Will Howells: Leaving the APP, Teaming Up With Anna Leigh Waters, and His Cocky Mentality | S4 E9
Pickleballers
Will Howells is a former top-15 US junior tennis player and Notre Dame standout who switched to pickleball in 2023 and quickly climbed the ranks, now stepping onto the PPA and MLP tours as one of the newest faces on tour.
In this episode, Will sits down with Roscoe and Jared to trace his path from junior tennis dreams and a Notre Dame ankle injury to grinding out results on the APP tour while still working full-time. They dig into his draft night, his rise as MLP's "team of misfits," and the mindset that carried him through every step.
Will breaks down his draft day call from Ryan Harwood, becoming "the man" on the APP tour after Andre, Gabe, and the Johnson 5 left for MLP, and the tough multi-month decision to walk away from APP entirely for a full PPA and MLP schedule.
Will also gives his own retelling of the infamous Anna Leigh Waters vs. Hayden "Big H" sideline altercation.
Delivered by @whiteclaw!
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Timestamps:
1:53 — Growing Up in Richmond, Virginia
3:19 — Two Half-Siblings and a Full One
4:44 — Cracking the Top 15 in Junior Tennis
7:33 — Committing to Notre Dame
10:58 — The Ankle Break That Ended His Season
11:34 — A Friend Drags Him to the Park
12:49 — JW Takes Him Under His Wing
14:59 — Losing to Daescu Six Times
17:22 — Public Enemy #1 on the AP Tour
20:09 — The McDonald's Call That Changed Everything
23:26 — Betting His Career on the PPA
27:25 — He Popped the Question
28:35 — Lining Up Noe, Rachel, Megan, and Tyra
31:00 — Snapping His Ankle on a Passing Shot
36:41 — Shrinking the Court: Singles Reinvented
39:23 — The Best Beard in Pickleball
40:37 — Racing Motorcycle Life
44:00 — The Secret to Closing Out Matches
49:29 — Breaking Down Anna Leigh vs. Big H
51:46 — Inside the DAPS Shoe Deal