Sarah Burr, a wife and mother of 2 in Australia, was scrolling through Facebook one day when she spotted a post from friends that was rather mesmerizing to the former tennis player. The post would end up changing the course of her life.
“They were holding pickleball paddles on a podium, and I could see tennis courts in the background. So I was intrigued about what the paddle was in their hand and what sport they were playing. So I reached out to these friends, and they showed me how to play, and I haven’t stopped playing since. It has been two years,” she said.
Burr has dedicated her life to pickleball, and the athlete has risen quickly to professional status. She is Australia’s number one ranked female in the sport. She was recently drafted by Major League Pickleball’s Arizona Drive Challenger team and will play alongside Wes Burrows, Sarah Ansboury, and Andreas Siljestrom in the 2023 season.
“It was amazing. I was absolutely blown away. I honestly thought being based in Australia at the time of the draft would be a big roadblock. They might find it hard to get me together to train and things like that. I am just super happy with my teammates. They are really nice people and very high level players. I am very lucky,” she said.
Burr was a voracious tennis player for most of her youth. She constantly drilled and received 1-1 coaching, group training, cardio, and weightlifting as part of her daily routines. She succeeded in match play and practiced most nights to improve her game. However, she burned out and walked away from the game when she was 13.
Burr continued with her life, and except for a casual tennis game now and again, she hadn’t played a racquet sport in years. Her tennis background has been helpful, but focusing on pickleball has been an adjustment.
“It helps me to have a tennis background, but I drill often. Right away from the start, I begin doing a lot of drills. I wouldn’t say I am one of those people that is naturally gifted or anything like that. Much of what I have done is the result of lots of drills and match play,” she said.
She begins drilling with her husband daily at 4:30 in the morning, usually until 6:30. She then gets another 2-hour session with her mixed doubles partner, Martin Clark. If it rains, they go indoors so they don’t miss a workout. She spends evenings with high-level recreational play against some of the strongest male players in Australia. Burr spends up to 6 hours a day on pickleball and adds tournament play whenever possible.
“In tennis, I enjoyed the net game, so naturally, I quite liked the fast pace of pickleball, the fast hands, and the volley at the kitchen line. But I did find that I was used to hanging back. My partner Martin was like, come forward because I was doing these drives but then standing at the baseline driving way too long, so it did take me a while to get the tactics right. You are always learning. There is always something else you need to learn when it comes to tactics,” she said.
The commitment to the Arizona Drive goes well beyond just an opportunity for some United States competition for Burr. Her family supports her dream of becoming a regularly ranked star in the USA. They have committed to moving to America permanently to make that dream come true.
“My husband is the best support person I can ask for, no questions asked. He is happy to pack up the house, pack up the kids, and start a new life here. It’s just a testament to the game. It has done wonders for my whole family. I’ve got my parents playing. I play gender doubles with my sister Bec. My husband is playing, and we have made so many friends, and we think it is worth it how it has changed our lives. So we just want to go as far as possible with it and share it with others. And help grow it in Australia,” she said.
Burr’s first challenge toward her pickleball goal will require her to navigate the MLP competition at the Challenger level. Three Challenger level events are scheduled in which 12 teams of 2 men and 2 women compete in a mixture of gender doubles and mixed doubles matches.
“We hope to get to the playoffs, and then we will obviously try to make our way through to the finals, where we can start looking at prize money and all of that. There is another level of players, called the Premier level, and we have the opportunity when it comes to season 2 to be drafted into the Premiere level,” she said.
The MLP Premier level is home to the Top 48 most in-demand team players in all of professional pickleball. Burr is hoping to crack into the tier with experience.
She has sacrificed a lot to compete in MLP and will take on the first event in January solo, leaving her husband behind to get the kids acclimated to school, starting back up in Australia at the same time as the event.
“My paddle sponsor, Engage, is doing what they can to assist me with the Visa process. We are looking at doing some camps, some coaching camps with them. And just travel to as many tournaments as I can. I am very invested in MLP. I love the format, and I love the teams and the environment. It has been a great way to get to know other players and make friends. I mean, everything is riding on the Visa. And we are hoping from the second MLP and moving onward we will all be in the US together. That’s the big dream,” she said.
A dream she hopes will land her and her family in Florida near Engage, which she calls her US family. Burr is excited to learn and play against many great US players, and her tenacity and work ethic will make it easy to cheer for her.
