Team Friday

Meet Jake, Scott and Isaac — the Friday Guys, and co-founders of Friday Pickleball. If a pickleball video has ever made you laugh out loud, there's a good chance it was theirs. They make the best content in the game: funny, a little ridiculous, and a constant reminder that pickleball is supposed to be fun.

It started in Kansas City with three friends and an Instagram page. At the same time, Matt and André were building a paddle company in Brooklyn with the exact same name. One DM about a trademark turned into a phone call. The guys played with the paddles, got hooked, and two Friday Pickleballs became one.

Today they're behind everything we make: playtesting prototypes on court, obsessing over R&D, and building this roster one player at a time. Everyone below plays Friday because these three believed in them first.

No introduction needed here. She's a Top 5 player in the world, nine-time PPA gold medalist, and one of the most loved people in ALL of pickleball. She might be Rachel Rohrabacher to you, but to us, she's our Queen, our FLOF (First Lady of Friday), and, most importantly, our friend.

Rachel signed with Friday at the beginning of 2026 and completely changed the perception of our brand. Before bringing her on, one of our biggest challenges was convincing people to take our paddles seriously. We knew we needed a top professional to help change that narrative, and Rachel was the perfect fit.

We once asked Rachel how she was feeling before a big match. She replied, “Cute but dangerous,” followed by a GIF of a raccoon holding a knife. That describes her perfectly. She's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, but when it's time to compete, she'll kick your butt without thinking twice.

Rachel has been kind enough to let us Friday Guys follow her around on tour, sit on her bench, and most of all, become genuine friends. We couldn't be more thrilled to have Rachel, our Queen and FLOF, as part of Team Friday.

He is THATPICKLEBALLGUY, one of pickleball's biggest content creators, and the most electric post-game interviewee in the game. Kyle Koszuta took the pickleball world by storm when he started his YouTube channel in 2022, posting instructional content to help players improve their game. Since then, he has amassed over 250K subscribers and created the most viewed pickleball video of all time, How to Play Pickleball, with over 5.6 million views.

We first met Kyle at PPA Kansas City in 2024, where we collaborated on some content and immediately hit it off. Over the next year, we built a close relationship, so close that Jake and his wife eventually set Kyle up on a date with one of their good friends. That date led to Kyle visiting Kansas City more than anyone has ever willingly visited KC and, eventually, an engagement.

Kyle and his now fiancée, Ashley, somehow convinced Jake (and his wife) and Isaac to move to Arizona so we could go crazy on content together. At this point, Kyle can never leave Team Friday. After all, Jake did introduce him to his future wife.

Wade Heerboth is the type of player you never want to see on the other side of the net. His game is a combination of raw power and total chaos. Put an Aura Pro in his hands, and well good luck.

That style of play recently earned Wade his first professional medal, capturing silver in singles at a PPA Challenger while also finishing fourth in men's doubles. His insane performance pushed him to a 6.0 DUPR in both singles and doubles for the first time in his career! You might recognize Wade from running around the court like a madman, or maybe from his signature man bun, but we know him for representing everything Friday stands for: fun, competitive, and an overall high quality guy.

We saw Eli play for the first time at the PPA Mesa Cup in February of 2026. After seeing him dominate in pro qualifiers and make a run in the main draw, we knew we had to get a Friday paddle in his hands. Eli signed with Friday in April of 2026 and since then has been dominating on the PPA Challenger Series. He is currently ranked #6 in men's doubles on the Challenger Series.

Eli is based in Fort Collins, CO where he is the head pro at Zero Zero Two Pickleball Club. He is also the Co-Founder of PickleCraft.AI, a platform to elevate pickleball students and coaches from the ground up. Between coaching, running a business, and traveling for pro tournaments, Eli is quite the busy dude. Make sure to keep an eye on Eli, he's on his way up!!

Ryan is an ex-professional golfer turned pickleball pro. If only we were all as coordinated as him, haha. He picked up pickleball at the end of 2024 and is already competing at the pro level. No racquet sport background, just pure athleticism and a ton of hard work. Ryan currently has the highest DUPR in all of Arkansas at 5.8. When he isn't traveling for tournaments, you can find him back home in Arkansas coaching players every single day.

We once had the pleasure (or maybe the misfortune) of playing against Ryan in an MLP 3v3 tournament. Jake, Scott, and Isaac were dressed up in Founding Fathers costumes, already looking like complete idiots. Then we had to play Ryan, who somehow managed to make us look even dumber by absolutely destroying us on the court.

Since joining Team Friday in May 2026, Ryan has continued to climb the ranks of the PPA Challenger Series and has his sights set on earning a PPA Tour contract in the coming months. Considering he only picked up a pickleball paddle at the end of 2024, something tells us Ryan is just getting started.

Armaan is a top three rated player in all of Canada and the only Canadian on Team Friday. We first came across Armaan on Instagram when he started his “Road to 6.0” series about a year ago. Let's just say that road is getting shorter and shorter. After dominating at several PPA Challengers, Armaan is now up to a 5.79 DUPR in doubles and a 5.9 in singles.

The first time we met Armaan in person was at a PPA event in Texas. We were walking around the venue when, all of a sudden, a handful of people stopped us and asked for a photo. Naturally, we got ready to take a picture with them, only for them to say, “Oh, we want a photo with Armaan.” It was a humbling experience for the Friday Guys, to say the least.

All jokes aside, we couldn't be happier for Armaan and all of the success he's had recently. His Road to 6.0 is almost complete, but his journey is just getting started.

Kevin is someone we knew we wanted on Team Friday for quite some time. He has over 25K followers on Instagram, competes at the pro level, and is actively helping grow the game of pickleball. When we first started talking to him about a sponsorship, he had one requirement: for him to sign with a paddle company, the paddle needed to be the BEST paddle he had ever used. We sent him an Aura Pro, and the rest is history.

Kevin is one of the hardest working players and content creators you'll ever meet. He joined us for our “Aura's Tour” in Asia while still working a full-time job. That meant after a 12-hour day of events, teaching, playing, and sweating in the extreme heat, Kevin would head back to his hotel and stay up all night working his day job.

Make sure to give Kevin a follow on Instagram to watch him break down high level pickleball points on a daily basis.

Jae Centonze signed with Friday in September 2025 and has been making waves in the pickleball world ever since. Anyone who's ever watched Jae play has probably thought the same thing: “This kid is going to be a star.” That's exactly how we felt the first time we saw him. After getting to know Jae and his mom early in 2025, we knew he had to be part of Team Friday.

Jae is humble, hardworking, and an absolute freak athlete. He spends most of the year traveling the country (and even the world), competing in tournaments. When he's back home in Florida, you'll find him running clinics, connecting with players, and helping grow the game of pickleball. Make sure you remember the name Jae Centonze. This kid is the real deal.

Ben and Julian Slive aka Benny and Small Guy Julian are absolute DAWGS and yes, they are twins. They have been a part of Team Friday for a year now and are just getting started. Ben and Julian are based in Boca Raton, Florida where they train at The Replay Club with every PPA pro you can imagine. At just 16 years old, it is actually insane how many pros they train with. Soon enough they will be competing on the PPA Tour themselves.

Ben is the twin that keeps Julian in check, or at least tries to. After all “Small Guy Julian” is maybe the most jacked 16 year old you've ever seen. Ben is a king on the left side and Julian calls himself “thatrightsideguy” so yeah, he's a king on the right. Between their twin telepathy and being strong players on their respective sides, they are a fun duo to watch.

Andrew is one of the coolest kids you will ever meet. He has this swagger to him that you just can't describe. The way he plays and carries himself makes you think, “Man, I wish I was this cool at 16 years old.” We first watched Andrew play at the Jr. PPA Championships at Worlds in 2025. Obviously, he won. And obviously, we had to introduce ourselves afterward. Andrew hits shots most people can only dream of hitting.

Aside from being swaggy and an absolute beast on the court, Andrew is one of the nicest and most mature 16 year olds you'll ever meet. After a long day of competing, all of the Jr. PPA players and their families got together for a meal. We couldn't find Andrew amongst the kids, and lo and behold, there he was, sitting with all the adults, striking up conversation. That's just the type of guy Andrew is. There are a lot of big things ahead for Andrew, both on and off the court.

Brooke is just 20 years old and is spreading the game of pickleball like you wouldn't believe. She was selected to tour with the Armed Forces Entertainment Goodwill Pro Pickleball Military Tour. In other words, she has traveled all over the world teaching military service members how to play pickleball. Just to name a few, she has taught pickleball in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Kenya, the UAE, Djibouti, and more.

Aside from growing the game, Brooke is also the #1-ranked player on the APP Next Gen Tour. So yes, she's pretty dang good at pickleball too. When she isn't winning tournaments in the U.S., you can find her competing (and winning) all over the world.

Brooke represents exactly what pickleball is all about. She's traveling the world teaching people how to play, bringing people together during difficult times, and creating a sense of community for those who may be thousands of miles away from their families. Keep doing your thing, Brooke!

Jayda Maldonado was Friday Pickleball's very first junior sponsored athlete. Since joining the team in 2024, she has climbed the Junior PPA Tour rankings and is currently ranked in the top three across all junior events. Most recently, Jayda earned a spot on Team USA and will represent the USA at the Pickleball World Cup in Vietnam this fall.

Aside from the countless achievements and medals she's earned, what makes Jayda special is the relationship she's built with the Friday team. Over the years, she and her family have made countless trips to Kansas City to train, compete, and create content with the Friday Guys. They always have a place to stay at Isaac's family's home, making her more than just a sponsored athlete, but a true part of the Friday family.

Ella is a 17 year old PPA signed pro who recently had the opportunity to compete in the MLP Mid-Season Tournament with the College All-Stars team. With accomplishments like these, you would never know that Ella spent much of her childhood in a hospital bed. She continues to navigate her health while competing at the highest level of pickleball.

After hearing Ella's story, we were immediately drawn to her. It takes a special kind of person to go through everything she has and still maintain such a positive outlook on life. Before finding pickleball, Ella believed she “would never be an athlete.” And BOY was she wrong. Going from believing she would never be an athlete to becoming a professional athlete at just 16 years old is something very few people in the world can say.

We are incredibly inspired by Ella. Her resilience, her kindness, and her two handed backhand counter are things we can all learn from. We can't wait to continue supporting her and see what's next!!

Jonah is the funniest 14 year old out there. He has ELITE humor. The first time we met Jonah, we got to play with him for a bit, and it immediately reminded us of playing pickleball with our friends when we first got into the sport—laughing, joking around, and just having an overall good time on the court. After seeing that, we knew Jonah would be a perfect fit for Friday.

Yes, he's funny, but he's also one heck of a pickleball player. Jonah competes on the PPA Juniors Tour, plays in pro qualifiers, and wins local moneyballs like there's no tomorrow. He even knocked Jake and Isaac out of a 5.0 PPA tournament once.

Either way, we're big fans of Jonah. He represents so much of what Friday is about: competing hard, not taking yourself too seriously, and having a ridiculously good time while doing it.

TJ Stansbury is an OG Friday athlete. He was our first ever signed player and has been along for the ride since 2023. TJ is based in Kansas City, MO where he met Jake, Scott, and Isaac early on in his pickleball journey. Being a great player, coach, and an even better friend and human being, we knew we wanted him to represent us.

You may recognize him from the countless videos he has appeared in and, quite frankly, dominated in. TJ is the craftiest player you will ever watch. He hits shots everyone dreams of, even top pros. Simply put, he is a magician. Being a Dad of 2, TJ doesn't travel for many tournaments, but is the head pro at a local club where he coaches on a daily basis and makes a big impact on those around him.

Rodrigo is based in Naples, Florida, where he is the head pro at Esplanade Golf and Country Club. He coaches pickleball full time and is probably responsible for more Friday paddles floating around Naples than anyone else. Seriously, this guy absolutely SLINGS Friday paddles.

Rodrigo is also one of the OGs of Team Friday. He was one of our first sponsored athletes and has been with us since the Fever 101 days. He believed in what we were trying to build early on and has continued to represent Friday every step of the way.

Originally from Bolivia, Rodrigo has also built a following by creating content for Spanish-speaking pickleball players. As pickleball continues to grow around the world, we think it's pretty dang cool to have someone on Team Friday helping introduce the game to an entirely different audience.

Justin is the definition of a warrior. After being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a child, Justin has had to fight for everything he has accomplished. With the odds stacked against him, he has battled his way to being one of the top players in Idaho and even opened his own facility, Spitfire Pickleball.

He spends his time coaching, training, and impacting those around him. Justin is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He represents everything Friday stands for. If you are ever in Idaho Falls, make sure to check out Spitfire Pickleball and get a lesson from Justin while you're at it! You won't regret it.