What’s up, everyone? Welcome to PickleWho! Is this a pickleball news blog? A comedy blog? A desperate attempt to get into heaven in case it exists? Both, not gonna say which ones.

Here’s the news!

• What to do about sandbagging in pickleball?

• A 24-hour pickleball marathon with a nice cause

• You better take advice from this pro

Sandbagging is a real problem

Not gonna lie, I also thought sandbagging was code for something dirty. I’ve seen enough news to know anything is impossible. But the truth is even grimmer.

Sandbagging refers to a situation where athletes enter tournaments below their actual skill level to increase their chances of winning. This happens because pickleball lacks a unified rating system. There’s the UTPR by USA Pickleball; WPR by pickleballtournaments.com; the DUPR, used by the PPA, and the “Hey, that kid is very good!” by my father. He was talking about Ben Johns.

The issue with so many ratings is that players can be high-rated in one system, but low in the others. So, a lot of players sign up for low-level tournaments and DESTROY their competition. That’s the equivalent of me playing against a bunch of three-year-olds: they are WAY above my league.

What should we do against this, then? A single unified rating could help. Referees reporting sandbaggers could work too. And as a last resort: sanction sandbaggers and make them only play against Ben Johns, and see who’s actually good.

24 hours of pickleball to help a teacher

A group of amateur pickleball players in Minnesota will play A 24-HOUR TOURNAMENT. to accomplish two things:

1. Make their knees hate them

2. Help out Mark Hunter, a teacher for autistic children at Twin Oaks Middle School who broke his neck in two places last summer.

Since it’s easier to afford a Lambo than healthcare, we are left in the hands of our community. Great news for Mark, he’s in a good one.

Catherine Parenteau helps you improve your game

Catherine Parenteau is more than the #2 female player in the world: after sharing her best tips to improve your pickleball skills, she’s now a certified blogger. Welcome to the family.

Here are a few suggestions from our favorite Florida girl –yes, even above Ariana Grande:

- Remember the basics: double bounce serve, serve and stay, and avoid shooting from the kitchen.

- Quick lateral movements are a must to increase your speed and agility.

- When playing doubles, communicate.

- Drills can beat actual games as they help you exercise your muscle memory.

- Don’t skip leg day.

- Don’t skip your child’s play-day (that’s mine).

Follow her tips and who knows, maybe one day we’ll be as good as…nah, who are we kidding.

You might also like:

- The Drop, EP. 7.

- 1000 days of pickleball, part 2.

- Fix your jumping technique!