Pickle Mars Podcast

Referees make the calls, and lately they have been taking the heat for them. In episode 11, Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa and Leander Lazaro sit down with Erica Petil Pendon, a PPF Level 1 certified referee. Filmed in Pampanga on October 4, right after MPPT Leg 1.

Erica explains the MPPT Leg 1 scoring issue (a scoring-software problem, not bias), opens up about the missed foot-fault call that got her bashed online, and why referees stay for the passion, not the pay. Then it's rules Q&A: distraction vs hindrance, broken strings and shoes, taunting and technical fouls, excessive cheering, power trips, linesmen and intentional body shots.

Be gracious to the refs: they are human beings first.

Co-hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa, Leander Lazaro. Guest: Erica Petil Pendon, PPF Level 1 Referee.

Not sponsored. Pickle Mars was not paid for this episode.

Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ab1i6Z1D7_U

A pickleball league is charging players to try out, and what we're hearing about the offers is hard to defend: six-figure deals for foreign players, while some local players reportedly signed on for nothing. In episode 10, Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa and Leander Lazaro talk about international players entering local leagues and tournaments: tryout fees, exhibition games with no guarantee, a draft combine with no public draft pool, and why hometown heroes bring the crowd.

Halfway through, a former Season 1 player joins us on the phone (anonymous, voice disguised) to tell us how the draft combine actually went.

We are not naming the league, and it's nothing personal: it's for the community to know what's happening and decide where to put its support.

Co-hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa, Leander Lazaro.

Not sponsored. Pickle Mars was not paid for this episode.

Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B03jW_JCaYQ

The Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour's second leg in Tagaytay is done, and the Parañaque Titans went back-to-back. In episode 9, Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa and Leander Lazaro (both Titans) go through the venue, what still needs fixing, ticket prices, DUPR, the teams that got better and the teams that need help.

Also in this one: the semis incident seen from the sidelines, a line-challenge rule where the math isn't mathing, warm-up courts and bad bounces, Tacloban Aces' run to the final and Jen Cayetano, the GenSan Punchers' chemistry, the Batangas Bangers, and Alfonso's missing piece.

Co-hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa, Leander Lazaro.

Not sponsored. Pickle Mars was not paid for this episode.

Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7f-IgMM3TVo

What do pro pickleball players actually carry? In episode 8, Leander Lazaro and Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa empty their bags for Bryan Peralta, pocket by pocket: linen spray, AirFly glasses, a medicine kit, a 14 mm prototype paddle, bathing wipes, a laundry system and a fan that is also a water bottle.

Plus why hygiene and routine matter when you are on tour and in front of fans. Filmed Sep 26 at Tela Park, the same day as Ep 6 and before MPPT Leg 1.

Co-hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa, Leander Lazaro.

Pickle Mars was not paid for this episode. Leander is sponsored by K-Swiss.

Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ukE9Ngl9aQE

The Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour just finished its first leg, and the Parañaque Titans won it. In episode 7, Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa and Leander Lazaro (both Titans) sit down with guest Ian Paulo Cortez of the Pampanga Chefs to go through what MPPT got right, what went wrong, and what needs fixing before Tagaytay.

Also in this one: how the Titans set their lineup, where a 1-million prize pool actually goes, how MPPT compares with PYCL, MLP Australia and the World Pickleball League, the Alfonso referee timeout, line calls with no challenge system, venues that can hold a crowd, and our power rankings for the title.

Co-hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa, Leander Lazaro. Guest: Ian Paulo Cortez.

Pickle Mars was not paid for this episode. Our guest shouts out his own sponsors in it and hosted the recording.

Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/m5fq_ZEaxLc

Who do the players look up to? Recorded at Tela Park in Las Piñas, episode 6 has Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa and Leander Lazaro each naming a favorite pro in Asia and a favorite pro anywhere. The reasons turn out to have very little to do with skill.

Also in this one: Leander's Manila Cup title with a 15-year-old partner, why touring pros are flying in for Philippine tournaments, what Anna Leigh Waters gets away with that every coach tells you not to do, and a community question about the first paddles Sarah and Leander ever played with.

Co-hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa, Leander Lazaro

Pickle Mars was not paid for this episode. Sarah and Leander shout out their own athlete sponsors in it, and Tela Park hosted the recording.

Watch the video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2qJ9ZYPf00A

Sarah and Leander are back from three weeks on the road: the Pickleball World Cup in Vietnam with the Philippine team, a PPA 125 where they broke through for their first international gold, and the PPA 1000 in Kuala Lumpur. What actually happened in the team event, why rally scoring punishes, the qualifying draw that is "cooked", the Lifetime ball, being heckled by a fellow Filipino in Malaysia, and what it takes for the Philippines to compete in Asia.

Co-hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Nervasa, Leander Lazaro

This episode is not sponsored. Nothing in it is paid or endorsed content.

Watch the video episode on the Pickle Mars YouTube channel: youtube.com/@PickleMars

Sandbagging is the most argued-about problem in Philippine pickleball right now — players entering below their real level to take medals and prize money off the people who belong there.

In Episode 4 of Pickle Mars, Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Narvasa, and Ean Leander Lazaro work out why it happens, what it costs the sport, and whether the DUPR rating system can actually stop it.

The conversation covers what an amateur tournament really costs in the United States, why beginners' categories with big cash prizes become a trap, the Baguio tournament that disqualified its sandbaggers, and how a DUPR coach actually assesses a player.

The episode also explores why reliability matters more than your rating, why "intermediate" has stopped meaning anything, and what to do about players running two DUPR accounts.

🎙️ Hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Narvasa & Ean Leander Lazaro

This episode is not sponsored by DUPR and is not paid or endorsed content.

0:00 Welcome back to Pickle Mars

1:22 What sandbagging actually means

3:05 When your own coach is in your bracket

4:51 Why people do it: money and ego

7:09 What an amateur tournament costs in the US

9:24 The open category problem

11:17 Self-rating and the PPF registry

12:12 How a DUPR coach actually rates you

14:11 The worst stories we've heard

15:34 Baguio: disqualified

16:27 Beginners don't belong in open tournaments

17:50 Don't bring crab mentality into pickleball

21:19 DUPR is a rating, not a ranking

25:39 Is DUPR reliable yet?

29:20 Not everyone starts a beginner

30:13 Stop saying "intermediate"

33:24 Can sandbagging ever be eliminated?

34:17 The reliability trap

36:05 People with two DUPR accounts

38:35 Closing thoughts

⚠️ NOTE: Audio quality improves from 4:42 onwards. Thank you for your understanding!

Women continue to break barriers in pickleball, but what challenges still stand in their way?

In Episode 3 of Pickle Mars, Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Narvasa, and Leander Lazaro discuss the experiences, challenges, and opportunities facing women in pickleball, particularly in the Philippines and across Asia.

The conversation covers motherhood and competitive sports, family-friendly tournaments, cultural expectations, women’s participation, and the importance of building stronger support systems for female athletes.

The episode also explores the growth of women’s events, the development of female talent, better media coverage, and how the pickleball community can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women and families.

🎙️ Hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Narvasa & Leander Lazaro

What does it take to become a professional pickleball player in the Philippines?

In Episode 2 of Pickle Mars, Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Narvasa, and Leander Lazaro talk about the journey toward becoming a pro pickleball player, from training and competition to the opportunities and challenges facing Filipino athletes.

The conversation covers the path from competitive play to the professional level, player development, local and international competition, the growing opportunities for Filipino players, and what it takes to compete at the highest level.

The episode also explores the future of professional pickleball in the Philippines and the big question: Can Filipino players make it to the world stage?

🎙️ Hosts: Bryan Peralta, Sarah Jane Lim-Narvasa & Leander Lazaro