Lacy Schneemann: She Quit Rocket Science for Pro Pickleball. Was It Worth It? | S5 E3
In this episode, Lacy sits down with Roscoe and Jared to talk about her path from a small town in West Texas to the pro tour. They cover her aggressive, men’s-doubles-inspired game, her years in engineering, and the decision to walk away from a stable career to play pickleball full-time. It’s a fun, honest conversation with one of the most versatile players on the women’s side.
Lacy opens up about her week at Mesa, where she and Jack Sock beat Jorja Johnson and JW Johnson 6 and 6. A couple of days later she was double pickled 11-0, 11-0 in 14 minutes by Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright, then came back the next day to win bronze. She explains what it actually takes to beat the best team in the world and why she thinks her forehand, when it’s on, is top of the pro game.
Lacy also gets into her internships at JPL and Apple and the year she spent writing pros and cons lists about quitting Boeing. She describes coming off the bench for an injured teammate at the Newport MLP and the Mesa MLP weekend whose prize money gave her the confidence to quit her job on June 7, 2023. She also talks about the pressure of losing a backup income, her goal of cracking the top 5, and whether she’ll ever go back to aerospace.
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Timestamps:
1:00 — The Backhand Flick Roscoe Tried to Copy
2:06 — The “Step Back King” and Living at the Kitchen Line
2:31 — Why She Plays Like a Men’s Doubles Player
3:29 — Beating Jorja & JW Johnson With Jack Sock at Mesa
3:56 — Double Pickled in 14 Minutes by Anna Leigh & Anna Bright
6:12 — Does the Score Line Matter? A Loss Is a Loss
7:51 — What It Actually Takes to Beat the Best Team in the World
9:23 — When the Forehand Is Cooking, Nobody Can Stop It
10:45 — Playing at 5'4" and the Wristy Game
13:19 — Growing Up in San Angelo, West Texas
14:38 — Mutton Busting Champion at Age Five
15:56 — Twin Sister, Every Sport, and Salutatorian
16:52 — The 8th Grade Quiz That Made Her an Aerospace Engineer
18:05 — Club Tennis and Engineering at USC
19:14 — Internships at JPL and Apple’s Classified Projects
20:45 — Graduating Into the Pandemic and Landing at Boeing
22:58 — Why Satellites Weren’t the Dream Job
23:59 — 11 Tattoos in One Day in Australia
26:13 — Learning Pickleball With Dad in 2015
27:02 — Finding the Memorial Park Crew in LA
28:08 — “You Should Try Going Pro”
29:03 — Off the Bench at the Newport MLP
31:36 — A Year of Pros and Cons Lists
32:56 — The Mesa MLP Weekend That Changed Everything
33:41 — Quitting Boeing on June 7, 2023
34:23 — Does an Engineering Brain Help on the Court?
36:06 — The Pressure of Losing the Backup Income
37:21 — The Most Respectful Young Players on Tour
38:51 — The Goal: Breaking Into the Top 5
39:42 — Why She Wants a Kawamoto Back
41:00 — Will She Go Back to Aerospace?
42:06 — Things People Don’t Know About Lacy
42:37 — Singles vs. Doubles: What’s Harder?
43:24 — Top Aerospace Engineer vs. Top Pro: Who Has It Harder?
44:29 — When Will Pickleball Be Played in Space?
45:53 — How Much Money to Never Play Again?
47:20 — Loud Partner or Quiet Partner?
49:38 — The One Shot She’d Steal From JW Johnson
