Hannah opens up about growing up as one of seven homeschooled kids on 12 acres, how Ben showed freakish hand-eye coordination before he could even talk much, and the moment the family realized pickleball might actually be something real — when the first major Franklin sponsorship came in and changed everything.
Hannah also gets into the grind of being PPA Employee #4 — arranging player housing, getting screamed at when a pro peed in a host's garden, and the relentless skepticism from networks and fans who said tickets would never sell. She shares what she's most proud of: helping prove every single naysayer wrong.
Delivered by @DoorDash! 🚪
Pickleballers Hat: 🧢 https://shop.thekitchenpickle.com/products/pickleballer-snapback?variant=58191198781521
Add us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/pickleballers
https://instagram.com/thekitchenpickleball
https://instagram.com/roscoebellamy
https://instagram.com/jpaulthechef
Timestamps:
1:14 — Welcome, Hannah Johns
2:09 — Why Hannah Stepped Away from Sideline Reporting
3:19 — Three Years, Zero Missed Tournaments
4:05 — Traveling the Tour with Ben and Colin
5:28 — How Ryan Sherry Got Hannah Into the PPA
6:00 — Living in the Czech Republic and the Rough Return Home
7:34 — Growing Up Johns: Homeschooled on 12 Acres
10:31 — The Siblings: A Family of Savants
12:24 — How the Johns Family Found Pickleball
16:13 — Who Had the X Factor Growing Up?
17:03 — Ben at Age 3: The Pool Cue Story
22:37 — When Pickleball Was Just Another Hobby for Ben
25:27 — Colin Signing with Electrum and the Early Sponsorship Era
26:04 — How the Johns Family Reacted to the Brothers' Rise
28:25 — Hannah's Goal: Not Being Known as Ben's Sister
30:04 — The Sideline Reporter Craft: Prep, Notes, and Questions
31:15 — Crying in Hotel Bathrooms Before Going on Air
32:12 — Crazy Stories from Tour: The Incident That Almost Sent Someone to Jail
34:20 — The Housing Program and the Garden Incident
36:35 — Misunderstandings About the Early Days of Pickleball
40:41 — The Real Milestones: Salaries, Ticket Sales, and Networks
44:15 — Hannah's Proudest Accomplishment
44:49 — Proving Every Naysayer Wrong
46:01 — The Moment Ben Started Getting Recognized in Public
49:12 — Could Hannah Go Pro? The Black Sheep of the Family
51:30 — The Best Sideline Interview Hannah Ever Did
52:24 — What Most People Misunderstand About Ben Johns
53:55 — Where Hannah Sees Pickleball in 5 Years