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TweenerKing
What’s up, guys, this is Christian Alshon. About a year ago I had an exam coming up—Monday at 4:30 p.m.—for International Monetary Systems. Before that year, every class I took, I needed to get an A. At that point though, it was just like… I needed to pass. That week, Sunday through Wednesday, I was getting ready to drive up to Minnesota for National Indoors PPA. Until the exam at 4:30, all I was gonna do was study.
Last-Minute Cramming and Exam Panic
My exam’s in 30 minutes. There were 13 lectures—I went over nine of them, and I didn’t even have complete mastery. I kind of just skimmed through the last three. So… not feeling too confident about this exam. It was worth 50% of my grade.
Post-Exam Crash
So… I didn’t pass. I actually didn’t answer enough questions to pass. Also left 30 minutes early.
Good news: there was a replacement exam. Bad news: I felt like I was gonna fail all my classes, and I really wasn’t ready to stay there any longer. That was a tough day for me.
Finding Clarity and Moving Forward
I had some time after that breakdown to figure out if I was actually gonna fail all my classes or not. I came up with a few options, but I won’t even bore you with it. Ultimately, I was gonna be fine.
Back on the Court at 10:30 P.M.
Anyway, the reason you’re reading this—pickleball! It was 10:30 p.m., and I was playing with my boy Jerry. We were gonna drill a little bit. I was ready to kick some ass. Let’s go!
11:52 p.m. We were the last people there. That went pretty well. Put simply, we just did a lot of dinking games. Jerry is great at dinking. His hands are super fast. I actually don’t win most of the dinking games, which is why I love playing with him.
Other than that, nothing special—we ended with a game of skinny singles.
Road Trip to Minnesota for PPA
That Wednesday, I was supposed to drive to Minnesota. We had a first—Rafa Hewitt and I were gonna play, and it was gonna be hype. I was excited.
I ended up deciding to drive to Minneapolis that day instead of waiting until Wednesday—just so I could beat the storm. I didn’t want to be driving on icy roads; it was supposed to be really bad. I found an Airbnb for not that much, and I’d never been to Minneapolis, so it was cool to check it out.
It was a six-hour drive ahead of me. I wouldn’t be able to play pickleball that day, which honestly sucked. But I felt super blessed that I could even play in the tournament.
I was about to start the drive and in such a good mood—just getting out of Hyde Park, Chicago. That place felt so confining at the time. It felt amazing to leave.
Tournament Begins: Tight Schedules and Tough Matches
Survivors Singles Day—time was 11:12. Set was due at 11:15. Talk about cutting it close.
Match Recap: Early Wins and a Hard-Learned Loss
Round one—me versus Wyatt. “What’s your last name?” “Harem.” Wyatt Harem. He was up 3–0 in the first, started off strong. He ended up winning so I was a round down in the first.
Next match I won pretty convincingly—but hey, you know, he was a great player. Just a bad matchup, some would say.
Final Thoughts
Anyway—next up, James Ignatowich. The match I had been waiting for. I was excited. But unfortunately, that was probably the most frustrated I’d ever been after a loss. I was so upset. And it was cold outside.
Rafa and I ended up coming fifth that day in doubles. We lost in the second round to Dylan and J-Dub. After that loss, we went on a run—we won, I think, five in a row, beating some great teams. It was a battle. We played well together.
And yeah… I was excited to keep going. I could tell it was a good start to the pickleball career that was ahead of me.
So if you’re wondering what it’s like to juggle college and chasing a dream in pickleball—just know it’s messy, uncertain, and full of setbacks—but if you love the game enough, you’ll find a way to keep showing up, on and off the court.
🎥 Check out full-version breakdowns on my YouTube channel, where I dive deeper with real-game analysis, and exclusive content.
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About Christian Alshon
Pickleball Portal Contributor
Christian Alshon is a contributor to Pickleball Portal, sharing insights and expertise to help players of all levels improve their game.
