Anna Dyachenko’s Pickleball Journey: A Regina athlete is set to compete against some of Canada’s best pickleball players this season. Anna Dyachenko, age 36, was chosen in the second round of the 2025 Canadian National Pickleball League (CNPL) draft by the Vancouver Rush. The season begins Saturday, with Vancouver facing the Montreal Lions.
“It’s very exciting. I’m going to be dedicating time to practice and training to make sure that I am as ready as I can be. Very often we focus on the physical part of the game, so getting your body ready physically to compete, but a lot of it is going to come down to mental toughness as well.” – (Dyachenko)
“I’m not used to seeing so many good players in one spot at the same time, so I might find that it is overwhelming at times to be competing with that skill level. But I feel that with each time I step on the court and I face that stiff competition, it’s gonna make me a better player.” – (Dyachenko)
A Journey That Started in Phoenix
Anna Dyachenko is originally from Kazakhstan and played semi-pro basketball for Royal Holloway University in the United Kingdom. She later moved to Regina after meeting her husband, Mark McCulloch, in Europe. Her pickleball journey began during a visit to Phoenix with her husband’s family.
“Eleven years ago I went to check out the local community, and they had pickleball as one of their clubs. My mother in law was actually interested in it more so than me, and she said ‘Why don’t you go check it out? You let me know if you like it, and if it’s worthwhile, I’ll come and join.’” – (Dyachenko)
“I think it took her the next seven years to actually come out, and I got hooked and never looked back.” – (Dyachenko)
What She Loves About Pickleball
Dyachenko said she loves how easy it is to learn the game.
“It’s the fact that you can pick it up very quickly, so you can understand the rules. It doesn’t take a whole lot of athleticism to be a good player, and because you can learn the basics of the game fast, you get going very fast.” – (Dyachenko)
“Getting better, though, at this game, it will take a lot of practice times and a lot of skill, but the fact that you can learn the game in under 20 minutes, that’s awesome.” – (Dyachenko)
She also enjoys the friendly community around the sport.
“Honestly, sometimes when I come here and I watch people play, they probably visit almost as much as they play. It’s a very social aspect.” – (Dyachenko)
“For me, after I moved to Regina, I met so many people through pickleball. I think I know a majority of people in Regina through pickleball. We’ve got such a welcoming, friendly community that it’s just awesome to be a part of.” – (Dyachenko)
From Recreation to Competition
Dyachenko began coaching around the same time she started taking the sport more seriously.
“I started coaching at about the same time that I started playing it more competitively. So I started playing 11 years ago, but for the first six years it was very recreational – coming out once, twice a week, and playing with just recreational players.” – (Dyachenko)
Her competitive career began when a friend encouraged her to take it further.
“As I started getting more competitive and pursuing becoming a better player, all of a sudden, people started asking me for help and for advice as to how they could become better players. And so my competitive player journey and my coaching journey started at about the same time.” – (Dyachenko)
She has since won many gold medals at Canadian tournaments, including national events.
A League Bringing Players Together
The Canadian National Pickleball League started in 2023 and has eight teams. It was inspired by Major League Pickleball in the United States. The goal is to unite the best Canadian players, who are often spread out across the country.
“All our good players are scattered, and we only ever get together at certain tournaments.” – (Dyachenko)
“But even then, the country is so big that players from Quebec don’t always travel to B.C., and then B.C. doesn’t always make it to Ontario. So the idea was to bring the best players together and organize them into teams.” – (Dyachenko)
A Chance She Couldn’t Miss
Although Dyachenko was asked to join the league in its first season, she turned it down to focus on family.
“Too many responsibilities, too many commitments. I had a young child that I felt guilty leaving at home and just juggling a handful of jobs, so I kept telling myself that I have too much on my plate. Until this year, I just decided to go for it and do it nevertheless, because it’s a great opportunity to see the best of the best in Canada.” – (Dyachenko)
Now, travel costs are covered, and prize money is awarded based on team performance.
“It all comes down to the final event, the playoffs, so we’ll see which team will come up on top.” – (Dyachenko)
She is proud to be part of a sport that continues to grow.
“Some people don’t even take it seriously because of the name, but the sport is exploding.” – (Dyachenko)
“It’s the fastest-growing sport in North America, and it’s awesome. Another great thing about the sport is that the average age of a player is going down fast. The youngest player that was drafted into this season is 13 years old, so that’s just outstanding.” – (Dyachenko)
News in Brief: Anna Dyachenko’s Pickleball Journey
Anna Dyachenko of Regina has been drafted by the Vancouver Rush for the 2025 Canadian National Pickleball League. She begins her season Saturday against the Montreal Lions. A former basketball player, Dyachenko discovered pickleball in Phoenix and now coaches and competes at a high level across Canada.