How It All Started

Hi, I’m Jason, the Co-Founder of BadCat Pickleball!

BadCat Pickleball started with an athletic guy who was terrible at tennis. Yeah, that doesn’t necessarily translate well to pickleball—at least, that’s what I thought at first. I’d constantly hear from friends how fun pickleball was, so I finally said, "Okay, let’s do this." I signed up for a lesson, and despite my awkward swings and hitting a lot of balls into the net, I eventually got the hang of it. After that hour-long session, I was hooked. And incredibly sore the next day!

I’ll preface this: the idea for BadCat Pickleball actually started long before that first session. But it didn’t kick into high gear until stepping on the court. Without realizing it, the experience of playing was the missing piece to starting this business.

Pickleball had everything I didn’t expect: fast-paced rallies, unpredictable ball movement, and a huge community that welcomed everyone. With a soccer background of over 40 years—playing in college, semi-pro, and still dominating in a competitive men's league—I was able to transfer my athleticism to pickleball pretty easily. I played as much as I could, practicing serves at the courts across the street, competing in weekly round robin tournaments, and attending 4-hour clinics to sharpen my skills. This soon turned into a borderline obsession (and surprisingly, my wife was okay with it!).

While I’ve been working my way up the ranks to the top of the recreational pickleball elite, I quickly learned just how important the right paddle is. The truth is: it’s very important.

That’s where BadCat Pickleball was born. I realized that if I didn’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a high-end paddle from more established brands, then why would anyone else? There had to be a middle ground. High-end paddles were absurdly priced, while affordable ones looked and felt like cheap afterthoughts. Far too many paddles on the market had boring designs, too. I knew I could design a paddle that looked great, felt great, was affordable for everyone—from casual rec players to tournament players—and one that could bring out the BadCat swagger on the court.

I pitched it to my wife, and she was all-in on the idea! This vision became reality, and together we’ve brought our paddle ideas to life. Be part of the BadCat family and break free from the ordinary!