Coaching Together, Playing to Win

With Picklebilly Travel, I am blessed to work with amazing, talented coaches. Here's a short interview with Dave and Tracy Wilcox. Enjoy!

                                        - Janice Mundee

Q: Have you ever disagreed about how to coach a student, and how did you work it out?

Dave: Of course. The fun part of pickleball is that many times there are different formulas to solve an equation. The reality is we both could be right at times, and we both can be wrong at times, depending on the circumstance. The harder challenge is when we're playing together and we each have our own thoughts on how to win a specific game.

Tracy: Yes, absolutely. Dave and I at times see the game differently, and our different approaches can conflict. For example, he's adamant that the partner of the returner should track the ball behind them to help call out balls. I believe we shouldn't track the ball and should keep our eyes forward. In the end, both are right and both are wrong. Pickleball has different ways of doing things, and you get to choose the approach that's best for you.

Q: I am sure your game and your coaching are always evolving. What is something new you're delighted to be showing your students?

Dave: My most recent "aha" moment is the drip shot. The better and meaner my serve, the more often I get to put it into place. I use this shot more in the senior division, since 50-year-olds don't get up to the net as fast as the youngsters.

Tracy: I'm working on more of a baby arc, landing shallow in the kitchen on my drop, reset, and dink. Adding this shape to my shots has changed the type of ball I hit, and I'm missing less into the net.

Q: Dave, what in your background led you to becoming a coach?

Dave: I have a bachelor's degree in recreational sports, with an emphasis in coaching, and a master's in educational leadership. I use both every day running a club, working with staff, and coaching. I also coached all my kids' sports growing up, and was a basketball and football official.

Q: Tracy, what in your background led you to becoming a coach?

Tracy: I was a highly competitive athlete growing up, playing on multiple club travel teams in soccer and basketball. Coaching was the next logical step. Since college I've coached youth sports, and dedicated most of my time to coaching my children's sports as they grew up. When pickleball came into our lives, it was an easy transition into coaching pickleball.

Q: How do you keep pickleball from taking over every conversation at home?

Dave: This is a great question, and one that takes real effort. We're involved in our church life and Homegroup, we have seven kids and their interests, and we both love the Broncos, along with the Olympics, the World Cup, and other sports. We also watch shows on Apple TV and Netflix.

Tracy: It's almost impossible, because when we're not talking about pickleball we're usually talking about our pickleball businesses. We have to intentionally set aside dedicated times to put down everything pickleball. The next big conversation is usually about our kids.

Q: What does a normal week look like for the two of you — teaching, playing, running a life together?

Dave: Our new normal while living in Texas has been spent with a lot of time during the day working on marketing and building up our programming for nighttime, while also trying to get traction on daytime pickleball. We also play in higher-level tournaments across Texas about two to three times a month. We've also begun teaching at a retirement community about 40 minutes from our house called Sun City, which we've really enjoyed.

Tracy: We're still trying to find our new normal. I spend a good portion of my mornings in the office working on marketing and club events, and problem-solving the many aspects of running a club. I spend my afternoons and evenings teaching and playing.

Q: If you had to pick a walk-up song for each other before a match, what would you choose?

Dave: I'm a big Tyrone Wells fan, and he has a song called "Play to Win." Or really anything from Jock Jams.

Tracy: I'd pick Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire," or Larceny's "Another Level," or "Play to Win."

Dave and Tracy own Heights Athletic Club and Dynamite Pickleball, both in Texas. They coach players of all ages and skill levels through academies, leagues, clinics, retreats, and training programs. Tracy's tagline: "Your best pickleball starts in your head."