From participating in tournaments across the country to playing with the top pickleball competitor in the world, pickleball has become an integral part of senior Vivianne Ngo’s life. Ngo began playing tennis when she was five years old and only recently transitioned to pickleball.

Ngo was first exposed to pickleball in 2016 when her mom started playing the sport. Ngo initially hesitated to learn the game, because tennis was her priority. It was not until COVID-19 that Ngo decided to try pickleball.

“Pickleball seemed like only an old person sport, but then when COVID hit I had nothing to do. They locked up the tennis courts; I had to do something with my life,” Ngo said. “I decided to play pickleball, and now that is what I do.”

One of the most exciting parts of Ngo’s pickleball experience has been meeting and playing with a wide range of people. In November 2022, Ngo played in a tournament with Ben Johns, who is currently ranked as the top pickleball player in the world by the Pro Pickleball Association.

“I’m basically almost a full convert now. In middle school, I was full tennis every single week, lessons and everything. But now every time I play pickleball it’s about four to five hours each session,” Ngo said. “That’s a long time and…a lot of my life is taken up by pickleball.”

Ngo has been a member of McLean’s tennis team for two years. Her tennis teammates are impressed that she is able to manage playing pickleball 10 to 28 hours a week while being on the tennis team, which requires another 15 hours of afterschool practice.

“On Fridays and the weekends, she’s out playing pickleball until midnight or afterwards, competing in tournaments or simply practicing with her brother. Even on vacation she’s practicing,” said senior tennis player Sarah Tran. “I know that some people falsely assume that her commitment to pickleball detracts from her tennis [and] say that playing pickleball will tamper with tennis form, but I never see this from Vivianne; it seems to me that she thrives in both sports.”

Finding acceptance in the pickleball community is a challenge for new players, especially for younger people. Ngo noted that some players are hesitant or refuse to play with beginners; she still plays with people who were willing to help her when she first began pickleball.

“[A problem is] when you are just starting out people do not want to play with you because they do not think you are good,” Ngo said. “[Often,] they’re not even willing to play a charity game. That is sort of difficult, so obnoxious people are the number one obstacle.”

Ngo has met very few pickleball players her age and primarily plays with adults.

“People my age are extremely rare,” Ngo said. “There are under five people [my age nearby]….I would say the majority are in the 40 range.”

The limited number of similarly-aged players has led Ngo to routinely compete in tournaments with her brother, sophomore Vernon Ngo.

“It has been fun watching [Vivianne’s] family tackle pickleball together, often playing and practicing with her mother and brother; both accomplished players in their own right,” said Josh Jenkins, one of Ngo’s mixed doubles partners.

Over time, both Ngo and her brother gained increased acceptance in the pickleball community and began to find a variety of partners to both practice and compete with.

“The community is an actual community, whereas in tennis, it’s more of finding one person and you play with them for like two hours,” Ngo said. “[Pickleball has] a whole group of different people. I play with a homeless guy who was really, really nice to me. He played with me when I was first learning.”

There are differences in pickleball techniques that can make the transition from tennis to pickleball difficult.

“In tennis, you just hit really hard…back and forth, back and forth. But in pickleball, it’s light hitting at the net,” Ngo said. “When you get to the kitchen area, you try to ‘dink’ or have a light tap into the box. And then you try to play off the point by trying to move your opponents around. Whereas in tennis, it’s just hit it as hard as you can, as far as you can.”

To improve her performance, Ngo has modified her tennis skills to master pickleball-specific techniques.

“There’s a lot of strategy behind everything, and I wasn’t used to the shots needed to execute these strategies,” Ngo said. “A dinker is basically someone who always hits light, and a banger is someone who always drives the ball and hits it really hard. I think I always fell more on the banger side of the spectrum. When I realized that I actually did need to start learning the other side of things to have a balanced [game], that was an obstacle.”

Ngo’s ability to vary the techniques she uses has been highly beneficial in tournaments.

“Vivianne is poised and always under control on the pickleball court, most often winning points with her pinpoint accuracy and deft touch. However, when she is challenged with pace or firepower, she can hit back just as hard as anyone,” Jenkins said. “I always say, ‘Don’t poke the bear.’”

Ngo has worked with multiple coaches but typically practices and drills on her own.

“I have had multiple coaches over the years. One lives in Florida, so we visit him to get lessons, because he’s the coach for all the top pros right now,” Ngo said. “When I was starting out, my mom had some of her friends teach me.”

Ngo has discovered that the way she approaches tournaments greatly impacts her success in the competitions.

“My best mindset is being indifferent because then it sort of takes off the stress,” Ngo said. “When I’m like, ‘I’m going into this with no expectations,’ that is when I play my best because I am comfortable.”

Ngo has developed valuable skills through her pickleball experiences that will help her to continue succeeding in the sport.

“Vivianne conducts herself with respect and grace. Always complimentary of her opponents and partners, both in victory and defeat,” Jenkins said. “It has been most exciting watching Vivianne grow in confidence. She has always been a hard worker but maybe lacked a bit of self belief early in her professional endeavors, but now she not only knows she can but expects to win.”