GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Beer City Open Pickleball tournament is just a day away, returning for its sixth year.
Professional and amateur athletes from all over the nation will come to Belknap Park for five days of pickleball action. One of the headlining players is a West Michigan native who is finding herself at the top of the game only a few years after getting introduced to it.
“I’m a lawyer full-time at my day job,” Andrea Koopsaid.
Andrea recently became a partner at her practice, less than 10 years after graduating law school.
But when she’s not battling it out in the courtroom, she’s battling here on the pickleball court.
“I am a top-10 women's pro pickleball player,” Koop said.
In just five years, Andrea went from learning about the game to becoming a major force on the professional pickleball circuit.
In return, pickleball helped her find balance as she navigates the stresses that come with being a rookie attorney.
“And it forced me to, you know, put an end to my grinding at the desk,” Andrea said.
Now Andrea travels 17 weeks out of the year competing in tournaments all over the country. She stays busy on and off the court.
“I am answering emails, I'm on the phone between matches and some days I work at 11 o'clock at night,” Andrea said.
It’s a busy life, but Andrea says the pandemic made remote work a reality for her practice, allowing her to hit the road— competing at the highest level, while still showing up for her clients.
“Ultimately my day job is being a lawyer and if I don’t win this pickleball match I don’t live or die on the paycheck that comes with it,” Andrea said that stability allows her to concentrate in the moment.
Andrea has obvious weapons on the court. Her two-handed backhand is a force to be reckoned with but she says it's her mental toughness that keeps her sharp.
This year’s tournamentwill have 100k in prize money and will take place from July 18th-July 23rd. It is free for spectators to come out and watch.
