The masthead
Writers who play the long game
KeepPickling is written by 8 people who play recreational pickleball and have something to say about it. Most are in their 50s and 60s. Two writers are in their 30s and play with the older crowd by choice.
They cover the six sections of the magazine between them: play better, gear, body and health, community, travel and courts, and culture. Each writer has a beat and a voice you can recognise after two or three pieces.
In their 50s and 60s
The long game
6 writers
Writers who came to pickleball after other lives and other sports, and who play now with a knee, a shoulder, or a retirement date in mind. Most of the magazine is written from here.
Dottie Frasier
Runs a 60-person club in Tucson. Writes about open play, partners, etiquette, and the people who keep the courts full.
Tucson, Arizona 60s
Dottie retired from a school office and accidentally became the person who runs everything. She writes about the social side of pickleball with affection and a short list of rules.
ColumnOpen Play
Grace Okafor
Hospital administrator in Atlanta. Writes about gear, joints, and buying once instead of buying often.
Atlanta, Georgia 50s
Grace picked up pickleball at fifty and has strong views about paddles, shoes, and the difference between a purchase and a solution. She writes with precision and a budget.
ColumnBuy Once
Linda Mae Park
Retired flight attendant. Finds a pickleball game in every town and writes about the courts worth the detour.
Portland, Oregon 60s
Linda Mae spent 30 years in the air and now plans road trips around courts. She writes travel guides for players who want a game and a good breakfast.
ColumnAnywhere with a Court
Marcus Bell
Owns a family hardware store in Boise. Former college tennis player, now a student of the short game.
Boise, Idaho 50s
Marcus runs a hardware store by day and a weekday-morning pickleball game by dawn. He writes technique plainly, the way he would explain a hinge to a customer.
ColumnThe Hardware Aisle
Ray Whitfield
Retired high school history teacher. Plays four mornings a week in Green Valley, Arizona.
Green Valley, Arizona 60s
Ray taught history for 31 years and now teaches himself the third-shot drop. He writes about the small comedies of open play and the people who make a courtside worth showing up for.
ColumnThe Long Way Around
Tomás Herrera
Retired firefighter. Writes about knees, shoulders, recovery, and what a working body will actually tolerate.
San Diego, California 50s
Tomás spent 27 years on a fire crew and now spends his mornings trying to keep his knees in the game. He writes plainly about training, recovery, and the difference between sore and hurt.
ColumnSecond Half
In their 30s
The next generation
2 writers
Writers who joined the game younger and play with the 55-plus crowd on purpose. They cover what the sport looks like when it is still fitting around work and small children.
Kevin Tran
Product manager in Austin. The analytical friend who explains why a shot works.
Austin, Texas 30s
Kevin is 34, plays four nights a week, and brings a camera and a spreadsheet to a game most people play for fun. He writes clear, technical breakdowns for players who want the reason behind the rule.
ColumnThe Numbers Game
Maya Chen
Youth sports coach in Denver. Former college tennis player who plays with her family and anyone else who needs a fourth.
Denver, Colorado 30s
Maya coaches teenagers, plays pickleball with her parents, and writes about the game as a place where different generations actually talk to each other.
ColumnNext Generation
The Kitchen Line
One short letter every Thursday
The newsletter carries the best of what the roster wrote that week, plus one thing worth trying at your next game. No noise, and no forwarding your address to anyone.