Meeting Pickleball Pioneer Fran Meyer

Speaker 1 0:00

Hi, I'm Shelly Maurer and I'm Cher Emrick. Welcome to Life.

Speaker 2 0:04

Lessons from Pickleball where we engage with pickleball players from around the world about life on and off the court.

Speaker 1 0:12

Thanks for joining us. Welcome everyone to Life. Lessons from Pickleball. Oh, it's so great to have you with us today and we are so grateful to have with us Fran Meyer. Fran, you have been a pivotal figure in the growth and development of pickleball and in 1999, you launched Pickleball Stuff, the first online platform dedicated to the sport, providing players with access to equipment and information at a time when resources were virtually unavailable.

Speaker 3 0:47

And beyond your entrepreneurial efforts, you played a significant role in organizing major tournaments. You co-directed the inaugural USA Pickleball National Tournament in 2009 and continued in leadership roles for subsequent tournaments. You were a charter member of the USA Pickleball Association, usapa, and you were on the board from 2005 to 2013, where you held positions including secretary, media director and vice president.

Speaker 1 1:18

You are also a very accomplished player. You have amassed over 200 medals in various tournaments and you were inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2018. On top of all of this, you wrote a beautiful memoir titled A Hummingbird Returns to Raipa, offering a personal glimpse into your journey with your beloved husband, barney Meyer, and your shared passion for Pickleball. And we definitely want to hear about your journey with Barney. But first, how were you introduced to Pickleball and how did you create the first Pickleball retail online store?

Speaker 4 1:58

Well, I was introduced to Pickleball at a party and I didn't think much of it. And several years later I had back surgery for a herniated disc and that made me realize I need to get into better shape, because I'd spent all those years raising three daughters and not really taking care of my own physical condition and I thought, well, let's see what could I take up. Well, I don't like swimming, I don't run, and there were so many don'ts things that I didn't do. My only background was seven years of classical ballet, from the time I was five until I was 12. But then I remembered I had played this game in somebody's backyard at a party and I thought I bet I could do that.

Speaker 4 2:46

And at the time I was working at the University of Washington and in their activities at the IMA, the Intramural Activities Building, they had pickleball on Thursdays at five and I thought, well, I'm just going to go over there and take a look. And they had the badminton courts marked off. You could check out a ball or a paddle. And so the following week I thought I'm going to ask some people from my department to come with me, and so we started a regular Thursday afternoon session and we only played singles because we didn't know anything else. And pretty soon a couple of graduate students from the psychology department came down and they joined us and we just kind of had a regular session every Thursday at the IMA and what year was that?

Speaker 1 3:33

that you started playing pretty regularly.

Speaker 4 3:35

About 1987, 1988.

Creating the First Pickleball Website

Speaker 3 3:39

And then how did that translate into you starting the Pickleball website?

Speaker 4 3:44

Well, it just got to be kind of a passion and that pretty soon I was going to community centers during my lunch hour and then I saw a flyer at the IMA for a tournament that was being hosted by Sid Williams and I entered that and it got to be that Pickleball was kind of taking over my life. And one day, at one of my many jobs that I had at the time, I was asking if there was something else I could do, because I was just supposed to answer the telephone at this real estate company and it hardly ever rang. So he said, oh, just read a magazine or something. I realized it was probably harder for him to find something for me to do and to just have me sit there warming the chair waiting for the phone to ring. And since I was working four jobs at the time, I thought I should really make good use of this time and I'm going to do something. Oh, people are making websites. I'm going to do that. Making websites, I'm going to do that. Over time.

Speaker 4 4:49

I bought myself this great, big, thick book on how to write HTML code and out of it I picked like three pages that were pertinent to what I needed to do and I wrote the code to create this pickleball website, and it wasn't starting out to be pickleball at first. I had to think about the topic. I thought, oh, website, now I need a topic. And I thought, wow, that's pretty natural. I really like pickleball. Why don't I share the topic of pickleball with everyone?

Speaker 4 5:17

So it was actually an informational website to begin with, and pretty soon I was getting text message not text message emails from people wanting to know where can we buy this stuff. And I would, you know, look it up, write down the phone number and text or email it back to them. And this happened over and over again and pretty soon the light bulb went off and I thought, gee, if I had the stuff, they could buy it from me. So I went about going to see the two people that I knew that were producing pickleball paddles at the time Pickleball Incorporated and Pro Light Sports and they both allowed me to take inventory without paying for it. You know, just send us the money when you have sold the items and we'll do business.

Speaker 1 6:09

Wow, that's how you treated your customers as well. Right, correct, say it about it, because that was very inspiring to me that this is how you.

Speaker 4 6:19

Yeah, I mean, it was back in the day when you could just trust people and I just had faith that if we sent items to people that were really wanting to play pickleball, I wanted them to have the stuff, but I wanted them to make sure they liked it before they paid for it. And it seemed logical to me that well, why don't you try it out? And if you like it, then send us a check. And here's an envelope, you just mail it to us and if you don't like it, then just send it back, and that way we won't have to give you a refund or anything like that.

Speaker 4 6:48

It just seemed simpler and at first Barney was a little skeptical about my business model and he was always worried that we weren't going to get the money. And the first time I sent out $600 worth of stuff, I mean it really kind of took our breath away, the money. And the first time I sent out $600 worth of stuff, I mean it really kind of took our breath away. And sure enough, a couple weeks later here came a check. You know breathe a sigh of relief and we thought we're going to keep going this way and over the years I always kept track of how many people did not pay, and it was point zero, 1% of our total revenues, 0.01% of our total revenues. And that told me this is just fine, because that was so much less of a hit than if we would have had to pay credit card fees.

Finding Love Through Pickleball

Speaker 1 7:33

Exactly, wow. Well, you are one creative entrepreneur. I mean, we're gonna talk about your book where you share more, but tell us how you met Barney. We're going to talk about your book where you share more, but tell us how you met Barney.

Speaker 4 7:45

Oh, Barney was a pickleball player as well and I wasn't very good. I only thought I could play singles, and so I always entered these tournaments of SIDS in singles. And one day he called me up and he says I have a fellow who needs a partner in mixed doubles. Why don't you do it? And I thought he says well, think about it. I gave it a split second of thought and I thought well, here's a guy that probably isn't very picky about who he gets, he probably just wants to play, and I probably should gain some experience playing something else besides singles. So sure, sign me up. So we met about five minutes before our first match.

Speaker 3 8:28

Yeah, that's how we met.

Speaker 1 8:32

That's how you met, and then it was a few years later that you reconnected.

Speaker 4 8:37

Yes, I mean, I just thought, okay, there's a guy that needed a partner. Okay, did that tournament Away. I went. A couple years later, nikki Ryan called me and she was the commissioner for this greater Seattle senior games. She says I have a fellow who needs a partner in mixed doubles. And I said, really what's his name? And partner in mixed doubles? And I said, really what's his name? And she said, well, it's Barney Meyer. And I went oh, I remember playing with him. You know we didn't set the world on fire, but he was okay. So, yeah, sure, I'll do it. So we played another match and eventually, eventually, nothing, eventually, nothing, finally, slowly slowly slowly.

Speaker 4 9:39

Another guy that needed a partner and I was working four jobs at the time, so an abandoned school, and it was on Sunday and it worked in well with my Sunday afternoon job and so when I was able to, I would go over there and play, and sometimes Barney was there and he knew I lived somewhere not too far from him and he suggested that we do some carpooling and I thought, well, you know that'll save money. He was interested in saving money, so we agreed upon that and that's how the relationship grew and blossomed.

Speaker 1 10:04

Grew and blossomed is right. In fact, the two of you were very much in partnership throughout the development of Pickleball right.

Speaker 2 10:13

Yes.

Speaker 1 10:13

Can you talk about that, the way that you both engaged in promoting this incredible sport?

Speaker 4 10:21

Yes, um, it first started when Nikki Ryan wanted to give up being the commissioner for the greater Seattle senior games. She had done it. She had a pencil with an eraser and a piece of paper. And this is how she did it. You know, people would sign up, she would write their names and then she would erase them and move the names around. Just to be fair to her, she's yet a few years older than me and you know.

Building Pickleball Organizations Together

Speaker 4 10:50

We felt, okay, we need to take it over. And since Barney was willing to help as well, I thought it'll be easy with two of us working on it. And so we took it over. I made everything into an Excel spreadsheet and it made it a lot simpler to organize the tournament and get the teams together and create the brackets. And then, before we knew it, the fellow from the Washington State Senior Games asked if we would be commissioners for the Washington State Senior Games. Asked if we would be commissioners for the Washington State Senior Games. Maybe it happened the other way around. So we ended up doing that for nine years greatest Seattle game for eight years. And then, when Mark Friedenberg and Steve Wong were talking about recreating this organization to guide the growth of Pickleball and to become the organization to manage it. They invited Barney and I to join them in the planning of the first phase of that. So it was just, you know, around a kitchen table brainstorming with a few other people and look what's happened.

Speaker 4 12:00

I mean I don't consider myself a visionary in any way. I feel like I'm more the Forrest Gump of pickleball. You know, nothing I ever did was intended to be a business or to become, you know, on the starting organization for the sport or even to get into the Hall of Fame. It was just kind of bumbling along and people asking me things that I just agreed to join in and participate join in and participate.

Speaker 1 12:39

It's hard for me to imagine that you don't think of yourself as a visionary, because in reading your story in your incredible memoir, you are a beautiful writer. By the way.

Speaker 4 12:47

Oh, thank you.

Speaker 1 12:47

Oh, in fact, we both have the book, yeah, and we devoured it and both talked about it. Oh, I can't believe it's so inspiring. You have such a creative sense, the way that you well, for one thing, having four jobs at one time and big jobs, and then being your relationship with Barney and managing, working together and being in, eventually, a marriage. And we want to ask you about your wedding and then when as he then had some ill illness and you were creative and how to keep him engaged. And I mean you, I would say, my dear, you are quite a visionary, but we don't have to argue about that. I'll just decide that that's what I, how I see you. But tell us about when you did decide to marry and it was kind of hey, let's get married, okay, let's get married, and when can we do it? And you were both so busy. And then what ultimately happened?

Speaker 4 13:57

We set a date. Once we decided we were going to get married, we said what should the date be? And I said you know, our first date was on the 20th of February, and next year that date will be 02-20-2002. Isn't that the coolest date. And so we were really excited. And then we went you know, we're busy that day, we're playing in the tournament and it's mixed doubles that day. And we went oh, we know the commissioner for the Arizona Senior Olympics, let's just call Earl and ask him what time he thinks it's going to finish. Then we can decide if we have time to drive up to Wickenburg and get the marriage license and have the justice of the peace do it.

Speaker 4 14:44

So we called Earl and he said why do you want to know? And I said well, we're planning to get married. And he goes oh well, you know what, I'll call you right back. So in about an hour he called back and he goes why don't you two get married? On the pickleball court. And I was taken aback and went no, no, no, no, no, people are coming to play in the tournament, they're not coming to a wedding. And he goes no, it'll be really great. He was twisting our arm. They'll love it. It'll be a really great draw for the tournament and I think it'll be wonderful. So finally we agreed, and the next day I got a phone call. Hi, this is Mary and I'm your wedding coordinator. We have a wedding coordinator. I mean, all of a sudden, this quiet little thing that we were going to run off to Wickenburg and do just by ourselves turned into a thing.

Speaker 1 15:43

A beautiful thing.

Speaker 4 15:44

How awesome.

Speaker 1 15:45

It was it was so fun and you have photos in your book of the. The group that held their paddles crossed over you like an arch as you walked underneath the pickleball paddles. Oh, I just think that was so sweet.

Speaker 4 16:02

It just was the most memorable thing, and every time we thought about our wedding we just had to smile. It was just so fun.

Speaker 1 16:11

Well, we know that the hummingbird became a really important symbol for you and I'm not going to give it away because I want people to read about it, but we have a hummingbird next to me just in honor of Barney, I feel like ooh, I just got chills. I just feel like he's with us right now. He's so excited to be talking about this, right.

Speaker 4 16:33

Exactly.

The Court Wedding

Speaker 1 16:34

And yeah, just really lovely. How do you feel about the changes now that are happening in pickleball?

Speaker 4 16:45

I have mixed emotions. Back in the day on the board of the USA at that time was USAPA. I kept thinking we just need to get a really top level tennis player to be interested in pickleball and then it'll really take off. And the name I had in mind was Andre Agassi. No kidding, no way.

Speaker 1 17:10

Who just played with Anna Lee Waters Exactly.

Speaker 4 17:14

Oh my gosh, but he was the guy that I had in my mind at the time, and so to see it get to that point now where we have high level and former professional tennis players joining in and really making this sport exciting and drawing viewers and players to it, it's exciting to me.

Evolution of Pickleball: Past vs Present

Speaker 4 17:34

On the other hand, I knew one of the inventors quite well and that was Barney McCallum another Barney, another Barney and he always took the time to explain the intent of the game. The know, barney, say that the game was created to have balance between offense and defense, and that's why the rules are the way they are. There should be no advantage to being the first server. There should be no advantage to height, age, size or any of that. It's more a game of finesse rather than power. And that was his vision of the game, and I think it has changed now and evolved to be more of a game of power rather than of. I mean, there is still finesse and strategy involved, but power is taking over, both with the kind of ball that's being used and the type of paddles that are being developed.

Speaker 1 18:39

Yeah, I guess they're still trying to figure out how to discern what's a legal paddle and what's not illegal. It's moving so fast, yes, and the companies that are getting involved are very skilled at creating new products and it's moving faster than I think people can keep up to figure it out.

Speaker 4 18:58

Yeah, the original rules say that there could not be anything on the surface of the paddle that would allow that paddle to impart greater spin.

Speaker 4 19:08

And now paddle makers are touting that feature in their paddles. We've got a nice surface here that allows you to impart more spin and also, as a member of the USAPA, we had a fellow that had some paddles manufactured in China that had a little bit of a trampoline effect and it allowed the players that used it to really drive the ball with a lot more speed and therefore, therefore, we had to define the rules because it didn't specifically address trampoline effect. We had to specifically define the rules so that it addressed that aspect of paddle development. So we want a solid paddle that doesn't have any springiness to it. It's got to be nice and solid and not have any compressibility beyond a certain point. And I've seen advertisements now for some brands I won't name them that are saying these are the greatest paddles.

Speaker 1 20:09

They have trampoline effect, you can drive the ball a lot harder and faster and it'll give you an advantage over your opponents. Huh, kind of need to. We're kind of the Wild West right now. Yeah, need to rein it in. Yeah, it's funny.

Speaker 3 20:27

Go ahead, chelle. I was going to say it's amazing. Just in the two years that we played, I remember how it was all about in the beginning, learning our dinking game, and now it's all about just trying to slow down the drives.

Speaker 1 20:38

It's really changed.

Speaker 3 20:39

Yes, in just a short time that I've been playing.

Speaker 1 20:42

Yeah, right, yeah so, in all this experience you've had, I just wish we could talk more about barney, but I also want to be sure that people read your book a hummingbirdmingbird Returns to Raipa. It is so gorgeous and your involvement both of you have made this game what it is. I mean, if it weren't for you and Mark and who was the Wong, steve, wong, steve, yeah, honestly, we wouldn't be here, we wouldn't even be talking like we are.

Life Lessons from Fran

Speaker 1 21:15

This is just amazing, and it is now a sport, not just a game, and I love that I love that all different levels and I love that all different ages and different physical abilities and different skill levels all of these allow us to be on the court together. It's just beautiful. So, in your life, on and off the court, what would you say are some of the life lessons you've learned?

Speaker 4 21:43

I would say three things. One you need to show up. Two you need to work hard to stay fit. I'm going to be 79 in a month. You are not work hard to stay fit, I'm going to be 79 in a month.

Speaker 1 21:57

You are not, I am, yeah, oh, my goodness, I hope everybody's watching this on YouTube.

Speaker 4 22:00

Nobody will believe it, nobody will believe it, but you have to work at it, and so this is why I say work hard to stay fit. Everybody who's gotten to be my age has experienced some kind of setback, injury, illness, you name it. They are my inspiration because, despite having cancer, heart attacks, shoulder replacements, knee replacements, hip, you name it they have fought to come back and play this game and they've worked hard to regain their fitness. So you know, just so? This really makes me think I've got a hangnail today. Oh, you broke your leg, never mind, that's good.

Speaker 4 22:45

The other thing I've learned is don't be afraid to try new things. I mean, this is how I got to where I am is accepting a little bit of a challenge and trying to do something that I've never done before. Writing the book is a perfect example. I've never written a memoir and there I was, at age 78, publishing a book. So I think you know, just try, try something, I love that. Try, try something, I love that. And from that two things emerge, and that is see the opportunities in everything that's before you, Because it might not look like anything, but you can get opportunities from everything that you do. And also remember to be grateful. I mean, with all the experiences I've had in my life good, bad, and in between, I look back on all of them now and I'm grateful for all of the experiences because without them I wouldn't have gotten to this point.

Speaker 1 23:52

Also what comes through in your book. Those life lessons, by the way, are very touching to me. I mean, those are beautifully worded In your book. It shows how in tune you are with your own intuition, with kind of the magic in the world. Things just keep one after the other. You just kind of follow that guidance, that flow of life, and it inspires all of us to do the same, to stay in touch with our hearts with that flow of life and just trust that that next step is going to be revealed, and your story, your life story, just is one after another example of that.

Speaker 4 24:36

Yeah, the reason I say show up is in the very early days, like I said, I only knew how to play singles and I would enter Sid Williams's tournaments thinking, well, I'll just sign up for singles. But he had at that time open A, b and C, c being the very lowest so I would sign up for C. Nobody else signed up for C, b or A. So you put me in open division singles and this happened tournament after tournament. I would get in there and I would face off with the top seeded woman singles player in open division. I get my you know, danny, handed to me on a platter.

Speaker 4 25:17

Go down to the consolation round, which you couldn't come back and win. It wasn't a double elimination, it was a elimination with consolation. But if you won the consolation you got points. I would go down to the consolation round and the poor other gal that lost would just get discouraged and go home. So I never had to play. Well, every now and then I had to play. But at the end of the year he'd tally up the points and send out ratings for every category open division, b, a, you know, whatever. And I looked for my name and I found it in women's open division singles, I was ranked sixth in the country Wow, fran Never having won a single match or game.

Speaker 1 26:13

But you showed up.

Speaker 3 26:14

You showed up.

Speaker 4 26:19

Oh, I love that that was the lesson I learned from that Show up, you showed up.

Speaker 1 26:21

Yeah, oh, I love the lesson I learned from that. I love that. So for those, in addition to showing up, for those who are kind of stuck at some level in their play, and they're wanting to just get to that next level. What do you have some as a experienced winner? Uh, do you have some advice?

Speaker 4 26:45

you can learn something from everybody you know. You can take a lesson, you can play with higher level players if they'll allow it, if they'll allow it, yeah.

Speaker 1 26:55

And they will. So many great players are allowing to play with people who are not their level, but they have so many tools now too.

Speaker 4 27:05

Back when I was learning, there weren't classes, there weren't coaches, you just taught yourself, basically. And now they've got ball pitching machines that you can use. You can rent them, you can go places and hit against the wall. So there are a lot of tools out there. Do drilling. Drilling is going to help. I don't do it a whole lot, but that's another thing. But here's the other thing I want to say you don't always have to improve to to enjoy and get a lot out of pickleball Good point, good point.

Speaker 4 27:44

That's right. You know there's a lot to be gained just going out there and playing for the joy of playing.

Speaker 3 27:51

Yes, don't forget the joy, don't forget the joy Like.

Speaker 1 27:55

I just played this morning with three other women and we found ourselves talking about half the time and playing half the time. So it's such a great community and that's a benefit to your health.

Speaker 4 28:05

I believe in this sport for the health benefits. Yep and I tell that to people all the time Play it because it's just really good for your health. It'll keep you active. It'll allow you to age gracefully and remain active and be able to participate in life.

Speaker 1 28:25

Indeed, indeed. Well, fran, you are an inspiration on so many levels and I just want to remind people A Hummingbird Returns to Ripa is so beautifully written. It will inspire you, it will touch your hearts Barney is definitely still here and very much with us guiding you and with loving you. I know Fran from the other side and I really appreciate both Shelley and I. So appreciate you sharing your story in this beautiful book.

Speaker 1 28:56

Thank you so much, really appreciate both Shelly and I so appreciate you sharing your story in this beautiful book, and I know Amazon and anywhere you buy your books, find this book and you will love it.

Speaker 3 29:04

Yeah, the Indian is so special, I think about it often.

Speaker 1 29:08

I do too, so it was very inspirational.

Speaker 4 29:10

Oh good, Thank you. I appreciate being on with you.

Speaker 1 29:13

We're looking for hummingbirds everywhere we go. You, I appreciate being on with you. We're looking for hummingbirds everywhere we go. Thank you so much, fran. Really appreciate you being with us. All right, thank you and thank you all. Yes, get this book, you will adore it and you will be as inspired as we by this amazing woman, fran Meyer. That's M-Y-E-R and thank you, fran, thank you all, and we look forward to a new conversation next week. Bye-bye.

Speaker 2 29:42

Bye. If you love our podcast, we'd be so grateful if you'd take a few seconds to follow or subscribe to Life Lessons from Pickleball. This ensures you'll never miss an episode and helps us continue these wonderful conversations.

Speaker 1 29:57

On Apple Podcasts, spotify or wherever you listen, go to the 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 2 30:10

Thanks, so much Hope to see you on the court.