Kids Take Gold, Secure Spots in National Championships

One of the truly special aspects of pickleball is its ability to bring players of all ages together on the same court. That magic was on full display recently as two teams of young players – kids – outplayed their older opponents to take home the gold in The Dink Minor League Pickleball DUPR 12 events.

And, in case you're wondering, DUPR 12 is not an age bracket - it's a skill level. This means that all four members of the team have an average DUPR of 3.0.

Twelve-year-olds take Tulsa

At the Oklahoma Paddle Royale in Tulsa, the team known as “The KiDchen Dink”—featuring 12-year-olds Scarlett Milner, Jackson Nelson, Mason Quick, and Aspen Irwin—battled through the competition to take home gold.

After more than eight hours of action-packed pickleball, their victory showcased not only their skill but the beauty of how pickleball is not defined by age. Scarlett summed it up perfectly at the end of the day, “Man, gold sure feels nice.”

They blew the house down in Arizona

During the same weekend, another set of young stars made waves at the Southwest Regional Showdown in Arizona.

The cleverly named “3 Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf” team, made up of Rhett Roberts (11), Piper Pascoe (11), Christy Corbridge (33), and Hudson Pascoe (10), clinched victory after facing down adults in thrilling matches.

Want to know what the energy is like in The Dink Minor League Pickleball events? Check out this highlight reel video from a tournament in Oklahoma.

Hudson shared his excitement about facing tough competition: "We had the best time playing the ‘Nasty Nelson’ team. They were loud, competitive, and fun, even though we beat them in the Dreambreaker!”

Pickleball’s charm lies in moments like these.

As Gary Vee recently said on the PicklePod, “It’s the first sport that’s come along where a 71-year-old grandma can whip the F*%k out of her 23-year-old grandson.”