How can pickleball become a tool for healing, community, faith, and hope in countries all around the world?

In this episode, Aaron Trost, founder of Pickleball Planter, shares how a sport he once resisted became a life-changing calling. Aaron talks about first getting pulled onto the court by a friend, how pickleball helped him lose weight and find joy, and why he eventually stepped away from chasing his own competitive results to focus on using the game for something bigger. From Honduras and Hungary to Ukraine, Malaysia, Indonesia, and beyond, Aaron has taken pickleball across the globe as a way to build connection, teach life skills, and support communities through sport. 

Aaron also opens up about his background as a 5.0 player, teaching pro, and seminary graduate, and how those experiences came together in Pickleball Planter. He shares what it looks like to introduce pickleball in churches, youth camps, children’s homes, and urban communities, and why the game works so well across cultures, languages, generations, and faith backgrounds. Along the way, he reflects on meaningful work in Ukraine, the explosive growth of pickleball in Southeast Asia, and the friendships he has built in 14 countries through this silly game with a plastic ball. 

This is a heartfelt and inspiring conversation about pickleball, global pickleball growth, Pickleball Planter, faith, missions, Ukraine, Southeast Asia, youth sports, community building, and the life lessons that come from using pickleball for someone else’s good. 

https://pickleballplanter.com/

📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon

Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve

A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.

A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.

Contact us:  [email protected]

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Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

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