Austin Pickleball Update - Volume 16

June 20, 2024

Hello, and welcome to Austin Pickleball Update - Volume 16!

In this issue of Austin Pickleball Update, we have an interview with Central Texas top coach Amy Yarbrough, a Texas Ranchers Roundup from MLP D.C., updates in Community News, and (as always) a massive tournament and event update.

In this issue of APU you will find:

  • Interview with Amy Yarbrough - Central Texas top coach and 5.0 player

  • Texas Ranchers Roundup - MLP D.C. Results

  • Community News - Austin Pickle Ranch W 6th closure, Dreamland grows pickleball operations, Austin teen brings pickleball to seniors, and Summer open courts at SARC

  • Tournaments, leagues, clinics, and community events

  • Austin Pickleball Update social groups

If you’re looking for places to play pickleball in Austin, check out our Austin Pickleball Courts and Clubs page here. 

Let’s dink on in!

APU Paddle Covers are Here!

Austin Pickleball Update paddle covers have landed!

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Interested in getting your very own APU paddle cover to show your pickleball friends that you’re in the know about all things Austin Pickleball while protecting your most prized pickleball possession?

We have covers available for $10 for the first 50 pickleballers who let us know they want one. Fill out our interest form here and get yours today!

Tournaments of the Week!

Capital City Women’s and Men’s Doubles Tournaments

Capital City Pickleball has two upcoming tournaments taking place at Waterloo pickleball.

The Capital City Women's Doubles Tournament takes place this weekend on Sunday June 23 (registration closes June 22 at 12pm), while the Capital City Men's Doubles Tournament takes place the following weekend on Sunday June 30. Both tourney’s cost $60 per person, and feature round-robin format, single elimination playoffs, and beginner (3.0 and under DUPR) and intermediate (3.0-3.9 DUPR) divisions. 

Liveball Men’s and Women’s Moneyball Doubles Tournament

Looking for a competitive tournament on a weekday and want to win some cash? Join Liveball’s upcoming Moneyball tournaments, hosted at Lost Pines Pickleball.  

The men’s doubles Moneyball takes place on Thursday, June 27 at 6pm, while the women’s doubles and men’s random partner doubles takes place on Monday, July 1 starting at 6pm. All brackets feature a 3 game minimum and are $40-45 per person, with registration closing soon. Learn more and register at liveballtx.com.

An Interview Amy Yarbrough - Central Texas Top Coach and 5.0 Player

In this volume of APU, we’re excited to bring you an interview with Amy Yarbrough, one of Central Texas’ top pickleball coaches and 5.0 rated player. With years of pickleball experience, including coaching and playing in the National Pickleball League, Amy brings a vast amount of pickleball expertise and wisdom for anyone looking to improve their pickleball game.

Check out our interview with Amy Yarbrough below!

Amy Yarbrough, professional pickleballer and top coach

How long have you been playing pickleball?

I have been playing pickleball for 8 years. 

When did you first start teaching/instructing pickleball, and how did you get into it?

I started coaching pickleball 6.5 years ago and have been in the coaching world for 31 years. I was a teacher and coach right out of college, and once I started playing pickleball I decided to add this crazy and fun sport to my coaching repertoire.

What's something that beginners should know when starting their pickleball journey? What specific tips do you have for them?

Advice I always give beginners is to get ready for a new healthy addiction in their life. They should find other new players they enjoy playing with because this will become their new friend group. 

At the beginning stages you need to learn good fundamentals and start your journey with a solid foundation, so you don’t have to go back in a year and correct/undo all of the bad habits you picked up in order to improve. For beginner and intermediate level players, I always advise finding a good coach to help you with your game as you get started and progress.

What about intermediate players?

For intermediate level players, once you establish a base level of play and consistency, there are now a lot of new options you can learn and incorporate into your game that you would not have previously been ready for as a beginning level player. 

Amy ripping an ATP

What about more advanced players? Where should they focus their game?

For advanced players, especially those that want to compete in tournaments, I recommend finding a few good partners that you enjoy competing with and who you have chemistry with in the games you play. It is actually much harder to find a good partner than you may think.

What can someone do to honestly assess their play level, other than get a DUPR score?

That’s a tough question, especially in relation to doubles play because of all the factors that go into a given game/match (not to mention how your partners perform). I recommend playing with a few different level skill groups and finding where you fit in and feel most comfortable with your current gameplay. Competing in tournaments is another good tool to see what skill rating you can win at, and what level is out of reach due to a skill gap. As you learn more and play more pickleball all of this will change as well, so the process is pretty continual. 

How have you seen pickleball change since you started playing?

What sticks out to me the most is the shift in the median player age and the game getting much faster. Pickleball used to be known as an old person sport, but that is not at all the case anymore. The game has sped up with newer and better paddles and the large number of tennis players that are coming over and playing pickleball. Plus everyone loves to hit the ball hard and get into a good hands battle, which further emphasizes the increased speed of the game. 

As an example, when I first started playing, a 4.0 level tournament at that time would today be considered a 3.5 level tournament.

One of Amy's many successful clinics

How do you see pickleball changing in the next year? In the next 5 years?

Pickleball is still a very new sport, in terms of the amount of interest and people beginning to play. While this is just a guess, I see the game changing as new rules are introduced as well as possible changes to scoring systems. 

In the next 5 years, I think we will see even bigger numbers of young people playing pickleball because it will be a sport offered in most high schools as well as part of junior high physical education. When I was teaching physical education, I wish I would have known about pickleball and been able to have it as a playable sport.  

I also see pickleball growing a lot in other countries, which will lead to the sport being a part of the Olympics in the future. 

Where are your favorite places to play pickleball in Austin?

I have played so many games at South Austin Rec Center (SARC), as well as Joslin Park and Bouldin Acres. 

From your perspective, what's unique about pickleball in Austin?

Austin is unique in the pickleball world because the person I give the most credit to for growing the game lives here. Steve Kuhn (founder of MLP and Dreamland) is the GOAT (greatest of all time). He developed MLP and DUPR, and was critical in making pickleball what it is today and what it will be in the future. Austin is also unique because so many of the top professional players are moving here to train. 

Amy Yarbrough with top pickleball pros

What do you think Austin needs to do to keep up with the growth of pickleball?

If Austin wants to keep up with the enormous growth of pickleball there has to be more places to play. This is especially true for city courts, so that anyone can enjoy the game and not have to spend money to get on a court at a club or private venue.

What are you most excited about when thinking about the future of pickleball in Austin?

I am most excited about the future of pickleball in Austin with the increase in junior players. I hope to see pickleball in a lot of our school districts in both junior high and high school. It’s a perfect game for physical education class so hopefully more school districts will add it to the curriculum. This will increase the level of pickleball play even more as people begin playing even younger.

Any other fun/interesting items to mention from your pickleball journey?

When I first started playing pickleball it was a true joy to be able to compete again after being in sports through high school and into college at Baylor. 

I was drafted by The Austin Ignite in the National Pickleball League last season, which is a professional league for age 50+ players. It was so fun to get to compete at that level again along with many high level athletes. This year due to injury, surgery, and recovery I had to withdraw from the draft, and instead will be the sideline reporter for some of the National Pickleball League weekends as part of their YouTube coverage. My hope is that readers of APU take an interest in and follow the National Pickleball League. 

Amy Yarbrough and her pickleball fans

Where is the best place for people to engage with you if they are interested in taking a lesson or improving their game?

If anyone is interested in attending clinics, lessons, camps, or other events put on by AY Pickleball, they can go to my website: https://www.amyyarbroughpickleball.com. I have many coaches that work with me, and we offer clinics, events, and group sessions across the Central Texas area that cater to beginners and advanced players alike. I hope to see you at one one of our events soon! 

Thank you to Amy Yarbrough for sharing her pickleball wisdom, insights, and guidance with the Austin Pickleball Update community!

Texas Ranchers Roundup - Capital Recap

As we covered in our Texas Ranchers Roundup from APU Volume 15, Austin's home Major League Pickleball (MLP) team traveled to our nation’s capital this past weekend to compete in MLP Washington D.C. 

Heading into the tournament, the biggest news from the Ranchers’ world was that their #1 draft pick Christian Alshon would miss the tournament due to a recent surgery. The Texas Ranchers needed someone to fill his shoes, and they turned to none other than 18-year old Quang Duong, who you may know from when he skillfully defeated Ben’s Johns in a singles PPA match in January. 

Quang Duong aka Avatar Ball Bender

How did the Texas Ranchers do on the weekend?

  • Won 3-1 against the Utah Black Diamonds

  • Won 3-2 in a Dreambreaker against the hometown D.C. Pickleball Team

  • Lost 2-3 in a Dreambreaker against the Carolina Pickleball Club

  • Lost a 2-3 in a Dreambreaker against the NY Hustlers

  • Lost 0-4 🥲 in their rivalry rematch against Dallas Flash Pickleball 

Going 2-3 in their matches without a key player, and two of their three losses coming in Dreambreaker games, is really a solid finish that the Texas Ranchers should be proud of. They easily could have ended the weekend 4-1. 

After this weekend, the the Texas Ranchers rank 5th in MLP Premiere standings

Shout out to community member Matty Pickles, who chronicled the Texas Ranchers MLP D.C. games with some great data, insights, and commentary on his X account. 

The Texas Ranchers will be back in the saddle again July 11-14 at the MLP Mid-season tourney in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Additionally, check out our Community Events below for two upcoming Texas Ranchers events here in Austin.

Stay tuned to Austin Pickleball Update for the latest news and information about Austin’s professional pickleball team, the Texas Ranchers!

Community News

Setbacks on the Austin Pickleball Frontier

Austin Pickle Ranch’s W 6th rooftop court facility has closed indefinitely. As shared on their website, the closure was due to city zoning regulations and how the property was permitted. 

This is a huge setback for pickleball in Austin, as losing 8 downtown pickleball courts further exacerbates the city's lack of dedicated pickleball courts available for the community to use. Austin Pickle Ranch stated that they hope this isn’t a final farewell for their W 6th location, and we wish their team nothing but success getting these courts opened again. 

In the meantime, you should definitely check out Austin Pickle Ranch’s incredible new 16 court indoor Braker Lane location (as covered in APU Volume 15), as it’s one of the best pickleball venues for summer pickleball in Austin.

The Pickleball Dream Grows at Dreamland

Dreamland is making some great moves to continue growing pickleball as well as showcase their leadership as a pickleball destination in the greater Austin area. Andrew Maxwell, former Pickleball Director, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Additionally, Gabe Etzel has been hired as a Pickleball Teaching Professional. 

Anyone who has been fortunate enough to learn from or play with Gabe or Andrew knows that this is a huge win for Dreamland as they build out their pickleball prowess and establish a leadership position in the Austin pickleball landscape. Congratulations Andrew and Gabe!

Austin Teen Teaches Pickleball to Seniors

In an inspiring community initiative, Kesh Gupta, a rising senior at Anderson High School, has launched "The Pickled Age" to Austin Seniors to the joys of pickleball. Kesh and his team aim to provide both a social community and physical activity to combat social isolation and physical health decline, both common issues among seniors. Learn more about The Pickled Age and their upcoming clinics here. 

Summer Opens SARC Court Availability

South Austin Rec Center (SARC) is one of the most popular pickleball destinations in Austin, with 2 permanent champion courts and space for 4 more popup courts. With the temperature rising as we enter summer and the proliferation of new court and club openings over the past year in Austin, SARC is seeing a decline in daily activity. 

Last summer, you would be hard pressed to find any open courts available at SARC, whereas this summer there are almost always open court spaces with far smaller lines for the championship courts. If you can stand the Texas heat, SARC is a great option for your next pickleball game. Check out APU Volume 3 for an overview of how to play pickleball at SARC. 

Upcoming Tournaments, Leagues, Clinics, and Community Events

Community Events

Mixed Mixer Social

Austin Tennis & Pickleball Center is hosting a Mixed Mixer Social event on June 22 at 8:30am at Austin Tennis Center. This event provides a great opportunity to meet players and find new mixed partners, and includes 2 hours of play. Learn more and register here.

HIIT the Court

Hosted in partnership with the Texas Ranchers, HIIT the Court takes place this Saturday June 22 at Eastside Paddle Club, and features a 45 minute HIIT class followed by pickleball, cold plunges, and other wellness offerings. Learn more and register here.

Texas Ranchers Give Back at the Food Bank

Join the Texas Ranchers team in volunteering the Central Texas Food Bank on Saturday June 29 from 9am - 12pm. All those who sign up will receive 50% off their registration fee for the upcoming Ranchers tournament on August 17. Learn more and register here.

Kids Pickleball Summer Camps

Waterloo Pickleball is hosting kids pickleball summer camps, starting the week of June 10th and running continually each week through the week of July 22nd. Learn more and register here.

Pickleball Clinics

Local Austin coach Amy Yarbrough, featured above, is running a Lesson for the Fundamentals on Saturday June 22. Learn more and register here. 

Dreamland is hosting a number of upcoming clinics through mid July; Dinking With A Purpose (June 25), Serve, Return, and Transition Zone (July 2nd), Beating the Bangers (July 9), and Ernes, ATPs, Lobs, and More (July 16). Learn more and register here. 

Austin Pickleball Leagues

Vet's Park Singles Season 4 - June 24 - August 19, 2024

  • Location - Vets Park Pickleball Courts, Austin, TX

  • Overview - 8 week flex ladder league, with matches recorded in DUPR and $10 to the best performer in each week’s group. Attendees will be assigned three new matchups each week, and have the option of playing 1, 2, or 3 matches with 1-3 games per match.

Dreamland Pickleball Summer Leagues - June 24 - July 31, 2024

  • Dreamland, Dripping Springs, TX

  • Overview - Dreamland has three tiers of summer leagues starting up soon; Beginner (2.5 and under) starting 6/27, Novice (2.5-3.25) starting 6/24, and Intermediate (3.25-4.0) starting 6/26. All league games are entered into DUPR.

Honcho Pickleball Summer Leagues - July 15 - September 9, 2024

  • Location - Austin Tennis Center, Austin, TX

  • Overview - One of the longest running pickleball leagues in Austin that is 100% volunteer run. Three different Ladder League include Sunday Co-Ed Green League (3.0-4.0), Monday Women’s Purple League (3.0-4.0), and Tuesday Co-Ed Gold League (4.0+). Waitlist for multiple leagues. 

Austin Area Pickleball Tournaments

  • Location - Austin Pickle Ranch - Braker Lane, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Doubles tournament. Nostalgic summer camp themed, with cargo shorts, camp t-shirt, bandanas, high waisted gym shorts, striped half calf socks, and a retro shirt attire encouraged.

Sam's Summer Slam - June 22, 2024

  • Location - Pickle Hub, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Fundraiser tournament featuring mixed doubles bracket and double elimination. Prizes for first, second, and third place, plus cornhole tourney and raffle prizes.

Dink Minor Leagues - June 22-23, 2024

  • TOURNAMENT OF THE WEEK!

  • Location - Waterloo Pickleball, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Round robin tournament with beginner and intermediate skill brackets and a single elimination playoff. You can register with a partner or be paired with one. 4 game minimum, $60 per player.

  • TOURNAMENT OF THE WEEK!

  • Location - Lost Pines Pickleball, Bastrop, TX

  • Overview - Moneyball weekday men’s doubles tourney with 3 skill brackets and cash prizes for winners. 3 game minimum, $45 per person.

  • TOURNAMENT OF THE WEEK!

  • Location - Waterloo Pickleball, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Round robin tournament with beginner and intermediate skill brackets and a single elimination playoff. You can register with a partner or be paired with one. 4 game minimum, $60 per person.

  • TOURNAMENT OF THE WEEK!

  • Location - Lost Pines Pickleball, Bastrop, TX

  • Overview - Moneyball weekday women’s doubles tourney with 2 skill brackets and cash prizes for winners. 4 game minimum, $45 per person.

  • TOURNAMENT OF THE WEEK!

  • Location - Lost Pines Pickleball, Bastrop, TX

  • Overview - Moneyball weekday men’s doubles tourney with 2 skill brackets and cash prizes for winners. 3 game minimum, $45 per person.

  • Location - Austin Pickle Ranch - Braker Lane, Austin, TX

  • Overview - The Dink & OluKai are teaming up to bring you "Aloha Pickleball", an exclusive round-robin tournament and party with numerous contests, raffles, and giveaways. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced brackets with men’s, women’s, and gender doubles events. 2 pools of 4 teams per division, 3 game minimum.

  • Location - Austin Tennis Center, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Team pickleball tournament, with skill brackets based on combined DUPR rating. Two team matches guarantee.

Let's Get Newked - July 20-21, 2024

002 Pickleland Indoor Open - July 27-27, 2024

  • Location - Pickleland, Pflugerville, TX

  • Overview - Round robin tourney with mixed doubles and gender doubles events. 3.0-4.5+ skill brackets depending on event. 3 game minimum.

  • Location - Austin Tennis Center, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Compass draw mens and womens doubles tourney with intermediate (3.0-3.5) and advanced (4.0+) brackets. 4 game minimum.

Team Pickleball Tournament - August 24, 2024

  • Location - Austin Tennis Center, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Team pickleball tournament, with skill brackets based on combined DUPR rating. Two team matches guarantee.

  • Location - Eastside Paddle Club, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Men's, women's, and mixed doubles round robin tournament with 3.0-4.5 and open skill brackets. 2 game guarantee.

Kitchen Battle 2024 - September 7-8, 2024

  • Location - Austin Tennis Center, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Men's and Women's doubles round-robin tournament with 2.5-5.0+ skill brackets. 6 games to 11 or 4 game to 15 minimum.

The Austin Amateur Open - September 21-22, 2024

  • Location - Dreamland, Dripping Springs, TX

  • Overview - Round robin tournament with singles, mixed doubles, and gender doubles. 2.5-5.0 skill brackets with age breakdowns. 5 game minimum.

The Kitchen Open - September 26-29, 2024

  • Location - Polo Tennis And Fitness Club, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Gender and mixed doubles only tourney with 3.0-4.5 skill brackets and under/over 40 age brackets. Also includes open division with $25,000 price for first. 12 game minimum

  • Location - Austin Tennis Center, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Round robin tournament with men’s, women’s, mixed, and generational doubles events. Generational doubles must have at least one 50+ year old player. 3.0-4.0+ skill brackets, 3 game minimum.

  • Location - Austin Tennis Center, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Round robin family pickleball tournament with boy’s/men's doubles, girl’s/women's doubles, and mixed doubles. Parent/adult child events for 16+ years old and parent/child events for children 18 and under. Tournament encourages you to play with your parent (biological/adopted/chosen) or your significant other's parent for events. 2.5-5.0 skill brackets. 3 game minimum.

002 Dink and Slam Pickleball Jam - October 18-20, 2024

  • Location - Horseshoe Bay Resort, Horseshoe Bay, TX

  • Overview - Round robin tournament with singles, mixed doubles, and gender doubles events. 3.0-5.0 skill brackets and 19+, 35+, and 50+ age brackets. Also includes 5.5 open division with cash prizes. 3 game minimum.

National Deaf PB Tournament 2024 - November 7-10, 2024

  • Location - Dreamland, Dripping Springs, TX

  • Overview - Fourth annual National Deaf Pickleball Tournament for deaf players only. Featuring singles, scramble doubles, mixed doubles and gender doubles with 3.0-4.5+ skill brackets and various age brackets. 3 game minimum.

  • Location - Austin Tennis Center, Austin, TX

  • Overview - Singles round robin tournament for men and women with â…–-5.0+ skill brackets. 4 game to 15 or 6 game to 11 minimum.

Austin Real Estate Perfect for Pickleball

Vince Mathon, pictured right, after winning a pickleball tournament

Looking to buy or sell property in Austin? Look no further than Vince Mathon, Austin, TX Realtor®, Founding Partner of Revel Property Group, and pickleball player. Vince is your go-to expert for a personalized, professional, and uncomplicated real estate experience, especially if you want to know the best pickleball properties in Austin. If you're looking to buy or sell a home/land, discuss investment opportunities, or lease an apartment/house, text or call Vince at 737-267-5585. Learn more at www.vincemathonATX.com.

Paddle Discount Codes

Save 10% on a Six Zero Ruby with code APU

Use code “APU” and get a 10% discount on all paddles and gear purchased from CRBN and Six Zero pickleball. This includes the CRBN 1x, 2x, and 3x paddles and the Six Zero Ruby and Double Black Diamond paddles.

Master Your Dinks with The Dink Master

Did you know that 15 minutes of wall drilling is roughly equivalent to the amount of touches you would get in 2-3 hours of doubles play?

More touches = more improvement

The Dink Master is the #1 training aid in pickleball, designed to help you practice your dinks, volleys, and shot accuracy. With the Dink Master, you can control what types of shots you work on while getting in thousands more reps when compared to a normal game. The Dink Master helps you improve your coordination, muscle memory, and overall gameplay on your own time. Use code “APU” when ordering your Dink Master today for 30% off and free shipping.

A Private Pickleball Oasis on the East Side

Nestled in a prime corner lot, East 12th Pickleball provides the perfect blend of accessibility and privacy, making it an ideal spot for anyone seeking a great pickleball game. Whether you’re new to pickleball and looking to enjoy time with friends or an advanced player wanting to improve your game with a coach, East 12th Pickleball offers the perfect setting for all of your pickleball court needs. Check out the @east12thpickleball Instagram for more information.

Austin Pickleball Update Social Groups

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Share Austin Pickleball Update

Please forward and share this newsletter with your pickleball friends so that they stay updated around everything pickleball in Austin! 

If you’re looking for places to play pickleball in Austin, check out our Austin Pickleball Courts and Clubs page here. 

Previous volumes of Austin Pickleball Update:

If you have any Austin pickleball news, tips, or topics that we should cover or may have missed, please reach out! We're always grateful to hear from our readers.

Look out for Austin Pickleball Update - Volume 17 on Wednesday, July 3, 2024!

See you on the courts!✌️

Phillip & Kylee Klugman - Austin Pickleball Update