May 12, 2024, 2:38 p.m.
All right guys, that's a wrap! We put the exclamation mark on the 2024 APP Vlasic Classic - Cincinnati here, got the gold medal, my first gold medal actually on the APP Tour, with Rob Nunnery. He carried me to victory on one leg. He's got a bad knee but we played awesome. And I didn't have time to get my wife a Mother's Day present -don't kill me - but I gave her my gold medal and we're going to dinner tonight to celebrate. My kids also got silver in the mixed doubles 3.0, they lost to the best 3.0 girl in the country in the final, but it was a great match and they played awesome. Awesome weekend for the DeHeart family! Thanks so much for following along and reading this blog and stay with us here on the APP Tour. We have a lot more stuff to come. And Happy Mother's Day!
May 12, 2024, 10:57 a.m.
All right, so we have the final day here in Cincinnati. Trying to finish strong, as I always say.
We're all a little bit tired I think from early mornings and lots of playing. Lily woke up a little sore yesterday after fighting a bunch of matches and she ended up pulling out the gold medal and a really tough match against this lady who looked like she was a marathon runner - she was a human backboard and it was a great match. I was really proud of Lily, how she fought, and more importantly just battled the whole way through and was super tough out there. It was awesome for her to see the fruits of her labor and get the gold medal. Then J.R. finished with bronze in 3.0 with his partner. There were just a couple of teams that were a little too good, but they played really well and fought hard. That was a new partner for him, so it was fun to play with that kid.
Today the kids are battling again, they're playing mixed doubles together. They won their first match, lost their second match, and they're fighting pretty hard. The last match that the kids played, I jokingly said that their opponent was the best 3.0 in the country because she's by far the best 3.0 I've ever seen. She was clearly a very good tennis player. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt that this was her first tournament but she should not be playing 3.0. It's funny that you see this quite often and I want to make a shirt that says "if you're a good tennis player, don't sign up for 3.0, start at 3.5 or 4.0." It's kind of ridiculous how these people think that they're 3.0 level when they're just coming out ripping balls, and this girl looked like she had played college tennis even so it was comical. What can you do? But I think it is important to educate and not be one of those clear sandbaggers out there.
Anyway, I have my final coming up soon, so I'm getting ready for Championship Sunday and looking forward to battling today, win or lose. I think if I get the gold, it's icing on the cake. I'm happy to be here playing pickleball for a living so let's get it done.
May 11, 2024, 2:40 p.m.
I'm pumped to be in Championship Sunday! Every time you get there, you have to cherish it because it doesn't happen that much. It's an honor to play on Championship Sunday. I played a good first game and then a very shaky second game in the beginning and that's why we pick good partners, to pick you up and carry you for a little bit. Then I got back settled and started playing ball at the end and it was good to finish, we finished strong in the end and yeah, we gotta take the momentum over to tomorrow. Time to cheer on the rest of the fam and have a good rest of the day here. Let's let's get it done!
May 11, 2024, 1:22 p.m.
Well, that was great to get a quarterfinal win - it had been a while! So awesome to get through to the semi finals. I was pretty pumped about that win - it was a very, very tight match. Those guys were really tricky. Eric, the taller guy, was just reading everything we did and flicking backhands down the line and middle and it was so hard to figure out what he was doing. I dove for one ball and left some skin out there - skin and blood or you're not competing - but unfortunately we didn't win that point but my effort level, I was trying to focus on that, and I feel like it was a 10. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and we got that one done barely. So that was a big win for me, for my morale, I needed that one, and looking forward to keeping it going now in the semi finals. The kids are starting soon and Megan is on Championship Court, so all the rest of the fam is underway. We're hopefully having a good day here and finishing strong.
May 11, 2024, 11:39 a.m.
Good to get that first W off of a pretty long rain delay. Tournaments, they can be tough because you're playing three days in a row or sometimes four days in a row
early, so just getting up again and doing all that and then having the rain delay, it's always challenging, but no excuses. You gotta go out there and get ready and battle and compete like a champion every day. That's the goal. We got the bye and then we got our first match done. Those guys were good players. Everybody's good, so you have to fight. You have to kind of expect a tough match every match you play now, because everybody's so good.
We had delays there in that match because Rob was upset with the the guy's paddle. There are some new paddles that are very hot. They have a new technology and it's just extremely powerful. Some people think it's a little bit of a cheat code for getting a ton of power and that the paddles are kind of dangerous. This is something that will have to be addressed. There are other companies in the past that have had paddles like this and then they get banned later on or they get regulated. My main point is that, people need to talk about that and look at the fact that just because the paddles get banned later on, it doesn't mean that it's okay.
So anyway, quarters now, Lily is playing singles today, and Megan's going on for doubles before that, and then J.R. has doubles later as well. So just rolling through the day.
May 11, 2024: 8:01 a.m.
J.R. ended up winning the gold medal yesterday, which was awesome. He actually lost to that guy 15-3 in the round robin and then I coached him up a bit, gave him some tough love and I think it actually worked. I'm not always the best coach but I think yesterday I did a pretty good job and got him fired up for the final and he ended up winning in three games. He lost the first game and then came back and won, which was awesome, I'm so happy for him. That's definitely his first gold medal in singles, 3.0, and just seeing him make progress has been super fun and rewarding for all of us. Then Megan pulled out the bronze medal and fought hard till the end so that was a solid day and then we have doubles today, a new opportunity a new day, and last chance to make Championship Sunday. So I'm trying to get motivated and getting ready to go out and warm up and get the body going again. Lily plays singles and J.R. has doubles today so it'll be another jam-packed day, and then Megan is obviously playing doubles as well. So lots to play and lots to watch - another another solid day here at the 2024 APP Vlasic Classic - Cincinnati!
May 10, 2024: 6:30 p.m.
So it's 6:30 p.m. and I'm still at the courts eating popcorn and pickles. I had a little apple Danish over there too, but basically I'm starving but still standing here, and my wife, Megan, is playing for bronze now so hopefully she can get that done on Championship Court. Lily did not go through her round robin bracket unfortunately, in 3.0/3.5 combined, but she had a good day and they played better as they went, so that was good. I think the moment of the day was J.R. He lost to this guy in the round robin 15-3, got overpowered, but just wasn't playing well. He was upset, and kind of lost the match before it was over, really. Then I talked to him afterwards and we had a good conversation, I gave him some tough love about how he needs to play tougher and hit the ball the right way and just do things the right way and not beat himself out there and not be too emotional. I'm also looking in the mirror sometimes when I say this to the kids, but anyway, he came out, played that guy in the semifinals and beat him 15 to 10, so that was a win for dad as coach and for J.R. and for the family. We were proud of him, so that was a cool thing. And now he's about to play for the gold in 3.0, so we'll see what happens there. And then eventually...we will have dinner.
May 10, 2024, 3:21 p.m.
That was an extremely frustrating match. We won the first game 11-0, came out great, but honestly that's like, I think it's five quarterfinals - no probably six quarterfinals I've lost in a row coming back from the US Open for quarterfinals that week. And then singles yesterday, and then again today. It's just incredibly frustrating to not hold one of those matches out. I don't know why I can't get it done. It's just it's really frustrating, my shot selection at the end of that second game was so poor like I'm hitting a lob, instead of just staying in the point and just dinking. Like, when in doubt, just dink the freaking ball in the court, it's not that hard. So yeah, I don't know what to say about that. My daughter's playing and she won her last match 17-15, so that's good. And then Megan is through to the semi finals, so as usual, the DeHeart family is carrying the dad that can't win a match.
May 10, 2024, 10:54 a.m.
A great first match for us. We got a bye in the first round, so it's always tricky when you get a bye. A lot of people think it's an advantage, but it's only an advantage if you win your next match, in a way. I know I said I was trying not to focus on results, but you're obviously thinking about winning out there. We're all competitive and the bye is tough because the other team already played a match. So they have a little bit of confidence. They got one match under their belt, and we're coming out in our first match. Luckily, Bobbi and I've played together many times, and we know each other well. But we went down 5-8 in that first game, they were playing really well. They're very good, very tough opponents and we got it back and got that first game and then we kept the momentum going throughout. So that was a nice one, to get that that win there and get some confidence. Like I said, Bobbi is a great partner, and she's just carrying me. Now I'm gonna watch my wife play here. She also had a bye and this team's good so this will also be a tough match for them. Everybody's good. Every match is a battle, you have to go out and whoever's more sharp on the day is gonna win. So let's keep it going.
May 10, 2024, 9:25 a.m.
So yesterday was kind of a tough day in singles. I feel like both Megan and I didn't get the results that we really wanted. Megan's usually in the final and I was proud of her that she kept fighting and got bronze even though she lost a tough one in the semis. I lost kind of a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals, and then that guy that I lost to is in the final, so that was kind of tough for me, mentally, and I was kind of upset with myself because at the end of that match, I got a little negative and got down on myself. So today I'm kind of rebounding. I was reading a chapter in my book, "Habits That Make a Champion" by my good friend, Allistair McCall. He has this champion-minded thing. I wear the wristband to remind me just to stay positive out there. I played pro tennis for about six years, as some people will know, and I feel like pickleball is actually even more mental sometimes than tennis. So you always have to remind yourself to be positive and I'm always trying to find a little reinforcement. So I read a chapter in that book about controlling the controllables and I'm trying to focus on that today. Then I put "ExAmple" on my wrist, I always have these little reminders. For me, I have be a good example for my kids when I'm out there because my kids are always around and if I'm negative and getting mad, it's not a good example for them. So I have to always remind myself that, but I slip up like everyone else. Anyway, today's a new day, I'm resetting and getting ready to get out there.
I know some people want to know what we do to get ready for matches. This morning, it was cold. The weather changed crazy from yesterday, it went from hot and humid to cold this morning. So we have all of our stuff with the kids and Megan and the crew in the RV getting our warm clothes out and all that. And now the sun's coming out so I'm doing sunblock and getting ready. There are a lot of things, like hydrating. Last night I think I couldn't go to bed because you're wired sometimes after playing. I didn't go to bed till like 11:30-12 and I was hydrating because I was like, twitching a little bit from singles, and so hydrating, all the details to get ready, getting your equipment ready, all that stuff has to get done. But we each have our own bag. So we kind of try to stay organized like that and just have everything that we need and the kids are getting better as they get older at being a little more organized so we don't have to worry about everything for them as much which makes it easier.
Today's a new day. My partner today is one of my favorite people to play with, Bobbi Oshiro. She's super positive. I need that because I was kind of negative yesterday, but when I play doubles I'm a lot better because when you play singles you're by yourself. So it's easy to have those demons in your head and you're the only voice you hear. But this morning, already practicing with Bobbi, she's so positive that I get to hear her voice instead of my own, which is nice. So I'm looking forward to that today. And I hope that we can have a nice tournament but either way, I'm not focusing on results and I'm going to focus only on the stuff I can control, which is my effort and my attitude. That's my main focus today.
May 9, 2024, 1:17 p.m.
Megan won a bronze medal in women's pro singles - I think it was a hard-fought match. I didn't see a lot because I was on the court. For me, that was a horrible match, I played terrible. There's not much to say, the guy's a good player. But I didn't make balls and I played terrible and this sport is incredibly frustrating sometimes. At times like these I want to just break everything I have. So that's it for today.
May 9, 2024, 11.59 a.m.
So I just pulled out a tough three-game match. My first match I got a bye, so that was my first match. That guy was tricky, I'd never seen him play before. It's always hard to play people that you've never seen obviously, and he beat a good player in the first round, so I was lucky to get that one done in three. It was also a little distracting because my wife was in a battle right behind me - the court behind me - in her semifinal match. She unfortunately lost in three games to Simone, but it was a great match. In my first game, I don't think I've ever done that, but I served before the score or during the score being called out because I was trying to watch Megan's point. I was just very distracted. It's hard to play when we're both playing at the same time, so that's always tricky. But now I have the quarterfinals coming up and then Megan will play for bronze. So we're just trying to battle - singles is high emotions, very tough, and can be stressful at times just being out there all by yourself. A lot of respect for the people that go out there and put it on the line in singles. I like to be the oldest guy in the draw. I don't know if I am, but hopefully I am because then I try to just beat up on the young guys if I can and get a couple good wins, and it's fun. You see what you're made of out there, so it's good.
May 9, 2024, 9:48 a.m.
Hey guys, welcome to the blog! We're in Cincinnati at The Pickle Lodge this morning. Rain was in the forecast so we came indoors. This is a super nice facility, actually. We have eight courts here for the APP tournament and we have singles today. My wife, Megan, started at 9:00, so we had a pretty early start to the day. I think we left our RV around 6:30, so I had to get the whole crew up and ready and take the dogs out. It's always a process getting here, having all of our stuff, because all four of us are playing in the tournament. My wife had a good first match, she won in straights, so I'm just watching her, supporting her, and then I'm going to go on here in about 30 minutes or so. Check back in with you guys after.
