Stephanie Lane can still remember the first time she picked up a pickleball paddle.

It was 1988. She was a college tennis player at Lipscomb University when she was introduced to what she describes as “a FUN giant ping pong game” that kids would love.

She couldn’t have known that one introduction would go on to shape so much of her future.

Today, Lane is an IPTPA Master Teaching Professional, accomplished pickleball instructor, longtime educator, and one of Tennessee’s most passionate ambassadors for the game. But ask her what she’s most proud of, and the conversation quickly shifts away from medals, rankings, or certifications.

Instead, she’ll tell you about the people.

“What stands out on my journey is the people I met along the way,” Lane said. “I have always said that pickleball brings the most amazing, genuine & interesting human beings into our lives.”

A Teacher Before Anything Else

Years before pickleball drew packed tournaments and dedicated courts, Lane was already introducing the game to students in physical education classes.

For the past 33 years, she’s helped young people discover activities they can enjoy long after they leave school. Teaching has always been her passion, and pickleball quickly became one of her favorite ways to help students build confidence, stay active, and enjoy movement.

At first, she viewed the game as another engaging activity for PE classes. It wasn’t until she walked into her local recreation center in 2011 and saw adults playing that she realized pickleball had become much more than a school game.

“I’ve had a pickleball paddle in my hands ever since.”

Competition Opened the Door. Community Kept Her There.

With a collegiate tennis background, Lane quickly developed into a high-level pickleball player. She traveled around the country searching for the strongest competition she could find, believing that playing against great opponents was the fastest way to improve.

Over the years, tournament play gave her opportunities to test herself, celebrate victories, and build friendships that stretched across the country.

When her husband, Andy, became ill, Lane stepped away from much of the tournament circuit to care for him.

“I missed the people even more than the competition,” she said.

Long after the medals are packed away, it’s the relationships that have stayed with her.

Finding Her True Calling

Teaching has always been part of Lane’s identity, so coaching felt like a natural extension of her career.

Whether she’s working with a brand-new beginner or an experienced tournament player, she loves seeing confidence replace uncertainty.

“Watching the lightbulb go off for someone with a tip I’ve shared is just as rewarding as hitting a winning lob over a tall athletic man!” she said.

Those breakthrough moments continue to motivate her. Helping someone better understand the game—and watching them immediately put that lesson into practice—is every bit as rewarding as winning a match herself.

Growing the Game Starts With Kids

Lane has become one of Tennessee’s strongest advocates for introducing pickleball to children and equipping physical education teachers with the tools to teach it effectively.

Her motivation is rooted in something simple: giving others the same opportunity she was given.

She believes pickleball is one of the few sports that truly brings generations together. Children can play with parents, grandparents, and eventually their own families while developing balance, coordination, confidence, and lifelong healthy habits.

That philosophy shapes the way she teaches. Her youngest students often begin with balloons, building movement patterns and hand-eye coordination before ever picking up a paddle. As they grow, those foundational skills naturally progress into the game itself.

Lane has watched countless children discover pickleball for the first time, and she still gets goosebumps seeing their excitement. She often thinks about her own daughter, who learned the sport at 12 years old and will carry those skills with her for life.

The Moments That Matter Most

Every coach has moments they’ll never forget.

For Lane, one memory has stayed with her above all the others.

While working with people living with Parkinson’s disease, she noticed many participants shook noticeably before stepping onto the court and again after they finished playing.

During the games, however, the shaking disappeared.

One player explained the feeling in a way she’ll never forget.

“Life is normal again when I am playing pickleball! I totally forget about my illness when I am on the court!”

Lane describes that moment simply.

“That was PRICELESS!”

Experiences like these continually remind her that pickleball offers something much bigger than exercise. For some people, it’s friendship. For others, it’s confidence, community, or an opportunity to forget about life’s challenges for a couple of hours.

More Than a Sport

As pickleball continues to grow, Lane hopes the next generation embraces more than just the competition.

She hopes they discover the sport’s uncommon ability to bring people together.

Over the years, she’s watched four generations share the same court, laughing together despite decades separating them in age. It’s a scene she believes is unique to pickleball and one that perfectly reflects what makes the community so special.

That sense of connection continues to fuel her work today. Whether she’s certifying instructors through IPTPA, coaching developing players, or sharing the game while traveling, Lane can’t imagine a future without pickleball playing a role.

When asked what the pickleball community means to her personally, she doesn’t hesitate.

“It’s EVERYTHING to me! I have a built-in support system with genuine folks I can lean on in tough times. I, in turn, can also check on others who might be struggling.”

After nearly four decades, Stephanie Lane is still doing what she’s always loved most: helping people discover the joy of movement, connection, and community. Pickleball has become the game that lets her do what she loves. The courts may be busier now than they were in 1988, but her mission hasn’t changed. One lesson, one student, and one smile at a time, she’s making sure the next generation experiences the same joy that first hooked her all those years ago.