If you spend any time around the pickleball courts at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, Texas, there is a good chance you will cross paths with Head Pickleball Teaching Professional Ben Paquette.
He spends most of his day coaching members and students, answering questions, organizing play, and handling anything pickleball-related at the club. He wears more hats than he can count, and as they involve pickleball, he’s happy.
But Ben’s story in the sport started long before his teaching career. It happened back in 2016, when his father needed heart surgery.
His father was out of shape, and so was Ben. Seeing what his dad was going through made Ben realize that he needed to make a change. He joined a gym and met three older players who invited him to try pickleball.
They beat him quite handily, but nonetheless, he was hooked. He started to play regularly, then constantly. Eventually, he lost 100 pounds.
“Going from 300 pounds to 200 was huge. I had forgotten what it felt like to feel healthy,” he says.
At the time, Ben worked in finance. But the more he played pickleball, the deeper his passion for the sport grew.
He remembers meeting with clients who noticed how his whole face changed when he mentioned pickleball. One person told him, “Every time you talk about pickleball, your eyes light up.”
It was soon after the COVID-19 pandemic that he decided it was time to stop ignoring that spark. He took a leap, thinking, “I think I’m just gonna give it a go.”
That decision marked a turning point in Ben’s life, and what followed wasn’t only about the physical transformation he was experiencing. His circle grew, too.
“The number of people I know now through pickleball is 10 times what it used to be. I probably have 2,000 people from all over the country that I know from this game,” he says.
He jokingly admits he has no idea what he did with his free time before pickleball became the center of his world.
Today, Ben leads one of the most active pickleball programs in Texas. Brookhaven has roughly 400 players and 30 dedicated courts. Members rarely wait for a game, which keeps the energy high and the community close.
Ben teaches thousands of lessons a year and loves watching new players discover the sport. He says pickleball connects families, neighbors, coworkers, and even strangers faster than anything he has seen.
Corporate groups are catching on, too. Ben believes tournaments are an incredible way to bring people together. He sees it as the rare activity where competition, teamwork, and pure fun meet in the middle.
“If you have 500 people at different levels, all 500 can be playing pickleball in 30 minutes,” he says.
To Ben, the appeal of pickleball is simple: The sport meets people where they are. Some come for the social side, others crave friendly competition, and some arrive with a new goal after moving on from another sport.
Ben tries to uncover each person’s “why” when he works with them. Many see him once a week, every week, because they want to keep growing.
His biggest piece of advice is to simply walk on the court.
"No one is perfect," he says. "Give yourself grace, enjoy being there, and let the game do the rest."
About Brookhaven Country Club:
Brookhaven delivers a premier racquet sports experience with 36 tennis courts, 30 pickleball courts (26 outdoor, 4 covered), and 2 padel courts. As Dallas’ leading pickleball destination, Brookhaven offers an inviting private club atmosphere with clinics, mixers, and tournaments for every skill level.
Bring your game to Brookhaven — contact our Membership Team to learn more or schedule a tour.
