A few years back, Aaron Trost and a partner played Zane Navratil and John Cincola in a pro event – and swiftly lost 0-15.

It was around then, he jokes with Zane on this week's PicklePod, that he realized his "mission and purpose in pickleball is probably not going pro."

A political consultant in Kansas City, Trost is incredibly busy during an election year but has flexibility otherwise. His passion for pickleball led him to found Pickleball Planter in 2021, a nonprofit that rallies around the goal of spreading the sport around the globe.

"In Kansas City, we have good barbecue, good football, and good rec pickleball. But that can only take me so far," he told Zane.

Spreading the joy of pickleball Trost's mission has brought him and a bag-full of paddles to countless countries, including Honduras, Hungary, Ukraine, England, Poland, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Just recently, he made a return trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, having been before in 2023.

The trip united him with a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Youth Camp, where they teach in a number of sports. Trost, naturally, pitched them on including pickleball, which was an instant hit.

The trip also aligned him with the Ukrainian Pickleball Federation , a nonprofit "dedicated to building and maintaining the infrastructure necessary for the continued growth of Pickleball."

The UPF has programs for beginners, youth, veterans, and adaptive athletes.

Through teaching clinics and camps, Trost was able ... FULL ARTICLE FOUND ON: https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/this-nonprofit-brought-pickleball-to-the-wounded-in-war-torn-ukraine/