In this episode, our host, Lynn, talks with Crystal Gallagher, a university student and passionate pickleball player from Connecticut, about the rapid growth of pickleball in the United States.

Crystal shares her personal journey from her first introduction to pickleball in high school, her initial dislike for the sport, and how a friendly game with her college friends transformed her perspective entirely.

Mentioned in the Show

Crystal’s Survey

Connect with Crystal on Instagram: @cGallagher_pickleball

Show Notes

Key topics covered in this episode:

1. [01:20] Introduction to Crystal Gallagher.
2. [02:35] Crystal’s early encounter with pickleball and her journey from disliking the sport to becoming addicted to it.
3. [06:15] Crystal’s experience in playing mixed, singles, and female doubles in pickleball.
4. [11:55] Crystal’s transition from a player to a student of pickleball: A survey about pickleball as her senior honors research project.
5. [15:30] The purpose and theme of Crystal’s survey – Understanding the popularity of pickleball and why players get injured.
6. [19:05] The need for proper warm-up, training, and technique in pickleball to avoid injuries.
7. [22:40] The importance of dynamic stretching, practicing shots before playing the game, and hydrating properly.
8. [26:20] An invitation to listeners to fill out Crystal’s survey and help gather more data for her research.
9. [28:45] Future plans: Crystal’s hope to publish her research findings and present her work at a colloquium at the University of Hartford.

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Transcript