Montclair Pickleball Origin Story

By Rachele Cohen

If you know Montclair Pickleball, you may also know its founders and co-directors, Aaron and Matt. But have you ever wondered how it all began? The origins of Montclair Pickleball are a testament to the sport itself – rooted in a passion for athletics, camaraderie, competition, and genuine fun.

Matt and Aaron have both been playing tennis since their childhood years. They both attended middle school in Montclair, New Jersey and met on the tennis courts, where they became fast friends. During high school this dynamic duo started teaching tennis lessons together – an endeavor that evolved into First Serve Tennis, an academy that now serves tennis players of all ages throughout northern New Jersey.

When it came time for college, Matt went north to the College of the Holy Cross and Aaron went south to the University of Maryland. Of course, the guys both continued to play tennis. Matt played for the Holy Cross team, where he served as captain in his junior and senior years, and Aaron played on the UM club team. But it was at UM that Aaron’s passion for pickling was kindled. He met a kid named Ben Johns at his first night of club tennis freshman year, became close friends through tennis and ping-pong, and initially rejected the idea of trying pickleball when Ben told him he had started playing. Ben went on to become the number one player in the world, and Aaron eventually did give the sport a try. The rest, as they say, is history.

Aaron and Matt started playing pickleball together back in New Jersey after college. The longtime friends immediately discovered a shared obsession with this exciting game, playing whenever and wherever they could (sound familiar, fellow picklers?). The guys started playing in local tournaments and eventually moved on to the national level, and they now compete in the 5.0 bracket and pro tournaments. Today, Matt and Aaron hold multiple 5.0 pickleball gold medals.

As their love of pickleball grew, Aaron and Matt realized that their coaching abilities and their natural talent for the sport could be vital to increasing the presence of the sport in northern New Jersey. And so, Montclair Pickleball was born as a small pickleball academy based in the guys’ hometown. Matt and Aaron have since built Montclair Pickleball into one of the premiere pickleball communities in the state, home to an incredible team of pickleball coaches and an ever-growing population of dynamic pickleball players. They place an extra emphasis on having top-notch coaches who love the game and helping others grow, and also have high-level playing experience themselves.

In addition to growing a community of players in New Jersey, Aaron and Matt wanted to create something that would help grow the sport on a more national, or even global scale. They started an online pickleball community called The Pickleball Clinic. Their Facebook Group has over 75,000 members and gives players a place to talk, learn, and enjoy the sport of pickleball. The Pickleball Clinic also has Instagram and YouTube accounts, creating coaching videos and interviewing some of the top players in the world. They also have a newsletter! Plus, they built a website and resource called New Jersey Pickleball with information on local tournaments, coaches, courts, and clubs!

At the same time, Montclair Pickleball’s reach is also expanding. With new locations opening in neighboring Bergen County and Atlantic County down the shore, the guys’ dreams of bringing the game of pickleball to the masses are coming to fruition. Aaron’s and Matt’s goal is to expose people of all ages and athletic abilities to pickleball. It is a game that they are so passionate about for everything it can bring to those who step onto the pickleball court – a healthy lifestyle, teamwork and friendship, and authentic, good fun that can be shared by all.

Aaron and Matt are thrilled to have such an incredible pickleball community and cannot wait to share what’s to come for this sport in New Jersey and beyond.