Personalities & Pickleball
~ Table Of Contents ~
ACTION NOTES
Pickleball … like life, we can’t just TALK about things, and we don’t know if we’ve learned something … until we DO … Take Action, and it improves our game. Bottom line … “We Improve!”
If we think this book will help us with our pickleball game, we’re right, it will. But it’s far more than that. It will also help us in any / every area of life that we WANT to grow.
Why is pickleball catching on, and it’s like a wave that seems to be consuming the world?
It’s not just about how fun the sport is and how easy it is to learn, but it’s also about community.
From The Authors
“We’ve written this book as ‘one flesh’ as we’ve been married for 41 years at the time this book was written. Sometimes we willpoint out who is sharing what is being written; other times, it could be Mark, Rosanna, or both of us. Our hearts are withyou, the person reading this book, andwe hope thatyou enjoy reading andapplying whatyou readasmuchaswe’veenjoyedwritingit.”
Why Do We Love Pickleball?
“It allows me to focus on something other than myself and keeps challenging me to do better . It helps me learn to workaspartofa team and to improve and strategize. It allows me to escape and to improve my health. I have found a community offriends, encouragement, andaplace to have awhole lotoffun.”
Rosanna Boersma
“Every pickleball player has the most interesting and unique story. I’ve never seen so many diverse and amazing stories of people. Pickleball is like therapy to me; it helps my heart, mind, and soul to grow and heal. I feel like I’m in my 20’s, even though I’m62yearsold.”
Mark Boersma
Dear Pickleball Friend,
Think about it for a minute. Why do you enjoy pickleball?
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the world. Why? This sport has the power to change lives—not just for players, but for entire communities. It can create connections, promote youth development, strengthen neighborhoods, and even help rehabilitate men and women in prison.
Our passion is not only to help improve your pickleball game but to have pickleball help you grow in every area of life.
We would like to thank Life Masteries Institute (LMI) for their support in this most interesting project. We love all that you are seeking to do in the lives of people locally and around the world.
Sincerely,
Mark & Rosanna Boersma
“AbigthankyoutoLifeMasteriesInstitute!(LMI)”
A Personal Note From Mark
& Rosanna …
If you benefit from this book and have a heart for helping people and promoting pickleball's growth to improve lives around the world, please consider giving to Life Masteries Institute. This QR code provides additional information about giving. 100% of what you give will go directly into helping impact the lives of those in need around the world.
If you know of any pickleball pros / expert teachers in pickleball who would like to contribute to this book, please text 630.393.9909 with their contact information, along with an introduction to them.
The first thing we’ll be covering in the book is how your personality plays a HUGE role in how you play pickleball. Whatever success you currently have in pickleball will be affected far more than you realize by your personality.
Just like in life, our greatest strength in pickleball will likely be our greatest weakness. Our great weakness is just our greatest strength … misapplied. It’s taking our strength too far.
Life Masteries Institute (LMI) has put together a fun mobile web app, “Life GPS,” that identifies your personality in 17 seconds. Once we know our personality, it not only helps us improve our pickleball game but also improves every area of our lives.
Yes … knowing this will help us in relationships, friendships, marriage, health, career, financial, emotional health, and yes, even spiritually, whatever that means to you.
Take a few seconds to go online and do the “Pickleball Personality” survey. Pickleball can be one of the best forms of mental and emotional therapy.
Future Vision ~ LMI is currently working on the UX (“User Experience”), and we need your feedback. LMI’s vision is that once you join the Life GPS pickleball community, you’ll be able to connect with others around the world who have a similar personality and DUPR and UTPR ratings. LMI’s goal is to become the largest data/community repository to study/understand personalities better to assist you in improving your play … improve your mental health … improve every area of your life.
What Can I Do?
● Share this workbook and QR code with everyone who loves pickleball and/or loves life.
● Provide honest feedback on your “The Experience” and suggestions for improvement.
● LMI is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, and, like any nonprofit, it depends on gifts/contributions, so please be generous and “pay it forward.”
Who do you know who might benefit from this book and would be fun to work on things together?
Did You Know You Are An Interesting Person?
Did you know that you’re an interesting person? Did you know that others would find your story interesting? We’re guessing maybe not. Mark is an average-to-below-average person … and yet people find him interesting.
Why?
Because he finds others interesting and would find you interesting, Mark does 15-25+ podcasts a week, and he would love to talk with you about telling your story.
People want to feel they are part of a community, and pickleball is a sport where you can find community quickly. It’s interesting to see how natural it is to share with others that we play pickleball, and to do so through the various stories that make us who we are and help us touch the lives of others, while we’re having fun with one another.
The FOUNDATION: The 3 C’s … To Success!
As international speakers and authors, Mark and Rosanna have been all around the world and discovered how the 3 C’s will not only improve your pickleball game, but will help you in your family, marriage, friends, career, spiritually, financially, and really in every area of life. 1.Consistency
1. Consistency
Think about it. Consistency is the foundation for success in everything we value. What’s interesting is that as we learn to build consistency in pickleball, it literally helps our brains become more consistent in every area of life.
For as long as Mark and Rosanna can remember, they have consistently had Friday night date nights. When Mark was in Africa for three weeks with their oldest son, Jonathan, who was 13, Mark and Rosanna rented the same movie and “watched it together” even though they were halfway around the world.
Building consistency requires knowledge, discipline, and wisdom. Knowledge to know what to do and how to do it, discipline to do it consistently, and then wisdom on how to balance everything.
As of the writing of this book, this is Mark’s third year of playing pickleball. In his first year, he only played singles. This is Rosanna’s second year to play.
Mark recently started coaching with pickleball pro Courtney Clark. Mark would recommend that new pickleball players start being coached from the get-go. There are some things that Courtney is seeking to “untrain” Mark’s bad habits that have now become part of his game.
For Mark’s first one-on-one lesson with Courtney, he had 9 questions. One of those questions is where each level/type of person struggles the most. This is the wisdom that Mark heard from Courtney.
Beginners ~ Doing what they have learned to do.
Intermediate ~ Same as beginners.
Advanced ~ Drills and consistency of practice.
Men ~ Ego
Women ~ Making themselves, their health a priority. Women tend to put their husbands, children, and others in general ahead of themselves.
Children ~ Self-discipline
What
area of your
pickleball
game do you believe you need to work on most?
Are you able to connect the dots on how improving the above area of your pickleball game would also help you in other areas of your life? What other areas of your life will benefit from you improving the above areas?
Mark and Rosanna own several companies. Synergy Solutions, Inc. is a company that they started and have owned for over 30 years. Most of their clients refer to them as business or executive coaches, but Mark says they are more like architects or engineers.
When you think about it, most of pickleball is really in the mind; it’s how we think. When we learn to think differently, we become better pickleball players.
Mark believes one of the things that holds people back most is a lack of self-awareness.
In pickleball, just as in life, people see weaknesses, our flaws, often better than we do … but don’t say anything. Why do we as human beings struggle with being honest with those around us? Even or especially those we love the most.
Communication is one of the most important factors in improving our pickleball game. The first person we need to learn to be honest with is … ourselves. Mark likes to beat himself up … and as we’ll learn about personalities later in the book, Mark’s a driver personality, so it’s probably alright for him to do this.
What’s most interesting about learning about personalities is that what gives one personality pleasure, gives another personality pain. And we tend to like others who are like us, yet fall in love with someone who is the opposite of us.
Mark is carefully studying how Courtney communicates with people. She seems able to be very direct; it can seem harsh to Mark at times, but the people she’s communicating with do not take it that way. Courtney’s experience as a school teacher is helping her in what she is doing now, which is something we can all learn from.
Consistency + Knowledge + Discipline = Wisdom
Communication with an eagerness to learn and grow helps us improve our pickleball game and all areas of life.
Fewer words are usually better in pickleball, as they often are in life. When we learn to communicate consistently based on personality, we not only learn to communicate, but also to be considerate of others based on their personality.
2. Consideration
Consideration is a very interesting word. It’s probably fair to say that most people think we are considerate, but are we really?
The golden rule is “Treat others the way we want to be treated.”
The platinum rule is to “Treat others the way they want to be treated.”
There’s another rule, and we’re not sure what that rule is named, but it’s “Treat other people in the way to help them become all they were created to be. Even if they might not like it or like you.”
Communication and Consideration are all woven together. Learning to treat others / communicate with others in a very different way than we want to be treated … and consistently doing that is … well … It's very hard.
As a general rule, pickleball players are some of the most considerate people in any sport. You can have a 5.5+ level pickleball player who is playing with a 1.0, someone who is playing for the first time, and everything is good.
Playing doubles is hard when three people may be 3.0+, and one may be 1.5. As a general rule, though, people are very considerate of less experienced players.
And since you read this book, if you have someone who is a Driver / Analytic personality like Mark, if that type of personality just smokes the person you can now be considerate of the Driver personality and know that is actually being considerate to the newbie, just as Mark’s grandfather was to him when he was 8 years old and didn’t let him even capture one checker in checkers.
1.0–1.5 (Novice/Beginner): New players learning basic rules and paddle skills.
2.0–2.5 (Advanced Beginner): Players starting to understand positioning and rallies.
3.0–3.5 (Intermediate): Consistent serves, reliable strokes, and developing strategy.
4.0–4.5 (Advanced): High court awareness, strong strategy, and consistent performance.
5.0–5.5+ (Expert/Pro): Mastery of all skills, high-level, and tournament experience.
When people are different from us, we struggle to consider them. We tend to think that “our way of thinking” is the best… the right way to think. We think “being nice” is just one way to be nice, but there are many different ways to be nice.
Mark’s grandfather taught him how not to be defensive. Grandpa Boersma said, “Mark, when someone says something to you, there is some amount of truth to it. It could be 1% to 99%. It’s not up to them to decide what % is true, and/or what youwilldowithit, Markbuddy. It’suptoyou.”
Mark’s grandfather taught him at age 8 how to be humble and open to anyone’s suggestions. And then his grandfather died when Mark was 9 years old. Mark probably only saw his grandfather five times in his life.
Mark’s grandfather also said … “Mark, I could let you win at checkers, butthatwouldn’tbeanhonestthingtodo.”
Mark’s 8-year-old boy's brain was like … “Yeah, grandpa, butcould youletmejustwinonejump?”
Now … Some might say that Mark’s grandfather wasn’t considerate of Mark, but that’s not how Mark looks at it at all. Mark now sees how his grandfather was somehow just preparing him to be coached by Courtney, who tells Mark he’s got a ’90s paddle and cement in his shoes. Courtney brings back fond memories of Mark's grandfather for him. Courtney, “Mark, thanks you!” ��
3. Competence
Practice doesn’t make perfect … “Perfect practice makes flawless."
Competence comes from everything we’ve talked about and much more. Before we dive into more about:
1-0: Understanding Our Personality
1-1: Fundamental Mechanical Skills
1-2: Core Shot Techniques
1-3: Essential Strategies
1-4: Practice and Training
Let’s cover a natural law Mark refers to as “The Next Dimension” principle. What’s a higher number, a 2 or a 9? Most people naturally think it’s a 9, because we think in one dimension, the dimension we are currently in.
Think of it this way. Once we hit a “10”, 10 is not perfection; it is mastery. Once we master the dimension we’re in, we move to the next dimension, and a “2” in the next dimension is higher than a “9” in the previous dimension.
Does that make sense? In the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, we learn that the biggest enemy to being a great pickleball player is being a good one.
You get to decide what level you want to advance to. In each dimension, there are four levels of coaches.
Level 1 Coach is Cheerleader:
You’ll probably like this level of coaching as they are encouraging, and even if we’re doing really badly, they will give us an encouraging word. The Amiable personality tends to perform best at this level.
Level 2 Coach is a Teacher:
With every new dimension we move to, the rules of that dimension change. The Analytic personality is often the best in helping us in this area.
Level 3 Coach is Coach:
The Expressive personality will often push us, as any great coach would. We may not like this person at times, but they will help bring out our best.
Level 4 Coach is a Navy SEAL:
The Driver personality will challenge you. If you want to see amazing growth in your pickleball skills … actually, any skills in the shortest amount of time, then this level of coaching is what you need. If you feel your Life Vision is bigger than fear or limitation, and you're committed to becoming who you were created to be, then pursue this level.
Life Masteries Institute (LMI) has some of the most amazing volunteers who will give you a GIFT 30-minute strategy session based on your personality. Take this 3-minute personality survey and request the GIFT Strategy Session. Someone from LMI will reach out to you to schedule a time to review the results.
They can give you input on your personality and your pickleball game and/or your biggest challenge and/or what you would love help with. It’s your GIFT session, so you get to cover whatever you would like to cover.
Are you a business owner, and/or do you know a business owner?
What is a 30 Minute GIFT Strategy Session?
“Whatif30minutescouldbringfreshclaritytoyourbusiness?”
Sometimes what a business owner needs most isn’t more effort… It’s more clarity. A 30-minute strategy session is a simple phone conversation designed to help you step back and look at your business with fresh eyes.
We’ll get to know you, your business, where you are right now, what’s going well, and where things may feel heavy, confusing, or unclear. We’ll ask a few questions to better understand your goals, your biggest challenges, and what you would truly love help with. We’ll also explore how you naturally think - how your personality influences the way you lead, make decisions, handle stress, and pursue growth.
Many times, the reason we feel stuck isn’t a lack of ability… It’s a lack of alignment. By the end of our 30 minutes, you’ll walk away with:
• How to clone yourself and how to gain 20 to 30+ hours a week of free time, as Mark has
• Insight into patterns you may not realize are shaping your results
• A few practical ideas you can immediately apply
• And space to think strategically instead of reactively
The goal is simple: Help you think strategically about your business and walk away with direction. Schedule a session today! Call or text Nora
Part 1 ~ Improve Your Game
There are four major areas within pickleball. Before we get into each of the four areas, we’ll share some things about your personality and how learning about your personality will help you in each of the four areas.
1-0: Understanding Our Personality
1-1: Fundamental Mechanical Skills
1-2: Core Shot Techniques
1-3: Essential Strategies
1-4: Practice and Training
1-0: Understanding Our Personality
How does our personality affect our pickleball game? Actually, our relationship with money … i.e., how we view/see money and how we use money? Actually, a lot more than most people think. If you take the Life GPS online personality survey, you will receive additional insights and resources that help extend the benefits you receive from this book.
Take this simple 17-second test to understand our personality and how knowing this will help our pickleball game.
Each personality will have strengths, and, if not disciplined, those strengths will become weaknesses. This applies not only to pickleball but to every area of life.
Mark’s personality is: Driver / Analytic. Rosanna’s personality is: Amiable / Analytic.
We tend to like people like us and fall in love with those who are opposite. Seeing Mark and Rosanna play doubles is a lot of fun. Just ask Courtney Clark, their amazing pickleball coach.
Amiable ~ If we chose the BALL and/or “Conflict with others,” we would refer to this personality as the “Amiable” personality. This personality tends to dislike conflict and may be taken advantage of by others because of a strong desire to trust/get along with people.
Pickleball Application ~ This personality type tends not to like to pickle people, feels bad about beating others too badly, and tends to be more passive in how they play.
Mark laughs when he plays doubles with Rosanna, as there have been a few times when she has called out the wrong score, and it always seems to give the opponent more points than they have. Hmmm … that’s one way to get people (other than your partner) to like you
Now … just to be clear. The amiable may seem nice and not competitive, but in truth, they are fearlessly competitive. When Mark and Rosanna were playing “Pickleball" with the pastors at First Baptist Church of Elkhart in Bristol, Indiana, Mark asked her if she wanted to have fun playing against the pastors or if she wanted to win. We won’t share what she said so as not to give away the secrets of the amiable personality types.
Analytic ~ If we chose the CUBE and/or “Out of Order,” we would refer to this personality as the “Analytic” personality. This personality tends to be more careful with how they play pickleball and often overthink things. They will often research/study… well … everything.
Pickleball Application ~ The analytic will tend to play cautiously, hate making mistakes, and struggle to see the big picture. The analytic will take fewer risks and play cautiously, which will give them a strength, but it’s also a weakness.
Both Rosanna’s and Mark’s secondary personalities are analytic. Not sure that we'll share our marriage secrets here. �� The analytic often will talk when they make a mistake / bad shot and will explain to their partner why they made the mistake. We’re not saying the analytics shouldn’t do this, but it may not be their best game. Why?
Our brains are highly suggestible, and we may inadvertently train them to do the same thing again by saying aloud what we did wrong. The brain thinks far faster than the mouth can talk, so it may be more effective to rewire your brain, without talking, as to what you will do next time.
Expressive ~ If we chose the WAVY LINE and/or “Boring / Not Fun”, we would refer to this personality as the “Expressive” personality. This personality tends to enjoy having fun. This type of personality can have challenges with staying focused, following a plan, staying disciplined, and avoiding dopamine hits in the brain.
Pickleball Application ~ Playing pickleball with an expressive will be fun, regardless of whether you win or lose … unless, of course, you are a driver personality; winning is fun.
The expressive does have a LOT of fun in everything they do. They will use this to their advantage to distract their opponents. They also love to do crazy shots that seem to everyone else to be impossible … and honestly, they often are, but if the expressive can laugh, make others laugh, then it’s worth losing some points.
Throughout the book, we’ll share tips on how each personality type can help them avoid letting their strengths become a weakness. The expressive can have a hard time staying focused, and once they lose focus, it can be hard to regain focus.
Driver ~ If we chose the PYRAMID and/or “Out of Control,” we would refer to this personality as the “Driver” personality. This personality tends to be driven, very direct, often enjoys goals, and expects to win.
Pickleball Application ~ Mark is a very high Driver personality with a secondary Analytic personality. People love to make fun of the driver's personality. People like to try to get them to smile or talk. The driver's personality is … well … there to win. They are often furious competitors, and the only thing better than pickling the opponents is a golden pickle.
People often hate playing against the driver, but boy, do they love to play with the driver. That is, unless they like to hit the ball. The driver often believes they are playing singles even when there’s another person on their court.
There’s really no such thing as poaching when you’re playing with a driver, as the driver believes that … well … the whole court is really their court and you are just a guest. Now, if the driver's personality is a secondary one, amiable, they will at least apologize for poaching … and then poach again. If they have an expressive as secondary of expressive … Well, you’ll thank them for poaching. If the secondary is analytic like Mark, hopefully you like to win.
OK… so you probably get the basics of different personality types. Let’s apply them to each of the four major specific areas in pickleball.
There are 4 major personality types at one level. If we look at a 2nd level, there are 16 personalities. 3 levels: there are 64 possible options; 4 levels: there are 256. When we look at the Geo and the Pain test, there are 65,536 possible combinations.
But we’ll aim to keep things simple in this book, focusing on the primary personality and maybe the secondary one. The Geo test seems to be genetic, how our creator created us in our mother’s womb. The Pain test appears to involve several factors. Maybe birth order, maybe our parents and/or how we were raised, maybe the hurt and pain we’ve been through.
https://www.lifemasteries.org
1-1: Fundamental Mechanical Skills
Your physical technique is the foundation for consistency.
● The Grip: Use the Continental ("handshake") grip as your neutral starting point to allow smooth transitions between forehand and backhand shots.
● The Ready Position: Always return to an athletic stance with knees slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart, and your paddle held high near your chest.
● Footwork: Focus on quick lateral shuffles and split-step timing as your opponent contacts the ball to improve reaction speed and balance.
~ Coaching Tips ~
Have the analytic study this closely, and then help you do each of these things really well.
Amiable ~ Don’t take anything personally.
Analytic ~ See the big picture in addition to the details.
Expressive ~ Be focused, pay attention to details. You’ll have more, and everyone around you will, too.
Driver ~ Learn to think like the other three personalities, and that will help your strengths not become weaknesses.
1-2: Core Shot Techniques
Mastering a few key shots can dramatically improve your control of the game and help you dictate the pace of a match.
● Dinking: Develop soft, controlled shots that land in the "kitchen" (non-volley zone). When executed well, it forces your opponent to hit upward rather than attack, keeping the rally controlled and limiting aggressive shots.
● The Third Shot Drop: Use this gentle, arcing shot hit from the baseline that lands in the opponent's kitchen, allowing you to transition safely to the net.
● Deep Serves and Returns: Aim for the back of the opponent's court to keep them on the defensive and prevent them from advancing to the kitchen line and taking control of the rally.
~ Coaching Tips ~
Study the amiable to learn the soft skills.
Amiable ~ You are doing your opponent a favor by beating them, as that will make them better, and that gives confidence.
Analytic ~ Study the expressive and driver personalities and realize that often to get better, we may play worse initially.
Expressive ~ Consistency is REALLY important!
Driver ~ Learn to smile throughout the game. Just saying.
1-3: Essential Strategies
Strategic play often beats raw power in pickleball.
● The "70% Power Rule": Avoid hitting at 100% capacity; moderate power (around 70%) provides better control and accuracy.
● Targeting Weaknesses: Aim for your opponent's backhand or feet to force awkward, weak returns.
● Holding the Kitchen Line: In doubles, stay as close to the non-volley zone line as possible to limit your opponent's attacking angles.
● Communication: In doubles, use clear calls like "mine," "yours," or "switch" to coordinate movement and avoid leaving gaps in the middle of the court.
~ Coaching Tips ~
Study the expressive and how, when we “break rules” at the right time and not often, we will catch opponents off guard.
Amiable ~ Learn to be more forceful like the expressive and driver.
Analytic ~ Learn to be in flow and not so rigid.
Expressive ~ Learn to study the game and your opponents carefully.
Driver ~ Hmmm … Yep … keeping it to 70% won’t be easy. I’m sure we can be accurate up to 99.9%. Just saying. ��
1-4: Practice and Training
● Drilling vs. Playing: Real improvement often happens during focused drilling sessions (e.g., hitting 50 consecutive dinks) rather than just playing matches. This helps build consistency, touch, and muscle memory that will show up during competitive play.
● Fitness: Strengthen your agility and stamina through ladder drills, squats, and cardio so you can stay sharp during long rallies.
Are you focusing on singles or doubles play? The optimal court positioning varies significantly between the two.
~ Coaching Tips ~
Study the driver and their discipline, their consistency, and their passion for being the best they can be.
Amiable ~ Don’t tell the driver to smile. �� It throws off their game.
Analytic ~ NO … don’t tell the driver that losing 1 out of 20 games is OK. They won’t respect you.
Expressive ~ Sometimes in life … we need to learn to have fun in the boring.
Driver ~ Keep up the front that you are the least caring person on the courts … otherwise, people will learn that you are the most caring person on the court. ��
1-5: Questions
This booklet is still being updated, and we love to hear feedback on what you like most and what you believe could be improved. What questions did you find the answers to in this booklet?
Q1: Where can I get additional copies for friends and family?
Answer ~ Call Elaine Yoder with LMI at 574-312-5318.
Q2: Are pickleball events good for team and business building for businesses?
Answer ~ Yes. They can be amazing. Think about the power of team building and what it takes to build loyal, profitable teams. Pickleball has all those elements and will help individuals have fun and create stronger, lifelong friendships in working relationships. Elaine can help connect you to pickleball event planners if you need help in that area.
Q3: Are there other types of valuable booklets like this on other topics?
Answer ~ Yes, there are. There are many different types of booklets, with more being created. Call Elaine Yoder at 574-312-5318 for additional details and/or specific suggestions for booklet topics.
Q4: As a business owner, could we customize this booklet for our employees, clients, and vendors?
Answer ~ Yes, you can work with the dedicated team at LMI, and they will help you customize this to your company's specific needs.
There is a simple interview that helps LMI to understand better the challenges you are facing, your leadership is facing, your employees are facing, the clients and communities you serve are facing, and this booklet and/or other types of booklets can be created to help us all learn and grow together in very positive ways.
As a business, you could also partner up with non-profit and/or community-based organizations to help those in the community address mental health challenges, addictions, trauma, and healing. We can accomplish far more together than we ever could on our own.
Qx: What questions do you have?
Answer: Call or text Mark at 630.393.9909 with ANY thoughts you might have, which will add more value to those who read this book.
Q5: How will personalities help me in doubles and understanding / beating those I’m playing against?
Yes. You can actually learn to identify someone in 17 seconds by asking yourself two questions.
1. Are they More or Less Assertive?
> If you ’ re not sure, they are probably less assertive, as you tend to know if someone is more assertive.
● If they are more assertive, they are either Driver (pyramid) or Expressive (wavy line).
2. Are they focused more on Tasks for People?
> “People” people are more like Rosanna. Nice and fun to play with. “Task” people are more like Mark. Often doesn’t smile and is there to play/win. Roughly 75% of men / 25% of women will be analytic or driver. Roughly 75% of women / 25% of men will be amiable or expressive.
In this case, Mark and Rosanna would be playing against Jill (a very aggressive, driven, and fun player), whereas Bob would be more of a commelion personality.
Let’s say … “It would be the most interesting match.” Oh … don’t think the amiable is not competitive as they can be the most competitive. ☺
Part 2 ~ Improve Your Life
How do pickleball and personalities help us in every area of life? Pickleball is both mental and physical. The mental guides the physical.
2-1: Physical
2-2: Relational
2-3: Mental / Learning
2-4: Emotional
2-5: Financial
2-6: Spiritual
NOTE: Mark & Rosanna are continuing to write this book. We value ALL feedback. Based on our personalities, Mark, as a driver, values when others share anything, both positive and negative. 2026 is the year of growth. Let’s grow together. You can connect with Mark by calling or texting 630.393.9909.
Rosanna, as an amiable person, tends to enjoy more positive feedback. Rosanna is working on growing to where someone can be brutally honest with her, and she’s fine with that. ��
2-1: Physical
The Moral Of The Following Story ~ “How many times in pickleball and in all areas of life, do we treat the symptom rather than the core, the root issue?”
Why do we do this? It may be due to a lack of knowledge or to mental laziness. We often seek the easy fix. We may seek medication, vitamins, or the easy solution rather than eating healthier and/or treating our bodies as the temple of God.
We could write an entire series of books on the physical, but we’ll keep it short to help us understand something very profound about life.
Mark had sciatic pain for no apparent reason. The sciatic is the largest and thickest single nerve in the human body. It originates from the lower spine and travels through the buttocks.
Mark had met with John DeVries, PT, DPT. Owner and Founder of Formed Physical Therapy and Wellness; previously helped him with a shoulder and arm issue, and saw amazing success.
John asked several questions and came to what Mark thought was the most amazing insight. The pain seemed to stem from Mark wearing a hamstring brace as a precaution against another hamstring injury, which had occurred around a year earlier.
How could sciatic pain result from wearing a brace to prevent a hamstring injury? John explained that it’s likely with the brace that the hamstring wasn’t “pulling its weight,” it wasn’t being strengthened as was needed, which required the back to do more of the work, which caused the pain.
What is physical and what is mental pain? It’s interesting how these two are so intertwined that the medical community continues to wrestle with this.
What we do know is that the mind is extremely powerful. Pickleball helps build us both physically and mentally. Both Rosanna and Mark share openly how much healing has brought them.
2-2: Relational ~ Friendships
Everyone likes Rosanna ��. People struggle with Mark a bit more. He’s far more direct. If you ask Rosanna who’s more caring, she or Mark, and she says: “Markis. Butheshows itina very differentway thatmostpeople aren’tusedto. Markislikeanacquiredtaste.”
As we already mentioned, we tend to like people like us and fall in love with those with opposite personalities. Mark has had an interest in friendships for decades and seems always to be looking for what is called a Level 4 friendship.
Pickleball is one of the best ways to discover all types of friendships. You may want more friendships or deeper friendships. Pickleball can do that, and this book will help us to understand ourselves and those around us better, so we have both more and deeper friendships. Scan the QR code for additional details on the four levels of friendship. If you want to have a little fun, just tell Mark what level of friendship you would like with him, and he will seek to give you that level.
Level 1 ~ You’ll like Mark.
Level 2 ~ You won’t like Mark.
Level 3 ~ You’ll love Mark.
Level 4 ~ Your visions will connect.
Based on statistics, Mark and Rosanna have greater than an 85% chance of divorce. Yes, even after 41 years of marriage. Why?
June 17th, 2020, their oldest son, Jonathan, committed suicide with a rifle shot to the head, with their 19-year-old son five feet from Jonathan. It’s … impossible to put into words the sense of loss that comes from this. But there is deep healing.
Mark and Rosanna moved to Bristol, Indiana, a year after Jonathan died, and purchased four acres on the St. Joseph River, and have created Riverside Retreats as a place for Fun & Healing. Building five decks and bringing in over 500 tons of boulders kept Mark busy for two years.
Mark and Rosanna now invest a lot of time, energy, and focus, and their hope/vision is to help prevent this pain from happening to other families and to help those who have experienced this heal. Jonathan wrote this song before he died. He never did get to hear an artist sing his song, but you can and we hope it will touch your heart as much as it has ours.
If you could have an ideal friend, what would that person look, sound, and/or feel like? Why would this have so much meaning to you? How could you find those types of people playing pickleball?
Who are your best friends?
Why do you like your friends?
If your best friends could improve, what would that look like, sound like, and/or feel like?
Mark is co-autho book, “Your Vo Headset,” with No book on friendship the weekly podca shared this post Facebook.
When trauma gets triggered, you don't act your age; you act the age your wound was created. Think of it this way. Your mind is a house, and somewhere in this house, there is a locked room that you haven’t opened for years. Something happened in that room when you were 8, 14, the younger version of you. Something happened in that room. So what you did was turn off the lights, shut the door, and keep living in the rest of the house. But that room doesn't disappear.. it just waits. The moment something enters your mind, and it sounds like that old fear, that door comes barreling open. And all of a sudden, you are right back at the age that that hurt happened, and that's why you shut down, that's why you panic, that's why you get defensive. Because it's never today's version of you reacting. It's still the young version of you trapped in that room that never got to finish the story. But here's the thing: true healing is not pretending that the room doesn't exist. It's walking back in that room, turning on the lights, and making sure the younger version of you finally feels safe strong. Because when you do that, you stop reacting as that younger version of you. And your reactions finally start growing up with you. And when you stop acting like that entire room doesn't exist, you take your entire house back.
Mark substituted “strong” for “safe” because he feels strength creates long-term healing rather than feelings.
2-3: Mental / Learning
Pickleball is an excellent workout that has a positive impact on physical health. That’s one reason for its tremendous (and rapidly growing) popularity. But just as important to many people is the effect the sport has on their mental and emotional health.
How Exercise Supports Mental Health:
Before considering pickleball specifically, it’s helpful to understand how any exercise benefits mental health. People who work out regularly tend to experience the following:
Endorphin release. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins natural chemicals in the brain that help elevate mood and create feelings of happiness and well-being.
Stress reduction. Consistent physical activity helps lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can reduce anxiety and help you feel more relaxed.
Improved Physical Health. Exercise strengthens the body, improves flexibility and agility, and boosts overall fitness. As physical health improves, people often experience greater confidence and a more positive outlook on life.
With that as the backdrop, pickleball seems especially effective at supporting good mental health and promoting overall wellness.
2-4: Emotional
Pickleball’s Powerful Appeal
Why is pickleball such a fun, fulfilling sport and why does it have such a positive impact on mental health? Its popularity continues to grow because of several key factors:
Accessibility and inclusivity. Pickleball is easy to learn, making it welcoming for players of all ages and skill levels.
Social interaction. Many players enjoy the community just as much as the competition. Conversations and laughter before and after matches are often as meaningful as the game itself.
Sense of accomplishment. The more time spent on the court, the more players develop their skills. As ability grows, so does confidence and personal satisfaction.
Cognitive stimulation. Pickleball requires strategic thinking to anticipate an opponent’s moves, quick reflexes, and good hand-eye coordination. After a match, players tend to feel they have had a great physical and mental workout. Pickleball challenges the mind as well as the body. Players must anticipate opponents’ moves, react quickly, and maintain strong hand-eye coordination.
Flow state. The fast pace of the game encourages players to stay fully focused, often creating a “flow state” a deeply enjoyable feeling of total engagement in the activity.
Sense of belonging. The pickleball community is widely known for being welcoming and supportive. While matches can be competitive, camaraderie and connection are often the highest priorities.
Ultimately, pickleball players can get a serious workout without taking themselves or the game too seriously. Matches leave them feeling pleasantly spent and happily connected.
2-5: Financial
Mark and Rosanna were both raised to be very conservative financially. Mark jokes that Mark’s parents had a far more simpler plan than Dave Ramsey. Work really hard, be generous, and don’t spend anything. ☺
Mark knew that a huge part of his life vision would be business. Business is in his blood. It’s not about the money, it’s about the impact that we can have on the world. Mark and Rosanna have 10 grandchildren and 2 more on the way at the writing of this book.
Mark believes that one of the greatest gifts we can give our children/grandchildren is financial education and wisdom. Mark is playing pickleball at First Baptist Church of Elkhart with five of his ten grandchildren.
When you think about it, pickleball has a lot of parallels to financial knowledge and wisdom. The higher the risk, the higher the rewards. Patience and consistency are key to long-term success.
Alayna, the shortest / youngest one in the picture, is going to be a crazy, amazing pickleball player. When she was playing with Grandpa the very first time, she was so focused, so intent, so driven. It's amazing how, even at the age of three, their personalities come out. 46
https://www.lifemasteries.org
Both in Financial and in pickleball, the Analytic (cube) and Amiable (ball) will tend to take LESS risks, and the Driver (pyramid) / Expressive (wavy line) will tend to take MORE risks.
To improve your pickleball game and probably your finances, when the Analytic (cube) and Amiable (ball) learn to take more risks, their games will improve.
The Driver (pyramid) / Expressive (wavy line) will improve their games when they learn to be more patient. It’s called counterintuitive coaching, where we need to learn to do the opposite of what has helped us to see the success we have.
What’s interesting is that when we shift our games (from pickleball to finance), we often “get worse” and go back to what we are comfortable with.
In pickleball, like in finances and life, our greatest strength is our greatest weakness, and our greatest weakness is our greatest weakness misapplied. It’s taking our strengths too far.
This is a great quote that will help us improve our pickleball game, our finances, and every area of life.
You Are The Placebo
“Usually, when people step into the river of change, that void between the old self and the new self is so uncomfortable that they immediately slip back into their old selves again. They unconsciously think, This doesn’t feel right, I’m uncomfortable, or I don’t feel so good. The moment they accept that thought, or autosuggestion (and become suggestible to their own thoughts), they will unconsciously make the same old choices again that will lead to the progression of the same habitual behaviors to create the same experience that automatically endorses the same emotions and feelings. And then they say to themselves, This feels right. " But what they really mean is that this feels familiar.”
What does this mean? It seems to mean that every problem we have in any area of life: Pickleball, financial, relational … comes from how we think, and to learn to think differently, we need to make a dimensional jump in how we think. Learning to think differently seems to be one of the hardest things for human beings to do. Improving our pickleball game will help us in every area.
2-6: Do business owners have ADHD?
More than you might think.
Research suggests that roughly 10–20% of entrepreneurs have ADHD significantly higher than the general population. That’s not a coincidence. Many of the traits associated with ADHD creativity, high energy, risk-taking, and the ability to think differently are the very qualities that drive innovation and success in business.
But there’s another side to this story.
ADHD often shows up early, sometimes as young as six years old. Today, 7 million children are navigating life with ADHD. Many experience intense emotions, impulsiveness, lower dopamine levels, and a deep sense of isolation. What can look like “too much energy” on the outside can feel like overwhelming chaos on the inside.
And the reality is serious these struggles can place nearly 30% of these kids at a higher risk of attempting or dying by suicide.
So the question becomes what can we do?
At Anthony’s Way – The Road to Kindness, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the mission is simple but powerful: to help children and teenagers with ADHD see hope, feel understood, and experience joy in everyday life.
We’re here to remind them that their minds are not broken—they’re different. And different is powerful. We to an Be ins Lif “An Kin aw thi wit Do yo or ba Wh for our own heart and the hearts of those we love.
One of LMI’s faithful sponsors over years has been Compass Accounting.
If you are a business owner, do y ever feel like you own a job rat than a company?
Imagine taking a long trip without a map or GPS. You might eventually reach your destination, but the journey would likely include unnecessary detours, confusion, and frustration. Financial decisions can feel the same way. Without the right guidance, it’s easy to feel uncertain about where things are headed.
Compass Accounting exists to help provide that direction. Their goal is simple: give clients the tools, knowledge, and support they need to make wise financial and business decisions.
Questions start piling up:
● How do I build better systems to save me time?
● How do I improve my hiring/mentoring of employees?
● How do I keep everything organized?
● How do I engineer the best succession plan?
Many business owners eventually realize they don’t just need an accountant. They need a trusted partner who understands real businesses. That’s where Compass Accounting has stepped in for many companies.
Compass Accounting provides a wide range of services designed to support clients at every stage of their financial journey, including:
● Tax preparation
● Tax planning
● Bookkeeping
● Payroll services
● Business consulting
● Financial advising
At Compass Accounting, every client relationship begins with listening. We take the time to understand your goals, your challenges, and where you want to go financially. From there, they build strategies tailored specifically to you.
Our goal is simple:
To help individuals and business owners gain clarity, confidence, and direction in their financial lives. Whether you need help organizing your books, planning for taxes, or making smarter financial decisions for the future. Let Compass help point your financial future in the right direction.
Jason Miller ~ Owner
260 E North Village Drive, Suite C
Shipshewana, IN 46565
574-370-6867
www.compassaccounting.biz
2-7: Spiritual
Interestingly enough, Mark played his first pickleball game at First Baptist Church of Elkhart, Indiana. Mark’s dad was a Baptist pastor/missionary, so he grew up in the church.
Many people around the world have told Mark… “You’reaverydifferentChristianthanI’veevermetbefore.”
Mark’s never sure how to take this.
Sadly, most people who say this mean it in a very positive way. Mark is one of the most curious people you’ll ever meet, and that applies to everything, including, or maybe even more so, spirituality.
If you have beliefs other than Christian, i.e., how Mark grew up, he is genuinely interested in how you grew up, what you believe, and why you believe what you do. Feel free to bring up any questions or thoughts about spirituality with Mark. It likely will be a very different conversation than you’ve ever had.
For most of Mark’s life, he attended the Baptist churches his dad started and went three times a week.
It seems to Mark that when we are talking about the infinite creator of the universe, the more we think we know about God … the more humble we would be and the more we would realize we don’t know.
Have you ever had a question in the spiritual area that you felt you could not ask? What might that question be?
Why do young children learn so much, learn so fast? It seems one reason might be their curiosity. I wonder if we were more curious, less confident about things spiritually, if we would talk less about spirituality and become more connected to our creator?
Have you ever felt that you’ve been spiritually abused?
What are some of your biggest challenges you are facing in any area of your life? When we write down curious questions about our biggest challenges, we seem to become vulnerable and put ourselves in a position to learn. When we think about our biggest challenges, those that are not being solved, and then realize that whatever we are currently doing spiritually … may or may not be working? It seems like our creator may meet us in that place and maybe even on the pickleball court? Maybe there’s someone you are playing with today who could help you … or … you could help them if we were just honest with our biggest challenge and/or some of our spiritual questions. If you would like to join Mark and Rosanna in their spiritual journey, they invite you to join them in a Life GPS ~ Spiritual Questions group.
2-8: Other Proud Sponsors
LMI appreciates our many sponsors.
Thank you all!
To learn more about how your business/organization can sponsor this book, other books, and/or LMI events, please call Elaine at 574-312-5318.
Are You Planning A Building Project?
What if the people building your home cared about you just as much as they cared about the project?
Imagine being a 20-25 year-old business owner trying to find your place in this world. You’re working hard, building a company, learning how to serve people well, and hoping to make a real difference through the work you do. When most people hire a construction company, they expect good workmanship. They want straight walls, solid roofs, and a project that’s completed well. But what if you could have all that and more? What if the people building your house, pole barn, or remodel cared deeply about the peopleinside the building, too?
Owned and operated by two young craftsmen, Kenny Bontrager and Luke Miller, Dreamscape Creations has quietly built a reputation not only for excellent construction, but also for something that is becoming increasingly rare today: genuine care for their customers.
One day, while Kenny was talking with a gentleman about his business and asking if he knew anyone who might need the services his company provided, Kenny decided to ask a simple question—one most people never think to ask.
“With everything you’ve got going on in your life right now, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing?"
It wasn’t a question about construction, projects, or referrals. It was a question about life. The man paused, then shared his biggest challenge. Instead of simply nodding and then moving on, Kenny listened intentionally. Later, Kenny met up with the gentleman to discuss some business matters. As their conversation was wrapping up and Kenny was about to leave, he paused and said, “Oh, by the way - I’ve been thinking about your biggest challenge.” As he handed him a booklet, he continued, “Here’s something I wanted to give you. I thought it might helpwithwhatyou’refacing”.
That moment captures the spirit behind Dreamscape Creations. Because the truth is, the best businesses aren’t just built on great craftsmanship, they’re built on genuine care for the people they serve.
Dreamscape Creations specializes in:
● New home builds
● Remodeling projects
● Roofing
● Pole barns and outbuildings
● Cabinet installations
When you trust someone with your building projects, you’re trusting them with more than materials and measurementsyou're trusting them with something that matters to you.
So the question is: would you rather hire someone who simply finishes the job, or someone who also cares about the people behind the project? If you’d like to talk about your next project, Kenny and Luke would love to hear from you. Call for a free quote or to schedule an appointment.
Kenny: 260-214-4532
Luke: 574-350-1058
Dreamscape Creations Questions
1. What do you love most about your home?
2. What are some things you / your family may have dreamed of for your home that haven't happened?
3. If you made it happen, what you / your family dreamed of for your home, what lifelong experiences would you see, hear, and/or feel?
Coaching Tip ~ Often … it’s not that we don’t know the solutions to a problem we’re having. It’s often that we aren’t asking the best question. What are the best questions we should be asking?
Coaching Tip ~ Getting help from those who have wisdom and can assist you to BEcome all you were created to BE. Pickleball players are fun and friendly people. “Yes,” even personalities like Mark. �� Feel free to ask other players for tips if they see anything when they are playing with you. You will enjoy it, as will they.
Hmmm
…
what am I thinking?
It’s good … to just sit back and … think … reflect … ruminate.
2-9: What’s NEXT?
If they would like to improve their personal life, they can connect with LMI. Ask about the 30-minute gift strategy session on how to improve your pickleball game based on your personality and/or help you in any other area of life.
Action I Will Take!
Taking action is a result of how we think. What actions will we take from this booklet?
Special Gift
Mark and Rosanna are working with LMI to develop a mobile app, along with AI, to offer even more specific tips to you and others, drawing on their almost 40 years of learning about personalities, writing, and speaking around the world. Please email Mark at mboersma5@gmail.com. Please share that you read “Pickleball Change Our Lives” and that you would like the AI/Life GPS special report that Mark is working on with LMI. Please include your best email address to send it to, along with the best phone number to reach you if there are any questions
Community Events
Coffee Connection Weekly Virtual Meeting (30 minutes)
LIVE: First Saturday of every month
• 8 AM – Amish segment
• 10 AM – Open to all 7720 W 200 N, Shipshewana, IN
Breakfast provided: RSVP: Elaine 574-312-5318
Rosanna 630-649-4059
“What is your BIGGEST Challenge?”
Monthly brainstorming/discussions on:
● Gaining more free time & life balance
● Aligning employees with your vision
● Scaling up without risking business or family life
Phone / Zoom Meetings www.RavingFan.net
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Thanks To Our Sponsors
● Handling problem employees, clients, or family members
Share FREE 3-minute personality survey with others: > https://synergytools.net/md3/SurveyLink.aspx Use QR code for 17-second Life GPS Personality >>> So … if someone or anyone could help you in any area of your business and/or your life, what would you love help with?
