Kate Fahey is widely recognized for her exceptional skills on the court, but she’s also gained attention for her intense reactions during matches, including shouting, screaming, and occasionally smashing her paddle in frustration. Because of this fiery demeanor, she has faced criticism from some fans who view her passion as excessive.

Fahey, however, says her emotions don’t come from anger toward her opponents or the sport itself. Instead, they stem from her deeply competitive nature. In a recent appearance on the Shore Thing Podcast, she opened up about this side of her personality.

“I’m very feisty on the court. I yell a lot and I get a lot of hate for it,” she mentioned. 

It turns out that fiery competitiveness showed up long before pickleball. 

She had the same intense energy back when she played college tennis.

“I would look at my opponents in tennis and just scream. My coach would tell me ‘Don’t do that!’ and I actually got called for taunting,” said Fahey. “But there’s such a double standard, even in pickleball. The men can yell and scream, and people think it’s awesome. They think he’s so passionate. But when I do it, everyone says ‘How dare she?’” 

When clips of male pros showing similar displays of emotion go viral, fans typically aren’t nearly as harsh or critical of them.

Fahey also opened up about how the criticism has affected her, admitting she’s sometimes questioned whether she should continue competing at such a high level given how emotional and intensely competitive she can be.

“I’m really good at competing, but I don’t know if I’m meant to compete because I get so wound up and angry,” she said. “It’s good because I’m resilient, I can come back, and I never give up. Maybe I’m not meant to be put in these high stress positions. I’m making myself crazy.” 

However, Fahey has been working with a mental performance coach to help her better navigate those big emotions and learn how to channel her intense competitive energy in a more productive way.

“It’s made a world of a difference, and I don’t think it’s talked about enough in athletics. The mental part is so important. I can get really mad on the court and sometimes that affects me and my ability to have a clear mind going into the next point,” she explained. “My mental coach has helped me with accepting my feelings and not judging them. I’m learning to allow them to come and accept that it’s okay if I’m mad. The anger isn’t the problem, it’s what I do with the anger.”

Specifically, Fahey is focusing on recognizing the early signs of frustration and stopping the anger before it spirals out of control.

“I’m learning to catch it earlier and take my time,” she said. “It takes discipline to know your methods, take a time out, and not just play through the point because you’re mad.”

Although Fahey’s emotional expressions can be intense, experiencing strong feelings is common among athletes who are deeply passionate about their sport. Many of the world’s top players, including Hunter Johnson and Anna Leigh Waters, have shared similar experiences.

Learning to channel their frustrations in a healthy way not only benefits athletes off the court, but can also enhance their performance during play.

Sometimes, though, a player simply needs to roar and release their frustration. And that’s perfectly fine.

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