Max Ade

It began unexpectedly on a family trip to Tulsa. I was trying (and failing) to teach my family how to play tennis when we switched to pickleball. We were so hooked that we ended up playing for four straight days. It was great to see three generations playing and enjoying the sport together.

Inspired by this experience, I co-founded Pickleheads to address some of the sport's early challenges, like finding available courts and connecting with other players. Our initial offering was a comprehensive court finder, addressing the scarcity and scattered nature of pickleball courts at the time. Over the years, as pickleball’s popularity surged, we expanded Pickleheads to include tools for organizing games.

Today, my involvement in pickleball extends beyond playing multiple times a week – I actively use our tools, engage with local organizers, and continually innovate to enhance the player experience. Pickleball remains deeply meaningful to me, representing not only a fun, accessible sport but also a uniquely powerful community activity that brings people together like few other things can.

I enjoy chatting to podcasters, journalists, and anyone about pickleball. I especially love to talk about what we're doing here at Pickleheads, now and into the future.

Here are some podcasts, panels, and articles in which I've been interviewed: