Life Lessons from Pickleball™
Meet Shelley and Sher, the dynamic duo, who found more than just a sport on the Pickleball court - they discovered how Pickleball was weaving its magic, creating connections, boosting confidence, and sprinkling their lives with amazing joy. Inspired by their own personal transformation and the contagious enthusiasm of their fellow players, they knew this was more than a game. Join them on their weekly podcast as they serve up engaging conversations with people from all walks of life, and all around the world reaching across the net to uncover the valuable Life Lessons from Pickleball™.
Life Lessons from Pickleball™
E45: Diane Baumgartner: Pickleball: Not Just a Game, But a Lifeline!
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How can pickleball become a lifelong calling, a ministry of service, and a way to help kids, first responders, seniors, and entire communities feel stronger, healthier, and more connected?
In this episode, Diane Baumgartner shares her extraordinary pickleball journey, from first being introduced to the game as a middle school PE teacher in Oregon in 1981 to becoming a USA Pickleball Ambassador in both Arizona and Oregon, an IPTPA certified instructor, and a medalist in 14 different states. Diane also reflects on her background as a middle school principal, athletic director, PE teacher, and college tennis player, and how all of those experiences prepared her to become one of pickleball’s most passionate advocates and coaches.
Diane talks about learning the finer points of pickleball from top players like Wes Gabrielson, how she continues competing at a 4.5 level in her 70s, and why the game remains so meaningful to her after all these years. She also shares the inspiring work she does with kids, college students, first responders, and local pickleball clubs, including helping schools and communities get paddles, nets, and balls, introducing beginners to the sport, and creating programs like Night Glow Pickleball and Helping Hands Pickleball to build both fun and support into the pickleball community.
Along the way, Diane opens up about the joy of helping young players discover they can do a sport, the power of pickleball to create belonging for people who feel left out, and why she believes this game offers so much more than competition. This is an uplifting conversation about pickleball, USA Pickleball ambassadors, IPTPA instruction, youth pickleball, senior pickleball, Arizona pickleball, Oregon pickleball, first responders, community service, Night Glow Pickleball, and the life lessons that remind us everybody deserves a place to play, belong, and be seen.
📘 Our book Life Lessons from Pickleball™ is now available on Amazon
Order the book here: https://a.co/d/0bHPFYve
A collection of short, true stories from players around the world about community, resilience, and joy through the game of pickleball.
A portion of proceeds supports Operation PaddleLift, through the Global Pickleball Federation, distributing paddles, balls and nets to underserved communities around the world.
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Introduction
Speaker 1Hi , I'm Shelly Maurer and I'm Cher Emrick . Welcome to Life .
Speaker 2Lessons from Pickleball where we engage with pickleball players from around the world about life on and off the court .
Speaker 1Thanks for joining us . Welcome everyone to Life Lessons from Pickleball . We are so lucky to have with us today Diane Bob Gartner . Diane , you were recommended to us by a previous wonderful guest pro pickleball player , dino Geyer , who said you are an amazing ambassador for the sport of pickleball .
Speaker 2You are a USA Pickleball Ambassador in Arizona and Oregon and Oregon , oh yeah , an IPTPA certified instructor and have medaled in 14 different states .
Speaker 1Wow . You are also Diane , a former middle school principal , athletic director and PE teacher currently coaching kids all around Arizona and Oregon and serve on the board of the New Mexico and Arizona Pickleball Association , nmapa . You've also started a business called Night Glow Pickleball and can't wait to hear all about that . But hey , before we even get into pickleball , tell us how were you first introduced to the sport and what was going on in your life at the time .
Speaker 3Okay , well , I was a middle school teacher down in Klamath Falls , oregon in 1981 . And we had this rec game unit and somehow pickleball popped up and so we started playing pickleball not like you play today , but as a rec unit and did that for a couple of years . And then we moved back to Salem with my husband and I started . I was a tennis player in college and so I started playing tennis with this young man at Sprague High School and we would play tournaments and one day he says you know , baumgartner , you're going to learn pickleball . I go what he goes ? Oh yeah , pickleball . So he taught me the finer points of pickleball and we would play tennis tournament on a Friday , a pickleball tournament on Saturday .
Speaker 3Unbeknownst to me , his name was Wes Gabrielson . I don't know if you know who Wes is . He's amazing . And at that time he was like one of the number one players of pickleball and so what a treat , what a treat . So Wes and I go back a ways and that's how I got into pickleball . Great way to start Start at the top . Yeah , that's right , that's right . And I was able to play with a lot of Sarah Ansberry , the bearded guy , brian Ashworth you guys , if you're from Washington , you would know , brian and so , yes , I got to start at the lower . You know at a high level , with those great players , and so learned a lot from them . What's your level now ? I'm playing 4-5 .
Speaker 2Oh my gosh .
Speaker 3At 75, ? Yeah , but the problem is now there are no 75s players , so they put us down with the 65s , or the 60s and I'm going come on , I've decided that I'm a teacher and I love teaching kids .
Speaker 3oh yeah , well , there's nothing better than a kid coming up to you after class and saying you know , I don't do sports , but I can play this game . You know , they get so excited and go yep , see , you got it . So that's the beauty of pickleball is that anybody can play it . And once they start playing , they love it .
Speaker 2Yep , so there we go Yep , yep . So tell us , what does it mean to be an ambassador for Pickleball in Arizona and Oregon ?
Speaker 3Well , basically , and my kids are down here , my own kids , and they say Grammy has seven minutes and then she's going to start talking Pickleball .
Speaker 3It's in the dna house , yes and I , you know , try to be level and then my seven minutes are up and I get to start talking pickleball . But , um , yeah , I think it's the joy that goes along with it is getting people out and , um , getting them involved and having a community , people that you may not be the top level but you can sit and watch people play , you can converse with people . My club here we are starting a helping hands pickleball . So anyone in our community who gets sick , who might get injured , who has , you know , some kind of surgery , we will go to their place , bring them food , bring them stuff and , yeah , and that's just pickleball , it's a community . What a great idea .
Speaker 3Great idea Well and the other thought we're having . This issue , like all clubs , is we're trying to get more pickleball courts and in order to do that , we have to take away a tennis court . So we're canvassing our community and I have run into so many people that say you know , I don't play and I go . Well , just come out and watch , and that would get them out of the house sitting and conversing , and so what we do once a week now is we supply goodies , come and sit and eat . So these are friends of pickleball at Cordabella . So it's just , you know , it's just awesome . And I lost my husband 10 years ago to cancer . And well , I don't knit and sew , I don't knit and sew , I don't quilt . So I go to the office every day and play pickleball .
Speaker 1There we go . In fact is your office , the New Mexico and Arizona Pickleball Association office .
Speaker 3No , it's the court . Pickleball court , it's gone .
Speaker 1Tell us about that association .
Speaker 3Oh , it's an organization and what we them money to buy paddles , balls and nets .
Speaker 1Wonderful yeah yeah , yeah .
Speaker 3So there's no excuse for not having pickleball in your community or in your school .
Speaker 1In fact , on the website for that New Mexico and Arizona Pickleball Association , I saw that first responders are using pickleball as a part of their fitness routine and also team building Yep .
Speaker 3Okay , I hosted a pickleball tournament for our Peoria Firemen last year . We tried to get guns and hoses but I couldn't get the guns out to play . They don't have the downtime . You know , the firemen have some time during their day . They can go work out . Well , the guns , they say we don't get that . So anyway , it was just all firemen . Oh boy , these guys came to play .
Speaker 1I bet they did oh we had the oh boy .
Speaker 3these guys came to play . I bet they did . Oh , yeah , yeah . And most of them have a you know a place where they can pull the big trucks out and put their courts inside . So we give them nets and paddles and balls and let them play .
Speaker 1What a great idea .
Speaker 3Yeah , well . And the other thing if you're in a community where they're nearby , we try to invite them like Fireman Friday , come and play on our courts , because you know they come and save us . Why wouldn't we want to let them use our courts ? Amen , yeah , our courts , amen , yeah . The other thing with our NMAP is that we're working with the Parkinson's Foundation , because people that have Parkinson's we've found that they can play pickleball . So yeah , yeah , we have a new book that they gave us . It's called Unspeakable .
Speaker 1Unbreakable .
Speaker 3Surviving .
Speaker 1Adversity .
Speaker 3Yeah , and this guy has . He's got Parkinson's and talks about how it's just . It's just an amazing book no-transcript .
Speaker 1Diane , you're doing such amazing things . How tired are you ? I know , I know for sure . There's one other thing I wanted to ask you about . Maybe you had another question , but I was going to ask about night glow pickleball .
Speaker 3Yes , I saw it a couple years ago on facebook . It was being done down in florida and I thought , oh , we could do that here , and so I bought a bunch of lights and I'll send you a video of my lap . We just did three events down in yuma and I charged 15 a person per hour and the proceeds after cost go to . I'm going to either donate to the MNAP or I scholarship kids in my area to play pickleball tournaments , because they charge them the same amount as they do the adults , no kidding .
Speaker 1Oh , come on , that needs to change . Yeah , do the adults no kidding ? Oh , come on , that needs to change .
Speaker 3Yeah , so I've got the Lambs L-A-M . Three of those kids that I've scholarshiped , and you should see how they're doing . They're awesome , oh , and so yeah .
Speaker 1So why is it called Night Glow Pickleball ?
Speaker 3Because it's in the dark , literally . I put the black lights up , I put I striped the courts with fluorescent tape and I've got little signs I put on . I'll send you a video and the balls .
Speaker 1Uh , glow in the dark .
Speaker 3Yeah , yep oh my heaven , somebody had some balls , uh , saturday night that had the lights in them and I , somebody gave some to me and I well , I didn't think they'd work , but now I see they will work , so I'll use them . But your Franklins and your Selkirks , they all glow in the dark . Oh , I didn't know that . Yes , and then of course we have to have music . Hit me with your best shot , and I had a granddaughter . She put together my , you know . I said I want upbeat music and I want to
Meet Diane Baumgartner
Speaker 3. You know , girls want to have fun , all those you know fun things . So that's all .
Speaker 3What a hoot . I know when do you want me to come to Washington to do what ? What Tomorrow ?
Speaker 1Tomorrow .
Speaker 3Wait till I go back to Oregon .
Speaker 1It's incredible all you're doing for the sport . What did you say ?
Speaker 2Shelly . She says it's incredible everything she's doing for the sport .
Speaker 1I agree . Again , I don't knit and sew right you don't knit and sew , so it's got to be pickleball , that's right .
Speaker 3That's right , yeah , okay . So tomorrow no Wednesday I go to Ottawa University , ottawa and Ottawa is a new university out here in Surprise , and GCU Grand Canyon and ASU both have pickleball teams , club pickleball . So I'm telling Ottawa you need a team . So I'm telling Ottawa , you need a team . So I get to teach one day a week for an hour and a half and I am shocked at the number of kids who have never played . I had 25 students last week . 20 had never played pickleball .
Speaker 1Oh , Peter oh .
Speaker 2Oh , I said what .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 3Yeah .
Speaker 2And 25 people loved pickleball , I bet .
Speaker 3At the end , though , let me tell you yes , so yeah .
Speaker 1That is really cool . You are genuinely introducing the game to people who have never played , and even I love that . You're inviting people to come watch and be a part of the social experience . That's right . Come , have some goodies , get to know other people , maybe eventually want to get out on the court , but you don't have to if you don't want to .
Speaker 3That's right Come and see what it looks like . Come and see what it is . Yeah , yeah , absolutely Well , again , it's getting people out of the house . They get so used to sitting at home and watching TV Yep , unlike the kids who are video gaming it on phones . Let's get them out there , get out there and move .
Speaker 1So what stories might you have of what the game has changed the life of some of the kids ?
Speaker 3Do you have some stories to share ? I do have a youngster that when he first came to the courts last year , had an ankle bracelet on , oh yeah . And my daughter was there with her kids and she said Mom , I don't want my kid around . That kid I said just relax , let me find out what it was was , uh , turned out he ran away from home and so they were trying to keep track of him . He has no home .
Speaker 3He lives with an uncle who and I , you know , I can't say much , but sure , sure , I saw him the other day . He's sleeping at the curb at the courts , um , and playing . Yeah , oh yeah , oh yeah , he's there every day playing . I said , why aren't you in school ? And he's going . Well , I don't think we have school today . You know , it's just nice to have a place where he feels like he belongs . Yeah , and so he's not wearing the ankle bracelet anymore . That's the good news , that's huge . So yeah , and most of the other stories are my kids who have progressed up the ladder . Okay , they're playing Next Gen , which is with Chicken and Pickle .
Speaker 3Oh yeah , I don't know if you know what Next Gen is . Nextgen is like 12 to 22-year-olds and they have tournaments all over the United States . Oh and yeah , it's really fun to see those guys progress along and get better . Yeah .
Speaker 1Now are you coaching them .
Speaker 3No , I'm going to say I'm just standing and supporting them financially . I would coach them , but most of them have got parents that are tennis players and can work with them . I wouldn't have time . Exactly .
Speaker 1Exactly . You're on the road , you've got all these different irons in the fire and paddles on the court . That's right . That's right , that's right .
Speaker 3So , yeah , it's great fun . And you know , we have Apple here in Arizona Arizona Pickleball Players League and so I'm playing on a 65 plus 4 five women's Apple team and so we play the different communities in the area . So one day a week I have Apple and then the winners of that go to nationals . Well , I was on a Central Oregon team and we got to go to nationals this year in south carolina in august .
Speaker 3Oh gosh sorry we played 18 games in one day , 18 , yes , I said that is elder abuse . Yeah , yes , yes . And so the youngest player , and that was a 50 plus team , and and the youngest player who was 50 couldn't play anymore . She had cramps , so we had no sub . Oh , oh , oh , oh , gosh , too bad , oh man , anyway , so there's so much out there , so much out there , and it's great .
Speaker 1So , in all of your adventures before Pickleball and with Pickleball , and off the court of Pickleball , what are some of the life lessons that you've gleaned ?
Speaker 3Well , and again , I think it's helping kids feel like they can do something Like the ones that I said about that . I don't play any sports but I can play this sport and I was in Tucson one time and all these jocks were out there Never played it before and then I had some beginner or you know , non-jock kids that were beating those guys and boy did they feel good , because those guys are always looking down on them , but not anymore . So you know it's again . It's helping kids feel loved and respected and and I think pickleball does all that .
Speaker 1It does and , as you said , gives them a place where they feel like they belong . It really touches my heart that that one young one is experiencing that , when clearly he's not feeling like he belongs much anyplace else , but he certainly does feel like that's the community where he belongs .
Speaker 3Oh yeah , Everybody wants him to play because he is pretty good . Is he pretty good ? Oh yes , oh yeah .
Speaker 1So that's even better , that's even better . Yeah , yeah , so empowering , yes , yes , oh yeah , so that's even better , that's even better , yeah , yeah . So empowering , yes , yes , yes , shelly was a teacher . In fact , she started a school . And so I know that you talking about these students , these kids . That really touches her right , Shelly , For sure I can , yeah , I can feel it .
Speaker 3Yeah , yep , for sure I can , yeah , I can feel it , Yep , yep , they're just yeah . So that's how I spend my life .
Speaker 1Well , yeah , it continues to be your life .
Speaker 3Yeah , I wouldn't want it any other way . I wouldn't want it any other way .
Speaker 2Thank you , you're such a great role model , to let everyone know there's no reason to be inside in front of the TV . That's right , be out there playing pickleball be , active , whether you're playing or watching , or being part of the Pickleball Helper Group . That's right .
Speaker 1That's right . Friends of Pickleball FOP . Is that an ? Organization , or you just came up with it when you said friends , it's just now happening at our club , so it's new , I think that could be something you know , countrywide , worldwide , those who maybe they can't play or don't want to play , but they want to support the game . That's right , that's right , that's right .
Speaker 3Yeah , yeah , okay . And the helping hands , I think my club pretty much we already did that kind of stuff . We just didn't label it . So if anybody was ill or fell on the court we would go out and make sure they were okay and visit them and invite them back out , and so , yeah , I think those are all things clubs can do for their community .
Speaker 1I think that is such a great idea . Yeah , For those people who want to find you or follow you online . Where would they go ?
Speaker 3Oh , they can go to Facebook . Diane Baumgartner .
Speaker 1Diane Baumgartner great .
Speaker 3Yeah , yeah , okay , just be go to Facebook . Diane Baumgartner . Great , yeah , yeah .
Speaker 1Okay , just be nice . Awesome , just be nice . In fact , that that's . That was our coach . When we've , shelly and I , met on the court on our first day at a lesson and the coach said the way she determined who would be playing . She said do you play pickleball ? Yes , Are you nice ?
Speaker 1Yes , okay , come play Well , diane we can't thank you enough and we're so glad Dino told us about you and invited you to be a part of this , and we know how busy you are , so the fact that you took time out to be a part of this and we know how busy you are , so the fact that you took time out to be a part of our show , we really are grateful okay now if you get in the surprise area surprise arizona , yep , I got a bed and get your own damn breakfast .
Speaker 3Yeah , spare room there , and then I also have one in central oregon . So if you come to the band area , okay during the summer yeah , in fact , I am going to be there this summer .
Speaker 1We're going to be in um sun river right near bend .
Speaker 3Oh yeah , sun river has really blown up . Yep , they turned their tennis courts into pickleball courts inside . Yeah , brilliant .
Speaker 1Yes , okay , well , I'll look you up .
Speaker 3Oh , for sure it is a beautiful place out there . You'll love it .
Speaker 1Yeah , you'll love it , oh All right guys , Thank you . Thank you so much . Well , thank you , guys for doing this Really appreciate it . Let me say goodbye to our audience . Hang on . Can my family see this ?
Speaker 3Say again how would my family see this , can they ? We'll let you know , right ?
Speaker 1after the show , In fact , no , I'm going to tell everybody First . Thank you all for watching and listening . We really appreciate it and please follow us , like us , share us with your friends and we will send a link to you , diane , but we are available wherever you get your podcasts . Life Lessons from Pickleball podcast , awesome , awesome . Thank you all and we look forward to a new conversation next week . Bye-bye , Bye , thanks . Show page and tap the follow button in the top right corner and on YouTube , click the subscribe button under any of the episodes .
Speaker 2Thanks , so much Hope to see you on the court .