Like many kids the world over, nine-year-old Ollie Schiavone is addicted to pickleball.

Ollie and his father Matthew have been playing together for two years, and the youngster has become quite the aficionado.

Ollie competes in tournaments and posts great action shots online, and it’s only a matter of time before he joins the Junior PPA ranks.

This isn't a story about Ollie's budding pickleball journey, though, because we definitely need to focus on his Christmas wish list. 

Matthew shared the list on Facebook via The Kitchen's page.

It includes:

1. - Football cards
2. - Pickleball shirts
3. - Go to PPA game
4. - Fix it Felix Jr. Mini arcade
5. - Get pickleball signed by Ben Johns 
6. - Anything those big brains can think of
7. - Buffalo Bills football 
8.  

Is this not the most endearing list you’ve ever read? “Anything those big brains can think of” - Ollie clearly has a sense of humor. And he isn't just a big sports guy, he’s also a big pickleball guy. Nearly half his list includes pickleball-related requests.

One item might be tougher to get, of course... and you know which one I'm referencing. Sure, Ollie's parents can buy tickets to a PPA tournament or visit Pickleball Central to order some cool shirts online, but securing a paddle  signed by Ben Johns? That isn't readily available anywhere.

With Christmas fast approaching, Matthew asked the picklebakll community for help because unless you’re attending a PPA or MLP tournament and you ask Johns for an autograph, scoring anything signed by the G.O.A.T of pickleball could be a formidable challenge.

Enter Kim Pettit, the Vice President of Partnerships at the PPA Tour, who came across Matthew’s inquiry and immediately sprung into action.

As a parent herself, she understood the desire to make Ollie’s Christmas extra special.

“It honestly made my day to know that a little boy loves Ben and pickleball so much that he would include the PPA Tour as a part of his Christmas list,” said Pettit. “I sent a signed PPA Tour paddle by Ben and Anna Leigh Waters. I also sent a whole swag set, a PPA sweatshirt, two shirts, and four VIP tickets to a tournament of his choice in 2025.”

Holiday shopping can be hard enough, but it’s even trickier when your child asks for something a bit more complicated than football cards and pickleball shirts.

I would love to see Ollie’s reaction when he unwraps that gift on Christmas morning. 

This is going to be a holiday he'll never forget.