by Amy Bauer

A stroke of luck landed BCBSKS Group Sales Advisor Todd Chapple a spot at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, but his hard work and skill earned him a gold medal spot on the podium in the 4.0 men’s singles championship in late April.

A lifelong athlete with a strong competitive streak, Todd started playing pickleball for fun during the pandemic but began getting serious about the game two and a half years ago. Since then, he’s been practicing faithfully, working with coaches and seeking opportunities to compete and advance his skills.

Making the pickleball pilgrimage

“The U.S. Open is like Christmas for pickleballers,” Todd said of the event in Naples, Florida, that attracts around 50,000 people annually and features both amateur and professional players. “They have 60 dedicated courts – not tennis courts with taped lines – vendors, food trucks. It was fun to see it firsthand.”

Todd entered the lottery for a spot at the 2025 U.S. Open Pickleball Championships – not only the most prestigious pickleball tournament but billed as The Biggest Pickleball Party in the World® – at the urging of one of his coaches and was selected in the second round. Todd had played in just two other singles tournaments prior.

He took second place at a Professional Pickleball Association tournament in Kansas City last August and third in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles at the National Championships in Dallas in November, where he also competed in singles but didn’t place.

Serving up power plays

While Todd had spent months preparing and always goes into play with an optimistic attitude, his win in his age bracket (55-59) in the double-elimination U.S. Open tournament wasn’t a sure thing.

“I won the first game of the finals pretty easily, then the Florida heat and humidity got to me and I ran out of gas,” Todd said. “After I lost the second game, I inhaled a Quest protein bar and got my second wind.

“The third game was a battle, but I felt pretty confident I was going to come out on top.”

In pickleball, games are played to 11 points, and up to three games are played in a match, where the best two of three wins. Unlike tennis, points are earned only on one’s own serve. Rankings from 1 to 5+ indicate players’ skill level – ratings above 4.0 are typically considered advanced.

“The win felt amazing,” Todd said. “After months of training and hard work, the ultimate goal was accomplished.”

Todd also competed at the U.S. Open in the 4.5 men’s doubles (50+), with partner Jeff Oliver, owner of Oliver Electric in Lawrence and a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas customer.

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“The U.S. Open is like Christmas for pickleballers.” – Todd Chapple

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Practicing for pickleball perfection

Todd attends a weekly singles clinic at 5 a.m. Monday mornings in Kansas City with coach Mike Wolf, who coaches the No. 1 men’s singles player, Federico Staksrud, and Jack Sock, a former pro tennis player. (“My wife thought I was crazy for getting up that early.”) He also takes private lessons with aspiring pickleball pro Claudio Quinones, from Ottawa.

“The time spent paid off,” Todd said. “I’m very lucky to have access to both of these amazing coaches.”

The sport has drawn interest from a number of past tennis players – including Andre Agassi, who was a featured player at the U.S. Open, where he played in the mixed doubles pro division with 18-year-old pro pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters, the top women’s player in the U.S. The pair ultimately lost in their second match, but Todd said Agassi’s matches were a sold out draw at the event.

Pivoting as a player

Todd’s a former tennis standout himself, having played as a walk-on with the University of Kansas tennis team in college.

Though he jokes: “You’ve heard the phrase, ‘he had a cup of coffee in the majors (baseball)’ – I had a cup of espresso on the KU tennis team. I walked on my sophomore year, played a handful of JV matches and never saw any varsity time.”

Still, the connections he made at KU were invaluable, and he remains in touch with the head coach.

After tennis, Todd worked to master golf, taking lessons, playing in tournaments and achieving a 2.5 handicap before discovering pickleball.

Pursuing fun and fitness

Todd’s enjoyed multiple benefits from the sport – physical, mental and social.

“For one, it has gotten me back into shape and active again,” said Todd, crediting a 27-pound weight loss and improved bloodwork to the sport. “Two, it has provided an avenue of competition, which I like to have. Three, it has probably doubled my friend circle.”

Todd loves playing with and meeting people from across Lawrence and Kansas City – and around the U.S. – who are similarly passionate about the rapidly growing sport.

Promoting pickleball participation

He also sometimes plays with fellow BCBSKS teammates Nikhila Suraneni, Group Reporting Data Consultant, and Surya Rao, a contractor in the IT Department, both of whom Todd describes as great players.

He encourages anyone interested in the sport to get out and give it a try.

“It’s a really fun game and, barring injury, you can play it forever,” Todd said.

Evenings and weekends, you’ll continue to find Todd on the courts at Elite Tennis and Wellness in Kansas City and Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence. He’s got his next goal already in his sights: gold at the next level, the 4.5 men’s singles at the 2026 U.S. Open.

Dream matchup in the works?

Todd plays pickleball with Brad Penny, a former Major League baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who’s now part of the pickleball circuit and works with one of the national pickleball brands that also sponsors Andre Agassi in the sport.

Todd said there’s been talk of a matchup between Penny and Agassi – and if that takes place, he may have the potential to tag along.

If so, Todd said, he’s ready to pack his tennis racket in addition to his pickleball paddle.

“I’ll gladly go play pickleball with Andre as long as I get to hit tennis balls with Steffi,” he said, referring to Agassi’s wife, former professional tennis standout Steffi Graf.

🏓Sport is surging 🏓

• 19.8M to 48.3M
  Number of pickleball players in the U.S., according to two different pickleball associations

• 311%
  Pickleball’s average growth rate over the past three years
  

• 34.8
  Average player age
  

• 24-35
  Largest age bracket of pickleball players (28.8% of total)
  

• 16,289
  Number of places to play pickleball in the U.S.

Source: Pickleheads

Path to Nationals: Recent wins

This past weekend (May 14-18), Todd played in the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket, dubbed “The Path to Nationals” in Overland Park, Kansas, where he took first in three events:

• He and doubles partner John Cayton, of Lawrence, won first in the 4.5 men’s (55+) doubles.

• Todd took first place in the 4.5 men’s (40+) singles.

• Todd and partner Cassie Aiello, of Overland Park, took first in the 4.5 mixed (40+) doubles.

These wins secure Todd the opportunity to play at the USA Pickleball Nationals in San Diego, from Nov. 15-23.