Call. 

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It’s one thing to pick up a paddle sport on a whim.

It’s another thing entirely to realize (somewhere between a rec game and an invite-only underground games scene) that this “casual hobby” has started organizing your calendar, your social life, and, subtly, your sense of self.

This week, Casie and Lauren sit down with Clare Frank, former Chief of Fire Protection for the state of California, longtime leader in wildfire response, and now author of Just One More Game. What begins as a conversation about a pickleball obsession quickly turns into something more revealing: what happens when a life built on urgency, mission, and high stakes suddenly slows down… and a game steps in to fill the space.

Clare didn’t set out to join the pickleball community. She showed up in flip-flops to watch. What followed was a familiar but rarely examined progression: rec game, better players, underground games, pickleball camp, tournament play, all orbiting a single, slightly uncomfortable question: why does this pickleball game get such a hold on people?

The answer, it turns out, has very little to do with the game itself.

Somewhere in this conversation is a realization most players recognize but rarely articulate: the game is just the entry point.

What keeps people coming back is harder to name, and much harder to walk away from.

Pour a spicy marg and press play. This one’s for anyone who’s ever wondered why this game gets such a hold on people.

Cheers,

You can purchase Just One More Game by Clare Frank here. Other ways to connect with Clare Frank:

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For those wanting to fortify their mental game on the court, check out Lauren’s Mental Caddie offerings on her website or book a Chemistry Call. 

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What happens when two big personalities collide on the pickleball court? 

You get a duo that turns the game into chemistry, rhythm, and unapologetic energy!

Jeanne and Pam bring equal parts of competitive fire and self-awareness. They share how they improved, built a strong partnership, and found their place within a growing pickleball community, especially in pickleball for seniors.

In this episode, we talk about:

For those who play for fun and those who take it more seriously, there is something familiar in how this kind of connection shapes your days. 

So, pour something cold, settle in, and spend time with two people who remind you that the best part of pickleball might not be the game at all.

Cheers,

Let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with us:

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Pickleball players will build an entire life around playing. Watching the pros? That’s where things get interesting.

In this episode, Casie and Lauren sit down with broadcaster, commentator, and certified pickleball numbers guy, Will Daughton, to ask a deceptively simple question: if rec players are so obsessed with pickleball…why aren’t more of them watching the pickleball pros?

What follows is a conversation about PickleballTV, Major League Pickleball, momentum swings, partnership dynamics, and the parts of pickleball strategy most rec players miss in plain sight. Not because the rec world needs a lesson, but because watching high-level pickleball reveals a different layer of the game entirely.

They we about:

This one is part pickleball strategy, part sports psychology, part broadcast-booth confessional.

So whether you’re a loyal PickleballTV viewer or someone who still claims you’d “rather just go play,” this episode offers a strong argument for paying closer attention.

Grab your drink, hit play, and meet the man making the pro game a lot more interesting to watch.

Cheers,

Let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with us:

Instagram: @dinksontap

Facebook: @DinksonTap

For those wanting to fortify their mental game on the court, check out Lauren’s Mental Caddie offerings on her website or book a Chemistry Call. 

If you love being comfy as much as we do, go to cozyearth.com, use code DINKS for up to 20% off, and get ready to live your coziest life!

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Ever wonder what your parents would say if they were handed a microphone and asked to review your sports career? Would they praise your hustle… or finally reveal that one time you blamed the wind for a missed shot? In this special bonus episode, an extension of Episode 38, we invite the ultimate behind-the-scenes MVPs onto the mic: our parents.

This isn’t your typical lineup of sports interviews. Instead of talking with pros or coaches, we bring on the original supporters who shaped our journey through youth sports, competitive sports, and into podcasting. Through funny and heartfelt family stories, we reflect on how sports parenting, teamwork, and a strong sports mindset shaped who we are today, on and off the pickleball court.

You’ll hear:

Whether you grew up in youth sports, are raising future athletes, or simply love the stories that shape the people behind the paddles, this episode is full of laughs, perspective, and a whole lot of gratitude.

So grab your paddle, pour something refreshing, and join us for a heartfelt episode of our favorite pickleball podcast. And hey… after listening, you might just want to call your parents and thank them for all those early morning rides to practice. Cheers! 🥂🏓

Cheers,

Casie & Lauren

Let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with us:

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For those wanting to fortify their mental game on the court, check out Lauren’s Mental Caddie offerings on her website or book a Chemistry Call. 

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Ever wonder what it takes to raise a kid in competitive pickleball without turning every car ride home into a post-match press conference? A junior pickleball match only lasts so long, but parenting the player behind it is the part that follows you home. This episode gets into the family side of the game, where the travel is real, the pressure is sneaky, and keeping the joy alive can matter just as much as the result.

This week, we head into the wonderfully unhinged world of junior pickleball. where the snacks are packed, the hotel check-ins are tactical, and the group text about partners somehow carries more tension than the actual match. This week, we talk with the parents behind some seriously talented young players and pull back the curtain on what sports parenting looks like when your kid is chasing the tournament circuit, eyeing the pro circuit, and learning how to compete in a sport that can hand you a highlight reel and a minor emotional spiral in the same afternoon.

Glenda Calvo is a longtime volleyball coach with strong takes on the mental game, mental training, and why positive talk is not fluff, it’s fuel. Jared Messenger is a dad deep in the logistics of junior pro tournaments, managing travel, school, and the strange reality of watching a 14-year-old hold his own against grown men in competitive pickleball. And Angela Todd, the mother of Parris Todd, a recognizable face in professional pickleball, brings a hard-earned perspective on athlete development, communication, and the kind of boundary setting that keeps ambition from swallowing the whole family.

We talk about:

This one is funny, unexpectedly tender, and full of the kind of insight that makes you rethink what support really looks like in sport. 

Jared also recommends the National Junior Pickleball League as a great alternative for families looking beyond the PPA or MLP path. With divisions for beginner, intermediate, advanced, and elite players, it offers more guaranteed play through pool play followed by bracket play, making it a strong option for kids who want a competitive experience without the quick two-loss-and-you’re-done format.

So grab your marg and come hang with us for a conversation about the parents behind the players, the pressure behind the paddles, and the heart behind the hustle.

Cheers,

Casie & Lauren

Let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with us:

Instagram: @dinksontap

Facebook: @DinksonTap

For those wanting to fortify their mental game on the court, check out Lauren’s Mental Caddie offerings on her website or book a Chemistry Call. 

If you love being comfy as much as we do, go to cozyearth.com, use code DINKS for up to 20% off, and get ready to live your coziest life!

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What if the most “irresponsible” thing you ever did… (joining a sport with a wiffle ball and a weird name) was actually the smartest move you’ve made for your physical health, your sanity, and your social life?

In Episode 37, Casie & Lauren are doing what they do best: pickleball + truth + tequila. We’re talking Mardi Gras (yes, balls, yes, beads, yes, strangers screaming at you like they’ve known you forever)… and why pickleball is basically the same experience but with less glitter and more knee braces.

We also tackle one of life’s greatest mysteries: why the rally ends and your brain immediately goes “nope” on the score. Lauren dives into the neuroscience of play and explains why “pickleball brain” is your brain prioritizing survival over bookkeeping.

And then Casie gets real about the emotional plot twist no one warns you about: how a career change can crack open an identity crisis, and how the court can become the thing that pulls you into a new chapter you didn’t see coming, complete with an identity shift, better habits, and the kind of community that makes you feel tethered again.

Because yes, this pickleball lifestyle might start as “cardio with friends” but it ends up being a full-blown life transformation.

So grab your shot of Point Blank Reposado, squeeze a lime, and join us as we connect Mardi Gras madness to midlife magic, from the boardroom to the baseline, from burnout to belonging… and from “what’s the score?” to “who even cares, that rally was ART.”

Let’s get you back to the kitchen. Just try to remember the score this time.

Cheers,

Casie & Lauren

Let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with us:

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Learn more about the Mental Caddie or LPV Coaching, check out Lauren’s website or book a Chemistry Call. 

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You’re standing on the court, paddle in hand, staring at an empty net while the Tournament Director is nowhere to be found and your "10:00 AM start time" has officially become a suggestion. 

We’ve all been there… trapped in a bracket that feels more like a gridlocked parking lot than an elite player experience.

In this episode, joining us in the hot seat is Mike Hoxie, the "Tournament Titan" and founder of Pickleball Is Great (P.I.G.). Mike has spent years modernizing pickleball tournaments from paper and pencil to seamless, text-messaged operations. He’s the expert on keeping the game moving, from coordinating the senior games at the Huntsman to managing high-stakes matches with prize money.

We're gonna dive into the organized chaos of the pickleball community with a man who has seen more court time than a Franklin pickleball. We talk about the massive pickleball growth of the last decade and the transition from the retail sports management grind to the "island style" pace of running over 150 pickleball events a year.

Here’s what we’re pouring out in this episode:

We’ll also discuss why recreational pickleball players often get burned out by bad experiences and why the best pickleball strategy starts with reading the fine print before you hit that tournament registration button.

So, grab a Kahlua and cream, put down the rulebook, and find out how to spend more time dinking and less time checking your watch. Let’s get you out of the parking lot and back into the kitchen!

Cheers,

Casie & Lauren

Let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with us:

Instagram: @dinksontap

Facebook: @DinksonTap

Learn more about the Mental Caddie or LPV Coaching, check out Lauren’s website or book a Chemistry Call. 

Ways to connect with Mike Hoxie and Pickleball is Great (PIG):

Pickleball Is Great - 10 Years!

https://pickleballisgreat.com/

www.facebook.com/PICKLEBALLISGR8/

twitter.com/pickleballisgr8

https://www.youtube.com/@PickleballisGR8/

**We are celebrating 10 years in the Tournament Management Business.  Coast to Coast and now international with tournaments in Japan, Mexico, and soon Tahiti

Upcoming Tournaments

2026 Pickle Money Ball - Mar 19, 2026 - Mar 22, 2026

https://pickleballtournaments.com/tournaments/2026-pickle-money-ball

**New tournament with $600,000 in prize money - paid down to the 16th position.  DUPR Skill based.  Last minute registration ends 3/4/26

USA Pickleball Golden Ticket - Washington 7/9/26 to 7/12/26 (seattle)

https://pickleballtournaments.com/tournaments/usa-pickleball-golden-ticket-washington

**Our first USA Pickleball Golden ticket tournament! Registration starts in April!  Challenger membership of $12 a year required for every player

Kimo Dejon's 1st Annual Tahiti Senior Pickleball Tournament

Jun 02, 2026 - Jun 03, 2026

https://pickleballtournaments.com/tournaments/kimo-dejons-1st-annual-tahiti-senior-pickleball-tournament-by-pig

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Let’s be real, how many times have you missed an easy dink and immediately blamed your paddle, the wind (even indoors), or your partner’s breathing? 

We’ve all been there: the dreaded mental spiral where one bad shot turns into three, and suddenly you’ve forgotten how to hold a paddle. 

In this inaugural episode of 2026, we’re stacking the court differently as Casie takes the host seat to interview her ride-or-die doubles partner (and co-host!), Lauren Vosbein. We aren’t just talking about drops and drives, we’re diving into the "fifth player" on the court: your mindset. 

We share the hilarious and effective story of how Lauren stopped Casie’s mid-match meltdown by forcing her to mentally travel to Turks and Caicos during a timeout, proving that sometimes the best pickleball strategy has nothing to do with footwork. 

Lauren isn’t just your favorite drinking buddy on this pod; she’s the founder of The Mental Caddy, an executive leadership coach for Fortune 100 companies, and an "accidental sports psychologist" who helps everyone from corporate VPs to PPA pros like Ivan Jakovljevic master their minds before they melt down. 

Here’s what we’re pouring out in this episode:

So pour yourself a fresh one, find your inner "LaRhonda," and get ready to train your brain to stop getting in your own way.

Cheers,

Casie & Lauren

Let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with us:

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To learn more about the Mental Caddie or LPV Coaching, check out Lauren’s website or book a Chemistry Call.

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