CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Carroll 2008 grad Krystyan Lazarin was not always the best player on the court, especially in tennis.
"One of my friends in middle school convinced me to play and my mom wouldn't let me at the time," Lazarin, said. "Then high school came around I had to have a P.E. credit. Convinced her to get me on the team. Luckily we had a no-cut team, so I think I was actually last on the team my first year."
Now Lazarin is one of the best amateur mixed doubles partners in the nation," Lazarin, said. "During COVID tennis courts were closed so he found another passion.
"Pickleball is one of the sports that shares the same courts as tennis, and so when I'm out there you kind of lose track of everything. Everything else going around in the world, any problems, any issues and any stress."
Pickleball even opened the door for career opportunities and traveling. Last year, Lazarin played in the World Championships with Singapore in Bali.
"I got invited out there through social media. Met some great players," Lazarin, said. "We ended up winning the World Championship. We beat out India, Australia, Phillipines. It was great to see the growth of the sport over seas."
Learning to play pickleball was similar to tennis for Lazarin. The main difference was the serve.
"It's what you have control of in the game. You can impart spin on it. Some people do top spin, some people hit it flat and some people slice it which you do in tennis as well, but it's not as much as a weapon," Lazarin, said. "Pickleball it kind of just starts the point and I think that's what is appealing to all demographics."
An athlete can pick up a paddle and play America's fastest growing sport in 20 minutes.
"Courts are popping up all over. Country clubs, public parks, tennis centers. I think they're all seeing the impact of the growth of it."
From last place to World Champion Lazarin has seen the power of pickleball, but that's not the best part.
Now my family loves it. I've actually taught them, that's how easy it is," Lazarin, said. "I've got my mom out here. My aunt she's come out here before and played and they love it."
Nano Athletics at the Al Kruse Tennis and Pickleball Center organizes live ball drills, clinics, leagues and open courts. The beginner pickleball clinic is scheduled for every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m and the beginner league is every Thursday at 7 p.m. for six weeks. The next league starts July 13.
