The Kawamoto siblings have been part of the CNPL community since the beginning, and their family has been in the stands for every single match.
Ask anyone in the Canadian pickleball community who the Kawamoto family is, and you'll get the same answer: the nicest people in pickleball. That reputation isn't an accident it's earned, match by match, season by season, with a van full of homemade pom-poms and a mom who runs between courts at halftime.
Mike, host of the Kitchen Conversations podcast, sat down with Linda, Matthew, Jessica, and Stephanie Kawamoto for a wide-ranging conversation that touched on CNPL, the evolution of the game, and what pickleball means to a family that plays it together.
THE FAMILY
The Kawamoto family is Linda (mom), Tom (dad), and their kids: Matthew, Jessica, Stephanie, and Ellen. Most of them play. Most of their partners play. They have a seven-seat van — which fits exactly "half the gang, anyway" according to the podcast.
Linda came to the game from tennis and says pickleball captured her immediately. Matthew, who came from a non-racket sports background, whiffed on his very first shot and never looked back. Within a month he was competing at the 4.0+ level in London, Ontario, diving across the court alongside partner Cam Taylor. Jessica brought a full racket sports toolkit with her. Stephanie is a teacher who runs a pickleball club at her school.
JESSICA AND MATTHEW IN THE CNPL
Matthew and Jessica are both CNPL players, and the family has tracked every match from the bleachers with color-coordinated support.
Both have played every CNPL season. Matthew has remained a member of the Toronto United Pickleball Club since the beginning. Jessica has been more of a journeyman as she is about to join her third different team. This season, Jessica has moved to the North Lights hence the new purple pom-poms Linda just finished making when she appeared on the podcast. Linda's homemade creations are a signature of Kawamoto family fandom: metallic curtain pom-poms in each kid's team colors. Green for Matthew. Purple now for Jessica. When both kids are playing on adjacent courts at the same time, Linda sprints between them during timeouts, swapping jerseys and cheering sections without missing a beat.
WHAT THE CNPL MEANS TO THEM
For the Kawamoto siblings, the CNPL isn't just competitive pickleball it's a proving ground for Canadian talent. Matthew described the league's structure: eight teams, six players each, launched in 2023 with a mandate to develop Canadian-first rosters. The league has since added one international player slot per team and opened doors to under-16 players, raising the quality of competition noticeably each season.
"The quality of play in Canada is exceptional," said Jessica when asked about the league's growth. "We need more support for sure." The family's message to recreational players was direct: come watch. You'll learn something, find a favourite player, and leave wanting to work on your game.
THE SOFT GAME ISN'T DEAD
The conversation naturally turned to where the game is heading. The Kawamoto's are firm believers in the soft game third shot drops, dink rallies, patience at the kitchen even as recreational play trends toward power and drives. Matthew's view: if your opponent can handle the drive, why keep driving? The smart player adjusts. The consistent player wins.
Linda added a sharp observation about rec players who spend weekends watching pros then show up Monday thinking they've unlocked a new gear: "You know, if you'd just step out of the way, that ball's leaving for Kingston."
SPORTSMANSHIP IS THE FAMILY BRAND
Perhaps the most telling moment of the episode came when the conversation turned to line calls and integrity. The Kawamoto's don't need a referee to do the right thing if it's close, it's in. Full stop. Mike reflected on the same ethic in golf, where someone like "Bob" convinces himself a 13 was actually a 6. The Kawamoto's drive home knowing exactly what score they shot.
Linda put it simply about her kids: "They're nice kids. They're honest kids." That's the family brand, and the community knows it.
PRACTICE WITH PURPOSE
Matthew's closing advice for anyone trying to level up: drill with intention. Five minutes on five different things isn't drilling, it's just switching paddles. Pick a shot, put in real hours, then find a way to carry it into game-like situations. And warm up before you play. The Starbucks-and-apple-fritter pre-game routine has an injury risk that can take you out for months.
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
The full Kitchen Conversations episode with the Kawamoto family is available on YouTube. Seventy minutes of honest, warm, and genuinely insightful conversation about the game and the people who love it.
Watch: Pickleball's Nicest Family… Here's Why — Kitchen Conversations