Exclusive Interview with MVP Lee Whitwell

[00:00:02] Speaker A: Sleeve's senior pickleball report is brought to you by TNC Network. Get ready for an exciting episode of people of pickleball with Mike Sliva. We're about to dive deep into conversations with influential figures from the world of pickleball, so let's get it going. [00:00:26] Speaker B: Today we have an interview with the one, the only Lee Whitwell. Lady Geralta has joined us and we will have a conversation with her. She is the two time MLP MVP and great conversation, so stay tuned for that. But first, hey, if you like this content, consider subscribing to the channel. Check out our merch page as well. Follow our newsletter because, hey, you don't want to miss anything in the pickleverse. And check out all the discounts for balls, paddles and merch in the discount area below. All right, folks, let's get to that interview with Lee Whitwell. Lady Gibraltar, Lee Whitwell just started playing in the champions division. Senior pro ball. Great start. Welcome to the senior pickleball report, Lee Whitwell. [00:01:19] Speaker A: Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. [00:01:21] Speaker B: Cool. So before we get into great start to your season, let's talk about how you got into this game. And that's generally where I always start. But give us a little bit of the background athletically before you came into pickleball and then how the sport sort of found you. [00:01:38] Speaker A: Well, I mean, like everybody, right? We all played real sports before pickleball because God forbid, pickleball, when we first heard about it, was not a real sport in anyone's eyes, right? Yeah. Heavy tennis background. Played tennis in college. Played volleyball in college as well. Played some pro tennis, played beach, know amateur boxer, have six fights under my belt. So just all around athlete. And my friend, when we lived in Bend, Oregon, asked me to play in a tournament. And I said, sure. And she said, it's not tennis. And I said, well, is it? Maybe beach volleyball? I'm in. [00:02:19] Speaker B: Yes. [00:02:20] Speaker A: And she's like, no. And I'm like, what are you asking me to play in? Because it's not tennis or volleyball or anything that I've got a background in. I'm not the person you want to pick. And she's like, it's pickable. And I was like, why would I even do that? That's a sport my dead grandma would play. My old people play it. Who wants to walk out to a box and rec facility and smell icy hot and see me braces for days? And that in my mind because stupidly or ignorantly and I think a lot of us had this preconceived notion that it was just an old people's sport because that's what we'd heard. Nobody ever fact checked that. We just heard it and just roll with it. We just ran with it. Right? It must be an old people's sport because I've been told this, and what could possibly be wrong with that? She tried every which way to get me to play, and I said no. And she's like, well, how about if I buy you a case of beer? [00:03:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:03:15] Speaker A: And I'm like, well, why did you bury the lead? You just wasted 30 minutes of arguing. So I said I was in, and I borrowed a paddle. She wrote rental on the paddle. Played in my first tournament at a 50 level and didn't know the rules, didn't know anything, was in complete violation all the time, but never had had such a great experience competing. [00:03:43] Speaker B: A lot. [00:03:44] Speaker A: Yeah, I was like, I can't wait to do it again. And she's like, we're playing another match in a little bit. And I'm like, oh, we play multiple matches a day, and the whole event happens in a day. What is this madness? And then you look around and you see people with their tents and their coolers and communities just kind of intermingling. And it's like, there's something more here than just pickleball, right? The competition definitely got me hooked. I've been an athlete my whole life, and I love to compete, but also just the community, the friendships, the big backyard that everyone was a part of, that, I think, was the magic that kept me coming back, because I've always said that one of the things as adults that we forget we always are in these I shoulds, right? You got to go to school. You got to then go to college and get a job and have a family, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, right? And somewhere along the line, we get it caught up in the I shoulds of the world, and we forget how to play. And for the first time in a lot of adult people's lives, they're playing, which is why you sometimes hear childlike laughter on courts from adults and group people. And you see this interaction because for the first time in their lives, they're actually playing again and going back to their youthful self. And that is magical. And that's what I learned from a case of beer. [00:05:10] Speaker B: Right. Well, hey, that's quite a lesson. Obviously, you hit on a couple of key points. People like to should all over each other. That's for sure. Everybody's always shouldn't. And the communal aspect and bringing it sort of back to beach volleyball. When I first started playing volleyball, two person in the sand in the 80s, kind of the heyday was starting to happen with the ADP tour. You could still get your lawn chair on championship court and put it in the sand and sit right next to the lines where Tim Hovlin was or Sinjid Smith or Carolyn Kirby, whomever was out there. And it was really cool. And there was know you were drinking beer and you didn't have to pay to get in and you walked. So I think we're sort of seeing some of these changes because I came into pickleball like a lot of people did during COVID but when I came in, it was already sort of gentrified in some level, on the professional level. And I would watch videos on YouTube from, like, 2016 and people putting their car lights to light the court. And I'm like, that's the era I wanted to be in. That's the way I wanted to get on board then, because that's when it was really cool before all the contracts for paddles and ball contracts and all that kind of stuff. And don't get me wrong, I mean, I get it. People want to make a living and do things, but there's something about that communal, organic thing which you mentioned, that backyard feel of just setting up a net and having your friends and a lot of shit talking and beer spilling. [00:06:52] Speaker A: 100%. And it's like you go back to tournaments originally, right? It's like tournaments ended around 05:00 and then everybody played rack. It didn't matter who you were, whether you were 20 or open player, right? Because there was no pro at the time, and you all played, and then you would all go out to dinner together. [00:07:09] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:09] Speaker A: And it's so fun. And I say this all the time. What pickable has done is it's tapped into the basic human need, which is we want to feel like we're a part of something, that we belong, right? And pickable has given that to so many people. They're a part of a community. They belong there. It's like you don't show up to the courts of the week, then you show up, you're like, hey, where you been? You know, it's like here. I mean, I live in villages and it's like, I travel a lot, but I go down to the course to drill, and they're like, hey, Lee, where have you been? I haven't seen you. I'm like, I've been gone for work. They're like, oh, you're not injured, are. No, no, I'm not injured. When's your next tournament? It does fill you, you know, it's the same as, I'll see some of the guys. I'm like, hey, I haven't seen you in two weeks. What's happened? And they're like, you notice? I'm like, everyone notices. You're part of our group, right? And the pickleball group is not level specific at the rec level, right? It's everybody. I know that at the pro level, we accelerated very quickly. We've grown, and there's a lot of tension among the different pro tours and all that. And I don't think we're quite at the level where we need to be for the money that's in the sport right now. Right. It's out of sync. But I don't want it to affect the rec level. I don't want it affect grassroots pickleball, because that's where the magic is happening. [00:08:29] Speaker B: I agree. [00:08:30] Speaker A: There's like 200, 400 pro and senior pro combined, 10 million other people that's playing rack. [00:08:37] Speaker B: And most of those people don't even know there's pro ball. [00:08:40] Speaker A: I can tell you. I did a clinic one time and I walked on the court and I was like, man, where is the pro? Who is this leewitwell? And they're like, I don't know. I'm like, it's ten after. And the clinic started at noon, and it was ten after twelve. And I'm like, it's ten after. This is so rude. These pros are so freaking entitled. Like, what is wrong with them? Right? And I got everybody riled up. And then one of the organizer walks by, he's like, hey, Lee, you ever going to get started? And they're like, wait, you're the pro? And it was just to prove a point that it's like, we're so irrelevant in 90% of the pick of all world. And it's humbling, and it needs to be that way. Because I say all along, the only reason I have a platform, the only reason I have fans, is because we sit on top of amateur tournaments and they are there filling the seats and watching us play. And we should never, ever lose sight of that. [00:09:29] Speaker B: No. And I think you make a great point. Obviously, it's the grassroots that built this sport, and it's the people that come and watch, too. So that's maybe the disconnect a little bit that we can see if we can make that happen. People that love pickleball in that plate. You always hear the numbers of whatever the numbers are, tens of millions of people. And will those people gravitate and watch someday at the pro level? That's the big question. I don't know. I hope so because I enjoy watching pro pickleball because it's the highest level. And if you've played this game at all, you realize what's going on out there is incredibly difficult to do. What I appreciate about you is when I watch you play number one, you're always having fun, you're entertaining. And two, you have as good. I can tell you've played other court sports because you have as good court sense as anybody I've ever seen in any sport. You just know where you are and you know where your opponents are. And I've just never seen somebody play with such joy and yet make people look so bad doing. [00:10:38] Speaker A: You have to have a bit of a sick and twisted mentality to just want to do that to people. [00:10:43] Speaker B: Yeah, it's just a blast to watch. [00:10:46] Speaker A: Yeah, I definitely enjoy that cat and mouse game a lot, and thank you. That means a lot that's recognizable. But yeah, it is a lot of fun to play. And I feel like every time I step on the court, it's a privilege. And sure, if people are watching, I want to bring them along on that journey. They are the reason why I have a platform. So they get to come on that ride with me and I want them to feel like a part of my ride and I want them never to feel like I'm unaccessible. Right, right. It's that. But will pickleball be a spectators of sport? I don't know. I think to a certain population it will. But to a lot of people, I think, here's the problem with pickleball. They can tennis. I can tell a tennis player, a three five tennis player is a three five tennis player from every shot they hit. A three five pickleball player can have a 50 moment. [00:11:41] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a good point. [00:11:43] Speaker A: Makes them a 50. [00:11:45] Speaker B: Right. [00:11:47] Speaker A: I can miss a ding, just like a three five can miss a ding. And it's a basic mistake because for whatever reason, I just kind of brain melted and wasn't concentrating and I jumped a stupid ball in the net, or the spin and the ball or the win, whatever. Right. But you don't see that on tv. You just see a basic mistake happening at the kitchen. You're like, well, I make that all the time. It's not that hard. Unfortunately, the nuances of pro pickball don't translate that well on screen to the living room, right? So I think that a lot of people can be like, well, I've hit an ATP or I've hit an ernie, I've hit an sserp winner. I've done this, I've done that, I've hit somebody with a ball. I've been able to block the ball. So I think sometimes that gets a little bit lost. And that's where I think the disconnect is from really understanding what the higher level game is all about. [00:12:38] Speaker B: I would agree. I mean, you watch it, and part of it is because people like yourself and Ben Johns and people that just move very fluid, they just make it look so easy. And I know I've had very limited experience playing against pros. I was in a rec gym in San Diego, and Rob Cassidy and Mills, Chris Miller, walked in and I knew who they were because I had this channel and I pay know to pickleball and things like that, but nobody in the gym had a clue who these guys were. And so they played like the first three games together and nobody scored. So I walked up and I said, hey, guys, I know who you know. Nice to meet you. Let's split you up. And so I ended up playing with Mills against Rob and then a local woman. And that's when I realized what they could do when they wanted to do it, because I would be in points and I'm like, I could play with these guys. And then something would like, I would speed up on Rob and it would just come back and hit me. And I was like, oh, that works on everybody I've ever played against except you. And then he didn't miss a drop. He never drove a ball unless he wanted to drive it at Mills and mess with them. But he would just drop every single ball from, no matter where it was, on the court, into the kitchen. And he's playing on a gym floor with one of these bouncy balls. And still I was like, man. And the game went on and people started to notice, like, oh, these guys are. I was like, that's when you really get a sense of how good it is. But you're right on television, I don't know if it's ever going to translate. I don't know if they have the cameras right yet. They do sometimes. And the speed of the ball is picking up, obviously, from the technology. So that may change, obviously, the difficulty as far as it appears aesthetically to people as well, right? [00:14:36] Speaker A: And the other thing, too is your drops look very basic. They're soft shots. [00:14:41] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:14:42] Speaker A: Right. And at the end of the day. But what people don't see is the hours of practice that go into making it look so easy. They don't see the drilling. They don't see the paddle throwing behind closed doors because you're having a bad day. Right. But also, at the same time, I mean, look at a tennis match, right? You look at a tennis match on tv, and I hate when people compare pickleball to tennis, and I'm doing it myself, but you can get an appreciation for how hard they're hitting the ball, right. And then you go watch that same match live and you're like, oh, the tv didn't do it justice. No, it's way faster in real life, but the ball slows down on tv. So I've had times when I've like, there are certain points where I'm like, oh, my God, my hands were on fire. I want to go back and see that firefight again. And I look at the firefight on tv and I'm like, I swear it was way faster in real life. Yeah, it looked like the most slow thing ever. And it's like the tv itself when you're streaming, it doesn't do this, the sport justice either, because it slows it down. So it looks, when somebody gets hit by a ball, it looks like they just have very delayed reflexes. And that's not the case. That ball is getting pummeled at you in a very short distance. But it slows down on tv, and it makes us look sometimes sillier than we may want to be. [00:15:58] Speaker B: Sleeves here. Senior pickleball report powered by TNC network. Just finishing up a practice session. World's worst pickleball courts and been playing with these bad boys for a while. Crown pickleball link in the description. Check these out. Great ball. I haven't cracked any yet. Of course, I'm an old man, but really cool ball coming pink and this color. They got outdoor, indoor. And I think they're going to be a major player in pickleballs because people are starting to kind of gravitate towards this ball. I know the podcast king of the court. They love them. I love them. People talking about them, people giving them away with their paddles because they know it's a reliable, solid ball. So check out crown Pickleball. New player in town. And, man, they came out with a bang. So love it. All right, folks. Hey, at the end of the day, that's pickle. It's Lee C with the senior Pickleball report reminding you to check out our podcast, people of pickleball. That's where I speak with all the people in pickleball, the industry, players, team owners, peril creators, people that run organizations, people that create apps, you name it, we're talking to them on people of pickleball. It's in the playlist of our YouTube channel. It's our podcast. Check it out. Lots of good information there and lots of really cool folks doing amazing things. You can also catch our podcast on Spotify and Amazon. Check out the link in the description. Does the amateur game, does it need a successful pro version? [00:17:36] Speaker A: No. I mean, I've always said that the pro game could die tomorrow and pickleball would still be the fastest growing sport at the amateur level because it's the one true sport. And I'm hard pressed to find another sport, honestly. And I did challenge myself to come up with a sport for a while, but I couldn't. That has transcended age, political affiliation, white collar, blue collar, money, sex, able, disabled, you name it, it's transcended everything. Like, where else can you take a family of four, two adults, two children, give them an hour lesson and they're rallying within 1015 minutes and they're playing in their driveway. Yeah, exactly. You can see your progress very fast. And if I go play tennis with a three five, it's a nightmare. I have to change all my shots. When I play pickleball with a three five, maybe I don't hit as much top spin or maybe I hit a little bit flatter. But I can always work on something. I can work on directionality. I can work on things. And I'm not having a miserable time because we're not chasing balls the entire time. The rallies still happen, and you can control those rallies and help those rallies be longer as the better player. But where else does that happen that you can get schooled by 75 year old Betty with two fake knees, a fake hip, three knee braces and a fake eye? And she's like, you come off the court going, what happened? I just lost eleven, 211 three. And I don't know what happened. [00:19:05] Speaker B: Right? I don't know if Gina Bouchard knows. She had to pick up her own balls. It seemed like when the first time that happened, she had to go. She's like waiting for somebody to grab her the ball and like, oh, you have to go get it yourself. So that's what I sort of like about the game. I do not like that we're always looking for the one ball can we just switch it up? [00:19:20] Speaker A: I know. And it's like, listen, the ball does not have a long lifespan. We could probably have a ball in each corner. [00:19:27] Speaker B: Right. [00:19:29] Speaker A: But it does speak to the infantness or the toddlerness of the age of the sport. Even though it started in 65. Right. And it's been around for a while. It's only recently caught all this speed, just maybe a year or two pre Covid. And then definitely Covid accelerated it. [00:19:48] Speaker B: Right. [00:19:49] Speaker A: But we're still a fairly young sport, and I think you see things like that where somebody coming in from another sport is like, what do you mean? We don't have ball boys or, I have to bring my own drink. Why isn't. Hang on a minute. Carrying my bags. We don't bring bags on the court. It's very different and it speaks to its own uniqueness. And I hope that it keeps being unique and they don't keep changing and manipulating it to be another sport because it's its own sporty thing. Yeah. If badminton, table tennis, and tennis went out and got drunk and had a one night stand and a baby was born, no one knows who the father. [00:20:35] Speaker B: Exactly. Exactly. [00:20:36] Speaker A: It's like three men and a baby. That's what pickleball is really. [00:20:40] Speaker B: Right. But with better acting. Right, yes, exactly. [00:20:44] Speaker A: Sorry, Steve Gutenberg. [00:20:46] Speaker B: Exactly. So, yeah, let's move into, really your entrance into. Because this is a senior pickleball report into senior level pickleball, 50 plus. Because every year, last year, Altoff came along and obviously this year and you come along and Deacon comes along. So it's sort of this endless talent pool, which I love about the senior game because each year you get people who are well established and have a name recognition, which is great. And you being two time MLP MVP, talk about making that transition. I don't know what you're going to do as far as your playing schedule. We could talk about that, but obviously a great start in Florida. So talk a little bit about the start and then kind of what you wanted to see happen throughout the year for yourself. [00:21:39] Speaker A: Yeah. It's one of those things where it's the year you're 50. So I'm technically cheating this year because I have a late December birthday. [00:21:49] Speaker B: Right. [00:21:49] Speaker A: I'm playing at 49. Deacons is doing the same thing. Right? Yeah. But I guess it started with Altaf. Like, Altaf was the first guy and I think I'm the first female to come into the pro game with a heavy pro experience. [00:22:02] Speaker B: Yes. [00:22:02] Speaker A: Right. So we've played two or three years in pro. And now we're transitioning into. I think the biggest thing was I looked around and I'm like, oh, my God, who are all these old people? And then I realized I was one of them. Right. That was rude awakening. You're like, I'm now one of them. Great. [00:22:19] Speaker B: You're the freshman, though. [00:22:20] Speaker A: Yeah, it's something that it's. And I think I've got about four years, four to five years of no women coming in unless we get a convert from another sport. So I've got a bit of breathing room before I've got somebody breathing down my neck. But, no, it was fun to play. I've got great partners. Look, I was snapped up early last year when people knew January was going to happen, and it was good. Right. And thankfully, it started off the right way, and the year long commitment to these partners is working. Yeah, it would suck if we went. [00:22:57] Speaker B: Owen, two win, two barbecue. [00:23:00] Speaker A: Exactly. But no, I mean, honestly, look, I've said from the beginning, senior pickleball has its place. There are a lot of people who think. Who relate to senior pickleball, and if I can help make senior pickleball sexy and exciting and fun, then I definitely want to be a part of that and have a front row seat at helping shape that. Will I still play pro? My women's partner can't play a ton of events, so on the events that she can't play if I don't have a woman that I gel with, and I think, oh, we can win because, yes, I have fun playing, but the end of the day, I want to win. Yeah, for sure, I can play regular mixed pro and senior mixed pro at the event. Right. Because of the days that they're on. [00:23:46] Speaker B: Right. [00:23:46] Speaker A: So, yeah, it's going to be fun. Just this journey. It's always good to win again. Last year was a bit of a rough year. I think I got on the podium maybe twice, which is terrible. Those ods suck. So this one to come out with a double gold right out the gate felt good, and hopefully I can sustain it. [00:24:12] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do during the year, because what I've noticed and having not obviously been in either community, the open pros or the senior pros, because I follow the senior pros. What I did notice is that they compete hard, and obviously they want to win, and they're as competitive as anybody else out there. But at the end of the day, for the last few years, it's been kind of a small group of people and trying to figure out who wants to support them and what tour they can play on. But at the end of the day, they hung out, which we talked about earlier in the conversation, and they have a good time and even though they count each other on the court, but at the end of the day, they're having dinner and they're having drinks. So that part of it reminds me of the stuff I missed, like when we were talking earlier. So I'm excited to see your involvement in that as well because I think you bring a huge personality and talent to the senior pool, which I think it's going to be a blast for you. And it seems to me the senior pros have more choices than probably the open pros of where they want to play. I mean, there's leagues, multiple leagues. There's tours, there's their own tours. So talk a little bit about seeing the growth over the last year or two about really the opportunities for senior pros, which is kind of cool. [00:25:33] Speaker A: Yeah, I think there was a while where nobody knew what was happening for senior pros, right. Because the pro side was taking off and people were like, well, there's no room for senior pros. Does anybody really want senior pro? [00:25:45] Speaker B: Right. [00:25:48] Speaker A: You can see the argument for both sides, but I like that senior pro has a place in pickleball. And do. I like the fact that there's NPL. You can play app, you can play on the senior tour. And I think PPA also has seniors. Right. But what I don't like is, and I might get in trouble for this, but that's okay. Like NPL. I love the concept. I love what they're doing. But they want you to sign an exclusive, and I might get senior pickleball. None of us are doing this for a living. Let's not sign an exclusive. Your events are not on competing weekends. You're not going up against the tournament. They're on different weekends. Let players play on the app team cup as well as the NPL because. [00:26:36] Speaker B: We'Ve seen what exclusivity contracts have done to open. [00:26:39] Speaker A: That's my. That's my. Like, the children are fighting. We're supposed to be the adults in the room, and yet now we've created the same mess. And I'm like, why? We don't need it. And it's like, well, all the best players are playing NPL. I'm like, that's great, but I don't believe in exclusivity. The sport is too small, too new. Haven't. There's not many of us to go around. What are we doing? And I think that's the only blemish I have on the senior tour right now. [00:27:11] Speaker B: Right. [00:27:12] Speaker A: I wish they didn't have exclusivity. I wish we could play any and all events and honestly, I wish collectively we all got together and say how can we grow senior pickleball and support the tours that are supporting us and move forward with that? Because collectively now there's more people playing, there's more sponsors, there's more money, there's all of the above. Right? [00:27:31] Speaker B: Yeah, we'll see. Obviously, like anything else, it's got to shake itself out and we'll see what happens. I know it's interesting because I was not aware of the exclusivity because I do know some people that are what I would call pretty diehard NPL people that did play in their first app event and I'm pretty sure unless it's know all these nuances in contracts PPA has, like where some people can go, they have something in their contract where they can go play an app or something like that. I don't know that. I don't know the inner workings of that, nor do I really want to know the inner workings of that because those are relationships. Know those people. Got to work those things out. But it'll be interesting to see where this goes if that is indeed the case, and it might be the case for the higher level players in the more notable names too. I don't know. But it's an interesting point you bring up because I wouldn't want it to see it. I wouldn't want to see it go that way either because I think we've seen what happens. [00:28:30] Speaker A: Right. Like nothing good has come up exclusively. [00:28:32] Speaker B: No. [00:28:33] Speaker A: And it's like, look, let's learn from the mistakes. Let's not create the same ones. Right? [00:28:38] Speaker B: Right. So let's talk about what you got coming up on the near future for your schedule. Some events you're looking forward to playing and we'll get you out of here. [00:28:50] Speaker A: You know, I got a heavy tournament, know, primarily playing a lot of events and yeah, looking forward to know playing senior doubles with Angela and senior mix with Jaime Onsens and playing Daytona with John Sperling because Jaime is know he's got real job duties and he's the brazilian Davis cup captain for know, I don't get to play that event with him. It's a bad scheduling. I asked him to move the event. [00:29:21] Speaker B: And he's like, well, Sterling's not a bad. [00:29:26] Speaker A: Cup is bigger than the. And, and I'm like, fine. [00:29:30] Speaker B: Okay. [00:29:31] Speaker A: Sterling lives here in the villages too, so I practice with him a lot and I'm looking forward to playing with him. Right. Excited to see Yvonne Lendon get on the pickleball. [00:29:42] Speaker B: That's fun. [00:29:43] Speaker A: Yeah. I'd love to see what he's going to do on the court. And he was a good tennis player. Let's see if it translates to pickleball and if he's embraced the differences of the game versus getting frustrated because technical game. Right. I'm teaching some camps, some clinics. Probably. You'll probably see me on a couple of pickleball cruises. We're working out details there. [00:30:06] Speaker B: Exciting. [00:30:07] Speaker A: Yeah, it's just a lot of exciting stuff. I launched a company, absolutely pickled, with a good friend of mine halfway through last year, and now we have a podcast and we always have interesting guests on. I always say I want the interesting people in the pickleball world, not necessarily the champions pickleball world, right. And doing some fun stuff around that and just wanting to continue to champion the sport and help grow the sport however I can and have a front seat at helping change people's lives. Because at the end of the day, pickleball is doing so much positive good. That's a terrible. You'd think English was not my first language, but no, you're saying pickleball has had such a positive effect in so many people's lives, and to be able to have a small part in that, it truly is an honor. [00:31:00] Speaker B: Yeah, I love it that you're doing a lot of different things and they all come back to really having a good time and competing hard and it's cool. I'm really excited to see where this game goes over the next couple of years. Obviously, there's some movies and things coming out finally about pickleball. And obviously if they can figure out the tours and how everybody can kind of cooperate and play together nicely, so to speak, I think it's got a great future on the pro end. Obviously, the amateur end is just a freight train just blowing up. And people love this game. I introduced somebody to it almost seems like monthly that shows up and I live in the middle of nowhere. [00:31:45] Speaker A: If you think about like, I came to the sport five years ago, right? And it's like, I'd heard of pickleball, but I was like, whatever, it's for old people. And then you talk about people like, what do you do? I'm like, oh, I play pickleball. They're like, what is that? And then over time, it's like, oh, I've heard of it. Then it's, oh, I know somebody who plays. Oh, I play. I love pickleball. And it's like, I mean, at the rec level, there are people who play. They're truly addicts. Yeah, for sure. I don't love pickleball that much. I'll go out and play and drill and be done, and I will not go out a second or third time that day. I know people that do and I know people that will play. [00:32:21] Speaker B: My body won't let me anyways. But I have to day drink. [00:32:26] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. It's like, listen, I've done my exercise and now where's my beer? Because when or Louis, we drink beer. But it's so amazing to see how so many people have taken to the sport in a crazy, crazy, super crazy. [00:32:46] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, it is, like I mentioned, I saw beach volleyball blow up, but it was nothing like this. It's very cult like in a lot of ways. And I understand if you're looking from the outside, people are like, what the hell are you doing? And why are you so excited about this? So I get that aspect. But, like, my biggest thing is this. Where is this going, right? [00:33:09] Speaker A: And I think it's mean to be pickable. It's a bit like Vegas, right? You go to Vegas and you'll only see the people that you see in Vegas. In Vegas, you don't see them anywhere, right? With their outfits and everything that they're doing. You see them in Vegas and like, pickleball is like, no matter where you go on whatever pickleball club or parks and rec, wherever you are world, you have the same characters. They only exist in pickleball. They don't exist anywhere else. [00:33:35] Speaker B: Yes. [00:33:35] Speaker A: You go to Vegas. [00:33:38] Speaker B: Yeah, it's like the Matrix. Well, before we get you out of here, anybody, sponsorships you want to mention? Anybody you want to talk about before we let you go? [00:33:48] Speaker A: I mean, I do like that hoodie you were, know, I'm a hoodie person. I'm going to have to steal that hoodie. One of these. Know, I have amazing sponsors. Last year was a very rough year, and I was lucky that my sponsors stuck by me. I play with the legacy paddle, right? Chris at Legacy and Chris and John at Legacy are amazing and they've been extremely loyal to me. And I love guys. The guys at my paddle, they create the little bands that go around the top of the grip. So I do have an array of insults, too. Positive, right? I think I have canoe Muppets, you effing idiot. To breathe good vibes to get diversity laugh. You're like, what paddle am I playing with today? And somebody asked me, what did your band say on the tournament you won? I said, well, one of them said, douche canoe and the other one said, muppet. Those are my inspirational bands from my tournament. Anytime I come up with a unique insult, I send it to them and they make me some and I put them on right away. So I love that. [00:34:59] Speaker B: Those are brilliant. [00:35:01] Speaker A: Yes. And it's also a nice gentle reminder to not take it so seriously. Because at the end of the day, we're hitting a plastic ball. [00:35:10] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:35:12] Speaker A: I never thought, like in my late 40s, because I'm not yet 50 or approaching half century, that I would get paid to do this. Come on. [00:35:22] Speaker B: Right? Exactly. It's insane. You're going to get to go on cruises, you're going to get to teach, you get to get paid to play. People are giving you equipment. I mean, what the hell is going. [00:35:35] Speaker A: I mean, yeah. So it's, know my friends at my soxy feet keep me in their fun socks. They make them the funnest mismatched socks ever. And I've always felt like in corporate America, the only way you can make a statement is through your socks because nobody else can see it in your corporate wear. [00:35:51] Speaker B: That's exactly right. [00:35:53] Speaker A: Always a thing. But yeah. No, I've got great sponsors know, looking forward to announcing new partnerships this year. [00:36:00] Speaker B: Right on. Well, the common theme in most of these interviews that I do, and it seems to come through in yours as well, is people are just know it's a cool thing and you're grateful to have it in your life. So I appreciate your time, Lee. I look forward to watching you play and destroy all the seniors this season and mock them, please, as you do it, because I love it. [00:36:23] Speaker A: I will give you a nod and say, I was told. [00:36:26] Speaker B: That's right. I mean, I know a lot of them, so it's okay. Sleeve said you can do it. And again, thank you. And looking forward to hanging out sometime, maybe on a cruise ship. [00:36:36] Speaker A: Absolutely. And then, you know what? I think I need a t shirt that says sleeves said I had to. [00:36:42] Speaker B: Right on. I'm going to get you something. [00:36:44] Speaker A: Sleeves told me to. And then it's like a waiver. [00:36:47] Speaker B: There we go. It is a waiver. Don't throw anything at me. All right, Lee, we'll see you down the road. Thanks for your time. [00:36:54] Speaker A: Appreciate it. You have a wonderful evening. [00:36:56] Speaker B: Hope you enjoyed our interview with Lee. You can find all the information about her sponsors, her website, follow her on Instagram, all below in the description. And again, hey, consider subscribing to the newsletter and check out our merch as well and all the discounts. All right, folks. Hey, at the end of the day, let's pickle.