Thaddea Lock is one of the hardest-working people in pickleball. Not only is she one of the best players around, she can frequently be seen on a court near you giving up her time to lead grassroots coaching and engagement sessions – and now for the second season in a row, she is leading a Challenger team in the Premier Pickleball League, which kicks off next month.
Her team comprises Flynn Crosthwaite, Callum Mathie, Nia Rogers, Victoria Kilcran, Jessie Danger and Ben Coots, all playing under the Thaddea Lock Pickleball banner.
“They’re all really exciting young, up-and-coming players,” she says. “A big thing for me was having a really good group of people as well as talented players, and I really couldn’t have got a nicer team. They’re all just absolutely lovely people, who really want to work hard, get better, and are a pleasure to be around them.
“I always say this to my team: ‘Winning isn’t the most important thing.’ For me, it’s giving them the opportunity to get better. I just really believe in them all as people as well as players, and having a great team dynamic is so important to doing well, so I’m just super excited that I’ve got six amazing people as well as amazing pickleball players.”
Thaddea is hands-on when it comes to running the team despite her busy schedule – it isn’t a case of simply lending her name to it.
“It’s something that’s super important to me,” she says. “Being one of the prominent players within UK pickleball, it’s really important to me to continue to help develop the next generation of players. I love working with players and doing what I can to help them and give them a platform to improve and succeed as well.”
