New Jersey 5s Owner and General Manager Ryan Harwood is one of the most visible front-office members of any Major League Pickleball (MLP) team.

Always standing courtside alongside players Anna Leigh Waters, Mari Humberg, Zane Navratil, and Will Howells, Harwood regularly pumps up the crowd, leads chants, and celebrates with incredible fervor.  

"We drafted a team specifically around a certain type of energy and culture," he said. "I think culture is incredibly important in MLP, and I think this team specifically is wildly positive. They support each other."

Harwood shared three things that he considers especially important to build a successful squad.

"One is that you are incredibly positive on the sidelines together. You support each other. Two is that you never quit. You give 110% effort every ball. I care about effort the most. And three is that we have the most fun. We go out there and we have the most fun on the sidelines. We entertain the crowds, and we have the most fun out of any single team. That's all I care about, win or lose," he explained. "If we do those three things, I am a very proud owner and GM."

The 2024 edition of the group took that message to heart.

"They’ve taken that assignment very well," confirmed Harwood. "I try to lead by example when it comes to those assets and traits."

At the MLP Finals in Orlando, the 5s had dozens of fans in attendance sporting bright red shirts featuring their logo and cheering and chanting with all their might.

Unfortunately, fans of other MLP teams often find that behavior a little too rowdy. 

"For those of you who don’t like our passion on the sidelines, know that yes we do it because we want to win and we are competitors, but more importantly, we want pro pickleball to win," tweeted Harwood. "We need energy to keep the viewers and fans engaged." 

But, it’s not only about establishing strong team morale and high energy.

Harwood was seeking certain kinds of players to draft alongside Waters. 

"We built a team around Anna Leigh Waters that specifically suited her and those traits very well," he shared. "Zane, Will, and Mari are incredibly positive, mentally tough, rise-to-the-occasion type of players. We saw early on that they are gamers." 

Howells and Humberg do not frequently play in PPA tournaments, and this season was their first time in MLP.

Given how many tournaments the pros play against each other over the course of a season, they’re already quite familiar with an opponent's strengths and weaknesses - which made Howells and Humberg somewhat of a mystery on the Premier Level court. 

"Will is a star, and we don’t see him enough in our league. I hope that changes soon. When deciding to draft him, I loved Will’s perspective and attitude when it came to sports and competing. When I looked into his eyes, I saw that he had something that reminded me of the best competitors in the world," praised Harwood. "I wanted people who were competing and have that "IT" factor."

There's no denying Harwood's respect for Howells' overall game.

"People still continuously doubt and underestimate Will because they don’t get to see him enough, but I’ve seen him enough, and that’s why I know that he’s as good as any guy in this league," he added. "He’s proven that time and time again, right? He’s beaten the best players in the entire world in this league. To beat Christian Alshon and Quang Duong twice in a row is really hard. He’s beaten Ben and Collin Johns, Tyson McGuffin, and Federico Staksrud. He has some amazing wins, and he’s as good as it gets." 

Needless to say, Harwood is his team’s biggest advocate.

Case closed.