Even for those who live and breathe baseball, a mental reset is essential. For the Milwaukee Brewers coaching staff, that escape has arrived in the form of America's fastest-growing sport: pickleball.

What began as a casual offseason favor has evolved into a daily ritual that sharpens minds, fuels competition, and strengthens bonds across the entire organization. The unlikely catalyst? Third base coach Matt Erickson.

Three years ago, Erickson’s stepmom recruited him to learn pickleball, offering lunch as incentive. After a humbling 15-minute lesson from two seasoned players at a local church court—followed by a sound defeat—Erickson was hooked. "I was like, 'this is a game that I have to figure out,'" he recalls.

He practiced relentlessly, and by the next spring training, he had convinced the grounds crew to set up a court near the batting cages in Arizona. The initial trickle of participants—including coaches like Jason Lane and front-office personnel—soon became a wave. "It just kind of brought some people together from different departments, which I thought was pretty cool," Erickson notes.

The following year, demand warranted a second court. Now, it's a staple of Brewers camp, with staff from all departments gathering for fast-paced matches that offer more than just fun. The quick reflexes, strategic positioning, and split-second decisions required on the pickleball court translate surprisingly well to the baseball diamond, keeping coaches' minds agile and competitive instincts honed.

In a high-stakes environment, this paddle sport has become the perfect counterbalance—a unifying, energetic pursuit that proves even the pros need to step out of the batter's box sometimes to stay at the top of their game.