Callie Smith's Nike Adult Pickleball Camp at Naples Pickleball Center

Born and raised in Utah, Callie Jo Smith comes from a prestigious line of tennis players and coaches. She began her collegiate tennis career at the University of Utah playing Division 1, where she helped her team compete in the PAC 12 tennis conference in the United States from the years 2012-2014. Callie grew up playing tennis and took home the state title four years in a row alongside her sister who also played tennis and took state all four years with her. She was invited to play in a pickleball tournament with her husband's 90-year-old grandfather, where she was afterwards introduced to more individuals who got her more involved within the sport.

In August 2018, Callie officially began playing on the Pro Tour and then quickly become one of the top female players in the sport of pickleball. She very quickly created a big name for herself in the sport of pickleball as someone who has an excellent force of nature on and off the court, she is someone that is always hungry to win. Since she began playing the sport back in 2018, Callie has medaled in almost every tournament she has played in, and in April of the year 2021, she became a U.S. Open Champion in Women's Doubles.

Callie loves to play pickleball and is very excited for what the future will bring for herself within the sport since she became pro in the year of 2019. She currently loves to use the Evoke Onix Premier paddle when playing competitively and she particularly loves using it for her aggressive game style. She prefers the balance that comes from the paddle for both the power plays, and the soft game.

Outside of loving to play pickleball and tennis, Callie Jo has many hobbies. Some of her hobbies include doing anything involving the outdoors, cooking, and baking, compose music as well as play the piano, run, bike, read, watch movies, and travel around the world. She is also a full-time mom of two children and a wife to Kyle Smith. She is known personally for her sweet personality and smile; she wears a long signature braid when she plays that has given her the nickname of “Rapunzel.” Callie Joe also will release instructional workout videos every so often that emphasize her training as a pro athlete. The tennis and pickleball star is 5 feet 10 inches tall and plays right handed in both sports; she is often teaming up in Women’s Doubles mainly with Lucy Kovalova. Callie Joe Smith is in the top five of all three Women’s Pro pickleball divisions.

Smith grew up in Northern Utah where he excelled in sports. His passion was basketball, where he finished with All-Area and All-State honors. Following High School, Smith decided to forgo sports for an education and attended the University of Utah's Accounting Program. Smith's background in Financial Education allows him to bring an organized structure and strategic mindset to the world of improving and coaching in pickleball. During his 10 plus years of managing the financial education of a start-up (now publicly traded) company, Kyle organized and managed the creation of over 200 educational videos for individuals with a beginning, intermediate, and advanced understanding of financial markets. Smith has brought this passionate and organized approach to instruction in pickleball with his wife Callie.

Kyle is extremely competitive and originally began playing pickleball with his wife Callie. They both decided to begin taking the sport more seriously when they lost a game to 11 against a couple twice their age. Thinking they would win the match easily, Smith and his wife were shocked when they were beaten 11-2; they quickly decided that they needed to learn more about how to play pickleball and take it more seriously. While Smith has not competed on the pro tour at this time, he is a regular drilling partner with his wife Callie who is ranked Top 5 in Women's Pickleball Rankings.

Smith can no longer beat his wife at pickleball regularly - much to his frustration; however, his passion is seeing her improve and succeed on the pro tour. His greatest joy in life is being with his wife and two children.