Local players help Drivers to win first NPL championship
By RICHIE HALL
Imagine being in your 50s and getting the chance to be part of a championship sports team.
Ken Julian of Westfield got to do that last year. He was a member of the Indy Drivers, one of the teams in the new National Pickleball League. The NPL was established in 2022 as the first pro pickleball league, featuring players ages 50 and up.
The NPL was founded by three champion pickleball players, including one with local ties. Rick Witsken, a two-time tennis state champion for Carmel High School, joined Beth Bellamy and Michael “Hammer Mike” Chen in founding the league. Indianapolis was one of the six cities with an NPL team, joining Denver, Oklahoma City, Austin (Texas) and Boca Raton and Naples (both in Florida).
The Drivers are owned by the husband-and-wife team of Phil Cohn and Paula Nahmias. Cohn was a student of Witsken’s, and he returned the favor by selecting Witsken as the No. 1 overall pick in the first NPL Draft.
The Drivers became the first champions of the new league last season during the NPL’s first-ever championship weekend, which took place Oct. 13 to 15 at Chicken N Pickle in Glendale, Ariz. The Drivers beat the Austin Ignite by winning seven consecutive matches; the mixed doubles team of Kim Jagd and Tao Thongvanh came back to win the match and clinch the team championship.
“We had an incredible lineup,” said Cohn. “At the onset, we had four of the best women players in the entire world.”
“We were a little surprised that we made it to the finals,” said Cohn. “We were taking on a giant known as Austin.” However, Cohn said the team “had a pretty smart strategy going on,” as the Drivers mixed up their lineup when they took on the Ignite.
And it worked.
“We were elated, it was a great feeling,” said Cohn. “I was surprised, but not shocked.”
“Even from day one, as Phil said, I went around telling my family and friends, we have this professional team and we are winners,” said Nahmias. “I knew for some reason going in we were going to win the championships.”
Team camaraderie was an essential part of the victory, and Cohn credits Nahmias for helping to keep everyone together. Every Saturday night, Nahmias would set up what amounts to a team restaurant that served as a getaway for the team. Cohn said that “seemed to garner in real time like everyone could be an extended family to one another.”
“My wife is the absolute queen of bringing people together,” said Cohn.
“The Saturday evening dinners, I made a point to put together a comfortable spread for the entire team,” said Nahmias. “As we ended the Saturday night, everyone made a point to let each other know how much fun they had.”
Pickleball has grown exponentially over the past few years, and it’s no surprise that people with previous athletic experience take to the game quickly. Julian, 57, is one of those people. He played tennis and basketball in high school, continuing to play those sports into adulthood.
Julian began playing pickleball about three years ago and was hooked after one or two times on the court. “I’m highly competitive,” he said. “I was looking for an activity to do.”
Julian then started playing in local tournaments, wanting to see how far he could go in this new sport. He was drafted by the Indy Drivers after connecting with Witsken and going through the combines.
There was more to pickleball than just playing for Julian. He has Parkinson’s disease, and keeping active helps him manage it.
“Outside of medicine, exercise and activity is the best thing you can do for the disease,” said Julian. “Cardio, balance, eye-hand coordination. It’s important to do those. Pickleball is a perfect sport. It’s helped me push back on the disease.”
Witsken and Julian will be back with the Drivers this season. They will be joined by another local player, Carmel’s Heather Iffert. Cohn said they drafted Dan Wuerffel, a former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, but traded him for Witsken.
“It’s nice to be the defending champions going in with this team,” said Cohn.
The 2024 NPL will have double the teams this season with 12. All six of last year’s teams are back in the league, and they are now competing with franchises in Columbus (Ohio), Houston, Seattle, Coachella Valley, Kansas City and Princeton.
The NPL began its season May 17 with its Chicago tournament, which took place at Pickle Haus in Algonquin. The league’s next event is June 21-23, the NPL Columbus tournament that takes place at Paddle Taps in Worthington (Ohio).