Hi, my name is Riley Bohnert and I live in Louisville, KY. For as long as I remember, I’ve been competing in one sport or another. Soccer, Swimming, Triathlons, Basketball, and now Pickleball. I loved every sport I played, but I’ve never loved anything as much as I love pickleball. I remember telling my Dad that even after a bad day on the courts at APP Chicago in 2021. It was that weekend that I decided, I wanted to focus on Pickleball, and the next thing I knew, I was winning a singles National Championship at Indian Wells, CA on my 17th Birthday. That was a very good day! Unfortunately, not every day is that good for a teenage girl, and I had my share of really bad days during COVID. We were lucky enough to have a tennis court in our backyard, we started playing pickleball almost every day during lockdown. But being trapped at home without a soccer or swim team was very difficult for me. I’m not sure what I would have done without pickleball and my two best friends, my sisters Tatum and Sky being there for me. After that summer, I played my first pickleball tournament in October with a family friend, JoJo. And WE WON! I didn’t play another tournament until May 2021 when my Dad asked me to fill in for my Mom as his Mixed Doubles partner. We won our first two matches. I had so much fun on the court, but even more fun off the court. I told my Dad that day how great pickleball tournaments were because of all the fun people that you meet. Win or lose, I’ve loved every tournament I’ve played. My Mom and I won our first tournament together in 4.5 at the 2021 APP Indianapolis Open and at the same tournament the next year, my Mom and I won the Pro Division! I love competing but I also love sharing the joy of pickleball with others. In my Junior year of High School, I started a Pickleball Club, it is now the largest club at my school. This year, we even had a Sold Out Mixed Doubles tournament for high school kids. The APP Tour started a series of Tournaments for younger Pros called “Next Gen”. It is absolutely my favorite part of Pickleball. While competing for real prize money, we have come together as one big family. Thanks to NextGen, I now have friends all around the country and it has given me the confidence to travel on my own because I know my “Next Gen Family” will be there for me. I’m 18 now and starting to learn the business side of pickleball, but I will always remember how pickleball and my family gets me through those tough days. I am so excited to continue training, competing, and hopefully medaling at the highest level of pickleball, but I’m even more excited for all the fun people I’ll get to know through pickleball.