Some pros quit their 9-to-5s to pursue pickleball, but Andrea Koop isn't one of them.

Koop manages a budding legal career, while also competing on the PPA Tour and in the MLP Challenger Level ranks with the Brooklyn Aces.

The Michigan State University College of Law grad is a partner at the law firm of Bosch Killman VanderWal, PC in Grand Rapids, MI where she serves as a civil litigation attorney.

That's obviously demanding work, but Koop still manages to make professional pickleball a priority in her schedule.

"I have a few strategies to help balance it all, but it’s never Goldilocks. It’s either so busy or kind of dead. It’s nice to be on tour when it’s quiet at the office," she said, during a recent interview at the PPA Tour's Atlanta Slam. "This morning, I worked to get some billable hours in and then I came here for the progressive draw. I’ve been answering emails between matches and putting fires out on my phone."

The former UCLA tennis player has fond memories of steadily climbing the ranks in the legal profession.

She joined Bosch Killman VanderWal, PC as an associate attorney in January 2017 and rose within the firm by gaining expertise in a variety of areas, including auto negligence, personal injury law, no-fault law, insurance law, commercial business, and condo and Homeowners' Association (HOA) disputes.

"My first job out of law school was working for a judge on the business docket," recalled Koop. "All the business docket in court means is that any business that is sued - or if a business is involved in a lawsuit - they go right to a special docket. It basically means I like to argue about money on the defense side."

While it might be a balancing act, being a lawyer and a pro pickleball player at the same time has actually proven to be mutually beneficial for Koop. 

“The competitiveness in the courtroom is definitely good for the pickleball court," she mentioned. "As a partner, I get more of my own files and my own cases, and I lead on the case. There is more responsibility, but I’m also tasked with delegating some work because I’m trying to feed the firm as well."

It would be understandable, of course, if Koop decided to temporarily put one of her jobs on hold to devote more time to the other, but that isn't happening anytime soon.

She feels good about where things stand in every facet of her professional life.

"When I first started playing pickleball, I was kind of a slave to my desk because that’s the culture of being a lawyer. Then, COVID hit and we had to work from home because there was a state mandate. At that point, it was proven that you don’t have to be at the desk," she shared. "I can still get my billable hours in and not be at home. Once pickleball started back up, I was still able to play while working remotely."

While Koop calls herself a "part-time" athlete, her pickleball event calendar is still rather intense .

The Richland, MI native clearly logs some air miles.

"I feel like pickleball is growing more every year, and the full-time schedules for the pros keeps getting more and more intense. I’ve been a part-time pro player since the beginning, but pickleball has just kept growing," she explained. "Part-time in 2021 might have been six tournaments, in 2022 it was 10 tournaments, and now we’re up to 15 tournaments a year as a part-time player."

And yet, Koop makes it work.

She wouldn't have it any other way.

"I’m blessed that I was able to turn such an amazing sport into a side career as well," she concluded.

Andrea Koop is the co-founder and tournament director of the Beer City Open, which is held annually at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids, MI. 

Click here to learn more about the event.