Jeremy Bourgeois' Pickleball Journey So Far

I wanted to write this blog to share what my pickleball journey has been so far. There's been ups and down, wins and losses but overall it's awesome. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I'll see you on the courts!

‍

2023

If you had asked me in May of 2023 where pickleball would fit into my life, I would’ve shrugged and said it was just something my Dad wanted to try. I didn’t even want to play, but my Dad convinced me to. We grabbed what we had, which was a pair of Gamma Twister paddles and a single pickleball we’d found in the bushes next to the courts, and went out to see what pickleball was all about.

That first session was rough. I could barely hit the ball. My hand-eye coordination was awful, and I remember swinging and missing over and over, feeling completely out of sync with what should’ve been a pretty simple motion. There was no strategy, no technique, no understanding of the game at all. Just two people hitting a plastic ball around, trying to keep a rally alive. That was May 2023, the very first time I ever picked up a paddle.

For the rest of that year, pickleball stayed pretty casual. I played a bit in June, a bit in July, then again in September, October, and November. There was no consistency yet, no real intention behind it. It was something we did when we felt like it, when the courts were open, or when the community rallied together for some evening fun. In December 2023, we bought new paddles for Christmas, which felt like an upgrade at the time, but still, the mindset hadn’t shifted. I was playing, not training.

‍

2024

That shift came in January 2024. My dad watched a video about the third shot drop, and instead of just talking about it, we went out and tried to actually learn it. That was the first time we ever drilled. He stood up at the kitchen, I stayed back, and we just hit forehand drops and backhand drops over and over, switching roles, missing a lot, adjusting little things without really knowing what we were adjusting yet. All I knew was that the third shot was supposed to be a drop instead of a drive, and that it needed to land in the kitchen. That was it. But that moment mattered, because it introduced the idea that improvement didn’t just happen automatically, you had to work at it.

From there, things slowly started to change. If there weren’t enough players for games, we’d drill. Throughout 2024, I started playing more consistently, then daily. Pickleball stopped being a once or twice a week thing and became part of my routine. I picked up a CRBN 1X 14mm, which was my first real paddle, and I started watching a lot of YouTube coaching videos.

In September 2024, we went up to Orlando for the JOOLA Pickleball Celebration. That trip opened my eyes in a big way. I got to meet Ben Johns and Collin Johns for the first time, see the pro environment up close, and learn a ton just by being around people who lived and breathed the sport at a high level. I also picked up the JOOLA Mod TA-15 there, which felt like another step forward. That weekend made pickleball feel bigger than just local courts and pickup games. It made it feel like something you could really chase.

When we got back, conversations started shifting. My dad had always wanted to build pickleball courts, but in November 2024, we started talking seriously about doing it as a business, not just a for-fun project. That’s when Palmera Pickleball was started. From that point on, training became more deliberate. I wasn’t just playing for fun anymore, I was trying to improve with intention, because now there was something tangible being built alongside my development as a player.

‍

2025

March 2025 I played my first PPA tournament. I played 3.5 singles and finished with a silver medal. I won’t lie, that silver hurt. But it was also a great experience, and it showed me exactly where I stood. Over the rest of 2025, I played six or seven more tournaments, picked up a lot more silver medals, and no gold. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was honest. Most of that year was spent competing and learning what it would take to level up.

In September 2025, we went back to the annual JOOLA Pickleball Celebration, but this time with a different purpose. My dad and I took the RPO Level 1 coaching workshop, and Collin Johns actually taught part of it in person. It was a cool full-circle moment. I completed the course and officially received my RPO Level 1 certification in October, which marked a shift from just playing and competing to also teaching and understanding the game from a coaching perspective.

The end of 2025 was busy. In October I signed an ambassador agreement with RPM Pickleball, which is pro player James Ignatowich's own paddle company. In November, we headed to the PPA World Championships in Dallas, repping RPM, competing at 4.5, and just enjoying being part of something that big. Toward the end of November, I also signed on as an ambassador with BODHI Performance, who make grips and other pickleball accessories that I genuinely like and use.

‍

2026

Most recently, in January 2026, I became an ambassador for Pilla Eyewear, a brand that sponsors players like Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright. Around the same time, I was accepted into the RPM social media sponsorship program, which is something I’m really excited about as I continue to grow both as a player and as someone involved in the pickleball business space.

Looking ahead, I’ll be working with Rancho Santana to give pickleball lessons at their courts while we wait for the Palmera courts to be completed. I’m also planning to pursue my RPO Level 2 certification around April or May, which will be fun.

More than anything, I’m just really grateful. Thankful for the opportunities, for the people who support me, and for how far this has already gone. Back in May 2023, swinging and missing at a ball with an old paddle, I never would’ve believed this is where I’d be now. And I know this isn’t anywhere near the end. There’s still a lot of work to do, and a lot more I want to achieve. So I’ll keep showing up, keep training, and see where this path leads.

‍