Pickleball Pros

Doug Abell’s athletic and sports teaching background is in gymnastics and he started playing Pickleball in 2016. He first met Mindy at a Pickleball camp in September, 2018. They got married on the pickleball court at that same camp in September 2023. When he is not at his full time job at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Lexington, KY, Doug is a 4.5/5.0 tournament player and travels with Mindy to teach. He enjoys watching people smile and laugh while helping them reach their pickleball goals.

Maryhelen Atkins is an IPTPA-certified instructor and the former director of the NC IPTPA training facility. She is qualified to train and certify instructors on how to uphold the strict IPTPA standards of pickleball instruction so I don’t think you will find anyone more qualified to lead our clinics! Additionally, Maryhelen is consistently in the top 10 in the Senior Pro Doubles rankings and has recently been recruited to join in the National Pickleball League draft!  

Some recent notable wins in 2022 include GOLD at the Rocky Mountain Championships in Senior Pro WD & MXD; GOLD in Senior Pro MXD at the Atlanta Metro APP; SILVER at the Atlanta Metro APP in Senior Pro WD; SILVER at the Boca Raton APP in Senior Pro WD; SILVER at the APP Los Angeles in Senior Pro WD; SILVER at the APP Hilton Head in Senior Pro WD & MXD; and BRONZE at the Sunmed Houston APP in Senior Pro WD.

Jim Dobran is a touring pro on the APP and PPA tours. He is currently the Head Coach of MLP’s Brooklyn Aces

Jim’s 6.14 DUPR has helped him earn multiple top 8 finishes on tour. A Pro player since 2021, Jim is best known for his upset of Tyson McGuffin and Jack Sock at the PPA North Carolina Open in 2023. 

Before playing full-time, Jim taught Pickleball for 3 years at Pickleball Charlotte and was a high school math teacher for 7 years before that.

Deb is a Certified PPR/IPTPA coach with 24 years of coaching and playing experience. She is a gold medalist at prestigious tournaments, including the US Open, Nationals, State, Regionals, and Huntsman World, in both table tennis and pickleball over two decades. In 2018, she was honored as the Florida State Senior Games Athlete of the Decade and was also nominated for the Pickleball Hall of Fame. With over 200 videos available under her “PicklePongDebYouTube” channel, Deb shares her expertise with the community. As a traveling clinician, she has taught in various locations, including California, Illinois, Texas, Vermont, North Carolina, Georgia, Utah, Michigan, Delaware, Maine, all parts of Florida, and even aboard Royal Caribbean cruises. Deb’s mantra is, “It is more about the whack than the yack.”

Todd Headley is a PPR Certified Teaching Professional who resides in Ashville, NC.  Under his expert tutelage, several of his students are now competing successfully in 4.5 and 5,0 tournaments.

Todd was ranked in Top 10 for APP Masters Tour (60+) for 2023 in Men’s & Mixed Doubles and has numerous medals at such prestigious tournaments as Huntsman, Fall Brawl, Beer City Open and Senior Nationals.

Some notable wins of the past few years include:

GOLD at US Open 2021, Men’s Doubles 5.0, 55+

SILVER at US Open 2023, Men’s Doubles Open 60+ Age (with Mike !!)

BRONZE US Open 2021, Men’s Doubles Open 55+

BRONZE at Nationals 2021, Men’s Doubles 5.0, 50+

Kristin Hickman, who resides in Columbia, SC, began playing pickleball in 2014 in Salt Lake City , UT. She was in the #1 position on her college tennis team for 4 years.

Kristin was the  #1 ranked Female Mixed Doubles Super Senior Pro and a Top 5 ranked Female Doubles Super Senior Pro in 2023  She has won multiple Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at Senior and Super Senior pro level, including: 

· 3 time Gold Medal winning Pickleball National Champion (Singles, Mixed Doubles)

·  2 time Silver Medal winning Pickleball National Champion Runner-up (Doubles, Mixed Doubles

Kristin is Co-captain of APP Masters Pro Team for the 2024 season.

Bob and Elizabeth Higginbottom are the Head Pros and Department Heads at Beech Mountain Country Club in Beech Mountain, NC. 

They began running the BMC Pickleball Center the year it opened in 2015.

Under their guidance, the Center operates a full calendar of daily and weekly pickleball activities, private lessons, and hosts numerous events throughout the season, such as mixers, festivals and tournaments.

Bob and Elizabeth began playing pickleball in 2007, traveling around the country in their RV to feed their addiction. Each has attained a USAPA legacy tournament rating of 4.5 through medals won at various tournaments throughout the country.  They began teaching 13 years ago. Bob is a level 1 and level 2 IPTPA-certified teaching professional as well as a Certified Ratings Specialist.  Elizabeth has served on the board of the Pickleball Hall of Fame as well as chairing the PHOF Nominating Committee.  She has run numerous large tournaments, including the inaugural PHOFC in Dripping Springs, TX. 

GIGI LEMASTER HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE 2021 Gigi began playing pickleball in 2011 and worked her way through the various skill levels to reach the PRO level in 2013 when she won both events in the first-ever professional Tournament of Champions with the biggest prize purse ever paid out at that time for a Tournament. She has won over two hundred Gold Medals, a 6-time US Open Champion, and a twelve-time Nationals Medalist. Gigi has medaled in all of the major tournaments from 2011-2023. She is a five-time International Champion, having won titles in Canada, Finland, and the Netherlands.  In 2021, Gigi was inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame. A Certified International Teaching Professional, she helped grow the sport as a USAP Ambassador & Certified Referee for the first 10 years of her career.

Jodie Merrill has been teaching for 4 years and assisting pickleball players who are ready to launch their skills to a higher level. She uses knowledge, creativity and drills that promote the most enjoyable ways to improve.  Her engaging personality is a bonus and she is delightful both on and off the court! With Jodie as your instructor, you will find that fun and learning go hand in hand.  

Some notable past accomplishments include GOLD in the USAPA Mid Atlantic 4.5 WD; GOLD in the 35+ WD open division at the NC Open; GOLD in 4.5 WD at the River Run Grand Prixe Indoor; SILVER in 4.5MXD at the Atlantic South Regional; and BRONZE in 4.5 WD at the US Open!

Chris Powers is a four-time Nationals Gold medal champion as well as three-time Silver medalist. She competes around the country at the Super Senior Pro level. She competes in the Mixed Doubles and Women’s Doubles categories. She has competed in over 80 tournaments including Nationals in Indian Wells, California, and the U.S. Open located in Naples, Florida. She has won over 200 medals in the four years she has competed. Chris resides in Aiken, South Carolina with her four horses, three dogs, and two pickleball courts. She conducts lessons and camps at her farm called Two Sisters Farm. She loves to teach and her students range from complete beginners to those who play competitively. Chris also runs free pickleball retreats for women diagnosed with any type of cancer through her organization, Women Beyond Cancer.