INTRODUCTION
Just when you thought Pickleball couldn’t get any more fun…Introducing… ...ABSOLUTELY PICKLED!
Tune in to the hilarious ABSOLUTELY PICKLED! Podcast, attend ABSOLUTELY PICKLED! Parties & Events, grab some fabulous ABSOLUTELY PICKLED! merchandise and so much more…
Let’s Talk MERCH!
FOMO? Don’t Miss Out!
CONGRATULATIONS to Sunay and Oliver, our ABSOLUTELY PICKLED 4.5+ team for taking home bronze this spring season in league! There was HOT competition this spring in the El Segundo Pickleball League. This season introduced a brand new 4.5+ Premier league and the play was outstanding.. Our boys competed well and took home bronze. Well done boys!!
CONGRATULATIONS to our ABSOLUTELY PICKLED 3.0 Mixed team for taking home gold this winter season in league! The team is led by Captain Keri and includes Fin, Weber, Dan and Mike on the guys side with Suze, Luanne and Robbie making up the rest of the girls. AP 3.0 Mxd battled all season making it into the playoffs this past Wednesday night where they faced “Dink & be Merry” in the final. It was a nail-biter of a final that came down to points…and our fabulous AP Team broke their opponents hearts winning by …wait for it….ONE POINT!! CONGRATULATIONS gang! Be careful…if you’re not careful you’ll get bumped up to 3.5!!
In this episode of the 'Bet on Her' podcast, we chat with Penny Finders, co-founder of Absolutely Pickled. Penny's journey is one of resilience, overcoming breast cancer and navigating adventures in London and the US. From adversity to coaching, Penny's story inspires us to chase our dreams relentlessly.
As the thwack of the pickleball is the dink heard round the nation, more and more people are getting in on the fun. Pickleball, a mash-up of ping-pong, tennis and badminton, is the fastest-growing sport in the country, with 8.9 million players volleying and “dinking” at courts …
Check out Lee’s Pro Tour schedule to find out when she’ll be playing next! And if it’s near you, come on out and watch her play and entertain the crowd! Wear your ABSOLUTELY PICKLED! T-shirt and she’ll come find you in the crowd!
COMING SOON - We’re in the planning process to bring you the opportunity to laugh, learn (maybe) and, most importantly, party with Pro Pickleball player and Fan Favorite, Lee Whitwell!
Join the ABSOLUTELY PICKLED roster of local teams! We’ll print your T-shirts and give you a shout out on the ABSOLUTELY PICKLED! Podcast and social media! Drop us a line today!
The Podcast
This week, Lee introduces us to up and coming superstar, Tanner Tomassi! This kid is only 24 and already making waves in the pickleball world. Fun fact...he used to play professional Paint Ball!! And apparently those shooting skills translate well into pickleball! Also in this episode, Pen introduces her latest teaching aid..."Destiny"! And this was their reaction!! :) This hilarious episode is not to be missed.
This week Lee & Pen are joined by fellow Brit, Lou Stephens who is the Director (although she jokingly calls herself “Dictator”) of London Pickleball! We chat about all the amazing work she and her “mini dictators” are doing to grow pickleball in the UK, the challenges they’ve faced and successes they’ve achieved. This is the hardest working woman we’ve met so far and it was lovely to hear a Cockney accent for a change which made Pen rather homesick!
This week Lee & Pen are joined by native Aussie and former Pro tennis player turned Pickleball Player/entrepreneur, Scott Doerner. He's investing his time and expertise in developing a brand new Indoor Facility in the Los Angeles area (ssshhh it's still a secret) where we're desperate for more courts! Stay tuned for the latest developments coming soon!
Lee's been so busy winning Gold medals at the US Open this past week that we didn't have time to record a new podcast....So we're rerunning this NOT TO BE MISSED episode with the fabulous Dr. Simon Marshall! Get ready to have your "mind blown" by the cleverest bloke Lee & Pen know. Lee fesses up to two on court sports psych dramas she encounters regularly and Dr. Si offers amazing tips on how to handle these stressful on court situations!
This week Lee & Pen are joined by Pen's super fun friend, Molly Waggoner. An outstanding athlete, she's conquered crazy sports in her 40's like surfing around the globe, and joining the ranks of the snowboarding rats on the slopes. Her latest sporting conquest and now addiction is Pickleball (obviously) and never shy to embrace a challenge, this chick is improving in leaps and bounds. Currently at the 4.0 level she has her sights set for as high as she can go. It's never too late people - pick up a paddle and have a go!
This week Lee and Pen are joined by the lovely (and rather handsome we think) Aaron Sunstrum, CEO and Founder of Honcho Pickleball League, a brand new pickleball league format expanding throughout the country to identify the "Head Honcho" pickleball player(s) in your area! Listen in as Aaron explains the deal and find out how to get involved as well as have a laugh with the 3 of them as they answer the Dear AP questions of the week and challenge Aaron to answer the regular AP questionnaire!
This week Lee & Pen are joined by former Bermuda Davis Cup Player and current National Director of Pickleball for the island of Bermuda, Mr. Gavin Manders.
Hear all abut how he's growing the sport in his home country and have a laugh as he helps Lee and Pen answer your Dear AP questions> He also delivers one of the best answers we've heard yet in the AP questionnaire!
Listen, Laugh and Learn (maybe) as Lee & Pen talk all things pickleball with special guests each week. They’ll answer all your burning pickleball questions while taking the piss out of each other and occasionally their guests with hilarious results!
The ABSOLUTELY PICKLED Podcast is hosted by Pickleball Legend and fan favorite, Lee Whitwell and her long time buddy and side-kick Pen Finders. Lee has been a major player in the development of pickleball in the US and worldwide both on and off the court. Having racked up the trophies and MVP titles on the Pro Tour she is now entering her inaugural year on the Senior Pro Tour and is CRUSHING the competition winning Golds left & right in both Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles! Never ones to take life too seriously, Lee & Pen chat each week often inviting guests from the pickleball world and beyond to join them as they answer all your burning pickleball dilemmas in the “Dear AP” section of the podcast as well as testing their quests with their side-splittingly funny AP questionnaire! Hope you enjoy the show!
This week Lee & Pen hang with possibly the nicest bloke on tour, Mr. Jason Bock! This family man proves you can have a full-time job, take care of a lovely wife and daughter and STILL kick arse on the pickleball court making it to the semi's this past weekend! Learn (along with Pen) as Lee and Jason answer another two intriguing "Dear AP" questions including a comprehensive explanation of how and when to stack and hear Jason knock it out the park with a few of his answers to the hilarious AP questionnaire!
Find out why Lee's been so busy for the past few weeks....introducing the brand, spanking new ABSOLUTELY PICKLED Headquarters, an indoor pickleball training facility including a 30’ X 60’ exhibition-style pickleball court with intimate spectator viewing area. Watch Lee perform her magic as both a player in live-streamed Pro exhibition matches and as coach and mentor to up and coming Pro Pickleball players on social media. Also included will be a functional gym with synaptec vision/cognition training area - an area vastly overlooked in the training of up and coming pickleball players and finally, The ABSOLUTELY PICKLED! HQ Office - recording location (when Lee is not on the road) for the hilarious ABSOLUTELY PICKLED Podcast.
Back by popular demand, we’re reruning this enthralling episode with our very own Sports Pysch Guru, Dr. Simon Marshall as he helps us unclog our mental toilets!
This week Lee & Pen chat with an OG of Pro Pickleball, Joy Leising! Amazing player and coach, Joy talks about her pickleball journey, the things to look for in a great coach and Lee describes how many times Joy has tagged her with her rocket of a double-handed backhand!
“If you build it, he will come!” Kevin Costner, Field of Dreams.
This week Lee is up in Oregon for the opening of a brand new pickleball facility, Jumbo's Pickleball! (www.jumbospickleball.com). Lee & Pen's special guest is co-owner (and son of Jumbo), Roshan Fernando. Hear about how the facility came to fruition and all of the nuances you need to keep in mind when considering building a new facility! Plus the usual hilarious Dear AP segment and special guest questionnaire! An episode not to be missed.
This week Lee & Pen are joined by Beach Volleyball Superstar, Geena Urango! Having represented the U.S. her list of accomplishments is extremely long and she didn't even know she had a Wikipedia page!! When the beaches were closed during Covid she needed another outlet and became a pickleball addict even setting up her own court with PVC pipe and garden netting in her driveway with her boyfriend. Listen as Lee & Pen discuss with her the challenges and advantages of transitioning from volleyball to pickleball and have a laugh along the way!
Lee & Pen have a catch up and discuss "Pickleball Slam 2", recap the guests so far and answer your "Dear AP" questions. Finally, Lee turns the tables on Pen and puts her through the "Inside the AP studio" questionnaire with hilarious results!
This week Lee & Pen are joined by former Division I Soccer star turned professional pickleball player, Danny Jensen. The former Ohio State Soccer top scorer discovered pickleball in 2021 and went from a true 2.5 to Pro in record time through sheer hard work and resilience. This kid knows how to grind! As usual, he and Lee help answer our listener's "Dear AP" questions and have a laugh along the way!
This week Lee & Pen are honored to host two Pickleball Hall of Famers and complete legends in the pickleball world, Alex Hamner & Jennifer Lucore! Don't miss this unique opportunity to hear their pearls of pickleball wisdom and have a laugh with them as they help answer our listener's "Dear AP" questions.
Lee & Pen are joined by Clay Thompson, former professional tennis player and developer of the MProoV App. Home to the Lee Whitwell Online Pickleball School. MProoV is THE BEST destination for curated and original content customized to your pickleball goals. Listen as Lee & Pen have fun with Clay and he & Lee explain all that you can do on the MProoV App.
This week Lee & Pen are joined by Lee's good mate, award-winning playwright, stand up comedian and yet another self-professed pickleball addict, Cricket Daniel. They discuss a few of Cricket's plays including "Couple Dating" and "The Lost Virginity Tour" plus answer the usual "Dear AP" questions about team play and what to do when that annoying leftie partner wants to stack!
This week Lee & Pen are joined by the lovely AJ McCord. Former athlete and avid sports fan, she's well known in the pickleball world as a top commentator on all of the action at the major pickleball tournaments. We love her even more for the work she does in promoting women's sports! Listen as she shares a fun anecdote of convincing the guys in a packed local bar to change the channel from baseball to WNBA and cheer on the ladies gaining an new appreciation for these talented athletes.
This week Lee & Pen are joined by pickleball die-hard and Lee's #1 fan, Maurice "The Grease" for a hilarious conversation about the perils of Rec Play and what will happen to opponents that continually pick on a weaker player!
Introducing the #1 female pickleball player in the UK, the lovely and talented Thaddea Lock! Join Lee and Pen for another hilarious episode as they quiz Thaddea for pickleball top tips and advice.
Join Lee & Pen for another enthralling episode with our very own Sports Pysch Guru, Dr. Simon Marshall as he helps us unclog our mental toilets!
Join Lee & Pen for another hilarious episode where Lee provides advice to 2 more listeners on their pickleball woes plus gives hilarious answers to Pen’s newly introduced AP guest questionnaire!
In this NOT TO BE MISSED episode, get ready to have your "mind blown" by the cleverest bloke Lee & Pen know. Lee fesses up to two on court sports psych dramas she encounters regularly and Dr. Si offers amazing tips on how to handle these stressful on court situations!
Join Lee & Pen in the inaugural episode of the ABSOLUTELY PICKLED! Podcast. Hear about Lee's trip to China, her encounter with the Great Wall and the Great Hole (aka the bathroom). Listen to her top tips on whether to serve or receive and so much more in the hilarious "Dear AP…" segment.
Join Lee & Pen’s ABSOLUTELY PICKLED! Podcast (or should that be VODCAST?!) for a hilarious dose of pickleball entertainment with special guests each week.
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Some of our Partners …
“If at first you don’t succeed - try doing what your coach said in the first place.”
- Lee Whitwell ….quoting someone equally smart but not as funny!