College Pickleball Star Jack Munro: Jack Munro, a standout at the University of Texas at Austin, helped lead the Longhorns to victory at the DUPR Collegiate National Championship this past weekend in Georgia and now plans to pursue a career in professional pickleball after college.
College Champion with Pro Aspirations
Jack Munro, 20, played a significant role in helping the Texas Longhorns win the DUPR Collegiate National Championship at Life Time Peachtree Corners in Georgia. He’s also competed at the pro level in the PPA Tour and MLP events.
While his ultimate goal is to go full-time, Munro enjoys playing at the college level.
“I like competing with people my age and representing my school. It’s such a blast to spend a weekend together at a tournament and meet new people. The college pickleball atmosphere is a lot rowdier than pro. Playing on an MLP team prepared me a little bit for that high energy on the sidelines, but nothing beats the school spirit aspect of it.” – (munro)
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Rising Energy in College Pickleball
Munro has seen big changes in the level of college pickleball.
“College pickleball is only getting better. It’s certainly gotten a lot better compared to last year. I’ve seen a lot more players come into the sport that have a very high ceiling or potential, and if they took this seriously then they could go from college to actually playing pro.” – (munro)
He also gave credit to his teammates—especially the women on the team—for helping Texas succeed.
“For college pickleball, it’s most important to have a good girl because they’re a lot more rare just based purely on numbers. There’s a ton of good guys playing, but having high level girls is a game-changer.” – (munro)
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Balancing School and Sports
Munro is currently studying economics while managing a busy pickleball schedule that includes travel and tournaments.
“We practice three times a week or so, and balancing it while playing pro and doing my classes can be miserable at times. I travel Wednesday through Sunday, and it’s not a school sponsored sport, so I have to communicate that with my teachers. Sometimes the teachers are lenient and sometimes they’re not, but after I explain that I’m using it to help pay for my education, they understand. But, it can be tough.” – (munro)
Despite the pressure, Munro continues to push through.
“This makes me put more respect on all the people who work a full-time job while pursuing their MBA, or all the single moms. I just have a lot more respect for those people.” – (munro)
What’s Next for Munro
As Munro continues to improve his game, he’s looking forward to taking the next step in pickleball after graduation. For now, he’s focused on enjoying every moment of his college journey and growing with the sport.
News in Brief: College Pickleball Star Jack Munro
Texas Longhorn Jack Munro helped win the DUPR Collegiate National Championship and plans to go pro after college. The 20-year-old has played in PPA and MLP events and balances sports with his economics studies. He praised the energy of college pickleball and the impact of strong female teammates.
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