How to Become A Professional Pickleball Player?
If you are planning to kickstart a professional pickleball career, chances are you are pretty much clueless and hopeless.
But then again, that’s apparently quite normal and happens to almost anyone in any field where they are looking to build a career, so if you are looking for a silver lining you might want to take my word for it.
But words alone won’t make you stand out of the crowd right? Taking that into account I have curated a succinct yet fruitful guide on how to become a professional pickleball player for all the emerging rookies out there who want to take a jab at their luck in hopes of a bright future.
So without wasting any more of your precious time, let’s dive down below.
Key Fundamentals For Becoming A Professional Pickleball Player
Becoming a professional Pickleball player is no walk in the park, however, there are a couple of tips you can follow to flatten the hurdles.
1. Building Your Mindset
The first and the most pivotal stepping stone of building a professional career is to create a mindset that is different from individuals who don’t think likewise.
You need to emerge out of the crowd with your unique thinking and for that, you have to be consistent and show persistence through thick and thin.
Keeping that before being successful, you will fail a million times, get injured, and even make rookie mistakes in the big league which will act as a huge hurdle since it will demotivate you a lot.
Knowing these facts will make you self-aware of all the possibilities so you can prepare for the worst-case scenario in the future which unfortunately happens to everyone.
2. Start From Basics
In Pickleball sports, there are so many elements that it sometimes confuses an individual on where to start especially if you dive down into advanced methodologies and techniques.
Henceforth, it’s in your best interest that you acknowledge and learn the basic techniques by watching videos or spectating professionals around the court.
Learn to mimic their steps and keep an eye on their maneuvering so you can easily replicate footwork when playing alone or with your buddies.
3. Work On Your Self
Before you build a career, it is vital that you build your own personality fit for this sport. Adapt healthy habits such as waking up early in the morning or flush away poor traits that will make you lethargic or cause distraction in the future.
To reach the apex level of professionalism in Pickleball, you need to create a personal portfolio with zero blemishes as your own habits will create hurdles in the future.
3. Get A Mentor
While watching videos on YouTube might feel like an easy and seamless route, in order to get proper feedback on your progress, you need to hire a coach or a mentor who will guide you through every steppingstone of your career.
Never try to “cheap out” on coaches, always hire a reputable coach who will provide fitness steps as well as tips and tricks that may polish your skills even further.
On the flip side, training under a “master” will make you obedient and will help in building discipline which is extremely crucial since sportsmanship plays a huge role in this sport and should never be overlooked.
I have seen plenty of “hotshots” never make out to bigger leagues due to a lack of ethics and professional responsibility in the court.
4. Take Notes
While taking notes might seem a bit over the top, it is crucial that you always keep a diary that will act as your daily journal so you can easily backtrack on your progress and evaluate the rate at which you are learning each move in this sport.
This will allow you to have a better and wider perspective for your future career since you can easily build a roadmap leading to a professional career.
5. Practice Consistently
Practice makes man perfect and there are no two ways about it. In fact, practicing and shedding sweat and blood in court is the only “tried and tested” way to climb up to the big leagues.
Trying out other shortcuts will eventually backfire and even ruin all the progress you have made along the way.
Always remember that skill and experience will supersede any other trait in sports, so make sure you create solid integrity and reputation through persistence rather than using shortcuts and other forms of illegal methods that will negatively impact your career.
6. Connect & Socialize
Always remember, no matter how hard you work or practice in court, your efforts are only seen if you build better connections and make contacts with coaches, organization heads, and higher authorities in the communities.
Otherwise, all the victories and achievements you attain in the court are pretty much in vain. So try to build a portfolio after you have formed a strong connection in communities and social media which will eventually have huge opportunities leading to a professional career.
7. Seek Endorsements
Lastly, the most challenging part is getting a proper sponsorship that will provide financial support especially if you are financially challenged.
Otherwise, even with skill, a better portfolio, and a reputation your career won’t be able to survive as you will be necessitating a constant endorsement.
Social media and Pickleball communities like the professional Pickleball Association is undoubtedly the most effective way to get lucrative contracts that will help you build a professional career.
Bottom line
Although, all the methods mentioned above are indeed optimal for kick-starting a professional career, make sure you also create your own portfolio online and even create your YouTube channel or TikTok account and upload videos of your casual and professional session regularly to attain a worldwide audience.
Not only will this help you gain notoriety but you will also get immensely lucrative contracts, sponsors, and endorsements from bigger brands much more easily.
On the flip side, it will also help you build confidence so you can easily perform in front of spectators even if you have an introverted personality.
