on
THE PICKLEBALL SHOW’S
CHRIS ALLEN
T
une in to any sports talk radio station
and you’ll hear plenty about football,
baseball, basketball and hockey. But
what about “the fastest growing sport in
America?”
These days, podcasts are taking the place
of traditional radio shows, and pickleball
has its very own. “The Pickleball Show” is
a weekly podcast dedicated to the sport we
love (http://PickleballShow.com).
Chris Allen, the show’s host, regularly
talks with legendary coaches Deb Harrison
and Coach Mo, along with top players,
including current National Champions Gigi
LeMaster and Matthew Blom.
We thought it would be fun to turn
the tables and actually interview the
interviewer, so we asked Chris to sit down
with us for a chat.
PB Mag: How did you discover
pickleball?
Chris: A couple of years ago, my wife
and I moved from one part of western
North Carolina to another, and our new
community has a little golf course. I said to
myself, “You’re 51, you live on a golf course
— I guess it’s time to be the golf guy.”
Then we got our first issue of the
community newsletter, and it said to come
by the tennis courts on Mondays to learn
pickleball. I was curious, because I loved
playing tennis in my teens and 20s, but it’s
just too hard on my knees now. I went up
the following Monday, and was immediately
hooked!
PB Mag: And what about your golf game?
Chris: I’ve yet to play a single round. The
only time I’m on the golf course is when
I’m driving across it to get to the pickleball
courts!
PB Mag: Why did you decide to start
“The Pickleball Show”?
Chris: It’s such a fun sport to talk about,
because it’s so balanced. There are so many
different ways to win — and lose. It’s really
amazing the founders hammered out all the
basic rules in just a few short summers.
Everybody has their own opinion about
how the game should be played, and that
always makes for a fun and interesting talk
show.
To me, pickleball is like religion and
barbecue: there a million ways to do it, and
everybody thinks theirs is the one true way.
PB Mag: What lessons have you learned
from talking with so many top coaches and
players?
Chris: The biggest lesson is that the
fundamentals became fundamentals for a
reason: they work!
People like Prem Carnot and Jeff Shank
really keep me grounded in the triedand-true principles, like hitting down the
middle. Most of the time, there really is no
good reason to hit anywhere else. Of course,
I still try to paint the lines sometimes,
which usually results in snatching defeat
from the jaws of victory.
You also have Deb Harrison and so
many amazing players, who are constantly
experimenting and evolving their
strategies. I think if you have one foot
firmly planted in the fundamentals, it’s OK
to step into uncharted territory and see
if something new works for you. Again, it
goes back to the balance of pickleball.
PB Mag: What can we expect from “The
Pickleball Show” in the future?
Chris: We have a new webinar format for
2016, which is a lot of fun. It lets anyone
be part of the show, and talk directly with
our expert guests. We’re also producing
live events, beginning with Pickleball
Summit this July in Charlotte, NC
(http://PickleballSummit.com).
Imagine the world’s most intense, threeday pickleball training camp, with four
top player/coaches revealing their most
advanced techniques and strategies. That’s
Pickleball Summit — I can’t wait! •
MARCH 2016 |
MAGAZINE
19