By: Jonah Altmann
“Joe!” “Joe!” “Come here, bro!” That was Everett Levin only 5 minutes into our conversation at the Brats on State Street patio. His eyes have been darting back and forth for much of the conversation. He takes a second to notice everyone walking by on the street, just barely visible from our seats on the middle bench. He finally caught someone, his friend Joe, passing by.
Everett, a star player on UW-Madison’s Club Pickleball Team, is well aware of his struggles to focus. “I’m not your ordinary player,” Levin told me. “No one is quite like me on the court.”
Levin was diagnosed with ADHD at age 13, but notes that he has always struggled to sit still. In most situations, his constant energy and the need to move around were limitations. Classroom settings were difficult; homework and exams were nearly impossible. Levin’s parents were always searching for new ways for their jittery son to channel his energy. He was constantly trying different sports and hobbies. For a while, ice hockey was his channel. Yet the combination of only getting on the ice for short periods before having to be back on the bench and always being inside with only limited space to move left him unsatisfied. One day, about six years ago, everything changed. “[My parents] got me a racket and all of a sudden I’ve been playing ever since.”
Pickleball has become the ideal avenue to channel all his restlessness. It first started with being able to get out from under a roof. “I’m the type of kid who needs to be outdoors,” Levin told me. “I needed the freedom to run around and sh*t.” (Levin did specifically request we speak out on the patio).
His affinity for the sport did not stop there. “I always (get to) be moving around,” when playing pickleball, Levin said. “I am moving my feet, moving my hands, moving my head around, even looking for the birds in the sky. And for the first time, no one was ever really telling me to stop.”
Levin’s route to becoming a highly-skilled player happened with ease. His passion for the sport ensured that he could be found at the local park or gym almost every day. His practices were long and breaks were short. Levin does not tire easily. He would often stay on the court for hours after lessons or matches were over. It wasn’t long before some of the more seasoned players took notice of Levin and invited him to their matches. The challenge only fueled his desire to play more. By the time he arrived in Madison for his freshman year, Levin knew he was ready for club-level competition.
Yet, not everyone has seen Levin’s maximum-motion style as an asset. “Other people are just like standing there and serving and I’m moving left and right. I don’t know, like f*cking bouncing up and down. So yea, I definitely get looks.” Some see this behavior as evidence that Levin is not ready for this level of competition. They find his methods too immature or juvenile for serious play. “People have said things to me suggesting I should just play for fun.” But for Levin, this is all part of the competitive pickleball process. “I do move around like a lunatic… I do struggle to focus just like I am during this interview. But that’s also just been throughout my whole life. But to doubters of his pickleball abilities, “I look at them in the eye [and say] I can do this, I know I can do this.”
“Jimmy!” “Jimmy!”
Levin’s darting eyes catch another friend walking down State Street. Jimmy, who barely remembered Levin from their class together two years ago, didn’t have time to stick around and chat. A few minutes later, Levin forgot about Jimmy, took a breath to refocus and was ready to talk pickleball again.
To Levin, pickleball is the right for him because he feels that in this sport, his ADHD is an extra-ability rather than a limitation. While he acknowledges he gets distracted on the court, Levin told me this is true of any pickleball player. “ When I’m looking at the birds in the sky or the insects that are on the ground… a lot of times people say it then I need to snap back in.” But for Levin and his short attention span, these other thoughts are momentary. “They all forget that I can’t think about the birds or the insects for too long. Even if I wanted to.” This might not be true for other players. “I have teammates and opponents that begin to think about other things for 5 or 10 minutes during a match.” But for Levin, this is never a problem. Once the point starts, “I’m super locked in.”
One of Levin’s practice partners, Owen Turk, has seen firsthand how Levin’s playing style impacts his game. “Everett plays like he has unlimited energy,” Turk said. “Sure, I’ve seen him like down on the court in the middle of practice and look up at the sky for a while,” Turk said while giggling. “But we all know him to wear down opponents just by constantly moving. Most people don’t play like that, and it definitely throws them off.” Turk also noted that Levin’s fast reaction times are a major strength. “He doesn’t overthink shots like a lot of people do. When you’re playing him, you always have to be ready for a quick return.”
Levin also sees his restlessness as giving him good reaction times in a sport where fast reflexes are key. “I’m a different player because I move more than other people.” While others sometimes think too much about when and how to hit, for Levin, this is a thoughtless process. His brain is firing at hyper-speed. “I’m just so used to bouncing around mindlessly that when the ball is flying at you, it is so easy to just react.”
Also, not everyone can handle playing against Levin and his style. “Sometimes I’m moving so much, people think I’m a f*cking nut job on the court. “ This is not only necessary for Levin to succeed, but also sometimes hampers uptight opponents. “They think more about me than the actual point that’s going on. I’m calling them and that is a distraction. But for them, not me. That’s perfect.” This also serves Levin well in his longer matches. As other players get tired, he just gets more fired up. “It feels like my energy is unlimited.”
Levin’s jumpiness has not only helped him make substantial achievements on the pickleball court. He has also seen improvement back at home. As we walk into Levin’s apartment, I am quickly struck by how many different types of food are out on the counter, especially for a college student. Levin explained that he despises eating the same thing twice in a day. He gets bored with one thing too quickly. His room is filled with different relaxation tactics. A lava lamp, which Levin tells me he finds especially peaceful, a standing desk, and an eye mask for sleep. All of which Levin says can help him calm down. But after a couple of hours of people, these relaxation methods are not always necessary. “My homework might take someone 10 minutes, but it takes me an hour.” Except after a long day of pickle, “I feel like I’ve got it out of my system. I feel I can sit down at my desk and actually power through.”
Levin hopes his story inspires other kids with ADHD to find their own outlets and talents. Whether he wins or loses a match, one thing is clear: Everett Levin is playing his game on his terms. He hopes other restive athletes with boundless energy and fierce dedication follow in his footsteps and find avenues where their ADHD is an asset. “The world of pickleball better be ready for us.”