From Juniors to Pros: Ethan Bakalinsky, Maverick Messinger & Francis Chi Join the Bodhi Pro Team

Three Bodhi Juniors. Three PPA deals. One massive next step.

We couldn’t be more proud to announce that Ethan Bakalinsky, Maverick Messinger, and Francis Chi have officially signed PPA deals and will be taking the next step in their careers on the Professional Pickleball Association Tour.

For these three young athletes, this moment represents much more than signing a contract.

It represents countless hours on the court. Early mornings. Long tournament weekends. Wins, losses, sacrifices, and the decision to keep working when nobody was watching.

They earned this.

And for all of us at Bodhi Performance, getting to watch their development and be a small part of their journey has been incredibly special.

From the Bodhi Junior Program to the Bodhi Pro Team

When we created the Bodhi Junior Program, we wanted it to be more than a sponsorship.

The goal was to identify talented young athletes, support their development, surround them with the right people, and give them an opportunity to grow both on and off the court.

Ultimately, we hoped to watch our juniors become professionals.

Today, we’re watching that vision become reality.

With their move onto the PPA Pro Tour, Ethan, Maverick, and Francis will officially graduate from the Bodhi Junior Program and become members of the Bodhi Pro Team.

They’ve earned the opportunity to represent Bodhi alongside the professional athletes they once looked up to.

But this isn’t the end of their journey with our Junior Program.

In many ways, it’s the beginning of the next chapter.

Introducing the Next Step: The Bodhi Mentor Program

As Ethan, Maverick, and Francis begin navigating life on the Pro Tour, we want to continue investing in their development.

That’s where the Bodhi Mentor Program comes in.

We plan to create a direct line of communication between our developing professionals and some of the established top pros on Team Bodhi—giving them people they can turn to for advice on competition, preparation, training, tournament life, professional development, and the realities of competing at the highest level.

But mentorship shouldn’t only flow in one direction.

As new junior athletes join Team Bodhi and step into the positions Ethan, Maverick, and Francis once occupied, we want our newest Bodhi Pros to have the opportunity to become mentors themselves.

They’ve lived the journey these young players are about to begin.

They know the work it takes.

They know the pressure.

They know the setbacks.

And now they know what it feels like when all of that work pays off.

That experience is incredibly valuable, and we want the next generation of Bodhi Juniors to have access to it.

The Bodhi Pipeline

Junior. Pro. Mentor.

That’s the culture we want to continue building at Bodhi.

We don’t want to simply sponsor athletes. We want to create a community where players at different stages of their careers can learn from one another, support one another, and then give back to the players coming behind them.

Today’s juniors should be able to look at Ethan, Maverick, and Francis and see what’s possible.

And someday, we hope those same juniors will graduate into the Bodhi Pro Team and turn around to help the next group do exactly the same thing.

That’s how you build something bigger than a sponsorship.

You build a team.

Congratulations, Boys.

Ethan, Maverick, and Francis, we are beyond proud of you.

You’ve put in the work. You’ve earned this opportunity. And while signing your PPA deals is a massive accomplishment, we know this is only the beginning.

Enjoy this moment.

Then get back to work.

Welcome to the Bodhi Pro Team.

We’ll see you on Tour.

Stay Grippy!

-Team Bodhi