Holding Court

Librarians are typically known for preferring quiet, but when Drew Evans first discovered pickleball, it practically screamed his name.

Evans, ’01, a former Washburn Law library head of reference, was searching for a new way to keep the competitive juices flowing in his 40s, and the nation’s fastest-growing sport fit the bill.

“I used to play a lot of basketball,” Evans said. “One time, I was at the YMCA looking for people my age to play, and I couldn’t find any because they’re all playing pickleball. I gave it a try, and I was hooked.”

Now, Evans travels across Kansas and beyond to spread word of the sport through his online persona, The Pickleball Librarian. Since starting his YouTube page in 2018, he’s racked up nearly half a million views, plus more than 14,000 followers on Facebook.

“It’s a combination of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. All the fun racket sports,” he said. “What’s great is finesse is more important. You don’t have to be a strong, brute person. If you can place the ball, that’s more important than power.”

After graduating from Washburn Law, Evans spent a year working as a researcher at AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C. He returned to Kansas to get a master’s in library science at Emporia State. After working two years at Kansas State University’s library, he enjoyed a 14-year career at Washburn Law. The leap from law librarian to Pickleball Librarian may seem like a large one, but Evans says there are more similarities than one might think.

“When you’re in law, there’s a lot of logic,” Evans said. “The late Washburn Law Dean (Jim) Concannon used to say, ‘Don’t think great thoughts, just read the rules.’ I apply that to pickleball: Don’t try to do fancy thrill shots, just place the ball carefully. Don’t make mistakes that help the other team win.”

“Reading the rules” is exactly what Evans sets out to do as the Pickleball Librarian. His goal, according to his YouTube bio, is to provide reviews on pickleball books, videos, training resources, and other things related to pickleball, so that players of all levels may improve their game.

In addition to creating content about the sport, Evans gives lessons and clinics and aims to bring pickleball to underserved communities. He’s also been invited to commentate on tournaments in places like Birmingham, Alabama, and Lincoln, Nebraska, and sponsors other events. He often sticks around after tournaments to socialize and have dinner with locals. Like the sport itself, Evans has noticed his popularity grow over time.

“I was traveling out of state recently, in a court in the middle of nowhere,” he said. “I wasn’t even wearing my Pickleball Librarian gear, but I was wearing shorts from a company I reviewed, and somebody knew who I was because they’d seen my review. That was kind of nice.”

More pickleball-specific facilities are popping up in every area of the country, including many communities close to home. Evans said Topeka, Hays, Emporia, and Osage City have all opened new courts recently.

“It’s neat to see how in middle America, even rural communities are picking up the sport,” he said. “What’s great is being involved with tournaments, and hearing from players, ‘I was at Washburn Law when you were there.’ Lawyers playing pickleball remember me from when I was Washburn’s law librarian.”

In addition to the lasting connections he formed at Washburn, Evans remains thankful for the well-rounded education the university provided.

“One thing I like about Washburn is the liberal arts approach,” he said. “They don’t just teach you how to strengthen the mind, but they have a lifetime wellness program where you learn how to take care of the body. Washburn’s education program looks at the individual person as a whole.”

Going forward, Evans foresees using his platform for another cause near and dear to librarians – raising awareness of the growing number of banned books. He often discusses the importance of access to information and the dangers of censorship.

“Everyone should have access to what they want to read,” Evans said. “When I’m in a crowd talking about banned books, I love asking, ‘Who here has read “To Kill a Mockingbird” or “Hunger Games” or “Harry Potter?”’ and everyone raises their hand. I say, ‘Congrats, you’ve read a banned book.’ It educates people to what type of things are getting banned.”

Evans says he picked up his critical thinking and communication skills from Washburn Law, both as a student and later as head of reference.

“I’m very impressed with the education I got at Washburn, and the education they continue to give,” he says. “I sent both kids there. One son, Walter, is a junior, and another, Forrest, graduated in 2016. Both got full scholarship offers from other schools and still chose Washburn. I didn’t push them to go that route, they just recognized it was where they needed to be.”

The trajectory of Evans’ career affirmed his belief that people land where they’re supposed to. His efforts to catalog all of pickleball’s resources will become an even larger undertaking as the sport’s popularity continues to grow, but for a lawyer pursuing a newfound passion, he’s happy to have found a court he enjoys coming back to day after day.

“One thing I always told law students was to think of the long game,” he said. “The turtle wins over the hare in law school. It’s more of a marathon than a sprint. I bring that into my pickleball game. I’m patient and wait for the right shot.”