The Paradox of Progress

In sports, we assume progress is linear:

More practice equals better performance.

It’s an intuitive belief. And, at times. . .

Completely wrong.

See, four weeks ago, I injured my knee and was forced to take time off.

When I finally got back on court, I expected to feel rusty, but I didn’t. Instead, I played some of the best pickleball of my life.

It didn’t make sense.

I hadn’t sharpened my technique. I hadn’t drilled, and most of my time had been spent working on making videos for ThatPickleballSchool & YouTube. 

So afterward, I sat there and thought: What changed?

Then. . . it dawned on me 

It was my mindset.

The tension was gone. The pressure to perform had quietly dissolved. And in its place was something unexpected—gratitude.

Gratitude just to move.

Just to swing a paddle.

Just to be healthy enough to play this game I love.

There’s a term psychologists use: cognitive unburdening.

It’s what happens when we stop overloading our mental systems. When we let go of the noise and allow instinct to speak.

And believe me—I still have big goals. I still want to improve and win tournaments. 

But maybe the path to get there isn’t paved with more pressure.

Maybe it starts with gratitude.

Because in life, meaningful breakthroughs don’t always come from grinding harder.

Sometimes, they come from appreciating the gift of being able to show up.

— Kyle

P.S. In case you missed it, I did a video with Zane Navratil - a fellow pro and content creator. So far, people are loving it:

Be sure to watch if you haven’t yet!