LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) – Being a Junior National Pickleball Champion wasn’t always on Matthew Mullins’ bingo card.

“No, I definitely never thought it would get to this point. Honestly, if you had asked me when I started playing, I probably would have told you I was going to be an NBA or NFL player,” the University of Kentucky freshman said.

Mullins has been playing the sport for more than a decade.

“My parents got me into this,” he said, smiling. “They wanted to do something as a family.”

That was before the sport became popular.

“It’s amazing to see how much the game has changed over the years,” Mullins added.

He became so good on the court that, as a teenager, he got a job as a pickleball pro at Griffin Gate Marriott. Mullins gave lessons, scheduled tournaments and even established a league.

“I couldn’t just play or just do the round robins and stuff, so I started teaching,” Mullins said.

“Matt can teach a beginner how to be an intermediate, just like it’s a normal work day,” Alex Pennington said.

Although Pennington is a friend of Mullins, he has also learned lessons from the champion. He said Mullins knows the sport better than anyone.

Now, sponsored by multiple companies such as Adidas, the UK student is solely focused on practicing. He has an unorthodox approach compared to other athletes.

“It sounds strange. I’m at a higher level and I still watch videos, right. But I definitely go home and watch videos. I think that helps tremendously,” Mullins said.

Although he thought he would be watching a different type of movie at this age, Mullins found a passion that he could capitalize on much earlier in life than if he had played basketball or football.