Life Lessons from Pickleball™

What if the key to better pickleball is not just better shots, but a better understanding of the game?

Senior pickleball pro Tony Roig joins us for a thoughtful and energizing conversation about strategy, mindset, and what it really takes to improve. As co-founder of Better Pickleball, host of Pickleball Therapy, and a full-time coach, Tony helps players understand the game from the inside out.

In this episode, Tony shares how he found pickleball after a strong tennis background, why losses often teach us more than wins, and how understanding the framework of the game can completely change the way we play.

He also offers powerful life lessons about competition, self-talk, and why every time you step on the pickleball court, you still deserve a bowl of ice cream.

📘 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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

What happens when life falls apart and you have to rebuild from the ground up?

In this heartfelt episode, Michele Heffron shares how a difficult divorce became the beginning of a powerful personal transformation. After years as a stay-at-home mom, Michele found herself having to reinvent her life, rebuild her confidence, and learn how to truly support herself.

Today, she is a certified life, relationship, and divorce coach who helps women navigate major transitions with more clarity, self-worth, and intention. Michele opens up about grief, anxiety, people-pleasing, boundaries, and the deep inner work that helps us create a life with more joy, love, and purpose.

This is a meaningful conversation about personal agency, healing, and becoming who you are meant to be.

https://micheleheffron.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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

How do you rebuild your life after losing a limb and return to the court stronger than ever?

In this episode, Brian De Herrera shares his remarkable journey from surviving a life-threatening bacterial infection to becoming a competitive pickleball player, coach, and inspiration to everyone who meets him. Brian opens up about the infection that led to his leg amputation, the recovery process, learning to use a prosthetic, and why he says the amputation ultimately gave him a better quality of life.

He also talks about his love of pickleball, how the sport has given him community, purpose, friendship, and joy, and the powerful life lessons he has learned about resilience, presence, gratitude, and overcoming adversity.

This is an inspiring conversation about pickleball, amputation, prosthetics, disability, resilience, mental strength, recovery, community, and living life fully on and off the court.

📘 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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

How can pickleball test a relationship, reveal our communication patterns, and actually help couples love each other better instead of wanting to pull out a kitchen knife?

In this episode, Teri Citterman and Dr. Stormy Hill, co-authors of the Amazon bestselling book In a Pickle: How to Master Love and Pickleball and Not Kill Each Other, share how their personal pickleball journeys, professional expertise, and real-life relationship struggles inspired them to write one of the most relatable books in the sport. Teri brings her background as an executive coach helping people with communication, feedback, and difficult conversations, while Stormy brings 20 years of experience as a mental health occupational therapist and relationship and intimacy coach. Together, they explain why the pickleball court can become a surprisingly intense communication workshop for couples, and why so many loving relationships can suddenly go sideways once the score starts counting. 

They also open up about their own stories, from discovering pickleball in Austin and Costa Rica to watching their otherwise strong romantic relationships get tested on the court. Teri and Stormy talk honestly about expectations, competitiveness, learning differences, assumptions, frustration, mixed doubles, tournament pressure, and the emotional charge that comes from playing with the person you love most. Along the way, they share practical tools from the book, including safe words, intention setting, the importance of humor, and their unforgettable first rule of pickleball: don’t be a dick. 

This is a funny, wise, and surprisingly insightful conversation about pickleball, relationships, communication, mixed doubles, marriage, dating, couples coaching, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, Costa Rica pickleball, and the life lessons that remind us that love and pickleball can absolutely go together, if we learn how to play with more grace, honesty, and fun. 

Book:              https://a.co/d/ikVvTgo

Website:       www.Loveandpickleball.net

Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/love_and_pickleball/

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/love.and.pickleball?mibextid=LQQJ4d

📘 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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

How can pickleball become more than a game and turn into a source of friendship, character, joy, and lifelong growth?

In this episode, Glen Peterson shares his remarkable pickleball journey, from being introduced to doubles by his 85-year-old father at the North Shore Senior Center to becoming a decorated senior pickleball player with medals in singles and doubles at major championships. Glen reflects on growing up in Seattle, playing high school tennis, retiring at 48 after a worldwide career with Caterpillar, and then unexpectedly finding a new passion in pickleball in his early 50s. Along the way, he talks about his years with Pickleball Central, creating instructional videos, developing the SwiftNet, and working with Selkirk on a signature paddle. 

Glen also opens up about the evolution of pickleball from a fun hobby into a true sport, and why he still believes the heart of the game is not winning, but people. He shares stories about learning from stronger players, traveling to tournaments in Japan, partnering with top senior pros, and discovering that the friendships built through pickleball often matter more than the medals. He also offers thoughtful insights on how pickleball reveals character, teaches humility, and reminds us that looks can be deceiving, conflict can teach us something, and the right partner can change everything. 

This is a wise and uplifting conversation about pickleball, senior pickleball, Pickleball Central, SwiftNet, Selkirk, Japan pickleball, doubles strategy, friendship, sportsmanship, healthy aging, character, and the life lessons that remind us to smile, include others, choose great partners, and enjoy the people on the court more than the score. 

📘 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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

How can pickleball become a new career, a creative brand, and a powerful community that truly changes lives?

In this episode, Dean “Deano” Guyer shares his inspiring journey from playing tennis at age four and competing in collegiate tennis in Indiana to becoming a pro pickleball player, coach, and one of the passionate voices behind the pickleball lifestyle brand VIVUS Pickleball. Deano talks about first seeing pickleball as more of a lawn game than a serious sport, then discovering just how athletic, competitive, and addictive it could be after moving to Bend, Oregon and stumbling upon a professional tournament. From that point on, his pickleball journey took off. 

Deano also shares how his love for the sport led him into coaching at the Premier Pickleball Club in Redmond, Oregon, where he now helps players of all levels grow their game by focusing on both their strengths and the areas that need refinement. He explains why pickleball coaching is not about forcing everyone into the same mold, but about helping each player find a style that fits their body, instincts, and confidence. Along the way, he reflects on the huge difference between tennis and pickleball culture, the extraordinary diversity of the pickleball community, and why the sport creates friendships and belonging in a way he has never experienced anywhere else. 

He also opens up about co-founding VIVUS Pickleball and the message behind “Pickleball Saves Lives,” a phrase born from the countless stories he and his friend Jessica heard from players whose lives were changed through movement, recovery, friendship, grief, healing, and purpose on the pickleball court. This is a heartfelt and energizing conversation about pickleball, pro pickleball, pickleball coaching, Redmond Oregon, Bend Oregon, VIVUS Pickleball, Pickleball Saves Lives, tennis to pickleball, friendship, community, growth, and the life lessons that remind us the game is never just about winning, but about the people we meet and the lives we build along the way. 

📘 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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

 How can pickleball be adapted so every person, regardless of physical, cognitive, or developmental ability, has the chance to succeed on the court?

In this episode, Sandy Halkett, founder of Adaptive Pickleball, shares how she built a groundbreaking nonprofit that teaches pickleball to athletes with diverse abilities, including physical disabilities, cognitive challenges, and developmental differences. Sandy explains how her background in golf instruction and Special Olympics coaching led her to create adaptive pickleball programs, including her innovative version of simplified play called Thunderball.

She also shares powerful stories of transformation, from veterans with PTSD to nonverbal athletes whose families say pickleball has changed their lives. This is an inspiring conversation about adaptive sports, inclusive pickleball, disability, Special Olympics, coaching, community, and the life lessons that come from helping every person find meaningful involvement.

📘 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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

In this encore episode, Roger BelAir shares one of the most extraordinary stories we have ever heard about the power of pickleball to change lives. After a successful 30-year career as a financial professional, author, and speaker, Roger found a new passion in pickleball and then followed an unexpected idea that would take him far beyond the court. After watching a 60 Minutes segment about Cook County Jail, he had a simple but bold thought: the inmates should be playing pickleball. That one idea led Roger to write a letter, show up in person, and begin introducing pickleball inside prisons, where the game quickly became much more than recreation. 

Roger explains how pickleball in prisons has helped reduce disciplinary problems, create healthier interactions between inmates and staff, and even break down barriers between rival gang members who previously would not even speak to one another. He shares powerful stories from Cook County Jail, Rikers Island, San Quentin, and other correctional facilities, where pickleball has brought exercise, laughter, dignity, teamwork, and human connection into places that desperately need hope. Along the way, Roger reflects on why pickleball works so well in prison, how it differs from other sports like basketball, and why the game’s social nature creates community one rally at a time. 

This is a moving and unforgettable conversation about pickleball, prisons, rehabilitation, restorative justice, prison reform, gang violence, second chances, human dignity, community, hope, and the life lessons that remind us people can change when they are treated with respect, invited into connection, and given a chance to discover something better inside themselves. 

📘 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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

How can pickleball inspire perseverance, reshape the way we teach, and help students see that effort, discipline, and hope really do matter?

In this episode, Huishan Wan shares his unique pickleball journey, from first being introduced to the sport through a friend from church to becoming a gold medal singles player and a passionate advocate for pickleball on the University of Northern Iowa campus. A professor of accounting who teaches financial accounting to undergraduate and graduate students, Huishan brings a thoughtful, reflective perspective to the game, connecting pickleball not only to competition and strategy, but also to character, resilience, and personal growth. 

Huishan talks about how his background in table tennis and badminton helped him understand spin, control, and court instincts in pickleball, and how—almost by accident—he entered his first singles tournament and won gold. He also shares the story of how students at the University of Northern Iowa were inspired by his enthusiasm for pickleball and asked him to become the faculty advisor for a new student pickleball club, which now competes at college tournaments. Along the way, he explains why the lessons of pickleball apply so naturally to education, especially the importance of preparation, practice, persistence, and never giving up when the score—or life—feels stacked against you. 

Drawing from both the classroom and the court, Huishan reflects on the connection between habits and destiny, the value of encouragement over criticism, and the importance of having a balanced life filled with hobbies, interests, and meaningful human connection. This is a thoughtful and uplifting conversation about pickleball, University of Northern Iowa, accounting professor, college pickleball, singles pickleball, table tennis, badminton, perseverance, encouragement, discipline, and the life lessons that remind us growth happens point by point, habit by habit, and day by day. 

📘 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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.

How can pickleball reflect the deeper lessons of life, faith, writing, and learning to let go of what we cannot control?

In this episode, award-winning author Jennifer Sienes shares her heartfelt story of discovering pickleball, navigating profound life challenges, and finding inspiration both on and off the court. Jennifer talks about first being introduced to pickleball by retired teacher friends in Northern California, showing up in sandals with no idea what the game even was, and quickly falling in love with the fun, competition, and community of the sport. She also opens up about her life as a writer of inspirational contemporary Christian fiction, the role faith plays in her work, and how life experience became the teacher that ultimately gave depth and meaning to her stories. 

Jennifer reflects on the difficult seasons that shaped her writing, including her son’s serious accident, her daughter’s traumatic brain injury and long recovery, her brother’s suicide, her mother’s leukemia diagnosis, and the collapse of her first marriage. She shares how those experiences became the emotional ground for her novels, how writing helped her process grief and healing, and why she believes hope, humor, and faith must remain at the center of even the hardest stories. Along the way, she also talks about her article “Life Is Like a Game of Pickleball,” drawing connections between dinking, the kitchen, keeping your eye on the ball, and the life lessons we learn when we stop trying to control everything and trust God with the rest. 

This is a moving and encouraging conversation about pickleball, inspirational fiction, contemporary Christian fiction, faith, grief, traumatic brain injury, healing, marriage, resilience, writing, hope, and the life lessons that remind us to stay focused on the point in front of us, lean on others when we need help, and trust that even life’s hardest chapters can become part of a larger story of grace. 

📘 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]

Follow and watch:
https://www.lifelessonsfrompickleballpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557275391316
https://www.instagram.com/lifelessonsfrompickleball/
https://www.youtube.com/@LifeLessonsFromPickleballPod

Music gifted to us by Ian Pedersen: @ianpedersen 

Thanks for listening and you can also watch us on Youtube.