Pickleball For A Living? Some Utahns Are Making It Happen

A couple in Michigan loves to tell the story of how they used to nag their teenage son to get up off the couch and quit playing video games all the time.

"It seemed like such a waste of time," Jen Waller said. "We'd yell at him to get up and do something productive and he always used to tell us that he was doing something productive and that he'd prove it someday."

Nowadays, Waller's son is world-class video game professional and annually brings home winnings in the six-figure range.

"I guess he proved it," Waller said.

So if your son, daughter, grandparent or other relative seems to be spending a lot of time playing pickleball, maybe, like the Waller boy, they're just honing their craft so they can go pro someday.

As it turns out, like high-level gamers, high-level pickleballers can make a lot of money.

For example, in November they are holding the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships in Mesa, Ariz.

USA Pickleball members competing in professional divisions will have the chance to vie for prize money across three competitive divisions including: Pro, Champions Pro and Masters Pro.

The total purse -- $225,000.

“The significant prize purse reflects USA Pickleball's commitment to elevating the sport, supporting pro athletes and providing competitive opportunities at the highest level,” said Mike Nealy, CEO of USA Pickleball. “The Arizona Athletic Grounds will be the perfect backdrop for highlighting the skill and dedication of our members as well as recognizing their achievements and rewarding excellence in the sport."

In other words, there's gold in them there pickleballs.

For more information on the national tournament, go here.

For the record, Utah has dozens of professional pickleball players, including the Utah Black Diamonds, a professional pickleball team based in northern Utah with professionals Connor Garrett, Tyler Loong, Callie Jo Smith and Alix Truong.

They compete in the Major League Pickleball league.