Starting my second year playing with @franklinpickleball and happy to support an American company that has been around since 1946! I look forward to using their equipment for my matches and events planned this year!
I appreciate @randallemmettfilms for originally introducing me to the company and wonderful team that takes care of their players so well! #FranklinFamily
Thank you @guess & @dorothywang for having me as your Pickleball Pro for the new release of #GUESSActive clothing and accessories. It was a fun day of teaching, playing matches, and being on the @kimpton@lapeerhotel rooftop!
I had a great time in Mesa, Arizona for the @snakeplummer@the_goodsport_foundation Pickleball Bash! Thank you for having me play the opening game. Lots of friends came out to support The Good Sport Foundation’s mission of using Pickleball as a tool to provide physical, mental, and educational resources in the United States and Internationally! @dinkanddine has the best facility in Arizona with spacious indoor and outdoor courts in addition to having a nice 🍺 selection. If you ever make it to Arizona make sure to stop in.
My favorite moment of the week is in the second to last slide where I taught a clinic with athletes who will be competing in the @specialolympics this year!
And always equipped with the best gear in the game from @franklinpickleball
@keen_la was honored as a 26 Champion at this year’s @la84foundation Summit. The Los Angeles 1984 Olympics is considered the most successful games of all time in part of its lasting legacy via the LA84 Foundation which to this day provides funding for children’s sports in our community.
I can’t believe it’s been 8 years since I started volunteering with @keen_la and being able to serve all of our wonderful families! KEEN provides free sports to youth with disabilities in the Los Angeles area which could not be possible without our dedicated staff, board members, parents, and volunteers. I have witnessed our kids blossom into such lovely adults over the years. Thank you for the Legacy Award and I look forward to seeing KEEN’s continued growth.
RIP Mom (8/14/1954-7/19/2025)
My mother, Kristina “Tina” Lipe, passed away peacefully at home over the weekend surrounded by myself and our friends that loved us.
I’m so proud of the incredible life my mom lived and the battle she fought with cancer. She beat it once in 2013, but in 2019 was diagnosed with terminal metastatic breast cancer. Statistically she was only supposed to have about a year, but she carried on for six, living her life as though she’d never received that prognosis. Despite the mounting symptoms due to her treatments and disease progression, she continued her work as a nurse, went to the gym, kept running, played football, and even picked up pickleball. She also continued helping out loved ones who came to her with their troubles and provided comfort regardless of what she was going through herself.
When she decided to move to Los Angeles in 2018 to be close to me I was grateful - that way we got to spend so much time together, and I could be there to support her during her final years.
When my mom entered hospice, I couldn’t believe how many calls and texts I got not only from her friends but also from mine telling me how much she meant to them - I am overwhelmed by all of the lives she impacted. For those who didn’t get the chance to meet her, I want to share a few additional things about my mom that made me the man I am today: how she sacrificed for me, always remained positive in the worst of times, and dedicated her life to helping others.
She always supported me and the sports I played wholeheartedly. I grew up playing baseball and though my mom never played herself she knew the game well, became a coach for my team, taking us all the way to State for All Stars. Eventually, I would discover tennis and never look back. To fund my aspirations, she took out a loan as it’s an expensive sport, and moved us to Sarasota which was a better place for me to grow my skills. I’ll never forget all of the weekends she dedicated driving me to tournaments.
Continued in comments.
Updated Memorial Info: Joshua Tree Memorial Park, 8/2 at 11AM. 60121 29 Palms HWY, Joshua Tree, CA. If you can, please wear something zebra-themed in my mom’s memory.
Every once in a while you won’t see me in Franklin gear. Congratulations to Memorial Park’s finest @mollykatebrog@bacapb getting married! Last slide for the wedding gift.
