Actor James Lafferty, best known to many as Nathan Scott from One Tree Hill, is stepping into a new sport onscreen—pickleball.

Premiering December 20, Lifetime’s A Pickleball Christmas stars Lafferty alongside Zibby Allen in a holiday love story centered around a cherished family racket club that’s fighting to stay afloat.

“I’m a big sports fan, and sports has always been part of my career,” said Laffery. “Coming into the project, seeing how it was structured a little bit like a sports movie with the wonderful family, romantic, and holiday elements, it was a nice fit for me.”

The 40-year-old California native had only limited experience with pickleball before landing the role. He first tried the sport a few years back on another shoot, where the Waffle Street producers, who were enthusiastic pickleball players themselves, set up a court in Utah for the cast and crew to enjoy on weekends.

Lafferty revealed that he had under a week to get ready for the pickleball project, prompting him and the rest of the group to enlist local Vancouver coach James Chan for guidance.

“I was cast in the role five days before the shoot, so we didn’t have much time to prepare, but James brought us all up to speed on the nuances of the game. He did an incredible job giving us these two-hour cram sessions. He was instrumental in going through the script beats to identify the necessary context for the sports choreography,” explained Lafferty. 

“Everything I’ve done sports-wise for film and television, it’s all been choreographed. We didn’t have a sports choreographer on this film, so it was really up to the director to make sure we were doing what was truthful to the sport. The script was written by a pickleball coach, so it was very detailed and specific.”

Lafferty even learned how to execute a proper ATP, so keep an eye out to see if that shot makes the final cut.

Allen, meanwhile, arrived on set with a bit more pickleball experience than most. She and her husband actually play in a league with a group of pickleball friends. 

“During the coaching sessions, Zibby was super helpful,” praised Lafferty. “She was able to be instructive for me and help bridge the gap between the script and the sports choreography.”

So what did Lafferty appreciate most about pickleball?

“I really enjoyed the subtlety in the focus on the game. I’m a basketball player, and basketball was my first love. I played it throughout my whole life, and I love the movements it requires. It’s what I love about basketball. It’s the freedom. In pickleball, you have a little bit of that, but I really appreciated the ability to focus on your movements in a small, confined area. I really like the discipline that it takes to keep your form,” he said. 

“My coach also pointed out that my feet were way too active, so he taught me how to plant my feet a little more and use my arms to cover more of the court without having to move as much. It’s a completely different game, and it’s a completely different way to approach a sport than I’ve ever experienced.”

With the recent 20th anniversary of One Tree Hill, fans can’t help but wonder: if Nathan and Lucas Scott had faced off on the pickleball court in their prime, who would have come out on top?

“It depends if our hairstyles have anything to do with the scoring,” joked Lafferty. “I feel like Lucas would probably win because he was the more patient, sort of pensive, and focused character. He was a three-point shooter, so he was a real technical assassin. I feel like that would translate well to the pickleball court.”

A Pickleball Christmas premieres Saturday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on Lifetime.

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