By Tiffany Mero Phelps
mail@floridanewsline.com
When Cass Hoag graduated from the University of Florida in 2022, she had a very clear plan in mind. She was going to head to Australia, a country she had fallen in love with during a college study abroad program. She wanted a chance to explore more before pursuing a career with her degree in biomechanical engineering. Her parents supported her plan, but asked that she spend one summer with them in Nocatee prior to leaving. Hoag, who grew up in Indiana, agreed and spent that time playing pickleball with her father for fun, a hobby the two picked up six months prior to graduation. Soon, the duo went to tournaments together and slowly began to win. Hoag’s father, now a Senior Pro, took lessons with Coach Yohann Nograbat, and Hoag joined him. After observing Hoag play, Nograbat suggested that she go pro. It was something Hoag had never considered, but she and her parents decided that she should try it for a year. “It was essentially a lot of training, a lot of entering into tournaments and honestly a lot of losing,” said Hoag, 25. Fast forward to 2024 and Hoag is not only still playing, but she is one of the top female players on the U.S. Pro Circuit and has secured two sponsors (Selkirk Sport and K-Swiss). She has competed in 17 professional tournaments, participating in a total of 60 pro matches so far with a Dupr (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) rating of a 4.9 out of 5.5. When Hoag first started training and playing, she was matched with a local player, Zak Parks. Hoag said her game improved thanks to Parks. “I would not be playing pickleball now if it wasn’t for Zak. He is so smart and able to see things right away,” she said. They played together for a year before Parks broke his arm while playing and encouraged Hoag, now his girlfriend, to find another partner. Hoag is now partnered with Anderson Scarpa most of the time, beating two premier level teams with him and boosting her Dupr rating by doing so. She is also interested in playing singles one day. When her game is no longer improving, Hoag said she plans to use her degree to work with prosthetics, noting that her hometown of Warsaw is known as the “Orthopedic Capital of the World.” For now, she travels year-round to tournaments, feeling grateful every day for the opportunity.
Q: You are rated as one of the top 50 players in the world. How surprised were you to be ranked so high?
A: I was shocked. I did not expect any of it. Like my parents said, “Let’s just see how it goes,” and then it went really well. I was just having a good time, and I still am.
Q: What do you like about playing pickleball?
A: For beginners, I like that it is very welcoming and very easy to pick up. Now as a pro, I like that there are a lot of different elements to it. You must have both power and control.
Q: You are also a pickleball coach at the Brown Family YMCA. How do you like this job?
A: I love coaching, and I like beginners because there is so much improvement when you first start playing. It is so fun to watch.
Q: You mentioned being nervous when you first started playing as a pro. How did you ease your nerves?
A: The biggest thing is just getting that experience. I am not competitive at all. It is just not who I am. If I feel that I played well, then I am happy.
Q: What suggestions do you have for someone who wants to play more seriously and someone who just wants to play for fun?
A: If you are trying to take it more seriously, my biggest advice is to drill. It is not as fun, but it is very rewarding. You would choose one thing you want to work on and do it over and over until you master it. If it is just for fun, just go to the parks and play. You will learn so much just by playing, and people are so welcoming in this sport.
Photo courtesy Cass Hoag
Cass Hoag
