PLAYERS TO WATCH – GLEN PETERSON

After a 25-year career working with Caterpillar and living in places like Japan, Canada and France, Glen Peterson retired in 2009 and was ready to settle down and garden with his wife on their six acre farm in Redmond, Washington. But, like so many others, a family member, this time his father introduced Glen to the sport of pickleball. And, like so many others, he has never looked back. “I was introduced to doubles pickleball by my 85-year-old father at the Northshore Senior Center in 2013 and got ‘kicked out’ to find more competitive venues which launched me as a pickleball junkie in search of the next pickleball high.”

Those “highs” came quickly for Peterson. Playing with partner Scott Moore, one of the game’s very best, they won gold medals at the 2015, 2016 and 2017 USAPA National Championships. In 2017, Peterson also captured gold in the 55-60 Men’s Doubles bracket with partner Del Kauss and a silver medal with Kauss in the Senior Open Men’s Doubles. He also won gold medals at the 2017 and 2018 International Indoor Championships.

At the 2018 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships, Glen and Moore stood on the medal stand taking silver in the Men’s Senior Open Doubles. Peterson understands some of the reasons behind the explosive growth of the sport.  “Pickleball is so easy to begin and is more of a community than a competition.  Barriers to participation are relatively low in terms of cost and athleticism and court access.  Pickleball scales down nicely for people who are less mobile or athletic but scales up wonderfully for super athletes who want to compete.”

Currently, a part-owner and freelance employee of Pickleball Central, Peterson finds himself developing new equipment for the sport, namely a new paddle with Selkirk Sport. “Despite his background as merely a decent high school tennis player, Selkirk and Pickleball Central and a bit of luck on court have propelled me into the spotlight,” said Peterson laughingly.

He also thinks the sport has realized immeasurable recognition with the game’s showcase event being played at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. “What a breakout venue this is. Pickleball has arrived! When history books are written about this great sport, playing the Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships at Indian Wells will be considered a watershed event.”