Hayley Thompson wasn’t even dreaming of being part of the Premier Pickleball League Masters draft.
That is, until she went on a Polats Sports Organisation pickleball holiday.
Hayley has been playing pickleball since 2021, coming to it after she had to give up netball and badminton through injury. She rapidly improved, winning medals and rising through the categories. Living in rural North Yorkshire, it can be a struggle getting to some tournaments, but it’s something she and regular doubles partner Susie Dinsdale have been trying to do more of.
“We’re trying to put ourselves out there and play different players, really, because you just have to take yourself out of your comfort zone,” she says.
Her husband also started playing pickleball, and when they saw a social media advert for a pickleball retreat in Turkey, with coaches Rob Williams and Mollie Knaggs, they thought it sounded like the ideal break. There were so many people interested in going on the holiday that a third coach was added – Richard Love.
“We had three coaches, which was absolutely brilliant. The resort was amazing. The people were fantastic. The coaching was brilliant. The sunshine was amazing, and we absolutely had a ball, I just loved it.
“The coaching itself, they had to work with 25 people at very varying abilities. That was quite apparent quite early on, so sometimes we all mixed up, sometimes we were put into graded groups. That was the first time I got on court with Mollie, Rob or Richard as well, and it’s just nice to be on court with them.”
On the last day, both Rob and Richard suggested to Hayley that she consider putting herself forward for the PPL Masters draft in 2025. It wasn’t an idea that initially grabbed her.
“I’m just a northern girl that just enjoys playing pickleball. I never really thought anything of it, if I’m honest, and I didn’t know much about the PPL,” she says – adding that the tryouts were in Halton, Buckinghamshire, necessitating a huge amount of travel for her, so she opted not to attend.
But she did put her name forward for consideration, the night before the deadline.
“It’s now or never,” she says. “I just thought, ‘I’m not going to get picked anyway,’ and then forgot about it.”
She was away on a break for the next few days and had her phone off. When she switched it back on it was buzzing with messages – including one from her surprised doubles partner, and one from Rob saying, “Hey, partner, welcome to the team.”
Hayley was stunned.
“I was blown away. I was extremely flattered, and I’m absolutely buzzing – with Polats Sports as well, because that’s really where Rob saw me, and if I hadn’t gone on the holiday, I would still be a complete nobody, really!”
Since then, she and Rob have met up and had a few training sessions together ahead of the first Premier Pickleball League weekend in Corby, beginning on Saturday 19th July.
“I’ve got nothing to lose really. I just have to go on court, and overcome the nerves.
“It’s going to be an absolute steep learning curve, I think, for me, but one that I want to embrace.”
Great write up on Hayley. One of the loveliest and most modest Pickkeball players as is Susie Dinsdale.
Huge congratulations Hayley your an asset to any pickleball court