Allyce Jones: The Truth About Being a Pro, Her Anna Leigh Theory, and Raising a Future Pro | S5 E6

In this episode, Allyce sits down with Roscoe and Jared to tell how she went from teaching full-time to playing on the pro tour. They also cover the MLP season, why the juniors have been the surprise of the year, and what it takes to beat Anna Leigh Waters.

Allyce opens up about how she found the game. COVID cost her volleyball club $40K, and her mom talked the family into trying pickleball in an empty high school gym. Then her husband booked her a lesson with Callie Jo Smith and told her, “I wanted you to see what I saw.” She trained at 4:30 a.m. before teaching, paid for her career out of her own salary, and made $800 from her first paycheck. After signing with the PPA Tour in 2022, she left teaching, and the goals on the vision board in her classroom came true.

Allyce also explains why diving comes from 20 years of volleyball and isn’t for show. She separated her AC joint diving in Dallas, and she breaks down how reading a hitter’s shoulders helps her play defense. She shares why her daughter Leah turned down a tour contract at 12 so she could win a Challenger first, and the night Leah beat her for the first time. She also gives her theory on Anna Leigh’s dominance and her advice for parents who coach their kids.

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Timestamps:

1:04 — How the MLP Season Is Going

1:30 — Do Owners Bid on Their Schedule?

3:18 — Why Six-Player Rosters Add Pressure

3:47 — The Juniors Stealing the Show

5:24 — 5:30 a.m. Workouts With Dad

6:34 — A 5'2" D1 Setter at Utah Valley

7:16 — 10 Years, Four State Titles, and a 250-Athlete Club

8:04 — Why She’s the Best Cheerleader on the Bench

9:34 — Where “Mighty Mouse” Came From

10:47 — Why Utah Is Pickleball Country

12:28 — Dirty Sodas and Swig

13:15 — Walking Away After a State Title

13:52 — COVID, a $40K Loss, and Mom’s New Game

15:06 — From Ladder Leagues to 5.0 Tournaments

16:13 — The Callie Jo Smith Lesson That Changed Everything

17:23 — Going Pro at 32

18:13 — Finding a Partner to Chase It With

20:39 — 4:30 a.m. Training, Then Teach All Day

21:46 — The First $800 Paycheck

22:35 — Why She Signed With the PPA Tour

23:10 — From Joola to CRBN

23:54 — Jared’s Most Painful Moment on Court

24:56 — PickleRoll and Finally Turning a Profit

25:27 — Quitting Teaching for Good

25:44 — The Vision Board That Came True

27:48 — The Mindset Switch to Attacking

29:21 — “You Are Annoying to Play Against”

30:11 — Why She Dives: It’s Volleyball, Not a Show

31:14 — Separating Her AC Joint in Dallas

33:39 — What Volleyball Gives You in Pickleball

34:30 — Reading Shoulders Before the Shot

35:13 — Learning Groundstrokes Without a Tennis Background

36:18 — Coaching Her Daughter and Elsie Hendershot

38:16 — The Allyce Jones Scholarship

39:48 — Why Leah Turned Down the Tour at 12

41:43 — Challenger: The Missing Path to Pro

42:50 — The Day Leah Beat Her Mom

45:00 — Mother-Daughter Teams and Leigh & Anna Leigh

45:47 — Anna Leigh’s Bus vs. the Players Lounge

47:44 — Her Theory on Anna Leigh’s Dominance

50:06 — Chasing a Win Over Anna Leigh

51:04 — How Fahey and Bright Iced Out Anna Leigh

52:07 — Will Anna Leigh Switch Partners?

53:08 — Advice for Parents Coaching Their Kids

54:24 — How Pickleball Changed Her Life