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Every episode
Dinks On Tap: The Happy Hour Pickleball Podcast
30 episodes
Grief Is Part of the Game: Why Losing a Pickleball Partner Hurts and How Healthy Competition Can Help You Keep Growing with Dr. Amanda Sovik Johnston
Aug 12, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Nobody warns you about this part of pickleball. Your favorite doubles partner moves away, levels up, or… stops putting you on the calendar. Suddenly, “it’s just pickleball” doesn’t come close to describing what’s happening. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Amanda Sovik-Johnston, founder of The Connected Competitor and the sports psychologist behind the blog post “Pickleball Will Break Your Heart”. We talk about the mental game behind partner breakups, changing groups, and the real grief pic…
The Dink Movie Premiere: Mary Steenburgen Got Snubbed at Open Play, Ted Danson Fell Head Over Heels for Pickleball, and Ben Johns' Celebrity Foursome
Jul 29, 2026 · 27 min
You know how everyone at open play decides how good you are as a pickleball player before you've hit a single ball? Your paddle, your shoes, your warmup, whether the next twenty minutes are worth their court time? It happens to beginners. It happened to an Oscar winner, and she told us about it over dinner. Rivulet invited us to what we understood was a cast party for The Dink movie. Instead, we ended up at a table for eight on a terrace at Soho House with Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson. The ne…
Why Pickleball Might Be Rearranging Your Whole Life Before You Notice
Jul 15, 2026 · 45 min
What if the most “irresponsible” thing you ever did… (joining a sport with a wiffle ball and a weird name) was actually the smartest move you’ve made for your physical health, your sanity, and your social life? In this episode, Casie & Lauren are doing what they do best: pickleball + truth + tequila. We’re talking Mardi Gras (yes, balls, yes, beads, yes, strangers screaming at you like they’ve known you forever)… and why pickleball could basically be the same experience but with less glitter and…
What Two Empty Nesters with Gold Medals and Matching Outfits Can Teach Us About Starting Over with Cecy Feld and Holly Kerr
Jul 1, 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
You know that friend who texts you at 1am just because she figured out you’re both still awake? Now imagine she’s also your doubles partner, your hype woman, your matching-outfit co-conspirator, and the person who gets genuinely jealous when you drill with someone else. That’s what’s waiting for you in this episode. This week, we’re sitting down with Cecy Feld and Holly Kerr of Feld/Kerr Pickleball, two former tennis players, current empty nesters, and 50-plus pickleball influencers who decided…
Top Chef Winner Richard Blais Didn't Need Another Obsession…Pickleball Found Him Anyway
Jun 17, 2026 · 46 min
It turns out the distance between a Michelin-starred restaurant and a pickleball court is shorter than anyone expected, especially when the person crossing it is already wired for pressure, creativity, competition, and just a little bit of chaos. This week, Casie and Lauren sit down with Chef Richard Blais, a chef, entrepreneur, author, television personality, and newly declared aspiring pickleball influencer. What starts as a conversation about how he found the game quickly becomes something bi…
The Future Of Pickleball Might Belong To The Amateurs, And This Episode Explains Why
Jun 3, 2026 · 46 min
What happens when a Dallas pickleball duo suddenly finds themselves wearing St. Louis Shock colors? This week, we’re unpacking how we became part of the St. Louis Shock's Minor League Pickleball program while still serving as Dallas Flash ambassadors. What starts as a “how did we get here?” story quickly turns into something bigger: a look at why pickleball’s next chapter may depend less on superstar pros and more on the amateurs who want a reason to care, a team to cheer for, and a place inside…
DUPR Reset: The Ratings Rollercoaster, the Reality Check, and Tito Machado’s Take
May 20, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
This spring, DUPR hit pause on your history and asked a simple question: Who are you right now, without all that baggage? Turns out that's a harder question than it sounds. We know because Casie did the Reset, knew it didn't count, watched her number drop, and still had to talk herself off the ledge on the way home. So we brought Tito Machado, CEO of DUPR and the man who's spent years trying to convince the pickleball community that a number is just a number, back to Dinks on Tap for a second ti…
How College Football's Wild West is a Warning Every Pickleball Player Should Hear with Jay Paterno
May 6, 2026 · 52 min
This week, Casie and Lauren sit down with Jay Paterno, son of Penn State coaching legend Joe Paterno, and author of Blitzed: The All-Out Pressure of College Football's New Era. This one is part sports conversation, part cultural temperature check, and we did what we do best: take a sports story and find the human behavior hiding underneath it. Because it turns out that money, pressure, loyalty, ego, and identity do not stay neatly on the football field. They show up everywhere people care deeply…
Why Pickleball Starts as a Game and Turns Into Something So Much Harder to Walk Away From, with Clare Frank
Ep 42 · Apr 22, 2026 · 48 min
It’s one thing to pick up a paddle sport on a whim. It’s another thing entirely to realize (somewhere between a rec game and an invite-only underground games scene) that this “casual hobby” has started organizing your calendar, your social life, and, subtly, your sense of self. This week, Casie and Lauren sit down with Clare Frank, former Chief of Fire Protection for the state of California, longtime leader in wildfire response, and now author of Just One More Game. What begins as a conversation…
Find Your Ride-or-Die Partner: Because You’re Gonna Be Playing Pickleball at 80, with Jeanne Koepke and Pam McCurry
Ep 41 · Apr 8, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
What happens when two big personalities collide on the pickleball court? You get a duo that turns the game into chemistry, rhythm, and unapologetic energy! Today, Casie and Lauren sit down with Jeanne Koepke and Pam McCurry, a duo who found more than just a partner. They built a rhythm, a routine, and a friendship that reshaped this stage of life. What starts with pickleball tournaments and mixed doubles opens into something deeper. Jeanne and Pam bring equal parts of competitive fire and self-a…
What Rec Players Are Missing by Not Watching Pickleball on TV, with Sports Broadcaster Will Daughton
Ep 40 · Mar 25, 2026 · 55 min
Pickleball players will build an entire life around playing. Watching the pros? That’s where things get interesting. In this episode, Casie and Lauren sit down with broadcaster, commentator, and certified pickleball numbers guy, Will Daughton, to ask a deceptively simple question: if rec players are so obsessed with pickleball…why aren’t more of them watching the pickleball pros? What follows is a conversation about PickleballTV, Major League Pickleball, momentum swings, partnership dynamics, an…
BONUS - The Parents Behind the Pod: Meet the Original Support Team of Dinks on Tap
Ep 39 · Mar 11, 2026 · 31 min
Ever wonder what your parents would say if they were handed a microphone and asked to review your sports career? Would they praise your hustle… or finally reveal that one time you blamed the wind for a missed shot? In this special bonus episode, an extension of Episode 38, we invite the ultimate behind-the-scenes MVPs onto the mic: our parents. This isn’t your typical lineup of sports interviews. Instead of talking with pros or coaches, we bring on the original supporters who shaped our journey…
The Parent Perspective of Competitive Pickleball and Why the Car Ride Home Might Matter Most
Ep 38 · Mar 11, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
Ever wonder what it takes to raise a kid in competitive pickleball without turning every car ride home into a post-match press conference? A junior pickleball match only lasts so long, but parenting the player behind it is the part that follows you home. This episode gets into the family side of the game, where the travel is real, the pressure is sneaky, and keeping the joy alive can matter just as much as the result. This week, we head into the wonderfully unhinged world of junior pickleball. w…
Pickleball Is Changing Us: What the Game Reveals About Who We’re Becoming
Ep 37 · Feb 25, 2026 · 48 min
What if the most “irresponsible” thing you ever did… (joining a sport with a wiffle ball and a weird name) was actually the smartest move you’ve made for your physical health, your sanity, and your social life? In Episode 37, Casie & Lauren are doing what they do best: pickleball + truth + tequila. We’re talking Mardi Gras (yes, balls, yes, beads, yes, strangers screaming at you like they’ve known you forever)… and why pickleball is basically the same experience but with less glitter and more kn…
The Pickleball Tournament Survival Guide with PIG’s Mike Hoxie: How to Skip the 4-Hour Wait, Spot the Good Ones, and Make It to Happy Hour on Time
Ep 36 · Feb 11, 2026 · 53 min
You’re standing on the court, paddle in hand, staring at an empty net while the Tournament Director is nowhere to be found and your "10:00 AM start time" has officially become a suggestion. We’ve all been there… trapped in a bracket that feels more like a gridlocked parking lot than an elite player experience. In this episode, joining us in the hot seat is Mike Hoxie, the "Tournament Titan" and founder of Pickleball Is Great (P.I.G.). Mike has spent years modernizing pickleball tournaments from…
3 Sports Psychology Tips That Will Stop You From Obsessing Over Your DUPR Score and Build Unshakeable Mental Toughness, with Executive Coach Lauren Vosbein
Ep 35 · Jan 28, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
Let’s be real, how many times have you missed an easy dink and immediately blamed your paddle, the wind (even indoors), or your partner’s breathing? We’ve all been there: the dreaded mental spiral where one bad shot turns into three, and suddenly you’ve forgotten how to hold a paddle. In this inaugural episode of 2026, we’re stacking the court differently as Casie takes the host seat to interview her ride-or-die doubles partner (and co-host!), Lauren Vosbein. We aren’t just talking about drops a…
RE-RELEASE: Is DUPR Driving Us or Dividing Us? CEO Tito Machado's Answer Will Surprise You
Ep 34 · Jan 14, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
EP 34 - Ever wondered why your DUPR score nosedives after a win, and you're wondering if your app is gaslighting you? What is happening in the pickleball matrix? In this episode, we sit down with Tito Machado, the most loved and rage-texted man in pro pickleball. He’s the CEO of DUPR, the rating system that somehow manages to both unite and divide the pickleball community like it’s the pineapple on pizza of the pickleball world. Tito opens up about the chaos, the criticism, and the sheer volume…
Listener Favorite of 2025! Pickleball Doubles Partnerships and Why Team Chemistry Matters with Captain Molly Bonner
Ep 33 · Dec 31, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min
This was one of the most-loved episodes of 2025 and we’re bringing it back for a reason. As we head into 2026, there’s no better time to revisit what this conversation unlocked: how real team chemistry and trust can change the way we play and how we connect. Growing as a player, a partner, or a teammate? This episode holds the good stuff that doesn’t just help you win more... it helps you play better with the people you actually want to keep around. First, we catch up with Stephen Moore of Pickl…
What 2025 Revealed About Pickleball: The Highs, Lows, and WTF Moments
Ep 32 · Dec 17, 2025 · 54 min
At some point this year, we all looked around and thought, “How did the pickleball community get this big?” and somehow, pickleball became everyone’s personality. Welcome to our year-end rundown of the best and worst things that happened in pickleball this 2025, and we’re saying it all! In this episode, we kick things off by celebrating some big wins, from growing audiences and packed events to the undeniable rise of pickleball tournaments and ever-expanding pickleball clubs. We also dig into th…
No More Boring Gifts! Inside Our Holiday Gift Guide for Pickleball Lovers and Their Favorite Dinking Partners
Ep 31 · Dec 3, 2025 · 37 min
You’ve shown up to every match with your gear perfectly packed, but when it comes to holiday gifting, you’re the person scribbling a card in the parking lot with a pen you borrowed. Don’t worry, we’ve been there. And we’re here to make you look like a pro. We’re back with our second annual holiday gift guide, and this one’s loaded with actual good ideas (you’re welcome). Whether you’re shopping for your doubles partner, your paddle-happy spouse, or your own fabulous self, we’ve rounded up the ki…
Our Podcast Anniversary Happy Hour Event: Live, Loud, & Loosely Monitored.
Ep 30 · Nov 19, 2025 · 47 min
Welcome to the only live podcast episode where the court drama is matched only by the party vibes, and the wardrobe choices might just win their own medal. Here’s some front-row access to the Dinks on Tap one-year celebration, recorded with a live audience of our favorite paddle-loving warriors. This episode is equal parts pickleball pep rally, behind-the-scenes tea, and hilarious fun. We relive our biggest night yet, complete with a fashion show, signature cocktails, and a double guest feature…
Is DUPR Driving Us or Dividing Us? CEO Tito Machado’s Answer Will Surprise You
Ep 29 · Nov 5, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
Ever wondered why your DUPR score nosedives after a win, and you're wondering if your app is gaslighting you? What is happening in the pickleball matrix? In this episode, we sit down with Tito Machado, the most loved and rage-texted man in pro pickleball. He’s the CEO of DUPR, the rating system that somehow manages to both unite and divide the pickleball community like it’s the pineapple on pizza of the pickleball world. Tito opens up about the chaos, the criticism, and the sheer volume of "fix…
DiNKR: The Pickleball App That Saved Our Group Chat (And Might Get You a Date?)
Ep 28 · Oct 22, 2025 · 54 min
Ever tried organizing a pickleball game with five group chats, two calendars, and someone’s cousin who “might show up if it doesn’t rain”? It’s like herding cats… in court shoes. And just when you finally get a foursome, someone drops out at 7 a.m. Sound familiar? This week on Dinks on Tap, we’re sitting down with Dan and Steve, the creators of DiNKR, the pickleball app designed to bring order to your game day chaos. Tired of juggling endless texts and flaky invites, they set out to build someth…
When the Lights Go Out Mid-Match: Our Wildest Pickleball Tournament Experience Yet (And What It Taught Us About Focus Training)
Ep 27 · Oct 8, 2025 · 56 min
Winning gold sounds great… until the court lights shut off mid-point, and someone’s Uncle Larry is heckling from the sidelines. Welcome to pickleball tournaments, where the only thing more unpredictable than the tape lines are the emotions running high. In this episode of Dinks on Tap, we take you inside our latest wild ride at a local tourney in Austin, complete with lighting meltdowns, DJ shutdowns, and one of us possibly forgetting how to see the ball entirely (glasses next time, anyone?). Be…
Is DUPR Dead? Mike Barker's VAIR Rating System Might Just Bury It
Ep 26 · Sep 24, 2025 · 1 hr
Curious how your pickleball rating actually gets calculated? Check out VAIR, the new pickleball rating system: https://www.vairified.com/?ambassador=7180389 Pickleball rating systems can feel like the Wild West… where matchups make zero sense and “fair play” is more myth than rule. One minute you’re rallying with a retired pro, the next you’re getting smoked by a 13-year-old with braces and a wicked backhand. In this episode, we dig into the accuracy drama with Mike Barker, the brains behind VAI…
Pickleball Doubles Partnerships and Why Team Chemistry Matters with Captain Molly Bonner
Ep 25 · Sep 10, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
You can perfect your third shot drop… but can you survive a 10-day pickleball trip with your doubles partner and still want to split a margarita after? This week, we’re talking all things chemistry on and off the court. We’re covering pro-led clinics in Spain, silent side-eyes during rec play, and everything in between as we dig into what really holds a team together (and what quietly breaks it). First, we catch up with Stephen Moore of Pickleball Trips, the boutique travel company blending adve…
Red Carpets, Rooftop Pickleball, and why Kaitlin Miller Swapped Broadcast Journalism for Drop Shots and Dinks
Ep 24 · Aug 27, 2025 · 42 min
Once upon a time, Kaitlin Miller was covering broadcast journalism red carpets and national headlines. Now she’s helping the Nashville pickleball scene blow up one rooftop pickleball rally and post-game marg at a time. With a paddle in one hand and a mic in the other, she’s turning rec play into a real movement, and she’s just getting started. In this episode of your favorite pickleball podcast, Dinks On Tap, Kaitlin spills the sweet tea on how she went from chasing breaking news to building cou…
Big Names, Bigger Brains: The Caitlin Clark Effect and Game Psychology with Dr. Joy Macci: What You Need For Your Pickleball Mindset Training
Ep 23 · Aug 13, 2025 · 53 min
What would happen if pickleball got a Caitlin Clark–level shake-up, a blast of PR glitter, and just enough paddle-side gossip to keep the courts buzzing all weekend? That is exactly what we are serving today! First up, our resident pickleball provocateur, Andrew Kole, spills why the sport still hasn’t found its breakout star and what it could steal from the sports marketing playbook of the WNBA. We’re talking player branding that goes way beyond logos on paddles, plus the coaching strategies tha…
The Dallas Classic Diaries: We Got COVID, Still Got a Podium Finish, and Got Schooled by Ben McNair on Pickleball Strategy
Ep 22 · Jul 30, 2025 · 54 min
What do you get when two podcasters train like pros, catch COVID five days before a tournament, and still walk away with medals (and maybe a mild cough)? You get an episode that’s equal parts redemption story, hydration plan, and doubles therapy session. In this week’s episode of Dinks on Tap, we break down our wild ride to the Dallas Classic from getting smoked in Houston to sharpening our pickleball strategy, drilling with stronger players, leveling up our game preparation, and crushing teenag…
DUPR Delusions & Kitchen Confessionals with Restaurant Powerhouse Brenton Phillips of Written By The Seasons
Ep 21 · Jul 16, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
What do you get when pickleball ratings make no sense, sandbagging gets a spotlight, and a restaurant entrepreneur turns out to be a beast on the court? You get an episode that’s part strategy session, part cocktail hour, and a whole lot of real talk. This week, the pickleball provocateur, Andrew Kole, returns with the kind of hot takes only he can deliver, questioning DUPR math, calling out tournament trickery, and unpacking why your 4.0 rating might only count in your zip code. It’s spicy, it’…
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