General MLP Thoughtsies & Takeaways

The season is over and done with, but there’s still much to think about, process, and reminisce on from this past season. Yes, there will be one more event later this year before PPA Worlds, the MLP cup, but that feels like an afterthought to me. I’m sure I’ll be more excited for it when it’s closer. So, without further ado - let’s get into a final wrap up of some of my takeaways of the season. Also- I put a lot of time and effort into these and would really really really from the bottom of my heart appreciate it if you guys shared the newsletter with your friends if you enjoy it❤️

This statement and take applies to pro pickleball as a whole, but I feel we really saw this play out in the 2025 MLP season. Professional pickleball has never been more lucrative, competitive, and, honestly… professional. Players are working harder than ever to maximize their god-given talent. Stagnation is effectively resignation to being left behind.

We saw this play out with all of the top teams this season, but especially the 5s. Zane has been playing pickleball since 2013 per my research, and is a guy who I have a ton of respect for. He has done everything he can to improve. He has every shot in the book, has explored every possible gimmick, and even was a pioneer of the chainsaw serve. Do you realize how psycho you have to be to sit alone and obsessively figure out how to spin a ball like that? Some would say that level of dedication is… special.

However, as good as Zane is, as a player, as a captain, as a competitor, and as an MLP veteran, the 5s decided to bench him because he is not getting much better. I am NOT saying this to insult him, it’s just a sign of the times. Another issue plaguing the 5s is Will Howells. He is an amazing player, but him and Anna Leigh losing 4 out of their 6 mixed matches in the playoffs is a problem, especially considering they lost three in a row to the same team. Of course, AL is also a part of that equation, but has Will stagnated in mixed doubles? Just food for thought. Regardless, undoubtedly when he switches to the PPA in 2026 we will see an uptick in his level.

In modern pickleball, you have to be a threat. The goal is to inspire constant, cripping anxiety in your opponents. Something to think about in your own game. I can write more in the future on some tips/tricks to do this.

Of a similar vein to my previous point, pickleball in general is getting younger, and the pro game is too. There were four teenagers playing in New York, and per my count 8 teenagers saw playing time at the premier level this year. The combined record of those teenagers was 249-97, for a 71.97% overall win rate. Kind of crazy.

No team bet harder on youth than the SoCal Hard 8s. They picked up Jalina Ingram, Cailyn Campbell, and John Lucian Goins on waivers. Unless the rules change, they won’t be able to keep them, which is unfortunate. Ryan Fu, one of their originally drafted men is also very young in his pickleball game. The Hard 8s started as a laughing stock but ended up being a feisty, energetic, and dangerous team no one wanted to play. Ryan and Blaine, in particular, found their stride and actually were one of the best men’s teams at the end of the season, with wins over JW/Augie, Hayden/Gabe, Noe/Will, and others.

I’m a big proponent of taking savvy risk when building out an MLP roster, and nothing from this season has swayed me otherwise.

It seems to me that MLP has abandoned its original catchphrase, but this simple phrase rings true to everyone who followed this season closely. I regulary see on Facebook people whining and moaning going on and on about how “MLP is so boring”, “it’s a clown show”, a “glorified exhibition”, and how they just neeeeeeeeed the PPA to return so all can be right in their world, and I just have to believe these people have both never experienced the thrill of an MLP event live, and that they perhaps also dislike puppies. I’m not saying you have to love MLP, I just fail to understand how anyone could dislike it so much that they take to social media to complain so insistently. How are you not even a little entertained?!

As a player, there’s nothing like MLP in many ways. Besides the obvious- it’s the toughest title to win in our sport. There’s no other comparable pressure, no higher high, no lower low. The nerves, anxiety, and desire are unmatched. You can just see it in these playoff matches and in players’ reactions - Parris literally cried tears of joy after winning. Anna Leigh looked human, making more errors than is typical for her, and she has how many PPA gold medals?! If you follow my team closely, you’ve probably heard of Shock & Awe, the YouTube series following our season. I did a closing interview and literally cried in it, more than 24 hours after losing to the Sliders. No lower low, for sure. That episode isn’t released yet, and I certainly won’t be watching it, but that kind of raw emotion just attests to how amazing the UPA is doing at building out something truly special.

Besides the pressure and glory of holding up the trophy, there is also nothing like MLP because of the sheer number of matches we play. I will never understand why people tank or fail to give 100% effort. MLP is an opportunity to improve like no other. A lot of the mid to lower-level premier players go to PPAs and have a “good” tournament if they win more than one or two rounds. At MLP, no matter how you do, you have a lot of matches to play. The format is an absolute hotbed for player development no matter what team you’re on as long as you get to see the court.

I have long been a follower of the Challenger level, but this year even my interest waned. I think the sheer volume of pickleball along with the relatively stunted round robin format made it tough to keep interest. Also, the level of play at times was just… not that high.

Allowing premier teams bench players is a great idea, in theory, but in practice I was not a huge fan. I understand for gambling purposes teams want lineups set the day before, but the lack of actual flexibility rendered bench players largely useless. If teams had the ability to sub in/out and make cool strategic decisions on the fly, it could have been much more interesting. Instead, we generally saw a lot of very good players doing nothing more than sitting around and clapping while challenger teams struggled for talent.

In the event of injury, bench players are important, but we often saw them not even get utilized. Sometimes it felt like teams were doing whatever they could to justify using AJ Koller as their super-super-super sub, even if it meant they would start games down 1-0. (Side-note, the fact that no team, specifically no challenger team, acquired AJ Koller is genuinely mind-boggling to me). I am far from being in the loop as to the decisions MLP makes, but I hope that next year either rules change so bench players can get more court time, or they are eliminated all-together.

On Challenger, it’s a tough conundrum. Is the UPA landscape deep enough to support 23 premier teams without a full redraft? That, I’m afraid- is a question above my pay grade that I would have to put a lot of thought into, which I don’t currently feel like doing. This is already long enough as is, lol. I’m definitely against a full-redraft as continuity is so important to the brand loyalty a lot of these franchises are working so hard to build. The number one thing the league needs right now is fan buy-in, and confusing, ever-changing rules make it tough for even the most engaged fans to keep up.

I realize this is one of my longer editions, sorry! I like to keep you guys on your toes. We are back to regularly scheduled PPA programming at the time you are reading this, hoping that AL and I continue our hot streak and for a great run with Federico in mixed. Additionally, I will be hitting the casinos- last year I left Vegas up $27 from blackjack, let’s hope for a repeat performance! Thanks for reading!