I had the pleasure of speaking with Madeline Gonzalez, Director of Pickleball at RPS Academies, who emphasized that “you can take it to any level you want,” whether that’s enjoying a weekend game or training for professional tournaments. 

Maddie, a former collegiate and professional volleyball player and coach, stumbled upon pickleball when her local beach volleyball courts were replaced with pickleball courts. “Pickleball found me,” she claims. Intrigued, she gave the sport a try and quickly became hooked. Now, she coaches full-time and loves the competitiveness of the game.   

Maddie reiterated that there is an existing misconception that pickleball is not a serious sport. “It is seen as a sport for older people.” But since pickleball started, it has evolved significantly. “It is not the same strategy or game as before. It is more physical.” With younger athletes joining in, the game has become faster, with more aggressive shots and shorter rallies. The slower, strategic play that once defined pickleball has given way to a more dynamic, attack-oriented style.

These advancements have opened exciting opportunities, especially for youth. Maddie explained that it is actually a great sport for kids. Like any other sport, it teaches you about the importance of discipline, working hard, mental toughness, and the ability to make decisions under pressure. “It prepares you for life,” she says. And with the sport gaining traction in colleges, starting young could pave the way for a college career and even scholarships. And, of course, there is also the opportunity to play pro. The sport’s growth is creating more opportunities to play professionally and earn a good living.  

So, how can you approach pickleball as a high-performance sport? “Approaching pickleball as a high-performance sport involves a combination of physical, technical, and tactical training,” Maddie advised. It is important for athletes to have a high level of physical fitness, it is important to build up agility and endurance, especially focusing on quick lateral movements and reflexes. It is also crucial to master the techniques of specific shots, like the third shot drop, dinks, and drives. This ultimately helps to help build an all-around solid game and to be able to control the pace of the game. Maddie also stated the importance of mastering gameplay and tactics. In order to set yourself up for winning, you need to understand court positioning, shot selection, and opponent anticipation. These skills are key to staying competitive. And, of course, mental toughness and recovery are vital to maintaining peak performance. 

These skills are vital to improving your game, and Maddie is committed to guiding her players in the right way. Maddie’s coaching philosophy emphasizes the process over the result. “We live in a society of instant gratification,” she notes. “We want the results now, but we don’t focus enough on the ‘how.’” By concentrating on the process, players can relieve the pressure of results, leading to a more enjoyable and efficient progression.

As for the future of pickleball, it’s only getting brighter. The sport is making its way into more colleges, and the professional tours are expanding. While pickleball is currently the biggest in the United States, Maddie believes it’s only a matter of time before it explodes internationally and maybe even becomes an Olympic sport.  With its fun, addictive nature and growing opportunities, pickleball is the perfect avenue for anyone looking to channel their inner high-performance athlete.

At RPS, we have developed one of the first full-time pickleball academies because we believe this sport is only at the beginning of its potential growth. Our goal is to stay ahead of the curve by providing all the resources a young pickleball player needs to optimize their game.