002 | My Hair on Your Head Transcript

 

Morgan:  There’s a lot of Steve’s out there but today’s guest is definitely in my top five, just behind Stevie Wonder. I’d say he’s likely much better at Pickleball than Mr. Wonder, and he proved that theory in the 2019 Nationals where he and Erik Lange took a silver in Men’s Pro. He’s had a breakout year, so I’m excited to talk to him. Please welcome Canada’s number one player and all-around top bloke, Steve Deakin.

 

Solving The World’s Problems [0:50]

Steve:  Hello, everybody. Hope everyone’s well and staying safe.

Morgan:  Thanks, mate! That’s good advice. It’s tough times to be alive. How are things going up there, mate?

Steve:  Well, I’m not too sure if we’re behind you folks or not but we’re headed towards a bit of a self-quarantine, self-isolation, or physical distancing or whatever we like to call it these days, we’re definitely headed in that direction. And I’m using this kind of as a time to take care of some things around the house and just spend some time with family that has been limited this year. So I’m kind of looking at the glass half full with all this, and hopefully, a scientist will take care of this and we’ll be safe once again.

Morgan:  Yeah. Did you, by any chance, come up with a vaccine this morning before coming on?

Steve:  Well, you know, as I was sitting here with my two, little weiner dogs, we had talked about it briefly, we’re probably about five or ten minutes or so but we’re close, okay?

Morgan:  Really? Oh, good!

Steve:  Yeah, yeah. Once I take care of our little chat here today, I’ll be heading back to the drawing board and should be able to take care of this for you guys.

Morgan:  Brilliant! That would be great. Personally, I had attempted to do it on Thursday morning. I bought a long, white coat, I had golf a little later on so I was trying to knock it before breakfast. And honestly, it was much tougher than I expected.

Steve:  Well, listen, I’ll just take care where you left off.

Morgan:  That would be good.

Steve:  Yeah, you laid the groundwork for all of us, right?
Morgan:  I think so.

Steve:  So I’ll definitely pick up the pieces here but I won’t take all the glory.

Morgan:  Okay, that’d be great.

Steve:  We’ll look after one another, right?

Morgan:  That would be great. So, I have like a long, white coat, that’s pretty important.

Steve:  (chuckles…) Well, that’s all I’ve learned right now.

Morgan:  (chuckles…) Just that – okay. I have a petri dish. Do you have a Bunsen burner by any chance? I hear those are important.

Steve:  I did steal one of those from science class back in 1988, so I’ve pulled that out of storage just for this.

Morgan:  Good man, good man. I think that’s pretty much all we need. Yeah, I think we should be able to get that done. We’ll release it tomorrow and hit the courts on Wednesday. What do you reckon?

Steve:  (laughs…) Well, that’s what I’m hoping for. We may have to push that back to Thursday but I’m fairly certain that we could probably take care of it by then.

Morgan:  Okay, brilliant!

Steve:  Good!

Morgan:  Excellent. Well, I think that’s it for today. We should probably go and get that done.

Steve:  Let me kick my feet up here.

Morgan:  Kick your feet up. Just relax.

Steve:  Well done, Morgan.

Morgan:  Yeah, I know. Between you, me and the two weiner dogs, jeez! We really got a lot done.

Steve:  We solved the world problems all in five minutes.

Sponsor: CoachME Pickleball

 

Pickleball Highlights [4:16]

Morgan:  So, Steve, you’ve had a – coming back a notch just for a moment, you’ve had kind of a breakout year in 2019 especially. What sort of highlight really stuck out for you?

Steve:  Oh, that’s a very good question, Morgan. I’ve been kind of reflecting on 2019 a bit here with a little bit of time off. And there was just so much gratitude I have for the sport of Pickleball and what it allowed me to do with my life this past year. Really, 2019 was the year that I was planning on pursuing Pickleball but I had no idea that it would take off in the way that it did. It kind of prompted me to leave my job for 20 plus years. I’ve made some very big life choices in 2019, I don’t regret them at all. Even though, yes, times are a tad bit tough right now, I’m still very grateful for the opportunity. I know this isn’t permanent what’s happening now, so in the meantime, I’m just training hard and trying to stay fit and really spending time with family and looking forward to getting back on court again. But I would say 2019 had just a tremendous amount of highlights for me. It’s almost unfair to kind of point the finger at one of them because I just had so many great moments and met so many great people, and formed a lot of great partnerships. But I guess in saying that, the highlight for me was definitely have been the US Nationals 2019 where I had some very fantastic results that I’m just so thrilled to have shared them with great partners as well.

Morgan:  Yeah, the big fellow, Erik Lange. I remember that match. There was some great stuff in there.

Steve:  Oh, you know it was funny because Erik and I actually connected at US Nationals in 2018 which was really my first big event and where I felt I got a bit recognized by my peers. And Erik and I had chatted about playing a couple of the majors in 2019, and that was TOC and of course, US Nationals. I think both Erik and I were players that were undervalued or underrated, I guess you could say. It was a great story because Erik and I had talked quite seriously about training hard for US Nationals and peaking at that time. We felt if we both came in in good shape and good form, we had a very good chance. I was just absolutely thrilled with what we accomplished and had such a great time with him doing it.

Morgan:  And that’s obviously something you’ve been taking very seriously. You talked about coming in in good shape. There was a fairly obvious physical transformation that you’ve been going through the last few years especially. We talked about it privately but tell us a little bit about what you’ve been doing behind the scenes to get in the kind of shape that your wife admires.

Steve:  (laughs…) Does she admire it really?

Morgan:  Well, you know?

Steve:  She tries to say it nicely, I guess but…

Morgan:  She’s a sweetheart.

Steve:  Oh, she is fantastic! She’s probably been – not probably – she has been my biggest support through this transition from a 9 – 5 job to full-time Pickleball. She’s been a huge help and I can truly say if she wasn’t in my corner, I’m not entirely sure if this would have happened the way it has. So definitely, we’re a good team in that regard.

I knew I was going to pursue this sport. I’m always the type of guy who when I decide to do something, I just jump right in with both feet. I’ve kind of got the blinders on, so I went and sources the trainer that I’ve been working with exclusively. His name is Morgan Hodge, he works at a firm called CoCo Crossfit.

Morgan:  I like him already.

Steve:  Yeah. (chuckles…) He has put me through some pretty impressive training regimens. I knew that was one thing I had to do because the fact is I’m aging. I’m 46 years old now and how am I going to keep myself relevant in the next three to four years at the pro level, and so much goes into your endurance and any sort of physical training you could do is something that is very important for us and our sport. Before I started playing Pickleball, I was quite heavy.

Morgan:  No, come on! You? No…

Steve:  Yeah, honestly, it was the good life. The minute I hired Morgan, basically my weight came down 20 lbs. I started feeling better on court. My knees felt better. I was able to run for balls quicker. I was able to hit the ball harder. It definitely played a very large part in my success in 2019, and it’s only getting better. So it’s definitely something that anybody that is listening. It’s something that if you want to get your game from the plateau, it’s something that you need to look at seriously.

Morgan:  You’re absolutely right. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a lot of great players, yourself included, and Tyson McGuffin obviously was one of them, our first guest a couple of weeks ago, and he’s been taking that seriously. As a singles player, I think you have to really.

Steve:  He’s definitely one player that I admire for his physic and not in a weird way, Tyson, okay? Just so you know. (laughs…) He is, I think, the most fit player on the tour right now and his results show.

Morgan:  It’s impressive stuff.

 

Surviving These Crazy Times [9:57]

Morgan:  So up there, I imagine, the clinics sort of come to a grinding halt.

Steve:  They really have come to a grinding halt. I had a fairly extensive May planned, kind of a tour right across Canada that started the middle of May.

Morgan:  Do you have a back-up plan?

Steve:  I haven’t put the breaks on that just yet but unfortunately, it’s going to be a bit of a game-time decision. I just want to kind of see how everything unfolds. In saying that, I’m prepared to kind of do what the health officials say, and if they say it’s a no-go, it’s a no-go, and I’m going to have to reschedule. So I don’t at this time, have any back-up plan. I may do some odd jobs around town here and help a buddy out with his business and we’ll see how things go. But right now, priority number one for me is to stay fit and strong and be ready to play again once we are all able.

Morgan:  What do you think about private lessons? Not too many people are asking right now but…

Steve:  Yeah, I’ve had – not recently, but I did have some request for private lessons during this time. I’m on the fence with that especially with a lot of our parks and rec actually physically putting padlocks on courts. It’s going to make it a bit difficult to do those privates even though I – you know, the jury is still out on transferring the virus through touching the ball. And would I like to get out and do some of these privates, of course, I would. It’s a way I make my living but I still have to follow the recommendations of the health authorities.

Morgan:  Yeah. Perhaps we can join forces and see what we can come up with as kind of a protocol that seems to adhere to the advice the authorities are giving.

Steve:  Yeah.

Morgan:  Where we could still help people because it’s hard to know what to do here. They want us to be exercising but they’ve closed all the gyms, understandably. A lot of people can go into a gym. But not long ago, I played golf and we’re all really easily keeping six feet apart. It’s hard to know what to do.

Steve:  It’s such an unprecedented situation and there is no manual or handbook available for this. Some of my friends that are up in arms about this and think that this is ridiculous but there is, I would say, 70% to 75% of the people that I talk to are fully on board with this social distancing or we’re starting to call it up here physical distancing because you can still be social with technology. You don’t have to just hole up in your house or wherever you may be and be a recluse. Definitely very challenging times but I’m trying my best to put a positive spin on it.

Morgan:  Yeah.

Steve:  And take care of some things that maybe I wouldn’t have time if I was traveling. I’m supposed to be in Atlanta right now. I’ve been taking this time just to hang out with the wife and the two dogs, and chat with my son a bit who I don’t see a terrible amount of time. So I’m using it and trying to be as positive as I possibly can because I know there’s people hurting out there right now, right? It affect everybody. It’s just the right thing to do, all this self-isolation. I do feel that we have to follow what the health authorities are putting forward whether I agree with it or not.

Morgan:  Yeah.

Steve:  So it’s way above my pay grade making these types of decisions, right?

Morgan:  Yeah, I mean you just stick to making that vaccine with me, obviously.

Steve:  Oh, as I said, I’m tunnel-visioned, right? I’ve got a one-track mind. I’ll get to this, trust me.

Morgan:  Good man.

Steve:  We’ll be done today.

Morgan:  Brilliant. Yeah, once the gardening is done, then it’s the vaccine creation, I think. We got to keep the wife happy first, right?
Steve:  (laughs…) Yeah. You should have seen the job I did on Sunday. I just tore apart our backyard and I got a junk removal guy coming today to pick up all this crap, so it’s been good in that regard, I guess. I’m off the bad-boy list for now.

Morgan:  Oh, good. Okay! Nothing like a good pandemic to get you off that list.

Steve:  (laughs…) That’s all it took, you know?

Morgan:  Right.

Steve:  Forget epidemics – it took a pandemic to bring this quality out in me.

Morgan:  That is shocking! Jeez Louise, we’re in trouble for this interview already, I’m sure but that’s okay. What can you do? I mean for me, it’s not a matter of glass half full or glass half empty, it’s just always thinking that the glass can be filled.

Steve:  For sure. And that’s what I would hope that the majority of our society is thinking. It’s easy to sit back and think, “I’m not going to be able to make my lunch thing” or “Oh, I’m not going to be able to pay rent,” I get those things, for sure. But we’ll get through it. That’s what’s very unique about the human race. We’ll face adversity an deal with whatever comes.

Morgan:  Yeah. And I mean really, there’s nothing that comes to mind, certainly not in recent history where literally the entire world is banding together on a united front.

Steve:  Well, yeah, and that’s what super cool about it, I guess, if you can even say that. Everybody appears to be on the same page with this. And I’m saying everybody, I’m saying all 144 countries that are affected by this. I’d like to think that the majority of people are taking this seriously and doing what it takes to stop spreading this virus because it does kill people and it’s something that I think we all have to take seriously and make sure it gets rectified as soon as possible.

Morgan:  Yeah, we’re all hoping, praying and doing whatever we can.

Steve:  Exactly, and I think that’s the important part, is do our part and we’re not going to fix what our neighbor might be thinking. We just have to do what’s best. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon.

 

Conversations with Andrew [16:04]

Andrew:  Hi, Morgan! This is Andrew from Ithica, New York, and I have three questions for you, two Pickleball and one off-topic.

First, can you see Pickleball becoming a college sport in the future, and what could that take?

Second, I’m 11 and playing 3.5 men’s doubles tournaments with my dad who sucks. I really want to turn pro someday. So what steps do I need to take to get there?
Last, can you please tell the uninformed American masses why footie is 10,000 times better than American Football, straight rip ‘em, mate!

Loving the podcast so far. Thanks, Morgan! #TeamSelkirk, Hoora!

Morgan:  G’day, mate! Yeah, that’s a definite maybe on Q1 there, bud. I’d say there’s a better chance of my getting pregnant, to be honest.

No, in all seriousness, Pickleball will definitely become a college sport. It could happen overnight if we could just an exhibition match between Captain America and Thor versus Ironman and the Hulk. Just out of interest, are those the teams you would make or would you mix it up a little bit?

The biggest thing it’ll take for Pickleball to become a college sport is acceptance. It’s not the cool kid, it’s not the quarterback jock right now, it’s that kid that makes everyone laugh, that kid you can turn to for support, that kid that gives you the best conversation. Once that kid becomes a star, then look out, it’ll be not just in college but soon the Olympics.

Alright, on to question two. So you want to be a Pickleball pro. Well, write this down:
Step 1: Ditch dad. He seems nice but he’s clearly holding you back. At your age, I think you’re probably ready to get out there, leave home and become the Randy Coleman of kid’s Pickleball. I mean, it’s the dream really, isn’t it? Maybe check your savings first.

If I’m completely honest with you, I would say if I were you, I’d reach out to that Anna Leigh kid. She seems like she knows what she’s doing. Offer to fly her and her mom to New York to train you. Probably wait for this whole pandemic thing blows over there, huh?
Okay, onto question three. Can you please tell the American masses why footie is 10 times better than American football? Mate, I don’t know, that’s a tough one. I feel like most of the fanbase, and I’ll use that word very loosely, is American. And I do like NFL, it’s not too bad. I’ve watched I think one or two games, but I’ve only been here for about six years.

Anyway, AFL is free-flowing, there’s a lot of space. None of this stop-start, 35 ads every quarter crap. It uses a much larger area, so endurance plays a role. Some of these guys are running 15, 20 kilometers in a 90-minute game. For those of you who are still not using metric, that’s about 470 miles – no, it’s about 10 or 12. Oh, and Aussie rules football players wear alarmingly tight shorts, so the chicks love it.

I’ll actually take a moment to be honest on this subject. The big problem I see with the NFL is that it isn’t using fear to inspire longevity. And what I mean by that is that by virtue of the fact that they are wearing essentially a suit of armor with a large helmet, NFL players are afforded a sense of invulnerability. Armed with that sense and the western love affair with high action, constant stimulus, you have a recipe for wide-spread and concussions for the sake of entertainment. The basic rules of NFL were written when players were half the size. And to a large extent, the main response to rampant head injuries is to improve helmets. That’s addressing the symptom, not the cause. Professional fighters risk head injuries everyday but it’s the guys like Mohammad Ali that developed brain disorders, it’s not the Connor McGregor’s. How this relates to your question is that Aussie rules football inspires real fear. They don’t wear helmets, so every player knows that if he runs at a reasonable click and clashes heads with another man, that could be Goodnight, Irene. This fear leads them to substantially less head injuries than the NFL. The rules of tackling are obviously different but rules can be changed.

Anyway, that’s what I have to say on that. Other than that – oh, I’m supposed to say “Stay in School!”

Take it easy, Andrew!

[background music plays]

 

Change the World Through Dance and Hair [21:20]

Morgan:  Are you able to play any Pickleball inside your house? Any training tips you’ve got for your average player?

Steve:  (chuckles…) I’ve got a garage which I set up like a little home-gym. Just one grade above what Rocky Balboa does, you know?

Morgan:  Oh…

Steve:  So it’s still quite cold here but I’ve set up – basically hung a little sheet on this drywall and I’ve just been kind of volleying in the garage, just trying to keep the hands active. I kind of implement that into the workout routine, so I just keep a paddle in my hand while we’re going through this quarantine period.

Morgan:  Just keep whacking balls around. I’m thinking of taking up table tennis.

Steve:  Well, that’s only going to improve one’s game, is it not?

Morgan:  I think so. Certainly one’s table tennis game.

Steve:  Yeah.

Morgan:  Hopefully, Pickleball game as well. I hear Mr. Ben Johns plays a lot of table tennis. I’ve seen him play and it’s depressingly good.

Steve:  His Pickleball is depressingly good as well. Trust me, I know this first hand. I don’t even think I want to imagine that kid on a pingpong table, that would be ultimately scary.

Morgan:  Yeah. There’s one guy, I think he’s still with Selkirk, Aaron Coyle, Magic Man.

Steve:  Oh yeah, yeah.

Morgan:  Those two had some great battles, so he’s pretty good.

Steve:  Oh wow!

Morgan:  He’s a lefty.

Steve:  I always like a good challenge but I don’t even think I can get into your country even if I wanted to right now.

Morgan:  Well, let me talk to the border officials. We maybe able to make an exception.

Steve:  Could you? (laughs…)

Morgan:  Yeah. I mean you’ve got, unofficially, the best hair in Pickleball, so I think that might let you off the hook.

Steve:  Well, is that a fact or is this something that’s kind of in debate? Because honestly, I work really hard on it.

Morgan:  It looks like it. It shows.

Steve:  Before any big tournament, I go see my barber just up the street. He does a wonderful job on this quaff, so I’m going to tell him you said it’s arguably the best hair in Pickleball.

Morgan:  Oh, it might just be the best hair out there in any sport. Who knows? I mean I have to do a little research just to confirm that but I wouldn’t bet against you.

Steve:  I would appreciate it. (laughs…) It’s not bad, isn’t it?

Morgan:  Yeah, yeah. I mean I’ve got a couple at the back that I’m just playing with now. I’m sort of curling them around, and they feel pretty good to me but there’s really only two or three left. It’s largely kind of a barren wasteland from sort of forehead to the crown there. It’s not great, I’ll be honest.

Steve:  You rock it anyways, buddy.

Morgan:  Ah, that’s the spirit. I do like a good hat.

Steve:  And I love your hats. And even Michael Jackson performances…

Morgan:  Oh yeah.

Steve:  You can dance, I’m telling you. I’ve never seen anyone dance like you, ever.

Morgan:  Really? You got to get out more.

Steve:  Well, no listen, if we could my hair on your head and you do the dancing, can you imagine what that would be?

Morgan:  We’d change the world, yeah. I think that would be it.

Steve:  Not only would be come up with a vaccine but we’ll change the world through dance and hair.

Morgan:  Dance and hair – that’s it! That’s the key.

Steve:  Yeah.

Morgan:  I’ve been missing out on one of those crucial parts for such a long time. All I needed to do was figure out how to splice our DNA and create a dancing, hairy monster of awesomeness.

Steve:  (laughs…) That’s right, that’s right. And I wonder if any of our Pickleball skills would intermingle.

Morgan:  Wow, yeah. A hybrid player.

Steve:  Because I do want your serve.

Morgan:  Okay. And I’d like your ability to never miss a ball, that would be great.

Steve:  (laughs…) I’ll trade you one shot for one of your shots. How about that?

Morgan:  Okay, okay yeah. If I could have your third ball…

Steve:  So I want your serve.

Morgan:  Okay, that’s fine. I’ll give you that and I’ll take your third ball, and everybody wins.

Steve:  You think?

Morgan:  Yeah, yeah.

Steve:  Do you think that’s a fair trade?

Morgan:  Yeah, that’s fair, for sure.

Steve:  (laughs…)

Morgan:  Well, I’ve just never seen you miss a third shot. It’s really annoying. I mean I love you for it but often I’m playing against you. I don’t think I’ve ever played with you yet.

Steve:  Yeah, when are we going to play together? This is like – we had a chance to in some event in California but they canceled it.

Morgan:  Yeah, that’s true.

Steve:  And we got to make something happen here.

Morgan:  I agree. Let’s do it! I mean the problem is you seem to be attracting a lot of tall, athletic, incredibly good players, and it might seem a little weird but let’s do it, for sure. I mean if you’re in. It seems like a binding agreement.

Steve:  (laughs…)

Morgan:  It’s good stuff, Steve. We’re going to take a quick break here.

[background music plays]

 

Pickleball Trivia [26:04]

Morgan:  Welcome to Pickleball Trivia. I’ve got two contestants on the line, ready to do battle. Cam Thompson from Indiana and Shawn Rodrigo from Hawaii via Minnesota.

Contestant #1 will have the serve and will be asked a Pickleball-related question. If they answer that correctly nad they keep the serve, they will keep answering questions. The questions get progressively harder and correct answers are worth 1 point. Incorrect or a pass is a side out and your opponent gets a chance to score the point. Keep scoring points and the serve to finish the game. The first player to five points wins the Selkirk gift voucher.

Guys and gals, are you ready?

Cam:  Absolutely!

Shawn:  I am ready. Let’s do this!

Morgan:  Alright. Cam, you are contestant #1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Cam:  I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I’m working currently remotely and snacking pretty much throughout the day. Although, a fellow Pickleball addict.

Morgan:  Okay, snacking. What are you snacking on. What’s your favorite snack?

Cam:  It would be carrots just so that I can actually somewhat stay healthy, and popcorn. Every kind of popcorn.

Morgan:  Okay, carrots and popcorn – I have not heard that combination but there you go.

Shawn:  Interesting.

Morgan:  Shawn, what about you, mate? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Shawn:  Hello, everyone! I’m from Hawaii originally but I moved to Minnesota about four years ago. I started playing Pickleball about two years ago, fell in love with it. So I guess you could say I’m a surfer turned Pickleball player.

Morgan:  There’s not that many out there. I think Kyle Yates might be one of those.

Shawn:  Yeah. I think Kyle and Irena are big, old surfers.

Morgan:  I have seen Irena surf. She took some photos of her the first time she ever stood up in a board, and then subsequently fell off the board.

Shawn:  Nice.

Morgan:  But it was good.

Shawn:  (laughs…)

Morgan:  Alright, Cam, are you ready? You are contestant #1. Are you excited?

Cam:  Yeah, I am.

Morgan:  I can tell you’re excited.

Cam:  (laughs…)

Morgan:  Alright, here we go. Question #1: With the nickname “El Condor” which player was recently admitted to the Pickleball Hall of Fame?

Cam:  Oh shoot! I saw that in Pickleball Magazine. I have to pass.

Morgan:  This was supposed to be one of the easy ones, just so you know.

Cam:  Good start.

Morgan:  Okay.

Cam:  I’ll pass.

Morgan:  You’re going to have to pass. Alright, Shawn, you have a chance to answer correct and steal the serve and a point.

Shawn:  Alright, sounds good. Is it Enrique Ruiz?

Morgan:  It is. Well done! El Condor, Enrique.

Shawn:  Awesome. El Condor – that’s a cool nickname.

Morgan:  It is a great name. He has got a bit of a wingspan. I’m sure he’s very hoping El Albatross does not turn up in the game.

Shawn:  (laughs…) Yeah.

Morgan:  Ready for your next question, Shawn?
Shawn:  Yes, I am.

Morgan:  Alright.

Which controversial player currently holds the unofficial world record in paddle throwing distance?

Shawn:  Oh, that’s a good one! I’m going to go with Kyle Yates.

Morgan:  Sorry, mate. He’s good, he’s good. He’s got a good throw, no doubt about it but that’s not the answer.

Cam, to steal the point and the serve. Any thoughts?

Cam:  How about Jeffrey Warnick.

Morgan:  That is correct. Well done! Mr. Jeffrey Warnick. He, after a match against I think it was Tyler Loong and Michelle Esquivel launched a paddle three courts at least, and almost hit Steve Deakin, I think. Yeah, a true story. I was there, it was very funny.

Alright, Cam, are you ready for your second question.

Cam:  Uh-huh.

Morgan:  Alright.

With a booming voice, which famous referee is originally from Ghana?
Cam:  Ghana? Is that Ref Byron Freso?

Morgan:  It is, it is.

Cam:  Wow, I did not know that.

Morgan:  Alright, you’re getting some redemption here. Well played.

Shawn:  Nice work!

Morgan:  Alright, your next question: Steve Dawson is the owner-operator of which Californian Pickleball and Tenns club?

Cam:  Oh, is that it the Bobby Riggs Tennis facility?

Morgan:  Yes it is! We will give you that. Congratulations, very good!

Shawn:  Nice work!

Morgan:  Alright, wow! She’s running away with it, Shawn. Are you afraid?

Shawn:  No, I’m just hanging out. Just watching. (chuckles…)

Morgan:  Just watching/listening. (chuckles…)

Alright, Cam, are you ready for your next question.

Cam:  Uh-hum.

Morgan:  Okay, I’ll take that as a yes. It sounded more like a… (squeaks…)

Cam:  (laughs…)

Shawn:   (laughs…)

Morgan:  Did you step on a small dor or something, or a cat?

Shawn:  Or a Chihuahua?

Cam:  I wish.

Morgan:  Here is your question: Aspin Kern, the founder of the Pickleball Forum was unsuccessfully sued by which fellow pro player?

Cam:  It’s a little hard one. I feel there might be a couple of pro players out there that might have some two cents to give. (laughs…) Let’s see… Would it be Nelson, the Nasty Nelson guy?

Morgan:  Well, I am going to need a first name.

Cam:  Oh, shoot. Let’s see, this is the hard part. What is Nelson’s first name? (laughs…)

Morgan:  Oh, Cam.

Cam:  I will have to pass because I don’t know his first name.

Morgan:  Alright, Shawn, you’ve got a chance here to steal it. Any thoughts?

Shawn:  Timothy Nelson.

Morgan:   Timothy Nelson, that is correct!

Cam:  Oh, nice one!

Morgan:  Well played, young man – well played.

Shawn:  Thanks for the clue with the Nelson thing.

Cam:  (chuckles…) No problem.

Morgan:  Yeah, you really helped him out there. (laughs…)

Okay, Shawn, so you have the serve.

Shawn:  Alright.

Morgan:  Are you ready for your next question?

Shawn:  Yeah. And what is it? Like 1 to 10 right now?

Morgan:  No, no, she’s winning 3 – 2.

Shawn:  Alright, cool.

Morgan:  Who was the naming sponsor for the 2018 National Championships held at Indian Wells Tennis Garden?

Shawn:  Could you repeat the question?
Morgan:  Who was the naming sponsor for the 2018 National Championships held at Indian Wells Tennis Garden?

Shawn:  Margaritaville?

Morgan:  It was. Hey, look at you? You had to think about it, right? It’s tough.

Shawn:  Yeah, I was like, “Hmm..” It worked out.

Morgan:  Good job, good job. You’ve tied the scores here.

Shawn:  Yes!

Morgan:  3 – 3.

Shawn:  Awesome! Here we go, now we’re in it.

Morgan:  Exciting times to be alive.

Here we go: According to the 2020 USAPA rulebook, there is no restriction on paddle thickness. True or false?

Shawn:  Oh, that’s a good one. I want to say false.

Morgan:  Unfortunately, it is true. There is no restriction on paddle thickness.

Shawn:  Oh, really? So you could as far as you want?

Morgan:  Yeah. Now, remember, there’s a difference between width and thickness.

Shawn:  Right, right.

Morgan:  So a lot of paddles are half an inch, some of them are 5/8.

Shawn:  Okay.

Morgan:  But yeah, no restrictions. I thought that was interesting too. No one has tried like a 4-inch thick paddle.

Shawn:  Yeah. I do prefer the thicker paddles, so that’s interesting.

Morgan:  Okay, well, maybe you can invent one.

Shawn:  Yeah. (chuckles…)

Morgan:  Alright, Cam, you get a chance here to steal the serve back.

There are currently two main Pickleball instruction certification bodies. What are they?

Cam:  The IPTPA.

Morgan:  Yes.

Cam:  And the – it is… It is the PTA?

Morgan:  Oh, you were so close – so close!

Cam:  Oh, drats! (laughs…)

Morgan:  That’s a shame. You were really, really close.

Okay, Shawn, can you answer that question?

Shawn:  Thanks, Cam, for the help again. I think it’s USAPTA.

Morgan:  No, that is a tennis thing.

Shawn:  Oh shoot!

Morgan:  Unfortunate, unfortunate. But luckily, that was kind of a freebie. You don’t actually lose the serve. Cam was unsuccessful in stealing it back, so it is still your serve, Shawn. Ready for the next question?

Shawn:  Yes.

Morgan:  The Erne was named after which player?

Shawn:  Erne… Who was it? I know this… It is Ernie Perry?

Morgan:  It is. Hey, look at you?

Shawn:  Alright, cool!

Morgan:  That’s a good one. I didn’t think you’re going to get it. I mean, I don’t know you from a bar of soap but I didn’t think you were going to get that. Very good!

Alright, so you’re only one point away. This is good.

Shawn:  Alright, give me an easy one. (laughs…)

Morgan:  Okay, yes. (laughs…) This could be your last question.

Who took the silver medal at the 2019 National Women’s Doubles Pro event?

Shawn:  Silver medal? Jennifer Dawson?

Morgan:  Unfortunately, that is incorrect. We were talking about Women’s Doubles Pro, so it would have been unlikely for her to be able to win that on her own.

Shawn:  Oh, okay, yeah.

Morgan:  Which means Cam has a chance to steal the point and the serve. Cam, any ideas?

Cam:  I’m going to guess Simone Jardim and Lucy [Kordolova].

Morgan:  Kordolova… (laughs…)

Cam:  (laughs…) Sorry.

Morgan:  That’s alright. Lucy, if you’re listening, I will try to edit that out.

Cam:  So sorry. (laughs…)

Morgan:  That is incorrect. No one got that one right, unfortunately. The correct answer was Jessie Irvine and Catherine Parenteau.

Shawn:  Okay.

Morgan:  But, Shawn, you keep the serve, so don’t worry. You are one point away.

Shawn:  Alright.

Morgan:  Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs played a legendary tennis match called The Battle of the Sexes in 1973. In 2017, two Pickleball players attempted the same feat. Who were they?

Shawn:  In 2017?

Morgan:  Yes.

Shawn:  Oh, 2017 – I’m trying to think who would have done it, for singles.

Morgan:  Yes.

Shawn:  Let’s go with Kyle Yates and…

Morgan:  I’m just going to stop you there. Not even close.

Shawn:  Alright. (chuckles…)

Morgan:  Not to worry, you had a valiant attempt. But now Cam has a chance to steal the point and the serve. Cam Thompson, same question.

Cam:  I will go with Simone Jardim and the opponent would be… Who would play her in singles? (laughs…) And would trash-talk probably – Jeffrey Warnick.

Morgan:  Jeffrey Warnick – do you think Jeff gets that much attention? Jeez! Unfortunately, that is incorrect. The correct answer was Scott Moore and Simone Jardim.

Cam:  Oh…

Shawn:  Who won that match, by the way? I’m just curious.

Morgan:  Scott Moore won that one.

Shawn:  Okay, cool.

Morgan:  Everyone was kind of hoping Simone would pull it out, and it was close.

Shawn:  Oh, nice. I’ll have to find that and go watch it.

Morgan:  So, that means Shawn maintains the serve. This is for the win.

Shawn:  Okay.

Morgan:  For a serve to be legal, it must abide by three main contact rules. What are they?

Shawn:  The arm must be going upwards in an arc. You have to contact the ball below your waist. And the highest part of the paddle cannot be above the wrist, I believe. Is that right?

Morgan:  Congratulations! Shawn, you are today’s champion!

Shawn:  Awesome!

Morgan:  Well played, young man! Well played.

Shawn:  Thank you, sir. Thank you!

Morgan:  Good job!

Cam, how do you feel? I mean are you going to be able to survive this?

Cam:  Oh, bummer. Yes, I think I’ll survive. This is very fun and right for the day. (laughs…)

Shawn:  It is, especially in these times. This was an awesome, little distraction, I should say.

Morgan:  Yes, good, good. Excellent! That’s what we’re trying to do here – keep things light, keep people entertained somehow. And I hope you two were entertained while you competed. That was fun! You guys kept it interesting.

Cam:  That was great!

Shawn:  Yes, thank you. It was fun. Nice meeting you, Cam.

Cam:  You too, Shawn!

Shawn:  That was great!

Cam:  Congrats!

Morgan:  Good job, guys. Shawn, Selkirk will be in touch to get your gift voucher organized. What are you going to spend the money on? I mean, this could be upwards of millions of dollars.

Shawn:  I know, right? I don’t know…

Morgan:  It’s a lot of paddles – a lot of paddles.

Shawn:  A lot of paddles, a lot of toilet paper – no, I’m just kidding! (laughs…)

Morgan:  Selkirk-logged toilet papers.

Shawn:  Exactly! That could be. Selkirk might want to get on that right now. (laughs…)

Morgan:  I would buy that for sure.

Alright, guys, thank you both so much for coming on.

Shawn:  Yeah, thank you so much, Morgan. Have a good day, you guys!

Cam:  Thanks, Morgan!
Morgan:  Thanks so much. I appreciate your time.

[background music plays]

 Sponsor: Selkirk Sport

It’s Been Fun, Steve! [39:10]

Morgan:  Okay, let’s see what other great stuff Mr. Deakin has to say.

Well, you do have two Morgans in your corner as well.

Steve:  Morgan-squared. It definitely is – you’re my corner too.

Morgan:  For sure, for sure. Remember the legendary coaching that didn’t quite get you over the line at the gold medal match?

Steve:  (laughs…) Dude, I love that! It was a very unique situation for me because I typically – when I was playing tennis at least, you don’t have the opportunity with exception to team tennis, to having someone on court with you. It was definitely very helpful regardless of the result. It’s always nice to have that extra set of eyes, definitely helping out during the timeout, so it was awesome. The whole atmosphere there was amazing and something I’ll never forget, such a special time for me.

Morgan:  Oh, yeah. And for me, I was living vicariously through you. You know, I’d do it with Tyson but I don’t play singles much anymore except for practice singles. But I still play doubles, and watching you kind of being right there sort of living it with you was really – it was really special for me, to feel like part of the team, you know? We’re all wearing the same colors.

Steve:  Well, you were definitely a part of the team. It was something I thought was so hopeful and I thoroughly enjoyed having you nearby. It was just an incredible, exhilarating experience that I’ll never forget. It just kind of brought me back to playing tennis as a junior. And I played on some of the biggest stages and this was right up there. And I think what it made it more special was the fact that my age is 45. What sport on this planet could I play at this age at the highest level and complete with 20 somethings.

Morgan:  Showjumping – you could still do it in equestrian.

Steve:  (laughs…) I’m about 90 lbs too heavy for that.

Morgan:  Oh, yeah, yeah, you might be right. Okay, that makes sense. I’ll think of something.

Steve:  (laughs…)

Morgan:  Competitive hairstyling – jeez! It’s possibly a real thing.

Steve:  I will be the Ben Johns of competitive hairstyling.

Morgan:  Oh yeah, for sure. He’s got nothing on you, for sure.

Well, Steve, this has been so much fun. We got to do it again. What do you think?

Steve:  I’d love to. This was amazing! I appreciate you guys reaching out, and anything I could do, any time just so you know, you can always call on me.

Morgan:  Pleasure. So, tell me when the dust settles, when the dust has cleared so to speak, where can people reach you? How do they find you for lessons and clinics?
Steve:  I’ve got a website.

Morgan:  You’ve got a website. I’ve seen your website – it’s great!
Steve:  Yes, and that was a big part to Stacy. One of her very good friends is a very good web designer. It’s a website called SteveDeakinPickleball.

Morgan:  Lovely!

Steve:  I’m going to be running as soon as we can, clinics and camps right across Canada at this point, so it’s always evolving and that’s the way that anyone can get in touch with me. And of course, through my Facebook and Instagram.

Morgan:  Good man! You’re always quick to respond too, I like that.

Steve:  Yes. Well, again, that’s definitely due to Stacy. She really gets on me about the response time and she’s been super, super helpful because we get quite a few requests daily and it’s sometimes difficult with life to kind of keep up with them. But I make a point to answering every single person and I think that’s important for the growth of the sport.

Morgan:  As they say, behind every great man is a great woman, and behind her is his wife.

Steve:  (laughs…) That’s right, that’s very true in my case, let’s say that.

Morgan:  Good stuff. Well, Steve, thank you so much, mate. We will look forward to our next time together. Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Canada’s number one and certainly unanimously Pickleball’s greatest haircut, Mr. Steve Deakin!

Steve:  (laughs…) Thanks, Morgan! That was great. Thanks, everyone, and hope to see you all on the courts soon.

Morgan:  Cheers, mate!

Steve:  Cheers!

 

When the Dust has Cleared [43:25]

Morgan:  We’ve had some fun today but we all know we’re living in some strange times. And for me, during dark times especially, I tend to write poetry. This is called “When The Dust Has Cleared”

When the dust has cleared,

And the streets are filled

We’ll take a moment for victory and cheer

For the time we chose to stand up

then sit, six feet apart I hear

If we unite and fight

We’ll learn to survive

This contamination

This abomination

I don’t know why

Why here?

Why know?

Now’s not to ask the reason why

Our job now is just to survive.

The Rock won’t save you

And I can’t tell you

Where’s the toilet paper to buy

Or where’s the bunker to hide

For a little while longer

To ponder

To second-guess your choices

Of voices to tune into

Or words to subscribe to

Memes to share and posts to like.

And if you’re in the market for a silver lining

Then this is the best I can give you

This is that time

That glorious sense that every man, woman and child

Unites for a minute

To fight to survive

On the same side

For the same reason

To raise our hands and flip the bird

At a hell of a flu season

The fear can divide us

Or it can unite us

Now is not the time

We don’t all have much time

To rise above

For the ones who care

And the ones you love

Now’s the time for your favorite wine

That delicious Cab Sauv

Or that Pinot Grigio that just calls your name.

Enjoy the couch learn to cook

Remember the games you played

When all your friends came and stayed

Somewhere along the lines

We forgot how to talk

The art of conversation became a blur of emojis

Not the celebration it once was

Not the glue that entertained us

Or the fuel that sustained us

We’ve got this

This is not impossible

It’s just invisible

And if the hardest part is to be advised

To wait and hide

Then enjoy the ones you love

Stay inside

And we will survive