CEDARBURG — After a career playing and coaching tennis, a Wisconsin woman traded her racket for a paddle. She had immediate success.
Gina Cilento has only been playing pickleball for seven years, and she is already a professional.
“I’ve won, you know, maybe five medals out of the eight tournaments I’ve played," Cilento said.
At one point she was ranked as high as 15th in the country for senior women. In 2024, she was drafted by the Indy Drivers to be in the National Pickleball League. She has also played on the Association of Pickleball Players tour. She has played in Chicago, New York City, and all across the country.
Beyond being a pro, she is creating a robust pickleball community in Cedarburg. She started the Pickleball Lab in Nov. 2021. It's a members-only pickleball club. It has two indoor courts with plans to build one outdoor court.
"I knew a lot of big chains were going to be opening up and they're massive environments. There's 17, 18 court facilities, and I wanted something more intimate, cozy, you know the people that belong so you can network easily with getting play," Cilento said.
It costs $350 to join and is $30 per month. Her goal was to create an environment of like-minded pickleball players. She personally screens each applicant before they are allowed to join. You have to call her cell - (414) 975-7673. So far there are about 140 members.
Watch the Story on pro pickleball player Gina Cilento...
“I wanted to build a boutique experience. Not all you can play pickleball, but just like a small intimate experience for people to come to learn and train with me and also to play," she said.
The club's courts are open seven days a week. There is a scheduling app on your phone users can reference to book court times.
"I know a lot of people are going outside anyways to their local parks and recs to play, but this gives you an opportunity to play with booking a guaranteed court versus hoping for the best," Cilento said.
The Pickleball Lab has been a huge hit among local players. It's drawing in people who are experienced and novices.
“I came here for a beginner lesson and that’s when I met Gina and my life changed," Jordan Pintar said.
Pintar picked up a paddle for the first time two years ago. She was immediately hooked on the sport. Now she teaches beginners lessons at Pickleball Lab and is even in business with Cilento.
“We were looking for stuff to wear to rep our love for pickleball, and we really weren’t finding that," she said.
So she and Cilento started The Pick which is a leisure pickleball fashion brand.
“I was lucky enough to get a call from Katy Perry and she picked up 100 of my sweatshirts, and then I was flown out to be in a celebrity tournament with her," Cilento said.
In the past 7 years, Gina has dedicated a lot of her life to pickleball. Between her pro career her fashion line and the Pickleball Lab, life can get stressful. She finds solace in her new favorite sport and never wants to take it too seriously.
“I trademarked the phrase legally it’s just pickleball because whether you think you’re all that or really you’re not that great it’s just pickleball and just remember to have fun," Cilento said.
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