January 30, 2024 • 54 mins
When Alex Smith swapped his baseball mitt for a pickleball paddle, little did we know that the very same competitive fire that drove him on the diamond would ignite our local courts. With tales as rich as his craftsmanship, Alex’s journey from the dream of professional baseball to the business and sport arenas of Texas is nothing short of inspiring. Our latest conversation weaves through his life story, highlighting an impressive leap from college athletics to the front office of the Texas Rangers, and how those experiences have shaped his approach to pickleball and business with the same strategic finesse as a perfectly executed backhand.
We wrap up our session with heartfelt anecdotes and a nod to the entrepreneurial spirit that thrives within our ranks. From real estate ventures to the handcrafted rocking chairs that have become a staple at the Texas Rangers' stadium, it's clear that our passions extend far beyond the pickleball court. Alex's thoughtful gestures, like the handwritten note that lifted my spirits, underscore the camaraderie that's become the hallmark of our group. Join us as we celebrate the triumphs, tackle the challenges, and support each other's dreams—both in business and in the game we love.
#Rockerman
@southlakepaddleclub
@dink.pro
@rangers
Looking for a fitness app specifically designed for Pickleheads? Download the Aim7 app today. Use our url to get a 25% discount and try the app for a free trial before committing. https://www.aim7.com/?via=blazing-paddles
Special thanks to Crown Pickleball for their support and sponsorship! Don't waste money on balls that break, Crown pickleballs rarely crack, are more visible and have a higher spin rate than the competitors.
Use our link to receive a discount on your next purchase! https://crownpickleball.store/blazingpaddles
Have a suggestion for a guest or topic you'd like to see us address?
Hit me up at john@dink.pro or shout out on social:
Instagram
Twitter
Tik Tok
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But you were the captain and you took a chance on
me and you put me third.
I try.
Do you regret that decision?
The hindsight probably probablyshould have known that I was
going.
Maybe Bobby should have beenthird.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I think, Bobby should have been third.
Karen, you're a great.
I've seen your game and playedwith you many times and against
you, so I put you in the rightspot.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome back everybody.
Season one, episode seven.
Today we are talking to ourbuddy, alex Smith.
If you've played against Alex,you know he's probably the most
competitive guy in the club andalso one of the nicest to rare
combo.
But we're going to peel back afew layers of the onion.
Former Bro Ball player, one ofthe better players, and he's
also a craftsman.
We learned how he becomes therocker man of Texas.
(00:53):
We share a few stories and, asyou heard there, karen had a
great one from the time theyplayed together in the
tournament and let's just saythat Elaine's dancing style came
to play on the pickleball court.
So hang with us, saddle up.
You'll be glad you did so.
Alex, who's your daddy was therough title of this.
(01:16):
That was the work he titledbecause of your, your Hoosierdom
.
Are you an Indiana native?
I'm from Ohio, went to school.
Oh, you are.
Okay, I knew that you, uh, youplayed ball for Indiana, right?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
You know everything about me now, don't you?
Oh man, I've gone deep.
Tim Wright has gone.
Tim Wright has gone deep on me.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Oh has he.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
He has.
I don't talk about that much,but Tim knows more about me than
I know about myself.
I think about my past.
Uh, oh Well.
What part of Ohio, uh smalltown uh called Pickwa Ohio.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Pickwa, ohio.
You know Karen's from a smalltown called Randolph, ohio, you
know I knew she was in Ohio andI never heard of Randolph.
But I may have her be.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
We had about 20,000 people.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Oh, we had less than that.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Okay, they had one stoplight.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We had one stoplight.
We had no, um, no, uh, uh.
What do you call them?
Speaker 2 (02:18):
McDonald's.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Grocery store.
You had like a 7-Eleven was our.
We had to go two towns over toRoots Town, to the Pigley-Wigley
.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You got me beat Karen .
Speaker 1 (02:29):
I got you beat, yeah I mean I had corn fields all
around my house.
Try watching children of thecorn and see how that feels.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
But I remember that, geez, I uh great place to grow
up.
I'm never leaving Texas.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Amen, amen yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
As soon as I got here , it was like this is home.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And how long have you been in Texas now?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You know, we had two stints actually.
We moved back to Ohio for a jobfor me, which we went home and
we cried when we left and then,uh, we were there for three
years, so we were here beforethat I think six.
We stayed almost three years inOhio and then came back.
We've been here 12, 13 now, somaybe a total of 18, 19,
(03:16):
something like that.
In total.
Our boys are Texans native theylet us know and they were born
and raised in Texas?
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, as are ours.
They're.
They're both born right here incrazy Fort Worth.
So the the boys are proud ofTexas and their grandads of
Texan Me and me and Karen arefrom different areas, but their
grandads of Texan as well.
So when I was looking at uh,you know Paul Mamoser, our buddy
Paul, who's another Hoosier,please, right.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
He knows everything about me.
All right, well, he makes ithis business.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
He's a he's a clever guy.
He told me that you were a hellof a ball player at Indiana and
I was a baseball guy on myself.
I never reached quite the D onelevel, but you, uh, you went
from there.
You actually kicked around thefarm system for the Rangers.
I didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, you know I don't talk about it much, but,
uh, that was my dream growing upwas playing the big leagues.
And uh, I was an overachieverstill am.
I had a little talent.
And then I got a scholarship toa couple of schools two or
three and uh ended up going toIndiana and I played four years
there and really had a lot ofsuccess.
(04:27):
My last two years I was astarter, all four years, and
then I got drafted in the fourthround by the Rangers by senior
year fifth round, I'm sorry, mysenior year and then, uh, I
played four and a half seasonsin the minor leagues with the
Rangers and finished up a tripleA.
I called it quits.
And then I had a job.
(04:48):
Uh offered to go to the frontoffice.
I went to be a GM and that'swhat brought us to Texas.
I worked at the stadium forfive years and I ran the minor
league.
So I was in the minor leaguesfor four and a half years and
then I spent five years in thefront office.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Okay, so wait a minute.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
That's a dream for me , I know, I know I was just
salivating Um.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Okay, so what position?
Or is that the right thing?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
to say, yeah, I would have guessed third base, but I
think I looked it up.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Well, it's the third base because I put on a little
weight since then, but a littlethicker.
So I was a shortstop in collegeand then never saw a shortstop
again.
When I got to the minor leaguesI played second base.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
What's the talent leap when you go from D1 to even
like single A, double A.
What's that leap like?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You know it.
Uh, the the talent is moreconsistent for sure, especially
as you go up.
The real talent is in double A,the young prospects.
And that was my favorite year.
That was a Tulsa, but it's it'snot so much.
You adjust to the talent.
Um, it's the plane 132 gamesevery day.
(05:59):
It's your job on the bus.
That's the part you have tohandle.
It's a grind, it's a longseason, but I mean it's the best
time of my life.
Right, you're chasing a dream.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah Well, were you a single guy then still.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You know, I was my wife, went on to get her masters
and then, uh, she came, we gotmarried my double A year, and
then she came with me when I wasin triple A.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
So uh, would have been what?
Okay, see, it would have beenokay.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
See, very good yeah.
Tulsa in Oklahoma city.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Lifetime suffering rangers fan.
So I know all about well,except for this year.
It all came together this yearFinally it did.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
You know, I spent 10 years with them, 10 great years,
and I'm still a huge fan.
I'm still a huge fan of thegame, especially the prospects.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Well now, so I know enough about you.
Am I talking too much here?
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Yes, okay.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I can't get a word into it.
We're kind of growing outBecause it's baseball, we're
baseball.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So he's like now I'll get the rest of it on
pickleball.
So you keep talking, maybe.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Okay, Well, I was just going to say one thing I've
always noticed about you fromday one, when I think the first
time we met might have been thatfirst, what was the tournament?
The MLP, or the firsttournament we have when it was
cold.
It was on the Bison Tennocourts.
Was that MLP?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, oh, that was kind of a club.
Thing.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
And I just remember going that dude is the most
competitive guy I've ever seenand that's no lie.
And that's no lie, man, you arejust uber competitive guy.
That's probably part of that.
You said you're overachiever,but you're out there, you give
110 all the time and you're veryvocal to cracks me up.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
But you know, I was telling somebody the other night
I need that competition, highlevel of competition in my life,
and I found it throughpickleball.
It was running before, but Ineed that competition.
It's just, you know, it's who Iam and I hope I don't come
(08:09):
across as that guy I try to be,you know, inspire and help other
players, but boy, I can bepretty competitive with myself
for sure, especially when I'm onthe court.
But I need it, I have to haveit.
Sounds like somebody.
Sounds like somebody I know.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
You haven't seen my best, Alex.
I gave you my worst and we'llget to that.
But so how in the world did youfind pickleball?
A ranger baseball player turneda pickler?
I mean, what tells your storyto your journey, to this
pickleball craze?
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yeah.
So I was never a tennis guy, Iwas a big racquetball guy and in
the off season I love to playracquetball because it's one on
one.
And and then, you know, joeConiglio actually introduced me
to it.
Our sons are both at theUniversity of Alabama and they
were roommates.
They're freshmen and sophomoreyear.
(09:05):
So I got to know Joe and westarted talking about pickleball
and had no idea about the SouthLake club.
And Joe said hey, you want tocome out and play?
And that was just singles.
That's all I knew for almost ayear and a half.
Wow, joe and I Joe and I wouldgo out and play singles at
Timberlake I think it wasTimberlake in the middle of the
(09:29):
summer for an hour and a halfand we would just go at it so
hard I think we both would justfall over when we were finished.
And that's all I knew.
And one day he said do you wantto play doubles?
No, I said, hey, joe, whyyou're not available?
That you know as much as youused to be.
(09:49):
He goes well, I play a lot ofdoubles.
I didn't know there was a club,right.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
You got started Joe.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
He didn't tell me about it, Right?
So anyhow, I learned about theclub through Joe and that was a
couple of years ago, I think acouple of summers ago and then I
started playing doubles andjust, I still love singles
Because I love the workout andthe competition, but I've just
come to love doubles and, likeyou all, I play far too often.
(10:20):
It's become a little bit of aproblem.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Well now I'm wondering how you do that,
because right now anyway, yourwife doesn't play, does she?
I think you told us.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
She came out to the club one time she does not, she
had a, she got a one on one.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
a little taste of Koshy.
Is that what happened?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I can't believe.
You said that I wasn't going tobring it up, but you know
there's a lot of people, derekBennett, like there were some
when she gets to a certain levelof intensity.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And you know, some of the formats just aren't for
everybody.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
You know she's been with me a long time and I've
been 28 beautiful years, butshe's a tennis player.
She was a soccer player incollege, so a great athlete, and
I kept telling her hey, come onout, cause I see you all right.
Great day night and I see othercouples and I'm like let's go
out and play.
In one of the events I took herto a 3.5 for the first time and
(11:20):
we're like complete opposites.
I'm over the top competitive.
She is, but just a little morereserved and she did not enjoy
it.
It was.
It just turned out to be anawful night.
You know you can get into thosemixed doubles, it is what it is
, and you got two players and Ithink every ball went to her.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
And then the overhands coming at her.
She was not happy.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
You know, guys, there's not much that's wrong
with pickleball, but there are afew things that can be annoying
, one of which is having ballsthat crack and if you've been
out there lately, thetemperature is dropping, balls
are cracking they're.
Also if you play indoors, or ifyou're playing when the
visibility is not great, thatball gets lost pretty easily in
your eyesight, and we know thatpeople are going to get harder
(12:11):
and harder, so you'd likesomething a little bit higher
visibility.
So we are here to announce ourpartnership with Crown
Pickleball.
In our show notes you'll have alink where you get a discount
for your first set of CrownPickleballs.
I can tell you that they don'tcrack, they are.
They beat the price point ofthe competitors and they beat
the quality of the competitors.
So you get some crunch, getscold, gets you some crowns.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
But I want to get her back out there.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
No, no, no.
We want to get out there withyou guys.
Oh, we're going to do that,yeah, and get her like body
bagging her.
Stop it.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
No, you're not, Bring back some flashbacks.
You totally can.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
So funny story is like when we first started
playing and I don't know, do youremember when I saw on your
profile that you joined the clubin okay so, august of 22.
Does that sound right?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
That sounds about right, it does.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Okay, okay, so, yeah, so you weren't so early on.
Well, let me go back.
So you, joe, is the one whobrought you, and, but do you
know Paul Mamoser before then,or any of those guys like Sean
Cocher, or any of those guysbefore?
Speaker 3 (13:25):
I didn't know anyone.
Was it the club?
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Okay, okay, wow.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
So many people with the club, including you all.
The only person I knew was Joe.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Well, we used to see Joe and Tim.
That's how we kind of got toknow them.
They would be up there playingsingles when we were going up
there to play doubles withfriends and stuff.
We would see them up there allthe time.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, this is when COVID so the you know, no one
was out there.
We had the courts all toourselves.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah, that goes back almost already four years yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yeah, and then you had, like, sean Cocher had his
crew, right, that's the Mamoser,the who else?
Robert Kent, jerry Benavidez,randy King, all these guys right
, they're all out there playingDino.
Well, the friends that westarted playing with their kids
(14:18):
prevented them from playing alot more once things got back to
normal.
Because they're a little,because they're young, and so we
didn't have anyone to play withand I was like John, if we're
going to get good, we have to goplay with those guys.
And so it was all these guysand me out there getting
pommeled at.
Like I told them, I said, don'thold back from hitting the ball
(14:39):
at me, because it's the onlyway I'm going to get better.
And so that's how I started.
But I don't have the tennisbackground.
So I think your wife has a hugeadvantage there with tennis.
But it translates really well.
But there's some things youhave to unlearn from tennis that
of course, you want to get tothat next level you know, but
the bottom line is pickleball isfun and it should be fun, no
(15:00):
matter, and I hate that.
that was her early introduction.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
That's okay, she's tough and the four of us will
get out there.
I just picked the wrong formatfor a date.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Lesson learned Now?
Have you played in any realtournaments?
Speaker 3 (15:20):
You know, John, the only one I played in was the
Texas Open last year.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
You did Okay, so do you enjoy the tournament you?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
know I did right.
I loved going back tocompetition.
I loved the competition and Iplayed in singles singles only,
actually and I think I won twomatches or something and I
played a guy and I got beat.
But I haven't played since.
I don't know if it's and I'llplay another one.
It just takes so much time.
(15:51):
Oh, it does, it does, it does.
I think I've played it at theweekend and but I love the
format and, again, I just lovethe competitive.
You know the competition, theway that stuff set up.
I'll do it again.
I look occasionally but I enjoywhat I'm doing now.
Like I said, I play a lot and Iget what I want out of it the
(16:11):
social side of it, the exercise,the competitive side.
I mean tournaments maybe, butit's.
I'm not dying to play moretournaments All right, what's
racket ball?
Is that the one where you're ina room?
It's a little good side.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
It's a little ball and it bounces everywhere.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah, yeah, I used to be a freak on racket ball.
That was back many years.
That was kind of my off seasontraining because it would keep
you loose and flexible and quickand agile and hand-dying
coordination.
So I haven't played that inmany years but I used.
That was my only racket sportother than ping pong, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Well, that translates really well too, and that for
everyone?
Yes, and for those that arelistening, I told the story
about you.
Was it to Larissa?
About us?
We don't need to talk about it.
Yes, I mean, this is the Alexthat I was talking about.
Who partner didn't show up orwas?
Speaker 2 (17:06):
running late to one of our events.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
And so you're like I'm going to take you guys on by
myself and I'm like no way,we'll just wait.
And he's like no, and I'mthinking, okay, we have a.
You know we got a shot.
I mean, alex is good, but canyou beat two people?
You nail that.
Perfect, yes, alright story.
Nothing else to say.
What's that G?
Do you remember what the scorewas?
Speaker 3 (17:25):
You know, I listened to that podcast.
You reminded me of the score.
I didn't know you were, I thinkit was 11-1.
No, it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
I think it was.
I swear, no, it wasn't, it was11-9.
No, it was not.
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Alex, you whipped our butts.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
I think it was more towards Karen's score.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yes, it was John's like.
I mean, I'm good either way.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
But you know it was funny about that night One.
It's funny that you said it'sthe worst loss ever.
But I mean, everyone shows up.
We have four courts.
My partner, linda Hades, wassick or something and I'm not
going to hold everybody up.
I'm not going to be that guy.
So I was a singles guy.
(18:07):
I'm like let's do it so.
And it was summer and I think Iplayed three matches and I was
like ready to fall overliterally.
And then she showed up.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Well, if we would have been your third match, I
think I would have done a littlebetter.
Maybe, it takes us a littlewhile to warm up.
John and I are notorious forthe longest matches ever because
we fight so hard.
But you know it takes, and Iget to play a lot more than he
does, so it takes a little bitfor us to get in sync sometimes.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Karen, all I remember about that is it was hot and
you were not happy at all.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Not at all.
I didn't play professionalanything, but for whatever
reason this thing is like, I ambound in a German to overcome
what I, you know what I lackYou're lack of coordination.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I have a huge coordination, alex, you guys are
great players and it's soawesome that you play together
and so many matches and we loveplaying against you.
I love playing against you.
You become my friend in theclub and so nice to have me on
your podcast.
I hope there's something inthis time we spend together
that's interesting for somebody,but you both are great players.
(19:25):
Karen, you're a little sparkplug, that's one way to put it.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
A spider monkey might be another way to put it.
That's a good place.
I've got a couple nicknames.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
They call me the ladies, call me Little Monster.
That's my favorite.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
I've been called.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
The Wall I've been called.
Oh, alisson Gray calls me DuckDuck, duck, duck, because you
know, when you go to a shootinggallery and that duck that runs
all the way around like crazy,you try to shoot it and you
can't shoot it and it's justrunning up.
She calls me that.
Yeah, so I've had quite a few.
A spider monkey.
That was from Nicole Nielsen.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I think they all fit.
They all fit, but you're agreat player.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Thank you, I'm working on it.
It's taken a long time Justbecause I've had to layer.
I didn't have any of thatmuscle memory.
I grew up I'm one of five kids,irish Catholic.
My mom was pregnant nine timesin nine years.
That's just how it was right.
My dad wanted boys and he endedup with four girls.
(20:31):
He had all this equipment thatwas like baseball.
We had a large backyard.
We'd set up the baseball andthen we'd play basketball.
We had basketball court and wehad what's that ball that's on a
string that goes around.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Tetherball yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
So I was the girl in Catholic school who wore shorts
underneath my skirt.
So when recess came off, wentthe skirt and I was playing
football with the boys.
So that's you know.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
I can see that.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, I was a little turned pickleballer and just
trying to.
I really want to get to that4-0 level and it's going to take
me a lot longer, I think, justbecause I don't have that.
You know that anything, noracket sport to pull from Heck.
I mean, I played ping pongmaybe with you and the boys.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
That didn't go well.
So I mean, but I wanted.
So how much do you think you'replaying now, like on a weekly
basis?
Speaker 3 (21:38):
You know it's crazy.
So when it's cold we have afoursome.
Oh, I'll answer your questiondirectly.
Probably four times Okay.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Four times a week.
A week, three times a week.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Yeah, and a lot of it right now is chicken and pickle
, and there's four of us Tim,joe, myself and Derek, sometimes
John Connor, but like we'retomorrow, sunday three hours,
sunday two hours, tomorrow twotimes earlier, but it is so fun
(22:13):
and I mean, from a fitnessstandpoint, we go out at it's a
pretty good level.
We're not pros, right, we'renot pros, but it's a pretty good
level.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Yeah, that's a.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
And when you're done, it's just you want to keep
going.
We all have that right.
So, john, I've played a lotplayed last night, in the
Thursday night with the club andwith Derek, and three or four
times a week.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
How'd you do on Thursday?
Speaker 3 (22:41):
We did okay.
We did okay.
We let a couple get away fromus.
I think we were three and two.
We had two close games, but wehad fun.
Yeah yeah, I got to remindmyself it's not life or death,
it's good sportsmanship, thesocial aspect, and I've really
learned to control that.
That's not all about winning,and we had a great time.
(23:05):
We played well too.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
We just didn't win.
Is winning fun.
Of course, that's what I toldJohn.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
I tell her let's have fun, and she goes no, winning
is fun.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
It is fun, but knowing who I am, I mean I burn
up inside a little bit.
But I've done a lot better, alot better.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Well, there's nothing wrong with that competitive
thing.
The cool thing about the sporttoo.
I know we're in our 50s andthere's not a whole hell of a
lot of sports at our age that wecan really get into at a highly
competitive level.
You're right.
You know this has been like awhole new venture later in our
life that we get to learn and becompetitive at, and I know as
(23:52):
an athlete that's really kind ofcool.
That really motivates me tokeep playing because you just
have that competitive nature.
But we can play this foranother 30 years, 40.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
It's the takeoff right.
We can, and I was just tellingTim we all had something when we
were a little younger, whetherit's tennis, soccer, baseball,
golf.
I need this in my life.
I mean that sounds a littledramatic.
The social aspect all thepeople I've met and friends with
(24:25):
the club really good friends,the people I play with, and just
the competitive outlet to goout and sweat and go at it,
Regardless who wins.
I mean we need it right, itkeeps us young.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
A body in motion stays in motion.
That's you know, you see.
Well, now you see, the kids aregetting into it, which is
really cool.
I mean, the growth of the sportgoes in all demographics, but
especially, I think, for peoplewho have competed at different
sports throughout their life andlooking for something else and
you know I used to golf and fivehours, taking five and a half
(25:03):
hours, leave the wife and thekids and spend 120 bucks to be
pissed off half the day.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Shoot a 95.
Right and do that.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
It's like, wow, I just paid a dollar a stroke.
So you know I love it.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
We were talking the other night Tim and I were when
we were like, is something wrongwith us?
We were playing so much at thatchicken and pickle because of
the weather and it's $20 to playfor two hours, which I don't
think you can do anything for$20.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
And then, when are you guys going?
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Pardon me.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
How is it only 20?
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Probably because of the weekdays.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Oh, because you're buying your.
Oh, because you're only payingyourself.
Okay, because I was like we'replaying on the weekends.
It's a hundred bucks.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Yeah, yeah.
So we played the other nightfrom eight, nine to 11, eight to
10, you know, but we weretalking, we don't have any more,
we don't have the country clubs, and it's 20 bucks a couple of
weeks a week.
Who cares?
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Right yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Anyhow.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Well, so tell me you were a singles player.
Then you go to mixed.
What makes you such a goodsingles player?
How about that?
Speaker 3 (26:16):
You know, even though I'm a little older here now
we're in our 50s I think I stillhave a little quickness in me,
a little bit.
That allowed me to get to someballs, and I think it's just the
hustle.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
When the hustle is a big part of it, karen, and you
know I've just gotten better.
I'm not great by any means, butsome of the shots you need in
singles I'm more consistent withRight and I've just gotten
better over time.
Joe used to whip me.
I couldn't beat him.
I'm like you're unbeatable.
We'd start splitting and thensome days I'd get him four games
(26:54):
to three or he'd get me five totwo.
And I've just gotten better.
And I think the hustle piecetoo, karen.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Well, okay, so in singles, because I know nothing
about it and I actually Sure youdo, because we played.
No, sir, we're going to talkabout that.
I was at.
I was playing in the women'smixer two weeks ago at Chicken
and Pickle and there's this ladyand, darn it, I keep forgetting
(27:23):
her name, but she's really goodand everyone was talking when
she was there.
They were like when she gets tothe top court because it was
one of those, if you win, youmove up, you know thing and
they're like when she gets tothe top court, she's going to
stay there and so this is theworst.
This happened to me twice now.
So I finally get up to the topcourt and I play with her.
So technically I should be the,because I was on, I had to
(27:47):
start at the bottom.
I'd work my way up.
I got up there and technicallywe should have went one because
we were the stronger players andwe lost together.
So we went down a court, then Iopposed her and I beat her.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
In singles.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
No, no, no, this was in doubles, but then.
So then we were waiting foranother court to open up, right.
So she's, she's like I go, youwant to put it.
And she's like, yeah, so westarted playing singles, alex, I
got one point out of maybe 20.
I mean it was, she was so goodand I'm like I can't, there's
nothing I could do.
I just don't even.
I don't understand the strategyof it.
(28:23):
So maybe give us a little bitof what.
What's the strategy in singles?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
You know it's it's.
You want to keep the ball deep?
Certainly, and anything midcourt deep to their backhand on
a return allows you to get tothe net and the ball has further
to travel to the net and youcan react Anything mid court if
you're returning or you hit aball mid court, just like
(28:48):
doubles right.
It's fair game to have a passingshot or or down the line.
So it's all about the placementin singles, cause if you're
caught in no man's land, a goodplayer can hit a pass if you
will, or a winner pretty easily.
So it's positioning of of yourshots, especially in singles, I
(29:11):
think, more so than doubles,actually, totally.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Yeah, and the other thing would happen is she'd hit
the ball.
I think it's the speed of theball too, not just deep, but how
, because she had a lot of timeto think and react to my ball.
I didn't have a lot of time tothink and react to her ball.
I go, I go one way, cause I'mthinking she's definitely going
(29:34):
that way and she'd see my legs,and at the last minute switch it
to the other side, cause mymomentum's going this way and
the wall's going Exactly.
How in the heck do you do that?
Cause she, it came so fast andI'm fast, you know I'm, that's
why they call me those names.
I can get to you, you are fast,but I could not get.
I mean, I'd be going one way,she'd go the other way and you
(29:55):
know she could read my ball fromthe minute it left my paddle.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Yeah, you know, you have to know you've got to get
to the volley line.
You got to get to the net insingles.
But it's all about that, theplacement of the shot that's
going to get you to the net orto the volley line, because if
it's mid court and you're tryingto go to the front, it's you,
they're going to hit a pass.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Right, right.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
So you got to.
I think you got to think alittle more quickly in singles
than doubles, Plus you have apartner.
Yeah, I mean, you're on yourown and I kind of like that too.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Yeah, john says he went.
He thinks he wants to take upsingles.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Yeah, I want to try singles.
Let's do it Well, not with you.
Sure Of course we can do itReally.
Yeah, that'd probably be goodfor me.
I'd learn from the ground up.
Hey, I got three points today.
Karen says I come home, well,happy for myself.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
But you know I started again.
I'm no pro, but I started thesame way.
I had no idea what I was doingand then watching and playing
really good people.
I played so many games, so manysingles games with Bruce and
Joe.
Yeah, those singles guys.
Bruce and I went at it.
We used to keep it 16 to 13,.
You know meaning he's 116.
(31:10):
We'd keep a tally.
We play so much and you getbetter over time.
I'd love to go out and playwith you, john.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
That'd be great.
Shout out to our buddy Brucetoo.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Yeah, shout out to Bruce Love you, man, did you?
Yeah, how's he doing.
Yeah, how's he doing.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
He's doing great.
He's tired and taking.
You know we were talking justabout the community coming out
and showing him all the love andhe's one of my dear friends in
the club.
Like everybody, everybody lovesBruce and he just needed some
rest.
It's going to take him a while,maybe to mid-June.
Yeah, we're going to help himmove out of his apartment a few
of us on Sunday or his house.
(31:47):
Yeah, you know just the lovefrom the community on the meals
and you know, that's what makesit special.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
And Bruce, I'm sorry about my salmon but I hope you
love the carnitas.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
My salmon was awful.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
It's so bad.
I made it so good and then, forwhatever reason, I forgot that
I had put I was going.
Anyway, there's a mess.
The carnitas are amazing, sohopefully you love those.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
I asked him.
When I got him on the phone.
I just quickly said hey, bruce,are you five, six and 240
pounds?
Yet, yeah, right, with all themeals he says on the food train,
he's on the food train so is.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I know that you're you're a passionate guy about
when you're out on the court andI remember the first time I
learned that you I had no ideawhat you did for a living.
And to find out that you shebought this company.
You know the Rockerman companyand that you're, that was
obviously a passion project too,because you went from loving it
(32:48):
to visiting it to learning it,to buying it.
What was the genesis of thatwhole thing?
Because that's really cool I'dlike to give your I'm lucky to
give your company a littlelittle shy near Rockerman.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Well, hey, well, thank you.
You know it's called Rockermanof Texas and just, you know, I
was corporate America forforever and had a great career
and and I retired from corporateAmerica at 50.
But, along the way, I'm reallya real estate guy, you know.
You may not know, I'm justsharing a little bit of my
(33:20):
background on the side.
Every time I get a bonus orwhatever I'd say if I buy
another property, you know.
And then you keep trading up.
You know self storagefacilities I got into that
probably 1012 years ago and Istill have them and commercial
properties, duplexes, and so I'mreally a real estate guy.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
That's the dog.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
That's the dog, I'll fix it.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
But, but I owned John to answer your question, and it
ties into real estate.
I used to take my boys out to aplace in Glenrose called Rough
Creek Resort and Lodge.
Don't know if you ever heard ofit.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yep, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
I've been there.
It's beautiful, it's great, andwe used to go out there and
then we used to have corporatemeetings.
Long story short is what abeautiful place I used to love
after a long day getting alittle bourbon and and going out
.
Each room had a deck, a littleporch, and they had these
rocking chairs on every in everyroom On the balcony, and I'd
(34:20):
sit out there and look at thesky, the Texas stars, and be
like these chairs are awesome,yeah.
So flash forward, I don't knowThree, four years, I was fishing
in South Lake and at the time Iowned kind of a big RV park out
in Wetherford and I was fishingand I saw those chairs again.
(34:40):
I looked on the back and saidRockerman, and it was in
Crescent, texas, which is closeto Wetherford.
And I called them and it wasmom and pop, melanie and junior,
and I said, hey, I need somepicnic tables, I love your
chairs.
So he built me 10 picnic tables, delivered them, and I told him
, hey, I just really love thoserocking chairs.
(35:03):
And I always had a thing.
I don't know where it comesfrom, maybe shop class, or
because everything I owned it,what I didn't have a product, I
never owned anything with aproduct.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
Never made anything but when he saw those tables.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
I told him I love the chairs.
He said hey, well, we'regetting ready to retire, do you
want to buy them?
I'm like I know I've got toomuch on my plate.
That's the last thing I need.
And then I ordered a few moreand he brought the tables, the
other five, and he said hey, youshould take a look at buying it
.
You sure you don't want to dothat?
I said no, but anyhow, Istarted thinking they didn't
have a website, they justdelivered a DFW like you.
(35:40):
All right with what you're doing.
I said great product, nowebsite, no marketing.
I like that, I can learn it.
And then I said, hey, send meyour books.
And I made them.
I wrote a little offer, loi,and I did a buy in it and then
I'd go there after my corporatejob on the weekend at night to
(36:02):
learn how to build them, wow.
And then built the website,figured out how to ship outside
of Texas, I built a barn whichis my shop at my RV park in
Wetherford, which was the homeof Rockerman of Texas, and I
mean more orders than we wanted,with no marketing.
(36:23):
And we opened up all the othermarkets and it's you know,
they're just special and they'relabor of love.
I'm not there.
I used to be there all the timeand every weekend.
Now I don't because I have acorporate job again.
I've got guys that have beenwith me 10, 12 years.
They kind of run it.
I'm with them, just not everyday and it's just been.
(36:44):
It's been a lot of work, but Ilove doing it when I'm in that
shop by myself making those withthe salt, going the dust and
country music, playing my dogthere.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
I'm having a better than that, yeah, and my in.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
The customers love them.
I think I will always have it.
That's cool and, yeah, it'sgrown into something that it's
as big as I want it to be.
It's as big as I want it to be,but thanks for asking about it.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Yeah, I mean, it's really cool Rockerman, rockerman
of Texas, right, and it's morethan just rockers.
Now he do, you do swings, Ithink, and tables and some other
stuff as well.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Yeah, swings, rocking chairs, rocking benches,
stationary chairs, dining tables, dining chairs.
We do fewer of those sidetables, coffee tables.
You know, what's really cool is, if you Google Texas Rangers
rocking chairs, it's kind of alittle cult following.
I've got 30 of them at theGlobal I field.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Oh really.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Yeah, and it was during COVID.
One of the owners had one andwhen they were building it
they're like, hey, we need theserocking chairs Anyhow.
It's right outside the Carbockbar and lounge in left field and
they're the best seats in thehouse.
They're the most popular seatsNow.
They used to get them out forfree.
(38:11):
Now they have seats on them.
You can buy the rockers at thegame through Stubhub, and when I
go out to the ballpark I go outthere and talk to the fans
sitting there and said how doyou like them?
I built those.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Those are amazing.
I'm looking at the pictures.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Oh, that's a way to watch a ballgame right there.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
It is.
And the cool thing pardon me,the cool thing is is for the
last four years I am on thestadium tour, so when you go
through the clubhouse theyfinish it, the rocking chairs so
they can rest and they talkabout my background, the history
, of the chairs where you canbuy them, and they didn't know
(38:54):
that I was associated with theRangers until after they were
delivered.
I didn't mention it to anybody.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
I'm really proud of that because you know, I guess I
made it to the big leagues,john.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
You finally got there Just in a different way than
you imagined.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
No, ah, yeah, anyhow that was probably too long for
you and your listeners, butthat's a story, no.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
Because I bet I would be shocked if more than maybe a
dozen people even know about it.
In a club there's so manylayers to people.
That's part of what Karenwanted to do at Commender,
because we do, we try to talk tosome people who are maybe in
the pickleball world.
But we wanted to.
She initiated us, we wanted totalk, get a little bit deeper
with some of our friends in theclub, because we do.
(39:40):
We have 1500 plus members orsomething and there's some that
are everybody kind of knows.
But then you start peelinglayers back and you realize, man
, I had no idea.
I mean Larissa, you know agymnast and a rugby player and
all kinds of.
She was a coach and I mean whothe hell knows what these people
do when they're not on thecourt?
I think it's fantastic.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
Yeah, it's just like.
That's why, Alex, like you know, you said you hope somebody got
something out of this.
It's just the pickleball buildscommunity.
It's created these friendships.
Now let's go a little deeperand really get to know who
someone is off the court, and Ithink that there's a lot that we
can learn from each other'slives and backgrounds, and that
(40:23):
that's.
The exciting thing aboutpickleball is that we have
friends from all different walks, backgrounds, ages, ethnicities
that we would never have had ifit wasn't for this wonderful
sport.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
So you know, karen, I agree, and the competition in
playing is a blast, but thecommunity and social side is
what I've really enjoyed becauseyou know, when your parents and
your kids are growing up,you're going to every sporting
(40:54):
event, right, and those are yourfriends.
And then they go off to college.
You look around and say, well,we don't have, we have some
friends, but where'd they all go?
It was all associated withtheir sports, absolutely Right.
And pickleball, when you get,it's a great game for all ages.
But certainly when the kidshave left the home where we're
(41:18):
at, it's an opportunity to meetso many new friends that you had
when your kids were growing upthat might have, you know, at
some distance now, chance tomeet so many new people and
that's what I honestly trulylove about it.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Your boys play.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
You know they do.
My oldest played tennis atCarroll for years.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Oh, wow, all right, he's kind of a banger.
He doesn't understand the softgame.
That's all right we all startthere.
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
My oldest, our oldest, is inIndianapolis post TCU and we all
played three or four times overthe holidays together.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Oh, that's the best, isn't it?
You get a chance to play as afamily.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
It's the best, yeah, we went to.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
We took the boys to Lake Tahoe this summer and one
of our favorite places to go,and this year we added
pickleball and it was so muchfun.
Yes, and where else did we dogo when we played with them?
Speaker 2 (42:17):
With them, Austin down at.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Dreamland.
Oh yeah, we took them toDreamland.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
And have you been down there?
The Austin facility that's seendown there.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
I have not.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
Boy, the Dreamland facility.
It's in Dripping Springs,austin.
So not only can you go down forthis unbelievable pickleball,
but they've got distilleriesbunch of vodka distilleries down
there so you can go on tastingsand stuff like that.
But they had we didn't evenrealize it at the time.
We were watching pros at thecourt next to us warm up and
just to see that next level thatclose, we're just in awe.
(42:51):
But yeah, if you ever get achance to go down that way,
that's a pretty cool thing downthere at Dreamland, yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Yeah, I love to see it.
I'll look it up and I love theHill Country.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Oh, it's beautiful.
Oh yeah, and didn't we stay inteepees down there?
Speaker 2 (43:07):
Or was it teepees?
Oh, we went glamping?
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Yeah, no, it was like a way to go, John.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
No, that's when we stayed.
It was like a half 10 condo.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
No, we stayed in that a frame, half 10.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
What are you?
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Or a year, it wasn't a year it was like more of an a
frame tent thing, but it wascool and remember it had like
all the Christmas lights andthat went in there we had the
boys with us.
Speaker 2 (43:32):
They're not going to stay.
You know they're too high tone.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
They would stay in a freaking jeer Jack Whitaker,
shout out to my oldest who.
We took them to the GrandCanyon and you know the Grand
Canyon, there's like not a tonof hotels and there's actually
the Grand Canyon Hotel.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
Motel.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
And you, as we're pulling up, Jack goes this is an
hotel.
Where's the palm trees?
This is a motel.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
This is a motel I'm not staying here on the bottom
floor.
So all right, Alex, I get it.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
I ask everyone All right, your favorite pickleball
shot.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
You know, I heard you asked that on a couple episodes
and I thought about it.
Tell us you know probably oneyou wouldn't think of because
I'm really practicing.
It's probably not the best useof it, but I'm learning the deep
dink kind of from the baseline.
Right Just with a littletopspin on it, because it could
(44:36):
be so effective when it works,that's my favorite shot when it
works.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
So kind of a ball A deep dink.
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Yeah a dink is a drop in the kitchen.
Speaker 1 (44:48):
Drop in kitchen right .
That's what dink stands for.
Did you know that?
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Yeah, it means what.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
Most people think that dinking is like when you're
at the kitchen line, but dinkthe dink stands for drop in
kitchen.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Oh, is that right?
Speaker 1 (45:05):
So, no matter where you're at Right so if you're on
the baseline and you hit it intothe kitchen.
That's a dink.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
It's just a long.
That's a tough shot, right?
Because if you try, to drive itfrom back there which we all do
and both players are at thebaseline.
It's happened so many timeswhere it's just an easy
especially higher level players.
They can cut it, they can touchit and it just goes over the
net.
You have no chance.
So if you can get a reset whenyou're back on a good return or
(45:34):
a deep ball and they're comingto the net and you hit a good at
least for me, right, I'mlearning a good topspin, dink
Right, it allows you to resetthe point.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
That's when we were we talked to these guys.
We had guests that were I don'tknow if you listed it, but we
have one these guys from NewJersey, they have a pickleball
academy up there and we wereasking them what is the biggest
differentiator to up your game?
And that's basically what theysaid.
They said when you get to apoint where you can put it a
drop, a dink from anywhere onthe court, then you really have
(46:06):
an advantage, because then youknow how you just said it you
get to reset.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
I think, so too, I think so too, and I'm doing it
more and more and becoming moreconsistent.
But when it doesn't work, it'slike.
But when it does work, it'sbeautiful.
That's my favorite shot, Karen.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
One thing that I've been learning how what's
improved?
My dinking is just getting lowand I forget I'll start off the
game up high.
I got you gotta get low on thatshot for it and then I hit it
more consistent.
It's just a much moreconsistent shot if you're
getting low and a lot of peopledon't.
That's that goes with even likethinking at the net right where
(46:49):
you're at the kitchen line, andthat was what we saw down in
dripping springs with the prosis there there.
they are so really getting low,and a lot of times and you're
too often we're standing upstraight trying to hit the ball
and wondering why we're not, youknow, not executing the way we
(47:09):
should.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
I couldn't agree more .
Speaker 2 (47:11):
Yeah, do you watch any of the pros?
Do you keep up with the progame at?
Speaker 3 (47:15):
all you know, I like determined.
That was in Texas recently.
I had it on.
I couldn't name 10 pros, to behonest with you, but if it's on
TV I will watch.
I watch a lot of videos,certainly.
Yeah.
Yeah, there's one Shot I canlearn like the backhand roll, or
I'm working on that.
I'll watch videos, but you knowI don't no.
(47:38):
So if it's on all, I'llcertainly spend some time there.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
Now do you drill?
Speaker 3 (47:44):
That's a great question.
I did in the summer with threeor four guys, it was always on.
Speaker 1 (47:49):
Sunday.
Speaker 3 (47:50):
Yeah, I like to play, I do too.
Speaker 2 (47:56):
I do, I don't get out there and you start drilling
after about three or about fiveminutes.
You want to just play sure, andso your drill session just
turned into an impromptu game.
Speaker 3 (48:07):
I get it because, yeah, it's a drill.
It kind of loses me a littlebit, but I'm not an every week
drill guy.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
Yeah, I'd rather play .
All right, final thing we'regoing to talk about Sure, one of
the coolest things that's everhappened and is I talked to not
ever, I mean just about Alex,right and and what.
What speaks to you and yourcharacter.
So I got draft.
I was drafted as an alternatefor MLP tournament and I picked
(48:39):
silently between the boardmembers.
I was saying that your team wasgoing to win the overall thing,
right, and so after the draftyou said that they, I did, I did
I said Sandman all the wayright.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
Enter the sandman.
Speaker 1 (48:55):
Yeah, so we had this little side, like like tax chain
between the four of us andwhere did you say our team?
Speaker 2 (49:01):
my team would finish.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
Not where you did.
They had a amazing run for thelittle little team.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
That was mighty when I asked her how my team would do
, she laughed.
She said I'm sorry, you guysare just going to get smoked,
but anyway I did it's called thefinals, right.
Speaker 1 (49:20):
So I, as an alternate , I was didn't think I'd have
any chance in playing.
and then on Saturday morning I'mwaking up to Tim calling me,
saying I'm playing and I'mplaying on your team and so you
took this little, you knowscraggly rat here from the bench
and put her on the team andefforts.
(49:44):
It was like it was amazing, butI have to tell you what I was
going through.
I heard you probably let's doon the podcast, but I had the
yip so bad I was fightingthrough it, so my nerve ratio to
normal nervous ratio was offthe chain like I was.
It was the hardest thing and,alex, I'm going to send you a
(50:05):
video of what one of my serveslooked like, so that you can
appreciate the beauty of whatI'm telling you about how bad it
was.
I'm sure you saw me doing,making some weird like.
Speaker 3 (50:16):
I was there, but I'd love to see it.
Speaker 1 (50:19):
But did you?
Did you?
Did you notice this, like whenyou were playing with me?
Like people thought that I washurt, people thought that I
people thought that she had acondition.
Speaker 3 (50:30):
Hey, karen that the thing I'm not going to interrupt
your great story, because it'sa great story is that we had
that great match before, when itwas mixed you and I did, you
did and then, when it got intothe heat of the battle, I did
notice you were nervous, butthat's normal.
I mean, we're human beings.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
But your story is wonderful I love you Well, but
you were the captain and youtook a chance on me and you put
me third.
Do you regret that decision?
Hindsight probably, probablyshould have known that I was
going to think Bobby should havebeen, karen.
Speaker 3 (51:08):
You're great.
I've seen your game and playedwith you many times, and against
you, so I put you in the rightspot.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
Okay, well, hindsight , it just didn't work out, it's
just so.
So we obviously lost in a dreambreaker and I was the one who
is responsible.
Well, no, you were just thelast one.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
I was the last one responsible and I think we were
off twenty to sixteen orsomething.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:36):
Oh yeah, yeah, thanks , alex for that.
No, karen, I'm just kidding you.
All I had to do was get onestick in point.
Yeah, but all I had to do wasget one point that's it.
That's all I had to do was getone point, and I couldn't do it.
But I beat myself up, but youknow, what shows up in my
mailbox is a note from you andyou thanked me for you were so
(52:01):
encouraging it was.
It was a handwritten note.
Nobody does that anymore, andto me that was like all I needed
to know about who Alex Smithwas because I was world class.
I was hurt, real, I mean I wasshaking.
I was devastated.
I all that spark was gone.
(52:22):
I was just.
I hate letting people down, Ihate losing.
It was the worst, but to getthat just meant so much to me.
So there you go.
That's what I'm going to endthis with, because that's who
Alex Smith is and that's whoyou're, where you know just your
leadership, your heart, andwe're just proud to call you a
friend.
Speaker 3 (52:44):
Well, great story and I'm so happy to live it with
you and and I'm glad the littlenote is, there's the right thing
to do to pick you up and you'rea great player and so so
awesome to spend some time withyou all today and and really
appreciate you having me.
Speaker 1 (53:00):
Oh, it was so good getting to know you and I hope
that the rest of the club nowknows a little bit more about
Alex Smith and why, if theydon't know you, they should, and
they should go check outRockerman Texas and and we're
going to take you up and get outthere in the court.
Speaker 2 (53:15):
We got to do that.
Speaker 3 (53:16):
We absolutely will do that.
Yes, that will happen.
Speaker 1 (53:20):
Yes, yes, yes, because I would.
We need another couple to playwith.
We we have a couple that weplay with, but we need more
regular couples, because if wewant to stay together and we do,
we don't want to get pickledivorced Then we need to keep
practicing together, and there'sjust not a lot of opportunities
when we're available to do that, and so we're trying to just
(53:42):
find other couples that we can,you know, learn and play and
grow with.
Speaker 3 (53:48):
I promise you we will do that and we look forward to
it.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (53:53):
All right, buddy boy, do you have anything else you
wanted to say before we?
We say say sayonara.
Speaker 3 (53:59):
No, thanks for having us love playing with you all.
You're my friends and congratson what you've done with dinkpro
.
Right, think that, pro, yeah,and you guys are entrepreneurs
that hard and I love what you'redoing and I got to order a
shorter to.
Speaker 1 (54:14):
You tell me which one you like, I got it for you.
Speaker 3 (54:17):
No, no, no, I want to be a customer, but thanks again
for having me, you bet.
Thank you, alex.
All right, come here, we get.
But you were the captain and you took a chance on
me and you put me third.
I try.
Do you regret that decision?
The hindsight probably probablyshould have known that I was
going.
Maybe Bobby should have beenthird.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
I think, Bobby should have been third.
Karen, you're a great.
I've seen your game and playedwith you many times and against
you, so I put you in the rightspot.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome back everybody.
Season one, episode seven.
Today we are talking to ourbuddy, alex Smith.
If you've played against Alex,you know he's probably the most
competitive guy in the club andalso one of the nicest to rare
combo.
But we're going to peel back afew layers of the onion.
Former Bro Ball player, one ofthe better players, and he's
also a craftsman.
We learned how he becomes therocker man of Texas.
(00:53):
We share a few stories and, asyou heard there, karen had a
great one from the time theyplayed together in the
tournament and let's just saythat Elaine's dancing style came
to play on the pickleball court.
So hang with us, saddle up.
You'll be glad you did so.
Alex, who's your daddy was therough title of this.
(01:16):
That was the work he titledbecause of your, your Hoosierdom
.
Are you an Indiana native?
I'm from Ohio, went to school.
Oh, you are.
Okay, I knew that you, uh, youplayed ball for Indiana, right?
Speaker 3 (01:28):
You know everything about me now, don't you?
Oh man, I've gone deep.
Tim Wright has gone.
Tim Wright has gone deep on me.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Oh has he.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
He has.
I don't talk about that much,but Tim knows more about me than
I know about myself.
I think about my past.
Uh, oh Well.
What part of Ohio, uh smalltown uh called Pickwa Ohio.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Pickwa, ohio.
You know Karen's from a smalltown called Randolph, ohio, you
know I knew she was in Ohio andI never heard of Randolph.
But I may have her be.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
We had about 20,000 people.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Oh, we had less than that.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Okay, they had one stoplight.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We had one stoplight.
We had no, um, no, uh, uh.
What do you call them?
Speaker 2 (02:18):
McDonald's.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Grocery store.
You had like a 7-Eleven was our.
We had to go two towns over toRoots Town, to the Pigley-Wigley
.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
You got me beat Karen .
Speaker 1 (02:29):
I got you beat, yeah I mean I had corn fields all
around my house.
Try watching children of thecorn and see how that feels.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
But I remember that, geez, I uh great place to grow
up.
I'm never leaving Texas.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Amen, amen yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
As soon as I got here , it was like this is home.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
And how long have you been in Texas now?
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You know, we had two stints actually.
We moved back to Ohio for a jobfor me, which we went home and
we cried when we left and then,uh, we were there for three
years, so we were here beforethat I think six.
We stayed almost three years inOhio and then came back.
We've been here 12, 13 now, somaybe a total of 18, 19,
(03:16):
something like that.
In total.
Our boys are Texans native theylet us know and they were born
and raised in Texas?
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, as are ours.
They're.
They're both born right here incrazy Fort Worth.
So the the boys are proud ofTexas and their grandads of
Texan Me and me and Karen arefrom different areas, but their
grandads of Texan as well.
So when I was looking at uh,you know Paul Mamoser, our buddy
Paul, who's another Hoosier,please, right.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
He knows everything about me.
All right, well, he makes ithis business.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
He's a he's a clever guy.
He told me that you were a hellof a ball player at Indiana and
I was a baseball guy on myself.
I never reached quite the D onelevel, but you, uh, you went
from there.
You actually kicked around thefarm system for the Rangers.
I didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, you know I don't talk about it much, but,
uh, that was my dream growing upwas playing the big leagues.
And uh, I was an overachieverstill am.
I had a little talent.
And then I got a scholarship toa couple of schools two or
three and uh ended up going toIndiana and I played four years
there and really had a lot ofsuccess.
(04:27):
My last two years I was astarter, all four years, and
then I got drafted in the fourthround by the Rangers by senior
year fifth round, I'm sorry, mysenior year and then, uh, I
played four and a half seasonsin the minor leagues with the
Rangers and finished up a tripleA.
I called it quits.
And then I had a job.
(04:48):
Uh offered to go to the frontoffice.
I went to be a GM and that'swhat brought us to Texas.
I worked at the stadium forfive years and I ran the minor
league.
So I was in the minor leaguesfor four and a half years and
then I spent five years in thefront office.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Okay, so wait a minute.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
That's a dream for me , I know, I know I was just
salivating Um.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Okay, so what position?
Or is that the right thing?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
to say, yeah, I would have guessed third base, but I
think I looked it up.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Well, it's the third base because I put on a little
weight since then, but a littlethicker.
So I was a shortstop in collegeand then never saw a shortstop
again.
When I got to the minor leaguesI played second base.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
What's the talent leap when you go from D1 to even
like single A, double A.
What's that leap like?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
You know it.
Uh, the the talent is moreconsistent for sure, especially
as you go up.
The real talent is in double A,the young prospects.
And that was my favorite year.
That was a Tulsa, but it's it'snot so much.
You adjust to the talent.
Um, it's the plane 132 gamesevery day.
(05:59):
It's your job on the bus.
That's the part you have tohandle.
It's a grind, it's a longseason, but I mean it's the best
time of my life.
Right, you're chasing a dream.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah Well, were you a single guy then still.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You know, I was my wife, went on to get her masters
and then, uh, she came, we gotmarried my double A year, and
then she came with me when I wasin triple A.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
So uh, would have been what?
Okay, see, it would have beenokay.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
See, very good yeah.
Tulsa in Oklahoma city.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Lifetime suffering rangers fan.
So I know all about well,except for this year.
It all came together this yearFinally it did.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
You know, I spent 10 years with them, 10 great years,
and I'm still a huge fan.
I'm still a huge fan of thegame, especially the prospects.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Well now, so I know enough about you.
Am I talking too much here?
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Yes, okay.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
I can't get a word into it.
We're kind of growing outBecause it's baseball, we're
baseball.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So he's like now I'll get the rest of it on
pickleball.
So you keep talking, maybe.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Okay, Well, I was just going to say one thing I've
always noticed about you fromday one, when I think the first
time we met might have been thatfirst, what was the tournament?
The MLP, or the firsttournament we have when it was
cold.
It was on the Bison Tennocourts.
Was that MLP?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, oh, that was kind of a club.
Thing.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
And I just remember going that dude is the most
competitive guy I've ever seenand that's no lie.
And that's no lie, man, you arejust uber competitive guy.
That's probably part of that.
You said you're overachiever,but you're out there, you give
110 all the time and you're veryvocal to cracks me up.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
But you know, I was telling somebody the other night
I need that competition, highlevel of competition in my life,
and I found it throughpickleball.
It was running before, but Ineed that competition.
It's just, you know, it's who Iam and I hope I don't come
(08:09):
across as that guy I try to be,you know, inspire and help other
players, but boy, I can bepretty competitive with myself
for sure, especially when I'm onthe court.
But I need it, I have to haveit.
Sounds like somebody.
Sounds like somebody I know.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
You haven't seen my best, Alex.
I gave you my worst and we'llget to that.
But so how in the world did youfind pickleball?
A ranger baseball player turneda pickler?
I mean, what tells your storyto your journey, to this
pickleball craze?
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yeah.
So I was never a tennis guy, Iwas a big racquetball guy and in
the off season I love to playracquetball because it's one on
one.
And and then, you know, joeConiglio actually introduced me
to it.
Our sons are both at theUniversity of Alabama and they
were roommates.
They're freshmen and sophomoreyear.
(09:05):
So I got to know Joe and westarted talking about pickleball
and had no idea about the SouthLake club.
And Joe said hey, you want tocome out and play?
And that was just singles.
That's all I knew for almost ayear and a half.
Wow, joe and I Joe and I wouldgo out and play singles at
Timberlake I think it wasTimberlake in the middle of the
(09:29):
summer for an hour and a halfand we would just go at it so
hard I think we both would justfall over when we were finished.
And that's all I knew.
And one day he said do you wantto play doubles?
No, I said, hey, joe, whyyou're not available?
That you know as much as youused to be.
(09:49):
He goes well, I play a lot ofdoubles.
I didn't know there was a club,right.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
You got started Joe.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
He didn't tell me about it, Right?
So anyhow, I learned about theclub through Joe and that was a
couple of years ago, I think acouple of summers ago and then I
started playing doubles andjust, I still love singles
Because I love the workout andthe competition, but I've just
come to love doubles and, likeyou all, I play far too often.
(10:20):
It's become a little bit of aproblem.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Well now I'm wondering how you do that,
because right now anyway, yourwife doesn't play, does she?
I think you told us.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
She came out to the club one time she does not, she
had a, she got a one on one.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
a little taste of Koshy.
Is that what happened?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I can't believe.
You said that I wasn't going tobring it up, but you know
there's a lot of people, derekBennett, like there were some
when she gets to a certain levelof intensity.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And you know, some of the formats just aren't for
everybody.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
You know she's been with me a long time and I've
been 28 beautiful years, butshe's a tennis player.
She was a soccer player incollege, so a great athlete, and
I kept telling her hey, come onout, cause I see you all right.
Great day night and I see othercouples and I'm like let's go
out and play.
In one of the events I took herto a 3.5 for the first time and
(11:20):
we're like complete opposites.
I'm over the top competitive.
She is, but just a little morereserved and she did not enjoy
it.
It was.
It just turned out to be anawful night.
You know you can get into thosemixed doubles, it is what it is
, and you got two players and Ithink every ball went to her.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
And then the overhands coming at her.
She was not happy.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
You know, guys, there's not much that's wrong
with pickleball, but there are afew things that can be annoying
, one of which is having ballsthat crack and if you've been
out there lately, thetemperature is dropping, balls
are cracking they're.
Also if you play indoors, or ifyou're playing when the
visibility is not great, thatball gets lost pretty easily in
your eyesight, and we know thatpeople are going to get harder
(12:11):
and harder, so you'd likesomething a little bit higher
visibility.
So we are here to announce ourpartnership with Crown
Pickleball.
In our show notes you'll have alink where you get a discount
for your first set of CrownPickleballs.
I can tell you that they don'tcrack, they are.
They beat the price point ofthe competitors and they beat
the quality of the competitors.
So you get some crunch, getscold, gets you some crowns.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
But I want to get her back out there.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
No, no, no.
We want to get out there withyou guys.
Oh, we're going to do that,yeah, and get her like body
bagging her.
Stop it.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
No, you're not, Bring back some flashbacks.
You totally can.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
So funny story is like when we first started
playing and I don't know, do youremember when I saw on your
profile that you joined the clubin okay so, august of 22.
Does that sound right?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
That sounds about right, it does.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Okay, okay, so, yeah, so you weren't so early on.
Well, let me go back.
So you, joe, is the one whobrought you, and, but do you
know Paul Mamoser before then,or any of those guys like Sean
Cocher, or any of those guysbefore?
Speaker 3 (13:25):
I didn't know anyone.
Was it the club?
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Okay, okay, wow.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
So many people with the club, including you all.
The only person I knew was Joe.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Well, we used to see Joe and Tim.
That's how we kind of got toknow them.
They would be up there playingsingles when we were going up
there to play doubles withfriends and stuff.
We would see them up there allthe time.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, this is when COVID so the you know, no one
was out there.
We had the courts all toourselves.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah, that goes back almost already four years yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yeah, and then you had, like, sean Cocher had his
crew, right, that's the Mamoser,the who else?
Robert Kent, jerry Benavidez,randy King, all these guys right
, they're all out there playingDino.
Well, the friends that westarted playing with their kids
(14:18):
prevented them from playing alot more once things got back to
normal.
Because they're a little,because they're young, and so we
didn't have anyone to play withand I was like John, if we're
going to get good, we have to goplay with those guys.
And so it was all these guysand me out there getting
pommeled at.
Like I told them, I said, don'thold back from hitting the ball
(14:39):
at me, because it's the onlyway I'm going to get better.
And so that's how I started.
But I don't have the tennisbackground.
So I think your wife has a hugeadvantage there with tennis.
But it translates really well.
But there's some things youhave to unlearn from tennis that
of course, you want to get tothat next level you know, but
the bottom line is pickleball isfun and it should be fun, no
(15:00):
matter, and I hate that.
that was her early introduction.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
That's okay, she's tough and the four of us will
get out there.
I just picked the wrong formatfor a date.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Lesson learned Now?
Have you played in any realtournaments?
Speaker 3 (15:20):
You know, John, the only one I played in was the
Texas Open last year.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
You did Okay, so do you enjoy the tournament you?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
know I did right.
I loved going back tocompetition.
I loved the competition and Iplayed in singles singles only,
actually and I think I won twomatches or something and I
played a guy and I got beat.
But I haven't played since.
I don't know if it's and I'llplay another one.
It just takes so much time.
(15:51):
Oh, it does, it does, it does.
I think I've played it at theweekend and but I love the
format and, again, I just lovethe competitive.
You know the competition, theway that stuff set up.
I'll do it again.
I look occasionally but I enjoywhat I'm doing now.
Like I said, I play a lot and Iget what I want out of it the
(16:11):
social side of it, the exercise,the competitive side.
I mean tournaments maybe, butit's.
I'm not dying to play moretournaments All right, what's
racket ball?
Is that the one where you're ina room?
It's a little good side.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
It's a little ball and it bounces everywhere.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Yeah, yeah, I used to be a freak on racket ball.
That was back many years.
That was kind of my off seasontraining because it would keep
you loose and flexible and quickand agile and hand-dying
coordination.
So I haven't played that inmany years but I used.
That was my only racket sportother than ping pong, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Well, that translates really well too, and that for
everyone?
Yes, and for those that arelistening, I told the story
about you.
Was it to Larissa?
About us?
We don't need to talk about it.
Yes, I mean, this is the Alexthat I was talking about.
Who partner didn't show up orwas?
Speaker 2 (17:06):
running late to one of our events.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
And so you're like I'm going to take you guys on by
myself and I'm like no way,we'll just wait.
And he's like no, and I'mthinking, okay, we have a.
You know we got a shot.
I mean, alex is good, but canyou beat two people?
You nail that.
Perfect, yes, alright story.
Nothing else to say.
What's that G?
Do you remember what the scorewas?
Speaker 3 (17:25):
You know, I listened to that podcast.
You reminded me of the score.
I didn't know you were, I thinkit was 11-1.
No, it wasn't.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
I think it was.
I swear, no, it wasn't, it was11-9.
No, it was not.
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Alex, you whipped our butts.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
I think it was more towards Karen's score.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Yes, it was John's like.
I mean, I'm good either way.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
But you know it was funny about that night One.
It's funny that you said it'sthe worst loss ever.
But I mean, everyone shows up.
We have four courts.
My partner, linda Hades, wassick or something and I'm not
going to hold everybody up.
I'm not going to be that guy.
So I was a singles guy.
(18:07):
I'm like let's do it so.
And it was summer and I think Iplayed three matches and I was
like ready to fall overliterally.
And then she showed up.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Well, if we would have been your third match, I
think I would have done a littlebetter.
Maybe, it takes us a littlewhile to warm up.
John and I are notorious forthe longest matches ever because
we fight so hard.
But you know it takes, and Iget to play a lot more than he
does, so it takes a little bitfor us to get in sync sometimes.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Karen, all I remember about that is it was hot and
you were not happy at all.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
Not at all.
I didn't play professionalanything, but for whatever
reason this thing is like, I ambound in a German to overcome
what I, you know what I lackYou're lack of coordination.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I have a huge coordination, alex, you guys are
great players and it's soawesome that you play together
and so many matches and we loveplaying against you.
I love playing against you.
You become my friend in theclub and so nice to have me on
your podcast.
I hope there's something inthis time we spend together
that's interesting for somebody,but you both are great players.
(19:25):
Karen, you're a little sparkplug, that's one way to put it.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
A spider monkey might be another way to put it.
That's a good place.
I've got a couple nicknames.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
They call me the ladies, call me Little Monster.
That's my favorite.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
I've been called.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
The Wall I've been called.
Oh, alisson Gray calls me DuckDuck, duck, duck, because you
know, when you go to a shootinggallery and that duck that runs
all the way around like crazy,you try to shoot it and you
can't shoot it and it's justrunning up.
She calls me that.
Yeah, so I've had quite a few.
A spider monkey.
That was from Nicole Nielsen.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I think they all fit.
They all fit, but you're agreat player.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Thank you, I'm working on it.
It's taken a long time Justbecause I've had to layer.
I didn't have any of thatmuscle memory.
I grew up I'm one of five kids,irish Catholic.
My mom was pregnant nine timesin nine years.
That's just how it was right.
My dad wanted boys and he endedup with four girls.
(20:31):
He had all this equipment thatwas like baseball.
We had a large backyard.
We'd set up the baseball andthen we'd play basketball.
We had basketball court and wehad what's that ball that's on a
string that goes around.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
Tetherball yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
So I was the girl in Catholic school who wore shorts
underneath my skirt.
So when recess came off, wentthe skirt and I was playing
football with the boys.
So that's you know.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
I can see that.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Yeah, I was a little turned pickleballer and just
trying to.
I really want to get to that4-0 level and it's going to take
me a lot longer, I think, justbecause I don't have that.
You know that anything, noracket sport to pull from Heck.
I mean, I played ping pongmaybe with you and the boys.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
That didn't go well.
So I mean, but I wanted.
So how much do you think you'replaying now, like on a weekly
basis?
Speaker 3 (21:38):
You know it's crazy.
So when it's cold we have afoursome.
Oh, I'll answer your questiondirectly.
Probably four times Okay.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Four times a week.
A week, three times a week.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Yeah, and a lot of it right now is chicken and pickle
, and there's four of us Tim,joe, myself and Derek, sometimes
John Connor, but like we'retomorrow, sunday three hours,
sunday two hours, tomorrow twotimes earlier, but it is so fun
(22:13):
and I mean, from a fitnessstandpoint, we go out at it's a
pretty good level.
We're not pros, right, we'renot pros, but it's a pretty good
level.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Yeah, that's a.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
And when you're done, it's just you want to keep
going.
We all have that right.
So, john, I've played a lotplayed last night, in the
Thursday night with the club andwith Derek, and three or four
times a week.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
How'd you do on Thursday?
Speaker 3 (22:41):
We did okay.
We did okay.
We let a couple get away fromus.
I think we were three and two.
We had two close games, but wehad fun.
Yeah yeah, I got to remindmyself it's not life or death,
it's good sportsmanship, thesocial aspect, and I've really
learned to control that.
That's not all about winning,and we had a great time.
(23:05):
We played well too.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
We just didn't win.
Is winning fun.
Of course, that's what I toldJohn.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
I tell her let's have fun, and she goes no, winning
is fun.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
It is fun, but knowing who I am, I mean I burn
up inside a little bit.
But I've done a lot better, alot better.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Well, there's nothing wrong with that competitive
thing.
The cool thing about the sporttoo.
I know we're in our 50s andthere's not a whole hell of a
lot of sports at our age that wecan really get into at a highly
competitive level.
You're right.
You know this has been like awhole new venture later in our
life that we get to learn and becompetitive at, and I know as
(23:52):
an athlete that's really kind ofcool.
That really motivates me tokeep playing because you just
have that competitive nature.
But we can play this foranother 30 years, 40.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
It's the takeoff right.
We can, and I was just tellingTim we all had something when we
were a little younger, whetherit's tennis, soccer, baseball,
golf.
I need this in my life.
I mean that sounds a littledramatic.
The social aspect all thepeople I've met and friends with
(24:25):
the club really good friends,the people I play with, and just
the competitive outlet to goout and sweat and go at it,
Regardless who wins.
I mean we need it right, itkeeps us young.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
A body in motion stays in motion.
That's you know, you see.
Well, now you see, the kids aregetting into it, which is
really cool.
I mean, the growth of the sportgoes in all demographics, but
especially, I think, for peoplewho have competed at different
sports throughout their life andlooking for something else and
you know I used to golf and fivehours, taking five and a half
(25:03):
hours, leave the wife and thekids and spend 120 bucks to be
pissed off half the day.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Shoot a 95.
Right and do that.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
It's like, wow, I just paid a dollar a stroke.
So you know I love it.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
We were talking the other night Tim and I were when
we were like, is something wrongwith us?
We were playing so much at thatchicken and pickle because of
the weather and it's $20 to playfor two hours, which I don't
think you can do anything for$20.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
And then, when are you guys going?
Speaker 3 (25:36):
Pardon me.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
How is it only 20?
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Probably because of the weekdays.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Oh, because you're buying your.
Oh, because you're only payingyourself.
Okay, because I was like we'replaying on the weekends.
It's a hundred bucks.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Yeah, yeah.
So we played the other nightfrom eight, nine to 11, eight to
10, you know, but we weretalking, we don't have any more,
we don't have the country clubs, and it's 20 bucks a couple of
weeks a week.
Who cares?
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Right yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Anyhow.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Well, so tell me you were a singles player.
Then you go to mixed.
What makes you such a goodsingles player?
How about that?
Speaker 3 (26:16):
You know, even though I'm a little older here now
we're in our 50s I think I stillhave a little quickness in me,
a little bit.
That allowed me to get to someballs, and I think it's just the
hustle.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
When the hustle is a big part of it, karen, and you
know I've just gotten better.
I'm not great by any means, butsome of the shots you need in
singles I'm more consistent withRight and I've just gotten
better over time.
Joe used to whip me.
I couldn't beat him.
I'm like you're unbeatable.
We'd start splitting and thensome days I'd get him four games
(26:54):
to three or he'd get me five totwo.
And I've just gotten better.
And I think the hustle piecetoo, karen.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Well, okay, so in singles, because I know nothing
about it and I actually Sure youdo, because we played.
No, sir, we're going to talkabout that.
I was at.
I was playing in the women'smixer two weeks ago at Chicken
and Pickle and there's this ladyand, darn it, I keep forgetting
(27:23):
her name, but she's really goodand everyone was talking when
she was there.
They were like when she gets tothe top court because it was
one of those, if you win, youmove up, you know thing and
they're like when she gets tothe top court, she's going to
stay there and so this is theworst.
This happened to me twice now.
So I finally get up to the topcourt and I play with her.
So technically I should be the,because I was on, I had to
(27:47):
start at the bottom.
I'd work my way up.
I got up there and technicallywe should have went one because
we were the stronger players andwe lost together.
So we went down a court, then Iopposed her and I beat her.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
In singles.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
No, no, no, this was in doubles, but then.
So then we were waiting foranother court to open up, right.
So she's, she's like I go, youwant to put it.
And she's like, yeah, so westarted playing singles, alex, I
got one point out of maybe 20.
I mean it was, she was so goodand I'm like I can't, there's
nothing I could do.
I just don't even.
I don't understand the strategyof it.
(28:23):
So maybe give us a little bitof what.
What's the strategy in singles?
Speaker 3 (28:27):
You know it's it's.
You want to keep the ball deep?
Certainly, and anything midcourt deep to their backhand on
a return allows you to get tothe net and the ball has further
to travel to the net and youcan react Anything mid court if
you're returning or you hit aball mid court, just like
(28:48):
doubles right.
It's fair game to have a passingshot or or down the line.
So it's all about the placementin singles, cause if you're
caught in no man's land, a goodplayer can hit a pass if you
will, or a winner pretty easily.
So it's positioning of of yourshots, especially in singles, I
(29:11):
think, more so than doubles,actually, totally.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Yeah, and the other thing would happen is she'd hit
the ball.
I think it's the speed of theball too, not just deep, but how
, because she had a lot of timeto think and react to my ball.
I didn't have a lot of time tothink and react to her ball.
I go, I go one way, cause I'mthinking she's definitely going
(29:34):
that way and she'd see my legs,and at the last minute switch it
to the other side, cause mymomentum's going this way and
the wall's going Exactly.
How in the heck do you do that?
Cause she, it came so fast andI'm fast, you know I'm, that's
why they call me those names.
I can get to you, you are fast,but I could not get.
I mean, I'd be going one way,she'd go the other way and you
(29:55):
know she could read my ball fromthe minute it left my paddle.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Yeah, you know, you have to know you've got to get
to the volley line.
You got to get to the net insingles.
But it's all about that, theplacement of the shot that's
going to get you to the net orto the volley line, because if
it's mid court and you're tryingto go to the front, it's you,
they're going to hit a pass.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Right, right.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
So you got to.
I think you got to think alittle more quickly in singles
than doubles, Plus you have apartner.
Yeah, I mean, you're on yourown and I kind of like that too.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Yeah, john says he went.
He thinks he wants to take upsingles.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Yeah, I want to try singles.
Let's do it Well, not with you.
Sure Of course we can do itReally.
Yeah, that'd probably be goodfor me.
I'd learn from the ground up.
Hey, I got three points today.
Karen says I come home, well,happy for myself.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
But you know I started again.
I'm no pro, but I started thesame way.
I had no idea what I was doingand then watching and playing
really good people.
I played so many games, so manysingles games with Bruce and
Joe.
Yeah, those singles guys.
Bruce and I went at it.
We used to keep it 16 to 13,.
You know meaning he's 116.
(31:10):
We'd keep a tally.
We play so much and you getbetter over time.
I'd love to go out and playwith you, john.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
That'd be great.
Shout out to our buddy Brucetoo.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Yeah, shout out to Bruce Love you, man, did you?
Yeah, how's he doing.
Yeah, how's he doing.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
He's doing great.
He's tired and taking.
You know we were talking justabout the community coming out
and showing him all the love andhe's one of my dear friends in
the club.
Like everybody, everybody lovesBruce and he just needed some
rest.
It's going to take him a while,maybe to mid-June.
Yeah, we're going to help himmove out of his apartment a few
of us on Sunday or his house.
(31:47):
Yeah, you know just the lovefrom the community on the meals
and you know, that's what makesit special.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
And Bruce, I'm sorry about my salmon but I hope you
love the carnitas.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
My salmon was awful.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
It's so bad.
I made it so good and then, forwhatever reason, I forgot that
I had put I was going.
Anyway, there's a mess.
The carnitas are amazing, sohopefully you love those.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
I asked him.
When I got him on the phone.
I just quickly said hey, bruce,are you five, six and 240
pounds?
Yet, yeah, right, with all themeals he says on the food train,
he's on the food train so is.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I know that you're you're a passionate guy about
when you're out on the court andI remember the first time I
learned that you I had no ideawhat you did for a living.
And to find out that you shebought this company.
You know the Rockerman companyand that you're, that was
obviously a passion project too,because you went from loving it
(32:48):
to visiting it to learning it,to buying it.
What was the genesis of thatwhole thing?
Because that's really cool I'dlike to give your I'm lucky to
give your company a littlelittle shy near Rockerman.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
Well, hey, well, thank you.
You know it's called Rockermanof Texas and just, you know, I
was corporate America forforever and had a great career
and and I retired from corporateAmerica at 50.
But, along the way, I'm reallya real estate guy, you know.
You may not know, I'm justsharing a little bit of my
(33:20):
background on the side.
Every time I get a bonus orwhatever I'd say if I buy
another property, you know.
And then you keep trading up.
You know self storagefacilities I got into that
probably 1012 years ago and Istill have them and commercial
properties, duplexes, and so I'mreally a real estate guy.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
That's the dog.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
That's the dog, I'll fix it.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
But, but I owned John to answer your question, and it
ties into real estate.
I used to take my boys out to aplace in Glenrose called Rough
Creek Resort and Lodge.
Don't know if you ever heard ofit.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Yep, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
I've been there.
It's beautiful, it's great, andwe used to go out there and
then we used to have corporatemeetings.
Long story short is what abeautiful place I used to love
after a long day getting alittle bourbon and and going out
.
Each room had a deck, a littleporch, and they had these
rocking chairs on every in everyroom On the balcony, and I'd
(34:20):
sit out there and look at thesky, the Texas stars, and be
like these chairs are awesome,yeah.
So flash forward, I don't knowThree, four years, I was fishing
in South Lake and at the time Iowned kind of a big RV park out
in Wetherford and I was fishingand I saw those chairs again.
(34:40):
I looked on the back and saidRockerman, and it was in
Crescent, texas, which is closeto Wetherford.
And I called them and it wasmom and pop, melanie and junior,
and I said, hey, I need somepicnic tables, I love your
chairs.
So he built me 10 picnic tables, delivered them, and I told him
, hey, I just really love thoserocking chairs.
(35:03):
And I always had a thing.
I don't know where it comesfrom, maybe shop class, or
because everything I owned it,what I didn't have a product, I
never owned anything with aproduct.
Speaker 1 (35:14):
Never made anything but when he saw those tables.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
I told him I love the chairs.
He said hey, well, we'regetting ready to retire, do you
want to buy them?
I'm like I know I've got toomuch on my plate.
That's the last thing I need.
And then I ordered a few moreand he brought the tables, the
other five, and he said hey, youshould take a look at buying it
.
You sure you don't want to dothat?
I said no, but anyhow, Istarted thinking they didn't
have a website, they justdelivered a DFW like you.
(35:40):
All right with what you're doing.
I said great product, nowebsite, no marketing.
I like that, I can learn it.
And then I said, hey, send meyour books.
And I made them.
I wrote a little offer, loi,and I did a buy in it and then
I'd go there after my corporatejob on the weekend at night to
(36:02):
learn how to build them, wow.
And then built the website,figured out how to ship outside
of Texas, I built a barn whichis my shop at my RV park in
Wetherford, which was the homeof Rockerman of Texas, and I
mean more orders than we wanted,with no marketing.
(36:23):
And we opened up all the othermarkets and it's you know,
they're just special and they'relabor of love.
I'm not there.
I used to be there all the timeand every weekend.
Now I don't because I have acorporate job again.
I've got guys that have beenwith me 10, 12 years.
They kind of run it.
I'm with them, just not everyday and it's just been.
(36:44):
It's been a lot of work, but Ilove doing it when I'm in that
shop by myself making those withthe salt, going the dust and
country music, playing my dogthere.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
I'm having a better than that, yeah, and my in.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
The customers love them.
I think I will always have it.
That's cool and, yeah, it'sgrown into something that it's
as big as I want it to be.
It's as big as I want it to be,but thanks for asking about it.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Yeah, I mean, it's really cool Rockerman, rockerman
of Texas, right, and it's morethan just rockers.
Now he do, you do swings, Ithink, and tables and some other
stuff as well.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
Yeah, swings, rocking chairs, rocking benches,
stationary chairs, dining tables, dining chairs.
We do fewer of those sidetables, coffee tables.
You know, what's really cool is, if you Google Texas Rangers
rocking chairs, it's kind of alittle cult following.
I've got 30 of them at theGlobal I field.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Oh really.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Yeah, and it was during COVID.
One of the owners had one andwhen they were building it
they're like, hey, we need theserocking chairs Anyhow.
It's right outside the Carbockbar and lounge in left field and
they're the best seats in thehouse.
They're the most popular seatsNow.
They used to get them out forfree.
(38:11):
Now they have seats on them.
You can buy the rockers at thegame through Stubhub, and when I
go out to the ballpark I go outthere and talk to the fans
sitting there and said how doyou like them?
I built those.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Those are amazing.
I'm looking at the pictures.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Oh, that's a way to watch a ballgame right there.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
It is.
And the cool thing pardon me,the cool thing is is for the
last four years I am on thestadium tour, so when you go
through the clubhouse theyfinish it, the rocking chairs so
they can rest and they talkabout my background, the history
, of the chairs where you canbuy them, and they didn't know
(38:54):
that I was associated with theRangers until after they were
delivered.
I didn't mention it to anybody.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
I'm really proud of that because you know, I guess I
made it to the big leagues,john.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
You finally got there Just in a different way than
you imagined.
Speaker 3 (39:10):
No, ah, yeah, anyhow that was probably too long for
you and your listeners, butthat's a story, no.
Speaker 2 (39:18):
Because I bet I would be shocked if more than maybe a
dozen people even know about it.
In a club there's so manylayers to people.
That's part of what Karenwanted to do at Commender,
because we do, we try to talk tosome people who are maybe in
the pickleball world.
But we wanted to.
She initiated us, we wanted totalk, get a little bit deeper
with some of our friends in theclub, because we do.
(39:40):
We have 1500 plus members orsomething and there's some that
are everybody kind of knows.
But then you start peelinglayers back and you realize, man
, I had no idea.
I mean Larissa, you know agymnast and a rugby player and
all kinds of.
She was a coach and I mean whothe hell knows what these people
do when they're not on thecourt?
I think it's fantastic.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
Yeah, it's just like.
That's why, Alex, like you know, you said you hope somebody got
something out of this.
It's just the pickleball buildscommunity.
It's created these friendships.
Now let's go a little deeperand really get to know who
someone is off the court, and Ithink that there's a lot that we
can learn from each other'slives and backgrounds, and that
(40:23):
that's.
The exciting thing aboutpickleball is that we have
friends from all different walks, backgrounds, ages, ethnicities
that we would never have had ifit wasn't for this wonderful
sport.
Speaker 3 (40:34):
So you know, karen, I agree, and the competition in
playing is a blast, but thecommunity and social side is
what I've really enjoyed becauseyou know, when your parents and
your kids are growing up,you're going to every sporting
(40:54):
event, right, and those are yourfriends.
And then they go off to college.
You look around and say, well,we don't have, we have some
friends, but where'd they all go?
It was all associated withtheir sports, absolutely Right.
And pickleball, when you get,it's a great game for all ages.
But certainly when the kidshave left the home where we're
(41:18):
at, it's an opportunity to meetso many new friends that you had
when your kids were growing upthat might have, you know, at
some distance now, chance tomeet so many new people and
that's what I honestly trulylove about it.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
Your boys play.
Speaker 3 (41:33):
You know they do.
My oldest played tennis atCarroll for years.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Oh, wow, all right, he's kind of a banger.
He doesn't understand the softgame.
That's all right we all startthere.
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
My oldest, our oldest, is inIndianapolis post TCU and we all
played three or four times overthe holidays together.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Oh, that's the best, isn't it?
You get a chance to play as afamily.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
It's the best, yeah, we went to.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
We took the boys to Lake Tahoe this summer and one
of our favorite places to go,and this year we added
pickleball and it was so muchfun.
Yes, and where else did we dogo when we played with them?
Speaker 2 (42:17):
With them, Austin down at.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Dreamland.
Oh yeah, we took them toDreamland.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
And have you been down there?
The Austin facility that's seendown there.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
I have not.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
Boy, the Dreamland facility.
It's in Dripping Springs,austin.
So not only can you go down forthis unbelievable pickleball,
but they've got distilleriesbunch of vodka distilleries down
there so you can go on tastingsand stuff like that.
But they had we didn't evenrealize it at the time.
We were watching pros at thecourt next to us warm up and
just to see that next level thatclose, we're just in awe.
(42:51):
But yeah, if you ever get achance to go down that way,
that's a pretty cool thing downthere at Dreamland, yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Yeah, I love to see it.
I'll look it up and I love theHill Country.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Oh, it's beautiful.
Oh yeah, and didn't we stay inteepees down there?
Speaker 2 (43:07):
Or was it teepees?
Oh, we went glamping?
Speaker 1 (43:10):
Yeah, no, it was like a way to go, John.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
No, that's when we stayed.
It was like a half 10 condo.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
No, we stayed in that a frame, half 10.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
What are you?
Speaker 1 (43:20):
Or a year, it wasn't a year it was like more of an a
frame tent thing, but it wascool and remember it had like
all the Christmas lights andthat went in there we had the
boys with us.
Speaker 2 (43:32):
They're not going to stay.
You know they're too high tone.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
They would stay in a freaking jeer Jack Whitaker,
shout out to my oldest who.
We took them to the GrandCanyon and you know the Grand
Canyon, there's like not a tonof hotels and there's actually
the Grand Canyon Hotel.
Speaker 2 (43:50):
Motel.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
And you, as we're pulling up, Jack goes this is an
hotel.
Where's the palm trees?
This is a motel.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
This is a motel I'm not staying here on the bottom
floor.
So all right, Alex, I get it.
Speaker 1 (44:09):
I ask everyone All right, your favorite pickleball
shot.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
You know, I heard you asked that on a couple episodes
and I thought about it.
Tell us you know probably oneyou wouldn't think of because
I'm really practicing.
It's probably not the best useof it, but I'm learning the deep
dink kind of from the baseline.
Right Just with a littletopspin on it, because it could
(44:36):
be so effective when it works,that's my favorite shot when it
works.
Speaker 1 (44:43):
So kind of a ball A deep dink.
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Yeah a dink is a drop in the kitchen.
Speaker 1 (44:48):
Drop in kitchen right .
That's what dink stands for.
Did you know that?
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Yeah, it means what.
Speaker 1 (44:55):
Most people think that dinking is like when you're
at the kitchen line, but dinkthe dink stands for drop in
kitchen.
Speaker 3 (45:04):
Oh, is that right?
Speaker 1 (45:05):
So, no matter where you're at Right so if you're on
the baseline and you hit it intothe kitchen.
That's a dink.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
It's just a long.
That's a tough shot, right?
Because if you try, to drive itfrom back there which we all do
and both players are at thebaseline.
It's happened so many timeswhere it's just an easy
especially higher level players.
They can cut it, they can touchit and it just goes over the
net.
You have no chance.
So if you can get a reset whenyou're back on a good return or
(45:34):
a deep ball and they're comingto the net and you hit a good at
least for me, right, I'mlearning a good topspin, dink
Right, it allows you to resetthe point.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
That's when we were we talked to these guys.
We had guests that were I don'tknow if you listed it, but we
have one these guys from NewJersey, they have a pickleball
academy up there and we wereasking them what is the biggest
differentiator to up your game?
And that's basically what theysaid.
They said when you get to apoint where you can put it a
drop, a dink from anywhere onthe court, then you really have
(46:06):
an advantage, because then youknow how you just said it you
get to reset.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
I think, so too, I think so too, and I'm doing it
more and more and becoming moreconsistent.
But when it doesn't work, it'slike.
But when it does work, it'sbeautiful.
That's my favorite shot, Karen.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
One thing that I've been learning how what's
improved?
My dinking is just getting lowand I forget I'll start off the
game up high.
I got you gotta get low on thatshot for it and then I hit it
more consistent.
It's just a much moreconsistent shot if you're
getting low and a lot of peopledon't.
That's that goes with even likethinking at the net right where
(46:49):
you're at the kitchen line, andthat was what we saw down in
dripping springs with the prosis there there.
they are so really getting low,and a lot of times and you're
too often we're standing upstraight trying to hit the ball
and wondering why we're not, youknow, not executing the way we
(47:09):
should.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
I couldn't agree more .
Speaker 2 (47:11):
Yeah, do you watch any of the pros?
Do you keep up with the progame at?
Speaker 3 (47:15):
all you know, I like determined.
That was in Texas recently.
I had it on.
I couldn't name 10 pros, to behonest with you, but if it's on
TV I will watch.
I watch a lot of videos,certainly.
Yeah.
Yeah, there's one Shot I canlearn like the backhand roll, or
I'm working on that.
I'll watch videos, but you knowI don't no.
(47:38):
So if it's on all, I'llcertainly spend some time there.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
Now do you drill?
Speaker 3 (47:44):
That's a great question.
I did in the summer with threeor four guys, it was always on.
Speaker 1 (47:49):
Sunday.
Speaker 3 (47:50):
Yeah, I like to play, I do too.
Speaker 2 (47:56):
I do, I don't get out there and you start drilling
after about three or about fiveminutes.
You want to just play sure, andso your drill session just
turned into an impromptu game.
Speaker 3 (48:07):
I get it because, yeah, it's a drill.
It kind of loses me a littlebit, but I'm not an every week
drill guy.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
Yeah, I'd rather play .
All right, final thing we'regoing to talk about Sure, one of
the coolest things that's everhappened and is I talked to not
ever, I mean just about Alex,right and and what.
What speaks to you and yourcharacter.
So I got draft.
I was drafted as an alternatefor MLP tournament and I picked
(48:39):
silently between the boardmembers.
I was saying that your team wasgoing to win the overall thing,
right, and so after the draftyou said that they, I did, I did
I said Sandman all the wayright.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
Enter the sandman.
Speaker 1 (48:55):
Yeah, so we had this little side, like like tax chain
between the four of us andwhere did you say our team?
Speaker 2 (49:01):
my team would finish.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
Not where you did.
They had a amazing run for thelittle little team.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
That was mighty when I asked her how my team would do
, she laughed.
She said I'm sorry, you guysare just going to get smoked,
but anyway I did it's called thefinals, right.
Speaker 1 (49:20):
So I, as an alternate , I was didn't think I'd have
any chance in playing.
and then on Saturday morning I'mwaking up to Tim calling me,
saying I'm playing and I'mplaying on your team and so you
took this little, you knowscraggly rat here from the bench
and put her on the team andefforts.
(49:44):
It was like it was amazing, butI have to tell you what I was
going through.
I heard you probably let's doon the podcast, but I had the
yip so bad I was fightingthrough it, so my nerve ratio to
normal nervous ratio was offthe chain like I was.
It was the hardest thing and,alex, I'm going to send you a
(50:05):
video of what one of my serveslooked like, so that you can
appreciate the beauty of whatI'm telling you about how bad it
was.
I'm sure you saw me doing,making some weird like.
Speaker 3 (50:16):
I was there, but I'd love to see it.
Speaker 1 (50:19):
But did you?
Did you?
Did you notice this, like whenyou were playing with me?
Like people thought that I washurt, people thought that I
people thought that she had acondition.
Speaker 3 (50:30):
Hey, karen that the thing I'm not going to interrupt
your great story, because it'sa great story is that we had
that great match before, when itwas mixed you and I did, you
did and then, when it got intothe heat of the battle, I did
notice you were nervous, butthat's normal.
I mean, we're human beings.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
But your story is wonderful I love you Well, but
you were the captain and youtook a chance on me and you put
me third.
Do you regret that decision?
Hindsight probably, probablyshould have known that I was
going to think Bobby should havebeen, karen.
Speaker 3 (51:08):
You're great.
I've seen your game and playedwith you many times, and against
you, so I put you in the rightspot.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
Okay, well, hindsight , it just didn't work out, it's
just so.
So we obviously lost in a dreambreaker and I was the one who
is responsible.
Well, no, you were just thelast one.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
I was the last one responsible and I think we were
off twenty to sixteen orsomething.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:36):
Oh yeah, yeah, thanks , alex for that.
No, karen, I'm just kidding you.
All I had to do was get onestick in point.
Yeah, but all I had to do wasget one point that's it.
That's all I had to do was getone point, and I couldn't do it.
But I beat myself up, but youknow, what shows up in my
mailbox is a note from you andyou thanked me for you were so
(52:01):
encouraging it was.
It was a handwritten note.
Nobody does that anymore, andto me that was like all I needed
to know about who Alex Smithwas because I was world class.
I was hurt, real, I mean I wasshaking.
I was devastated.
I all that spark was gone.
(52:22):
I was just.
I hate letting people down, Ihate losing.
It was the worst, but to getthat just meant so much to me.
So there you go.
That's what I'm going to endthis with, because that's who
Alex Smith is and that's whoyou're, where you know just your
leadership, your heart, andwe're just proud to call you a
friend.
Speaker 3 (52:44):
Well, great story and I'm so happy to live it with
you and and I'm glad the littlenote is, there's the right thing
to do to pick you up and you'rea great player and so so
awesome to spend some time withyou all today and and really
appreciate you having me.
Speaker 1 (53:00):
Oh, it was so good getting to know you and I hope
that the rest of the club nowknows a little bit more about
Alex Smith and why, if theydon't know you, they should, and
they should go check outRockerman Texas and and we're
going to take you up and get outthere in the court.
Speaker 2 (53:15):
We got to do that.
Speaker 3 (53:16):
We absolutely will do that.
Yes, that will happen.
Speaker 1 (53:20):
Yes, yes, yes, because I would.
We need another couple to playwith.
We we have a couple that weplay with, but we need more
regular couples, because if wewant to stay together and we do,
we don't want to get pickledivorced Then we need to keep
practicing together, and there'sjust not a lot of opportunities
when we're available to do that, and so we're trying to just
(53:42):
find other couples that we can,you know, learn and play and
grow with.
Speaker 3 (53:48):
I promise you we will do that and we look forward to
it.
Speaker 1 (53:52):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (53:53):
All right, buddy boy, do you have anything else you
wanted to say before we?
We say say sayonara.
Speaker 3 (53:59):
No, thanks for having us love playing with you all.
You're my friends and congratson what you've done with dinkpro
.
Right, think that, pro, yeah,and you guys are entrepreneurs
that hard and I love what you'redoing and I got to order a
shorter to.
Speaker 1 (54:14):
You tell me which one you like, I got it for you.
Speaker 3 (54:17):
No, no, no, I want to be a customer, but thanks again
for having me, you bet.
Thank you, alex.
All right, come here, we get.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.