Doug Dvorak is well known in the realm of pickleball as a premier senior player and instructor. His expertise is widely acknowledged, and he is among the inaugural instructors certified by PCI—Pickleball Coaching International.
4.0-4.5 Level
He also holds a lofty position as Head Pickleball Teaching Professional at Tamarack Resort in his hometown of Donnelly, Idaho. However, his achievements extend beyond mere certification. Doug boasts a remarkable track record of triumphs in regional, national, and global tournaments. He competes at a 4.0-4.5 level and has gold medals to his name in prestigious events such as the Idaho State Senior Games and the Huntsman World Senior Championships.
Doug is also extensively involved with individuals, pairs, groups, clubs, and prominent pickleball publications. His instructional efforts cover diverse skill levels and group sizes, demonstrating his versatility and commitment to advancing the sport. Doug’s reach also extends far and wide, with engagements lined up at various clubs and resorts across the United States and abroad.
Trilogy Of Terror
Doug’s larger-than-life personality means he likes nothing more than to seek out new and exciting challenges:
“I’ve always been an adrenaline junkie,” he says. “I’ve done what I call the Trilogy of Terror: I’ve skydived, bungee jumped, and done hang gliding in my 20s.”
He claims to have “dialed it down a little bit” in recent years. Still, as USA Pickleball reports, Dvorak, who has also been a successful salesperson and motivational speaker, will never be accused of leading a quiet life. His next big adventure, slated for the end of this year or early 2025, will be traveling to space. Yes, you read that right: space.
He will travel inside a pressured cabin attached to a specialized balloon and rise into the stratosphere to a height of about 100,000 feet—around 19 miles up. The cabin will take off from the Grand Canyon area and take about 2-3 hours to reach the maximum altitude. It then spends about four hours there before making a controlled descent back down to Earth.
A Significant Place
Dvorak’s reason for doing this adventure is of great personal significance.
“It’s the educational component that fascinates me,” he says. “I harken back to the first moon landing and the picture of Mother Earth and the overwhelming narrative that the astronaut gave. Just to be up there and see that, and that experience coupled with the growing realization that there are eight billion people (here) and capitalism or whatever system we are in — it’s unsustainable.”
Pickleball holds a significant place in Dvorak’s heart. It has been his passion for over a decade now since he relocated to Idaho from the Chicago area. Having excelled at racquetball during his teenage years and into his 20s, the allure of another racquet sport with the added attraction of reduced physical strain was irresistible.
Mental And Physical Well-Being
His journey has been marked by triumph over squamous cell carcinoma and conquering addiction, putting into context the paramount importance he places on maintaining both mental and physical well-being.
“Pickleball at a competitive level is very similar to racquetball,” he said. But pickleball is easier on the body for an old guy like me. Playing singles or doubles in racquetball involves a lot of diving!
“I think the additive component (to pickleball over racquetball) is, as you know, if you’ve got aging parents or grandparents, loneliness is a disease and a killer in this country—we create community with pickleball. Oh, even rec play or competitive play. They are wonderful people. It’s still competitive, but it’s a party. It’s a social party with activity.”
Always Travels With Pickleball Gear
Dvorak always travels with his pickleball gear to keep fit and make new friends. Even flight delays present him with a way to pass the time, and he likes to see what pickleball offerings there are when he travels.
“I’m frequently on flights that are delayed for 40 minutes or two hours, and I see people are going to the bar and getting sloshed or pouting,” Dvorak says. “So I go into a corner with my foam ball, and I drill. And if I get a free afternoon, like last year in April in Malta, I went online, found where to play pickleball [and] got paired up with the Malta national team. In Beirut, I found an expat who started a great pickleball club. It’s so much fun.”
