The holidays are nice and all, especially in areas where it snows. But if you ask me, I’d rather be on vacation this time of year – specifically, here…

…at the Vie L'Ven Resort in Indigo Bay, St. Maarten. Like many resorts, the L’Ven just installed some beautiful new pickleball courts to keep guests even happier while they enjoy a laundry list of other amenities.

Interested? You’d better put financial planning on your list of new year’s resolutions. The resort doesn’t even list starting prices on their website, & you know what that means. $$$

Speaking of things that cost a lot…

Statistically, at least a third of you reading this are starting to really improve at pickleball, which means at least some of you have thought, “I might be able to go pro.”

But if becoming a pickleball pro was on your New Year’s resolutions list, consider how surprisingly expensive that is.

According to Pickleball.com, registering for each event on just one of the pro tours will cost you $11K, and that doesn’t even include travel costs, footwear, & other necessary equipment. Plus, pros are on the road more of the year than not.

We’re not here to crush dreams, just to remind you of the reality that pro athletes face. But it may be worth it if you can shoulder all the hard work and high costs:

• top earners in pro pickle are multimillionaires, and that’s without any promo deals

• the average woman in pickleball earns more than she would in any other pro women’s sports league

Dare to dream, then.

But if you’d rather stick to rec play…

BRING THIS TO THE COURT: No matter what your aspirations in pickleball, it’s important you follow the rules, or else nobody will want to play with you (except other people who don’t follow the rules).

USA Pickleball recently dropped its 2025 rule revisions. Most of the changes are based on codifying sport etiquette.

If that means anything to you and your local rec scene, here are the two most relevant points to remember:

• Spectators can’t make line calls: at least, not officially. If your local crowd doesn’t mind, it’s not like we’re going to tell on you.

• When the volley begins/ends: The rule is now → volley starts when the ball is struck in the air; volley ends when a player’s momentum stops. You cannot make contact with your partner if they’re in the kitchen.

Better than anything on Netflix

A slew of pickleball-themed shows and even a major motion picture is coming in 2025, with some familiar names involved:

🍿 → The Dink movie is in production now and stars Ben Stiller, Mary Steenburgen, Jake Johnson, & even a special appearance by Andy Roddick. All we know about the premise is that “an aging tennis pro must play pickleball to save a local club.”

🥒 → Pickleheads should appeal to fans of mockumentary-style series like The Office & What We Do in the Shadows. In fact, the latter show’s Harvey Guillén will star in this upcoming indie production about a disgraced former ping pong star.

📺️ → The Wager show is streaming now (!) on Fubo, Roku, & Tubi. TV personality Jason Kennedy hosts this celebrity talk/competition show where some serious bets are made on the court. We’re particularly excited to see if former Twilight star & noted pickleball fan Taylor Lautner can pull through with a W.

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