Zach Gonnering Pickleball Journey: Zach Gonnering, 20, has climbed to No. 3 in Wisconsin’s pickleball rankings and ranks among the top 20 nationally for men 23 and under. Instead of spending his days in a classroom, he travels to pickleball tournaments and trains intensely to improve his game.
Gonnering, a former cross-country runner and basketball player at Bay Port, first encountered pickleball while training for another sport.
“It was just kind of a thing that popped up in my life while training for another sport. Then, it just kind of became like, ‘This is really fun, super addicting. I want to do this every day.’” – (Gonnering)
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From Skeptic to Competitor
Initially, Gonnering did not enjoy pickleball. He found the nets on the basketball court frustrating.
“I went back home to my parents and started complaining to them. I was like, ‘I hated the pickleball people.’” They just take over my court all the time and everything.” – (Gonnering)
His parents encouraged him to try the sport. After just one session, he was hooked.
“I just wanted to get better. I got super hooked and started training pretty much four to six hours a day.” – (Gonnering)
Changing Perceptions of Pickleball
Gonnering’s friends were skeptical at first.
“They were like, ‘Oh, it’s just an old people’s sport. No young people really play it.’ So a lot of my friends actually became pickleball friends who are older, and it was super fun to just meet the community. It’s such a good community. Everybody’s super nice to each other.” – (Gonnering)
Pickleball has grown significantly in recent years. In 2020, most players were between 55 and 74 years old. Now, over 70% of players are between 18 and 44.
A Sport on the Rise
Gonnering has witnessed this transformation firsthand.
“The growth has been incredible. It used to be that parents would sign up kids for things like tennis. Now, it’s going to be parents signing up kids for pickleball. It’s just going to keep getting younger and younger.” – (Gonnering)
He cannot imagine life without the sport.
“I don’t know. That’s a good question. I actually don’t know what my life would be without pickleball. It’s just my whole life.” (Gonnering)
Looking ahead, Gonnering hopes to keep improving and rising in national rankings. He also hopes more young players give pickleball a try.
News in Brief: Zach Gonnering Pickleball Journey
Zach Gonnering, 20, is ranked No. 3 in Wisconsin and among the top 20 nationally for men 23 and under. Initially uninterested in pickleball, he now trains daily and travels for pickleball tournaments. With the sport growing among younger players, he hopes to continue climbing the rankings and inspiring more youth to join.
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