World’s #1 Ranked Pickleball Player Puts on a Show at YMCA Exhibition

The YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase hosted a full day of pickleball activities Monday including clinics and a round robin. The day was capped off by an evening exhibition featuring the world’s top-ranked pickleball player, Ben Johns, and his brother Collin. The brothers, who grew up in Laytonsville, are the number one ranked doubles team in the world.

#Pickleball exhibition at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase YMCA featuring the world’s #1 player Ben Johns and his brother Collin (who form the world’s best doubles team) from Laytonsville. pic.twitter.com/c9N7W49H55

— Montgomery Community Media (@mymcmedia) June 8, 2021

Over 200 people attended the free exhibition at the YMCA located on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. An autographed paddle autographed by Ben Johns was auctioned off for $475 which will pay for two kids to attend the Y’s summer camp. An additional $1000 was donated meaning that seven kids will go to camp that ordinarily would not have.

Pickleball has been called the fastest growing sport in the United States. Here’s a rally from the exhibition that shows the rat-a-tat nature of the sport that places an emphasis on quick reflexes.

 

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About Joe Yasharoff

Joe Yasharoff is MCM's Director of Content and Operations. He is also an adjunct journalism professor at the University of Maryland. Previously, Joe was the Managing Editor at NBC Sports Washington and Executive Sports Producer at FOX5 (WTTG-TV). He hosts the MoCo's Most Famous podcast for MCM.

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