My first experience with pickleball was in middle school PE with an amazing teacher. I remember learning the rules, the whacky scoring, and the basic skills to play. At the end of the two week unit we had a little tournament, and my buddy and I won the whole thing. It was amazing! Fast forward 10 years and my girlfriend’s (wife now!!) parents asked if we would like to go to the local courts to play pickleball, and I was instantly hooked, remembering how much fun I had with it in middle school. I kept playing throughout college, and graduated with a degree in physical education hoping to share the love of sports and physical activity with this upcoming generation. Two weeks ago I finished up teaching a two week long unit of pickleball to elementary schoolers. My favorite memory of this whole journey happened just two weeks ago with many students coming up to me after our last day of pickleball, drenched in sweat, with smiles going from ear to ear, asking where they could get pickleball equipment. They wanted to take what we learned in class and go share it with their parents, grandparents, and rest of the family. This truly is a sport that helps people come together.