Welcome And Book Supports Charity

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, I'm Shelly Mauer. And I'm Cher Emmerich. Welcome to Life Lessons from Pickleball, where we engage with pickleball players from around the world about life on and off the court.

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Thanks for joining us.

John Corey And Pickleball Beginnings

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Before we get started, we have something really exciting to share. Our book, Life Lessons from Pickleball, is now available on Amazon, and a portion of every sale is donated to Operation PaddleLift. Your purchase helps deliver paddles, nets, and resources to underserved communities around the world. Thank you for being a part of Growing the Game We All Love. Now let's jump into today's episode. Welcome everyone to Life Lessons from Pickleball. Today we are honored to welcome John Corey, a retired naval officer, longtime community leader, and passionate advocate for growing the game of pickleball.

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John served 28 years in the Navy, including time as a naval aviator, and continued his leadership career after retirement in the corporate world before dedicating more of his time to service and community impact.

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He's also been deeply involved in nonprofit work, including serving as board president of Maine Pause for Veterans, helping match veterans with service jugs to support their healing and well-being. Oh, that's so cool.

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In the pickleball world, John has played a key role in building and expanding a thriving local community, growing the game, creating opportunities for players of all levels, and helping bring people together through the sport.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

So, John, your pickleball journey took an unexpected turn. But before we explore that, tell us how you first discovered the game and what was going on in your life at the time.

SPEAKER_03 1:46

Well, that was uh back in 2019. Um, and I was actually at the local YMCA. Uh, I was working out in the in the uh fitness room, and I walked out, and I hear this k-kunk, k-kunk, k-kunk in the gymnasium with the doors doors shut. So I I was curious, and and I opened the door and I walked in, and there's some people playing pickleball on the gymnasium floor, and I said, Hey, this looks really cool. So then I went into the back closet room in the gym and I saw a wooden paddle. So I grabbed a wooden paddle, walked out. I saw people putting it in a paddle line, so I put my paddle in a paddle line, and I I just stood around and waited, you know, in amazement. And my paddle finally came up, and I said, Yeah, that's mine. And I walked out to the court and I looked at my partner, and she was an older lady, and I said, I've never played before. I'm fairly athletic, I think I can wing this. Just tell me what to do. And and and uh we actually won the game. It was it was amazing. Uh, you know, I it got to it. I when it was my turn to serve, I go, okay, I did this in badminton. I've played badmint before, so I can I can do this. And I got it in. So we won. Then I when I came off the court, another lady came up to me and said, Don't use a wooden paddle here, borrow mine. And and so I was off and running at that point when playing pickleball.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Is there any other sport that's like that where you just kind of start fresh like that and everybody's welcoming, and then you win the game for crying out loud.

SPEAKER_03 3:13

Well, well, yeah, but but boy, when I I you know stood around and played another game, and you know, two more el elderly players, well, elderly meaning older than me, beat me, clearly beat me, and I realized this this is this is not your back uh yard game. This can be played very tactically.

SPEAKER_02 3:32

People are serious, yeah.

COVID Courts And Club Explosion

SPEAKER_03 3:34

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:35

So how did you then get involved in growing pickleball in your community?

SPEAKER_03 3:39

Well, we you know, we had a you know a growing a growing group of um players, and I got immediately involved in that uh that summer. But um then COVID came, and and so you know, all of a sudden things started to slow down. We weren't allowed to play indoors. Uh, so we're like, what are we gonna do? Well, we went outside, and there were some obscure rules where we had to play with a mask outside. And and so that got a real weird. But the the winter came. You know, I'm up I'm up here in Maine, and it is uh it gets very cold and snowy, but we shoveled that court every single snowstorm to play. Yep, yep. We were playing in in 15 degree weather at some some points, uh with with masks on uh during during COVID. That's how ridiculous it was. But we we just loved it, and it was it was just it was inspiring. We get up in the morning, there was nothing to do during COVID, but we would go outside and play pickleball for two hours in sub sub you know, sub-freezing temperatures.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

So besides having a community that's willing to shovel snow and play in such cold weather, did you start noticing how the game was affecting or influencing the people with you?

SPEAKER_03 4:57

Absolutely. First of all, you know, everybody you know enjoys the fitness part of it, but the reality was it was the social part. And people just wanted to get together and see each other in the morning and play and talk, even with a mask, and and just see each other. So it was it was such a social connection there. And the the best thing about that is, you know, I I had lived in this in this town, Brunswick, Maine, for see about uh geez, 16 years. And a lot of these people I had never seen before in a small main town. And now I'm meeting people that that are you know two miles away from my house, and I didn't even know. So it was it was it was a great multiplier for for meeting people, a social network, all those things.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

So were you instrumental in starting the club?

SPEAKER_03 5:44

Yes. What what happened is uh, you know, based on my my uh military background, the leadership side, all of a sudden people began to recognize that part of it. The uh current uh USAPA ambassador came up to me and said, Hey, I'm ready to be relieved if you want, you know, take it over. And I go, Well, what does it take? Well, I just have to communicate and and sell the game of pickleball. And I said, I can do that. So yeah, it was really easy. So uh, you know, I said, Yeah, I'll be the I'll be the ambassador for this region. And and then COVID ended, uh, and pickleball exploded everywhere. And so it was it wasn't a hard job for me to sell it. I just had to be out there and do it. And at some point, our club reached like 300 people. And I said, okay, and and and we were trying to raise some money to to uh help the town build eight more courts. So I I turned, I said, I turned to some of my peers and I said, you know, we have to incorporate. Um, you know, I I had some board experience. I said we have to incorporate, we have to have board members, uh, we have to uh you know tie in with the IRS. So we did all that. Next thing you know, we're a 501c7 social uh uh program. Right now, currently, we have 754 members. Paid members, paid members, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 7:09

And you know, I it you don't know the uh geographics, but we're we're a small town in Maine. I mean, we we're a 20,000-person town in Maine.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

Over 700 members.

SPEAKER_03 7:21

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

Yeah, that is wild. Congratulations. That's very impressive.

SPEAKER_03 7:27

Well, it is, and it's it's really nice because again, you went from fitness and social. Now it's now it's uh community. And people recognize this. So you know, we're pulling together as a town. People are getting up. This is their life. They get up, they want to get up at eight o'clock in the morning and play, you know, and play. And then after that, you know, go to lunch or whatever. Um, so you know, we we realized, boy, we need more courts, we need to schedule, you know, we need to, you know, interpret this, that, you know, how pickleball grows and and people get better. You know, they wanted to play different places, different venues, uh, and things like that. So, you know, we were hustling around um finding places to play, setting up courts, raising money to to do this and donate to to community centers and recreational centers, get it all set up.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

Oh, that is really cool. And then, as we mentioned, your journey took an unexpected turn. You somebody reached out to you and asked you to get involved in something new. Can you tell us what happened?

SPEAKER_03 8:30

Oh, wow. Yes. Uh, I I've got it, I got an email, a blind email from the recreation director at uh uh the Maine State Prison. And this is this is Maine's big house. This is this is the uh the real thing. And he said, Hey, we we just started this program, we set up a couple nets, um, and we'd like to play you guys. Play or bring somebody in to play. And I and I went, Okay, um, that sounds great. I I'm the guy to do this. Uh, I had I had I'm an instructor, uh a pickleball instructor. And I said, But how about we do this? How about I come up alone once, uh, meet you guys, play with the um the inmates who are called residents now, uh, and and you just get a lay to land, and then I'll then at that point uh I'll be happy to you know pull together um some of my my players and we'll come up and we'll play. So I I actually uh said I'll I'll be happy. I'll come up and give you guys a lesson and we'll see where we go. Uh and now we're off and running two years now straight. You can do this.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

What do you remember the first time you walked in the prison?

SPEAKER_03 9:36

All right. This is a this is a real funny story. So uh I went up alone and I didn't know what to expect. They told me, hey, just bring your paddle and be ready to play. And uh, so I went up there and I brought some training aids, some um, you know, plastic lines, but I also brought a hula hoop. Now, this you have to bear with me here. Um because I what I was gonna do is set it up on the net and say, you gotta aim for the the hula hoop uh when you hit. And so I got some some little weird looks from the guards, but then I realized when I started walking through the prison uh line, I was like, oh man, this was a bad mistake. You know what I am walking with a pink hula hoop, you know, and a and a pickleball paddle through uh maximum security prison. Um so, but anyways, it it worked out really well. And I have a follow-on story if you want to talk about that. But please, okay, so uh when we when we started playing, you know, we walked out there and there's there's 20 players, and they've been playing, they've been playing for a little while, but they learned it off the internet. And so all they do is bang, bang, bang. And it was just, I mean, it was incredible. They were just hitting hard and and you know, scored volley rallies, would only last two or three, you know. And and I I went up to them and I realized, okay, this is gonna be a hard sell. So I actually went to them and said, when they when they all got around me, I said, listen, guys, I'm a 28-year Navy veteran and I'm a Navy commander, okay, and I'm retired. I'm here to teach you how to win at pickleball. And they opened their eyes and they they thought, oh, we can win. And no, I said, you can't win. They said, Well, yeah, oh yeah, we're good. I said, okay. So I said, Who's the hardest hitter? And and they they they pointed to a guy, and I said, You get on the baseline, and I'm gonna stand in the kitchen and you rip it at me, and I don't care. And they they laughed and they hit it, and I just went boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Okay, you know, without even moving, flinching. I said, You want me to change to my right hand? I'm left-handed. You want me to change to my right hand? I could do it with my right hand. And they're like, their eyes went wide. I said, Yeah, I said, you guys don't know half the tactics to play, but I'm here to teach you how to be excellent pickleball players. And when I make you an excellent pickleball player, I will invite some of the best players up and you can play them. And they were eyes wide, and I had them at that point. They were they were paid attention and they were in, they were just geared up and in the zone, ready to play.

Turning Bangers Into Smart Players

SPEAKER_00 12:08

So, how long did you teach them before you brought in other players?

SPEAKER_03 12:13

Okay, that's a good question, too. So I I did uh six lessons, six, six times I went up, and this the sixth time we ran a tournament. So I said, Okay, you guys, the first thing you want to do is get you all ready. I taught them all the skills, moving to the transition, the um kitchen line, you know, tactical hitting, soft resets, everything like that, dinking. Uh and they they started getting really good. I said, okay, well, we're gonna run a scramble tournament right now. So you guys are playing. I want to see how everybody plays. And they they did that. It was wonderful. They loved it. I said, guess what? Next month, I'm bringing five other guys up with me. And that their eyes went lit. Uh, so they they were thrilled to have to see what it's like on the outside of the prison. Because they they play pickleball three times a week for two hours, they play with the same 20 guys, and they were just starving for other attention to see what pickleball really is. Yeah, so they they couldn't wait.

SPEAKER_00 13:11

How many courts are there?

SPEAKER_03 13:13

Okay, that's a good question, too. So they only had two courts on this gym. Oh, and I went, I went there after the second session. I said, Hey, you got 20 players. This is way too much. I said, You got room over there for third court. And they and I and they their eyes, the the recreation director's eyes lit up. I said, Hey, build a third court, line it out, you know, get another net, and guess what? Uh the club will buy you 20 paddles. I I went I went back to to my club and I said, listen, these guys are playing with uh beginner paddles from Amazon. You know, they're hard, they don't play well. I can get a deal with a with a um a company, you know, for$50 a paddle. Can I get a thousand dollars from the club? And the club voted seven to oh the board, and we bought them. Now here's here's another great story. I had it direct shipped to the prison, and the recreation director waited until I came up, and then he opened the box in front of all the 20 20 players, and there were 20 high-end new paddles uh there. And you you would have thought it was Christmas time. Yeah, these are these are man. And and here's the real kicker. Um, they they absolutely played their hearts out with these paddles. At the end of the session, to the person, every single resident inmate went over to the trash can and pulled out the the uh bubble wrap that the paddles came in, and they put their butt their paddle back in the bubble wrap and put it on the shelf. That's how much they they respected this paddle. What a gift to them. You know, I'm like, oh my god, this is this it was a hundred it was a hundred and fifty dollar paddle. I I had a discount, but they this was this was gold to them. And to this to this day, that's where they they store their paddles in the original bubble wrap uh on on the shelf.

SPEAKER_02 15:05

So how did the lucky 20, how did they choose the 20 that got to play with you?

SPEAKER_03 15:10

Okay, that's that's kind of an interesting thing. The players that that were chosen were were privileged players. When I say privileged, they earn the right to play pickleball, meaning they were they're good, they're good inmates. Uh, they've done everything right. Uh, and so that's how they did it. So I so I was playing with I guess the best of the of the best in the sense of how they they act in the prison and and how they were they're reforming and everything like that. So that was that was a good side. Now there has to be an interest in in playing pickleball. And the reality was there was, uh, you know, 20. Uh and and then when we came up, I brought six, five other players up, and and we started playing. And I, you know, I kind of coached my players and said, hey, these guys are pretty good. Uh they're they're gonna they're gonna give us a run for the money. And by golly, we barely won 50% of our games. I mean, and and and I didn't, I I brought up good players, you know, and I'm like, wow, you know, they because these these these guys were moving, and they're they're in a better shape, they're younger than us, but they were moving, they were getting to the kitchen line, uh, and they they were playing all the game. I mean, I was just like amazed at how well they had learned and how much they had sucked it up in only like six, six or seven months. Uh they were they were playing well.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

Over this time, how how did the relationships develop between you and the residents?

SPEAKER_03 16:37

All right. So um they uh absolutely enjoyed seeing us because we were outside people coming in, very interested in them, and the the sport of pickleball had just linked us together. And so, you know, we began to talk uh and and get to know each other really well. I mean, to a point where we're you know fist bumping and laughing and telling and and you know getting stories. So I quickly thought about this. I said, the next time I come up, I've got to bring at least one or two people that were was here the time before, so that there's a a link. It's just not me and five new people. So so I have one or two of my uh my peers that I I I come up that come up with me, then I bring, you know, three or four new people uh with us. But those those one or two peers have you know personal relationships when I say talk and and do that. So when we walk through the door, they recognize me, but they also recognize one or two other uh of the players who are very personable. I you know, I chose I chose very well. And so we have this relationship. But you know, I don't I didn't ask a lot of questions about you know, why are you in, all that kind of stuff. You know, if they volunteered it, we would listen, but I I didn't really press for that.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

So are any of the guards involved, are they playing, are they watching? What are they doing?

SPEAKER_03 17:55

Yes, uh this is an amazing s uh scene. Uh there are guards playing on the same team or against them, laughing and and uh fist bumping and playing with the the uh residents. Uh it is amazing. And I I'm gonna I will tell you a story, and you can you can cut it or not. No, no, no, okay. So um the the alpha male of the group, the and there are alpha males in in the prison. Uh he he came up to me and he said, I'm gonna challenge you. And he said himself and the guard would would challenge me and this other guard uh to play. And we're like, I'm like, okay, let's play. And he he came up to me and he did it with a smile. It was it was a joke. He said, We're playing for your sneakers. And and I laughed, so it's so typical, you know, the movie prisons. And I laughed, I said, Hey, I can't do that. He said, Okay, we're playing for your paddle. You know, because I had I had a nice paddle, and I said, I can't do that either. But let's play. And we we started playing, and the whole gym went quiet and watching us battle. And uh very fortunately, I won. Or my team won. My my guard won. But the story there is, you know, it is an amazing scene to see two guards playing pickleball with them. And then the last time we went up in in the video, uh, there were uh three or four other guards, you know, mixing in and and and playing. Uh so and and just uh the the postscript to that, the next time I went up, they did win the game. Uh and they did you lose your panel? No, no, and I wore I wore a second pair of sneakers in case I had to. No, but um but it was it was that the place erupted with laughter and clapping. Uh and and the the the resident the the alpha male, he actually ran a lap around the gym because because he won. And I'm I was just like, go have fun. This this is wonderful. Uh, you know, it was one pickleball game to me, but it was a it was a game of a life to this guy, you know. And so so that that thing touched me too, you know, realizing that hey, you know, he he wanted to win, but he was gonna have a good time. But that that game meant so much to him playing with hit with a guard against me and a guard. And and he won, you know, and he experienced that. You know, or whereas I I'll go the next day and and go to pickleball court and maybe win four out of six games and think nothing of it.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

Right, right. Yeah, I mean to have moments of success when you're in that environment, right? Wow, how huge that is. And it occurs to me what we need to do is start giving um a gift bag of a paddle, some balls, and court shoes to everyone who leaves the the prison when they go back out into life. That's their that's their gift bag.

SPEAKER_03 20:54

That's a very good idea. And you know, and that's why that's why I'm trying to get them high quality paddles. I want them to really feel a high quality paddle, to play, improve the game. You know, so it means a lot more to them than maybe even you or I going out to buy a new paddle.

SPEAKER_00 21:10

For sure. For sure.

SPEAKER_03 21:11

All they want to do is play pickleball and talk to us about pickleball and what's going on. And it it's it's a wonderful two hours. So wonderful that every single time when we leave with these with our with the new new players I bring up, we stop at a local restaurant and all we do for an hour and a half is just laugh and talk about all the stories that we had up there. It's just a wonderful routine that we that we have here.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

So you bring in um some regulars with you, but also you each time you bring in new people and each time they are being they are experiencing something that you're experiencing on a regular basis, and how are they impacted? Both the ones who are regulars, but also the new ones. What's that like for them?

SPEAKER_03 21:55

Oh, uh they're just overwhelmed. I mean, they all want it, they all want to go for the right reason. you know, you know, the to to help, you know, reform um these these residents and and you know see what's going on in the prison. But boy they come out and say that was one of the best experiences I've ever had. And I've got a wait list now of people who want to come. You know, it's just like I mean it's I I could fill the next five months right now with a wait list of of people. They want to experience it. We're all interested in, you know, what goes on in a in a pr in a prison. But more importantly, how are we going to reform uh you know how can we participate in reforming these uh um residents you know and if I may continue talking please please so about the third or fourth time I I went there with with a new group I noticed there was only 12 players and I said oh you know something happened you know they got in trouble and so about a third of the way through the session you know I I pulled uh the recreation director over and I said hey you know you're missing some players and and and he goes yeah they're getting out and or they're transferring to a minimum security you know prison and with the idea to go out and I was just overwhelmed because we had taught them a social skill that they can they can go to any public park anywhere in the country walk onto the court with a paddle and say my name is John and I play pickleball and the pickleball players are going to say welcome joint come play and they don't have to say their last name they don't have to say their occupation uh or anything and they're gonna be welcomed on the pickleball court and and become good friends. I I can tell you right now and in in our pickleball club I know you know 90% of people's first names I probably know 20% of their last names and I know probably about 10% of what they did or what they do. Because we just don't ask that question. You know it doesn't matter. Doesn't matter you know we have lobstermen and we have doctors you know we have lawyers and and we have retired military people. So you know it's just yeah it it's wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

Oh huge and I know that um uh my my undergrad was hoping to develop alternatives to prison that was my focus and realized it was more of a political route so I didn't go that way um but this is the perfect reformation of prison and when people say you know why would we give these residents this opportunity to have fun has that come up for you?

SPEAKER_03 24:28

Well uh you know no one it hasn't really come up but I I don't understand the question uh especially some of the you know some of the men you know are in for very serious crimes and actually some of them probably will not be getting out so you know that that's that's very significant. You know they did something in their life that was very bad but they have the rest of their life to live and and they can contribute to society in some way and they are in there. They're highly privileged that means they change things around and they're living their life in there and they're setting the example for other other residents in in the in the prison uh and doing well. So that's that's a nice thing for people in there for a long time. And I think that's important. If if you have a person that's not in for you know only a couple years maybe this is a definitely a way for them to develop a social uh skill and a and a connection. So the the interesting thing about it is we really established a community inside of the prison you know with with these residents. But and then I brought my community up to see them. And now we have a connection. Yeah and they are just thrilled with that connection they're connected with real pickleball players on the outside who are just really super nice and and we're and we're like these residents aren't too bad. I mean they're nice people I mean they're nice on the court yeah and and we absolutely enjoy the two hours that we're with them you know every other every other month uh you know it's just a wonderful experience.

SPEAKER_02 26:00

So John how has this experience changed you personally?

Life Lessons And Scaling The Model

SPEAKER_03 26:04

Wow okay so um you know when I first got into pickleball it was I wanted for fitness I I have uh you know two artificial knees now and I I can't run and I said I gotta find something else and I just I just I just want to do some some fitness but I just realized that pickleball brought so much more social socializing for me and seeing seeing a a community where I live and I'm like this is wonderful and and having this connection of you know 700 people in in a small town you know and walk around I can I everywhere I go it's hey who you know how you doing and I'm like oh what's your name I can't remember you know so but you know they know me because I'm the president uh but uh it that's really fun now to be able to share all that energy with community and connection to residents in a prison uh that's that's an awesome feeling and like I said I have a wait list of of guys that want to come up and unfortunately you know I can't bring women in but you know the the women are all going oh you're so lucky you're doing this and but I say well that's that's life but the guys are like please pick me next time uh it's that fun is there a women's prison where this could be established yes you know it's uh this is not this is not a great story a bunch of women players uh took my template that I used and said let's go over to the the women's facility uh they ran into a lot of administrative resistance you know and and so that they got they went through all those hoops and when they finally got all through the hoops they actually went to the uh to the prison it it wasn't set up as well and only one uh resident showed up so yeah so the the women I talked to said okay we're we're not gonna invest any more time uh it it may be an anomaly it it may it may be that women's prison system doesn't have a good athletic scenario or recreation scenario I don't know that answer uh and and I'm slightly disappointed uh and I'm sorry to have to tell you that but but uh you know it's so it's not flourishing in the women's prison but it is absolutely flourishing in the in the men's prison.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Well I know that you're getting a lot of press around this amazing project that you guys are involved in and I'm hoping that that press impresses upon the powers that be in all the prisons across the country. And I know Roger Belair was one of the first to take Pickleball into prisons, right? He was a guest on our show. Amazing story um but this is the first time I'd heard about a community going into the prison to play with the inmates or the residents. And I just think this is brilliant all the way around. I mean it helps the community it also helps the inmates and most of them are going to come out and and live their lives and if they have people they are feeling connected to they have a game that they can just show up and be accepted. I mean it's huge. It's huge. So with all of this adventure that you've been on in pickleball uh what are life lessons that you might have gleaned along the way?

SPEAKER_03 29:16

Well um first of all just around the corner there there's a there's a good person and and and if you didn't meet him on the street or jogging by his house you can meet him on the pickleball court and and that's that's a wonderful link for your your own community uh to have and I I I I joke because I do instruct and every time I have a new uh beginner student I say you're here because you're gonna go to a cocktail party Saturday night and everybody at that cocktail party either plays pickleball or wants to play pickleball so so that that's a that's a so you want to get in on this this game right now.

SPEAKER_00 29:54

But the reality is uh it it it offers so much community and connection why not go places where there isn't that and and see if you can plant a seed I like that idea of looking for places where community doesn't exist and taking pickleball there to create that community. There are lots of ways lots of places on in our communities where that would be the case so great idea. So how can people find you and learn more about the project that you all are involved in and maybe even start planting the seed in there I am the president of Midcoast Maine Pickleball.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

So we have a website Midcoastmain pickleball dot com and you can send us an email i I will get that email uh I I'm very good I'm retired so I have plenty of time at night to open my email up and and send another one back and and I I'm absolutely thrilled to get emails from uh people visiting the Midcoast Maine to want to play here but also anybody interested in in uh this prison um program that we're running I actually I got a Facebook hit from it and I'm like wow I'm not even I'm on Facebook but I don't really post and I and I got a hit someone found me on Messenger and said hey I heard a story tell me about it you know can we connect so so that that's every single social media network there is uh this podcast is going to help uh the news report but you know I and I don't want to take any any too much credit for it I I just hope that it's if someone does it spread the word I I'll I'll tell anybody how I how I got in and how how it works and and go over it. If it's reasonable I'll travel there too to help.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

Fantastic and you're the perfect person for it with your background and leadership and your ability to communicate so beautifully and you have such an open heart and my gosh I'm just so appreciative that you started this and that I do think it's going to be planting seeds all over and changing lives on both sides of the wall so to speak.

SPEAKER_03 31:57

Yeah it should it's it's a low cost you know if you're if you're an administrator uh you know in the prison system this is a low cost uh evolution uh to invest you know three three nets uh a basket of balls and and 15 20 paddles and you're off and running yeah you know I just I just uh I came back and you know they they they're playing with good paddles and I just bought them 10 more you know you know how you know technology changes yeah you know every every year or two in in paddles and yeah so you know I went to the company I said hey you know I bought 20 paddles from you can you can I can I buy 10? I bought those with my own money and I said you know can you give me a good deal and he said yeah ship them to the prison uh do you want to give a do you want to give a shout out to that company yeah it's it's Diadem. They're based out of Florida D-I-A-D-E-M.

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SPEAKER_00 32:48

Diadem yeah very cool well thank you Diadem yeah and thank you for even thinking about doing that my gosh John thank you you are a busy guy you may be retired but you're a busy guy and really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us and share this amazing story and we will be following to see how it all evolves. Thank you. Well thank you very much Shelly thank you and thank you all my gosh yeah do you have a prison in your area female or male that could maybe utilize this amazing program I mean changing lives inside and out right so John is the one to contact if you want to start planting that seed and definitely share this episode. Pickleball's a movement let's make pickleball in prisons a movement too all right love you all thank you so much and we look forward to a new conversation next week bye bye bye 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.

SPEAKER_02 33:51

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SPEAKER_00 33:57

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