For years, Hannah Johns was one of the most recognizable faces in professional pickleball.

Whether she was interviewing winners on Championship Sunday, helping build the PPA Tour behind the scenes, or navigating the chaos of life on the road, she had a front-row seat to the sport's explosive rise. Now, after stepping away from full-time sideline reporting, Johns is reflecting on the journey that took her from teaching English in the Czech Republic to becoming one of pickleball's original voices.

Appearing recently on the “Pickleballers” podcast, Johns shared stories about her unusual upbringing, her famous brothers, the wild early days of professional pickleball, and the challenges she faced along the way.

Growing Up on a 12-Acre "Compound"

The Johns family has always been a little different.

Hannah is the second-oldest of seven children, and every one of them was homeschooled.

"My parents really believed in individuality and independent-minded thinking," Johns explained. "By the time we were 10 or 11, we were basically given our textbooks and expected to learn the material ourselves."

The family lived on 12 acres, spent much of their time outdoors, and pursued a wide range of interests. Sports were a major part of life, but so were academics, music, and creative pursuits.

The results have been remarkable.

Brother Ben became the greatest player pickleball has ever seen. Sister Maggie became a concert pianist pursuing a PhD. And the rest of the family found success in their own unique ways.

When asked if there was always something special about Ben, Hannah laughed before sharing a story that perfectly captures his unusual talent.

At just three years old, Ben was in the basement hitting foosballs into the air with a pool cue.

"He smashed out a window," she recalled. "We were like, 'Okay, that's really good hand-eye coordination for a three-year-old.'"

Before Pickleball, There Was Magic: The Gathering... and Samurai Swords

Despite becoming the face of pickleball, Ben's journey wasn't exactly predictable.

According to Hannah, pickleball initially looked like just another one of her younger brother's many obsessions.

Before pickleball, there was Magic: The Gathering.

"He was really good," she said. "He was definitely winning tournaments."

Then came a samurai sword phase.

"He had all these swords in the basement until my mom realized how sharp they were and was like, 'These are all getting thrown away immediately.'"

When Ben became obsessed with pickleball, nobody expected it to become a career.

"There wasn't any money in it at that point, so it really didn't seem like it could go anywhere," Hannah said.

That changed when sponsorship dollars began entering the sport and professional opportunities started emerging.

Suddenly, the weird hobby wasn't so weird anymore.

How Hannah’s Job With the PPA Tour Happened

Ironically, Hannah's job in pickleball had little to do with Ben.

At the time, she was living in the Czech Republic, where she had moved to teach English and eventually became the director of a private school system there. Then COVID hit.

Her life unraveled almost overnight.

After a painful breakup, she returned home with little money or belongings, no established career in the United States, and no clear plan.

"I was literally at bottom level," she said. "No money, no friends, no job history because I had been doing it abroad."

That's when pro player and Legacy Pro Sports owner, Ryan Sherry entered the picture.

Sherry invited Hannah to work an event as a sideline reporter and introduced her to PPA Tour founder Connor Pardoe.

The pitch was simple.

"We can't pay you much," Pardoe told her, "but if you want to come on tour and do some sidelining, help us with sales and marketing, let's do it."

Hannah's response?

"Hell yeah."

The Fourth Employee

Many fans don't realize just how early Hannah joined the PPA.

In fact, she was employee number four.

The founding group consisted of Connor Pardoe, Connor Ogden, and Bryce Morgan. Hannah joined shortly after the tour's first event.

Looking back, she remembers a startup culture built on grit and long hours.

"There was no task too small or too large," she said. "Taping lines, hanging banners, carrying babies while working on the phone. Everybody was doing everything."

That mentality helped transform professional pickleball from a niche hobby into one of the fastest-growing sports in America.

The Secret Behind Hannah's Success On Camera

Today, Hannah seems completely natural in front of a microphone.

That wasn't always the case.

Far from it.

"I was so nervous and so miserable about being on camera that I would literally wake up in the mornings before I would have to go on air and just cry in the bathroom."

Instead of quitting, she made a deal with herself.

"You will not quit until you're good at this," she remembered telling herself. "Once you're good at it, I'll let you quit."

Years later, she finally felt she had achieved that goal.

It remains one of the accomplishments she's most proud of.

The Wild West Days of Professional Pickleball

The modern pro tour is polished, professional, and highly competitive.

It wasn't always that way.

Johns described the early days as something closer to the Wild West.

Players frequently socialized together after matches. Some would go out drinking the night before competing. Some got into fights with each other — occasionally even physical ones. Fans heckled players from the stands. Tournament formats changed constantly. Nobody really knew what professional pickleball was supposed to look like.

"It felt very nascent and small-time," Johns said. "You never knew what you were going to get at these tournaments."

One of her most memorable stories involved the player housing program she helped coordinate.

Back when many pros couldn't afford hotels, Hannah would arrange for local fans to host players in their homes on behalf of the PPA.

Then came what has become something of a legend in pickleball circles.

A host called Hannah furious after a player relieved himself in their garden.

The incident ultimately led to the end of the housing program.

"I couldn't sleep all night," she admitted.

Proving the Doubters Wrong

Perhaps the most powerful part of the conversation came when Johns reflected on the skepticism surrounding professional pickleball.

In the early days, nearly everyone doubted the sport's future.

"The naysayers were constant and strong," she said. "Pickleball is a stupid sport. It's not even a sport. It's actually just a game."

People said fans would never pay for tickets.

Networks would never broadcast matches.

Players would never become recognizable stars.

Today, all of those predictions look foolish.

"We were told again and again and again that it was never going to be what it was," Johns said. "And we proved them all wrong."

More Than Ben Johns' Sister

Throughout the conversation, one theme kept resurfacing.

While Hannah is undeniably part of pickleball's most famous family, she worked hard to establish her own identity in the sport as a broadcaster. When she was out there, she wanted to be totally neutral and unbiased.

"I really tried very hard," she said. "That was my goal. I wanted people to not even realize that I was Ben and Colin's sister."

Anyone who watched professional pickleball over the last several years knows she succeeded.

Hannah Johns wasn't just Ben Johns' sister.

She was a builder, a storyteller, a reporter, and one of the people who helped transform professional pickleball from an obscure niche sport into a global phenomenon.

And while she may have stepped away from the sideline microphone, her fingerprints remain all over the game's history.