More Than a Game: Liam Duffin Wants to Bring Pickleball to Guatemala
The accomplished collegiate pickleball player is partnering with a nonprofit organization to bring the sport to children in a community that changed his life.
For most professional pickleball players, success is measured in tournament victories, rankings, and championship trophies.
For Liam Duffin, success could soon mean something entirely different: seeing a group of children in Guatemala pick up a pickleball paddle for the very first time.
Duffin, a Selkirk-sponsored player with multiple collegiate national and world championship titles and three PPA Challenger Series titles, is working with the Orange Couch Foundation to raise $25,000 to construct a pickleball court at a school in Guatemala.
It's a project that brings together two things that have profoundly impacted his life: pickleball and the people of Guatemala.
"When I was in Guatemala, I met people who had so little compared to what we're used to here, but they had this incredible sense of community and happiness," said Duffin.
A Personal Connection to Guatemala
Before his competitive pickleball career took off, Duffin spent eight months in Guatemala serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The experience had a lasting impact on him, particularly after witnessing the generosity and happiness of families who had very few material possessions. He has wanted to return to the country ever since.
One memory in particular helped inspire his current project. In Zaragoza, Guatemala, Duffin observed how a small futsal court served as a gathering place for the surrounding community.
It wasn't necessarily about the sport being played. It was about having somewhere to go, somewhere to connect, and something to share with neighbors and friends.
Years later, Duffin hopes to recreate that sense of community through pickleball.
The sport has already given Duffin tremendous opportunities, both competitively and personally. Now he wants to provide some of those same opportunities to a community that made such an impression on him.
"That experience really changed my perspective on life. Pickleball has given me so many opportunities, and I've always wanted to find a way to give something back to the people who made such an impact on me. This feels like the perfect way to do that."
Partnering With the Orange Couch Foundation
To bring his vision to life, Duffin connected with Charles Judd of the Orange Couch Foundation, a nonprofit organization that operates a school in Guatemala and organizes monthly humanitarian trips to the country.
The Utah-based foundation focuses on improving educational opportunities for children in Guatemala, including providing scholarships to students attending Colegio Meso America in Patzicía.
According to the organization, $700 is enough to sponsor a child's education for an entire school year.
The foundation has committed to planning and designing a pickleball court at its school, which would become the community's first dedicated court for the sport.
The project carries an estimated $25,000 price tag, with plans calling for a professional-grade playing surface and a steel roof to protect students from the sun and rain.
But for Duffin and the foundation, the project is about much more than constructing a place to play.
It's about creating an environment where children can build relationships, develop confidence, and experience some of the same benefits that pickleball has provided to millions of people around the world.
Bringing Pickleball to a New Generation
The planned court would serve students between the ages of six and 18, many of whom have never played pickleball.
Once construction is complete, Duffin plans to return to Guatemala to personally introduce the children to the sport, teaching them the fundamentals and helping them discover the game's competitive and social elements.
Although Duffin speaks some Spanish, the foundation plans to provide translation assistance during his instruction.
The goal isn't necessarily to discover Guatemala's next professional pickleball superstar.
Instead, Duffin hopes to introduce the children to something that has become a major part of his own life.
For a sport that prides itself on accessibility and community, the project represents an opportunity to put those qualities into practice.
And Duffin believes the initiative could eventually reach beyond one school. With futsal courts already common throughout the region, temporary pickleball nets and paddles could provide a relatively simple way to introduce the sport to additional communities.
What begins with one dedicated court could ultimately become something much bigger.
"Maybe one of those kids falls in love with the game and becomes an amazing player someday. That would be incredible. But even if that never happens, if we've given these kids a place where they feel happy, safe, and connected to each other, then we've accomplished something really special."
Pickleball Is Bigger Than the Court
As professional pickleball continues its rapid growth, much of the attention understandably focuses on tournament results, player contracts, prize money, and the sport's expanding commercial opportunities.
But stories like Duffin's are reminders of what makes the sport special in the first place.
Pickleball has the ability to bring together people of different ages, backgrounds, and experiences.
And sometimes, providing a place for those connections to happen can be just as meaningful as anything accomplished in professional competition.
Duffin and the Orange Couch Foundation are currently seeking donations toward their $25,000 fundraising goal.
Those interested in supporting the initiative can learn more or contribute through the Orange Couch Foundation website.
Donations can also be made through Venmo at @OrangeCouch-Foundation.
For Duffin, the ultimate reward won't be another trophy.
It will be seeing the children of Guatemala discover the same game that has given him so much.
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