BARRY WADDELL

Barry grew up in Miami Florida playing football and baseball in the youth programs until the age of 13 when he discovered his true love, tennis. Within two years he was ranked in the top 5 in the state of Florida and top 50 in the nation. At 18 he won the Florida State High School Championships in the number one singles position earning him many college scholarships.

He attended the University of Illinois, was ranked number one as a freshman, and advanced to the finals of the Big Ten Championships. After college, Barry played professionally on the satellite tour in Europe and the United States. Following his professional tennis career, Barry returned to Florida to become the Director of Tennis at Casa Ybel on Sanibel Island.

Barry continued to play tennis tournaments and was ranked number one in Florida in the Men’s 25 and Men’s 30 division, in addition to being number two in the men’s open division. At the age of 47, and after many years away from playing competitive tennis, Barry found his new love, Pickleball.

In 2017, Barry turned Pickleball Pro and has won numerous Pickleball tournaments including 4 Florida Senior games in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

Barry has won numerous Pickleball tournaments including the Atlanta Open with Scott Moore, the Texas Open with Steve Kennedy, the World Pickleball Championship with Paul Olin, and the most coveted prize in Pickleball, the US OPEN Senior Pro Men’s Doubles Championship with Dave Weinbach.

Barry looks forward to playing and competing all over the country showcasing the growing sport of Pickleball. He is an IPTPA Certified Teaching Professional and the head Pickleball Professional at Pickleball & Tennis US in Bonita Springs, Florida. In addition to being one of the top ranked pickleball players in the world, he is full-time Realtor with John R Wood Properties.

Visit pickleballcommunitiesflorida.com to learn more about Barry.

Barry is an instructor at the Suncoast Pickleball Camps in Montreat, NC - www.suncoastpickleball.com