2017 Lumen grad Connor Mogle has gone from a small-town high school athlete to a professional pickleball player in just a few years. After a breakout 2025 season, Mogle officially earned a contract on the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour, one of the biggest accomplishments in the sport.
Mogle began his athletic career at Lumen Christi High School in Jackson, Michigan, where he played tennis and developed his competitive mindset. He continued playing tennis at Spring Arbor University, where he spent several years improving his skills and learning how to compete at a higher level.
Although Mogle started out in tennis, many of the skills he learned transferred directly to pickleball. “There’s a number of skills that transfer well from tennis to pickleball,” Mogle said. “Some of the most notable are learning how to recognize opponents’ strengths and weaknesses and working with doubles partners to play well as a team. Tennis also taught me the mechanics and how to develop power when hitting ground strokes, volleys, and overheads.”
After graduating from college, Mogle worked a full-time job while continuing to compete in professional pickleball tournaments. In May 2025, his situation changed when he was unexpectedly laid off. Instead of stepping away from the sport, he decided to fully commit to pickleball and see how far he could go.
“I worked a full-time job for a few years and played professional tournaments,” Mogle said. “In May, I decided to play pro pickleball full time until I either ran out of money or made it.”
Mogle trained for hours each day and began seeing results quickly. While he found success in several tournaments throughout the season, he says there was still some uncertainty. “I won a few tournaments along the way and had solid success waypoints,” he said. “But I didn’t fully know if I was going to make it until I won the PPA Challenger Series final in November.”
In November 2025, Mogle won the Challenger Showdown, dominating in the finals and earning a full PPA Tour contract. The win officially secured his place as a professional player. Earlier in the season, he also won the Men’s Singles title at a PPA Challenger event in Wisconsin and claimed first place at The Kitchen Open Austin, earning a $25,000 prize.
The PPA Tour is the top professional league in pickleball, and earning a contract is a major achievement. With only a limited number of spots available, the Challenger Series gives rising players the chance to prove themselves and earn a place on the main tour.
Now competing at the professional level, Mogle says he enjoys every part of the experience. “I love everything about playing pickleball at this level,” he said.
Mogle also shared advice for student-athletes who hope to continue playing sports after high school. He encouraged athletes to enjoy competition and stay open to new opportunities. “First, learn to love competing and winning at everything possible,” Mogle said. “I attribute a lot of my pickleball success to battling my college tennis teammates for hours in ping pong.”
He also emphasized that college sports are possible even without major recognition. “If you love your sport, there will be opportunities for you to play in college,” he said. “It may not be at a Division I school, but coaches appreciate players who have passion and want to get better.”
Faith has also played an important role in Mogle’s journey. “Tennis was my third sport in high school, and I felt like God was leading me to play it in college,” he said. “If you walk with Jesus every step of the way, you won’t be led astray.”
With a PPA Tour contract secured and strong performances behind him, Connor Mogle looks ready for the next stage of his career. His journey shows how dedication, hard work, and taking risks can quickly change the path of an athlete’s life.
