Kyle Laramie and Ryan Dickherber Pickleball Victory Kyle Laramie and Ryan Dickherber won the gold medal in the Men’s Doubles 45-49 Open Skill Division at the 2025 Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida. Competing against top amateur teams, they went undefeated in four matches and beat the defending champions in the final.
From Tennis to Pickleball
Kyle Laramie, age 48, from Lake Saint Louis, once played tennis at a high level. Though he first resisted pickleball, he eventually embraced it.
“Like most high-level tennis players, I resisted pickleball and now I love it,” said Kyle Laramie. “I have been playing competitively for about five years but having the tennis background has been a huge accelerator to performing well.”
Pickleball mixes tennis, badminton, and table tennis. Laramie said it offers both physical intensity and mental strategy.
“I love how physical it can be and the amount of speed the ball travels from a very short distance,” said Kyle Laramie. “A lot of people don’t know there is a lot of strategy involved, however it is very cat and mouse.”
Laramie is a sponsored athlete with Addict Pickleball.
A Winning Duo
Kyle Laramie often partners with Ryan Dickherber in doubles matches.
“I play a lot of tournaments with Ryan. I feel like we complement each other’s style. Ryan bangs it and I crash and close the net,” said Kyle Laramie.
The pair had played in other national events, including in Arizona, before heading to the U.S. Open in Florida. The event drew over 55,000 fans and 3,400 players, with national coverage on CBS Sports Network. Players came from all 50 states and 31 countries.
The U.S. Open is known as “The Biggest Pickleball Party in the World” and is one of the sport’s top tournaments.
Gold Medal Match Highlights
Kyle Laramie and Ryan Dickherber played in the Men’s Doubles 45-49 Open Skill Division, ranked between 4.3 and 5.9. They beat Bryan Heft and Nitin Gera of Ohio, the top seeds and defending champions, in the final.
“My expectation was to go there to win,” said Kyle Laramie. “The match was a grind. We came out of the gate on fire and won the first game 11-7, lost the second game 11-8 and won 11-8 in the third.”
During the match, Ryan Dickherber tore his hamstring while lunging for a ball.
“At 7-8 down, Ryan tore his hamstring lunging for a ball way out of his reach and he somehow made a play on it and I was able to follow it in and put it away,” said Kyle Laramie. “After a 10-minute medical time out, Ryan was limping all over the court loaded with Advil and a hamstring brace.”
Despite the injury, they kept going.
“We changed our style to do everything possible to end every point as fast as we can. The other team had about 50 people on the sidelines all rooting against us,” said Kyle Laramie.
Laramie even considered stopping the match.
“I suggested to Ryan that we withdraw when he got hurt,” said Kyle Laramie. “We were happy to get through it. I was proud to get through a very good team in the semifinals and get through the mental grind in a tough final. I was excited.”
The two players celebrated after the win.
“Let’s just say we had our own little celebration afterwards at the bar,” said Kyle Laramie.
What’s Next for the Team
Kyle Laramie and Ryan Dickherber are set to play a money tournament in Cape Girardeau at a new club, which only invited top players.
“We are playing a money tournament in Cape Girardeau at a new club that is opening that only top players got invited to,” said Kyle Laramie.
Laramie plans to compete in the senior tour when he turns 50.
“I am looking at the next two years to focus on mobility work to keep my body moving well,” said Kyle Laramie.
Laramie’s Work and Passions
Kyle Laramie is also the Chief Executive Officer of Veterans Care Coordination. The company helps aging veterans and their families get access to home care.
“Veterans Care Coordination is a special company who has helped 10,000-plus aging veterans and surviving spouses access home care when they cannot afford it,” said Kyle Laramie. “We do that while helping them navigate the complex system of veterans benefits. This service is critical to aging families as not too many people want to go to a nursing home or assisted living. So, every day we get to make a difference in not only senior’s lives but those who have protected our country.”
In addition to his work with veterans, Laramie is a business partner at Premier Pitching Performance in Wentzville and involved with ELV8 Golf in Lake Saint Louis. The company offers short golf lessons guided by PGA pros.
“Like baseball, we do a mobility assessment and a skills assessment and write prescribed training programs for the athletes that are supervised by PGA professionals,” said Kyle Laramie. “I love business, sports and seniors, those are my passions.”
News in Brief: Kyle Laramie and Ryan Dickherber
Kyle Laramie and Ryan Dickherber won gold at the 2025 Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Florida. Despite an injury during the final, the Missouri duo beat the top-seeded team. Laramie also leads a veterans’ care company and runs sports businesses focused on training and athlete development.
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