Let's Break it down with frank and Alex

Frank Chiappone, a former sports broadcaster for KOMO 4 in Seattle WA, and Alex Fox, a pickleball coach/instructor from Gig Harbor WA, teamed up and created "Pickleball Breakdown." In this YouTube episode you will see President Mary Critchlow and her crew, Susi Feller, Toni Davison and Sharlene Shiroma  BREAK IT DOWN.


How long have you been playing pickleball and how were you introduced to the game? 

Frank- I’ve been playing for about 3 years now. I discovered this great game by accident when I walked passed two courts in a neighborhood park and asked what it was. I gave it a try and have been playing ever since.

Alex- I’ve been playing pickleball for about two and a half years now. I saw it being played at the YMCA in Gig Harbor. It wasn’t love at first sight though... I was volunteering with the youth program and we would always be waiting on the pickleball players to finish up so we could start playing basketball. They would inevitably run late every week, so I thought I’d just join in one day, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I played decently high level baseball and tennis, so I became pretty good at pickleball rather quickly. 


We love “Pickleball Breakdown.” Tell us how you two fellas got together and how the breakdown idea came about.

Frank- I was a sports broadcaster for many years at KOMO-TV in Seattle and was looking for a way I could bring my sportscasting background to the pickleball community in a fun and different way. I’m not a coach, or even a very advanced player, so I couldn’t do training videos. Besides, there are a lot of those already out there. I also knew I wanted to focus on casual rec players instead of the pros. I was introduced to Alex through a friend and knew right away he’d be a perfect fit for the show because of his great personality and the way he can explain the game in a really simple way.

Alex- The Pickleball Breakdown idea was all Frank! I gave him a lesson one time a while back and he reached out to me about his idea. I loved the thought of analyzing everyday type pickleball points and giving simple, easy to understand feedback to the community. I absolutely love working with Frank on these, especially because he does all the work! 🤣



What hobbies do you have outside of pickleball and Breakdown?

Frank- Are there other hobbies? I’m kidding! Mostly, I love spending time with my family, cooking and home-improvement projects.

Alex- Well, I have a wife, six kids, and two jobs... not a lot of extra time for hobbies! However, I do really enjoy music and playing the drums. 


Favorite quote or words of wisdom you would like to share with our readers?
 
Frank - That’s an easy one, “Expect the fastball!” from Alex Fox.

Alex- “Luck is a concept created by the weak to explain their failures.” -Ron Swanson (Parks and Rec)