Hidden Gems: Meet Charlie White of LUNAR Pickleball USA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlie White.

Hi Charlie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey into pickleball began after retiring from the Team USA Beach Handball team. I originally wanted to pursue tennis as a way to stay active but I found it hard to find partners. My former beach handball teammate Andres Espinosa had told me about pickleball and how they played it at his firestation on their downtime. I also saw former Team USA Olympian Casey Paterson getting into it. I thought I might look into it as well. It took a little while for me to actually play. After thinking about it for a year the owner of the gym I went to almost every day, Kenny Nguyen from Motion Fitness in Irvine, invited me to join him and few others at a local indoor facility. I had a blast! The rest as they say is history and pickleball has become a big part of my life.

Over the course of a year I got to take lessons with my wife, start competing in local rec tournaments, got to meet lots of players and take lessons with pros like Marcel Chan & Phuc Huyn through the Vietamese American Pickleball Association (VAPA), joined the Los Cab Athletic club in Fountain Valley, starting playing in Pro Pickleball Association tournaments (PPA), got to meet many pro players, went to an amazing pickleball camp in Mexico with top Pro in the world Tyson McGuffin and even got signed as a sponsored athlete with LUNAR pickleball, a paddle and gear company expanding into the American market. Local players started calling me the “T1000” from the Terminator movies and I’ve come to embrace it. All part of the fun.

It’s been a wild ride getting to start a new sport. From competing with the best in the world at beach handball to starting from the bottom with no real racquet sport background other than tennis lessons as a kid and ping pong growing up with neighborhood friends. I also played Division 1 soccer which doesn’t really translate. It’s been humbling learning something new but also very enjoyable. I’ve also really enjoyed getting to meet so many people! The sport is so accessible and more and more places to play are popping up.

I love getting to attend pickleball events and have even helped host a few with LUNAR and Court & Crew here in Orange County. I even had the opportunity to coach kids and introduce them to the sport. I’m looking to travel and connect more with people through this fun, social sport! It’s been fun to see it taking off here in my community and across the world. I’ve also been working with the LUNAR team as the LUNAR USA pickleball Social Event / Media Manager and I love seeing all our athletes competing in tournaments all over the world!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I want to do it all and there just isn’t enough time. If I could I would also join all the local clubs like Newport TTC, Tustin Hills Racquetball Club and Los Cab. I would also play in the PPA, APP, CAPA and every local tournament like the super fun Streetball tournament! Unfortunately the costs continue to rise and I need to prioritize what I can do. It can get expensive so I continue to look for sponsors or opportunities to work with companies to defer all the costs. LUNAR has been awesome to help me on my journey with paddles and gear.

I’ve also already had a few injuries playing on the hard courts. I love to jump! I think it comes from other sports but I really don’t need to do it in pickleball. Just like many others who have discovered the sport I will play for hours and hours.

I also maintain a full time job making video games at Blizzard Entertainment. I love and have always wanted to work there. Currently I am on the Diablo IV game team. It takes up most of my time and of course I only get so many vacation days per year.

As you know, we’re big fans of LUNAR Pickleball USA. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
LUNAR pickleball isn’t a traditional pickleball paddle company. Most of its growth has been completely organic, built from the community and a love for the game. When you join the LUNAR team you’re joining what really feels like a family.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Stay humble and coachable! I have so much to learn! It’s been an honor to work with coaches like Marcel Chan and Tyson McGuffin. There are so many great players and pros. I always appreciate getting on the court and focusing on the game. I was a world class athlete in different sport and pickleball can humble me real quick! I appreciate it and feel like there is a lot of room for growth. As my skill increases so does my ability to strategically play the game.

The other lesson is to not take it so seriously, at the end of the day I’m just out here to have fun, meet new people and have cool experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lunarpickleball.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlie_white/