By Isaac Nielsen OMAHA, Neb.- Over the past five years, pickleball has exploded from a quirky backyard pastime into one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Courts are popping up in neighborhoods, gyms, and clubs across Omaha, and one local player is helping raise the bar—not just in the city, but internationally.
Esteban Celis, the assistant general manager at Ace Pickleball Club in Omaha, has quickly established himself as one of the sport’s rising stars. Once a soccer player trained in academy systems, Celis stumbled into pickleball during the COVID-19 pandemic. With organized soccer shut down and gyms closed, he found himself searching for something new.
“I never liked going to the gym,” Celis said. “I started playing pickleball during COVID, and I just fell in love with it.”
That leap of faith paid off. In just a few years, Celis has climbed the international rankings, earning the title of number one men’s doubles player in Central America (where Mexico is grouped for pickleball rankings) and reaching 27th in the world.
Pickleball didn’t just reshape his career—it reshaped his personal life, too. Celis met his wife on the court after he and a friend organized a Halloween-themed pickleball party, renting six courts for the occasion. She happened to be there, and the two connected.
But while Celis has reached elite levels of competition, his impact extends far beyond his own matches. On the local courts, his presence pushes players to improve simply by giving them access to professional-caliber competition.
“Honestly, if it wasn’t for him playing with us here, you wouldn’t be exposed to that kind of level of play, because we don’t really have easy access to a pro player like that,” said fellow player Kenny Martinez. “So that’s been super beneficial.”
Celis admits that when he first started, he didn’t have the same support. “I wish I had that when I started playing pickleball,” he said. “I literally would go into a court, and people would walk off because they didn’t want to play with me.”
Now, he’s determined to change that dynamic for others. As an instructor at Ace, Celis teaches lessons to players of all skill levels, helping them learn the game and develop strategies. For him, the joy is in seeing progress.
“I love to see people grow,” Celis said. “It’s one of the things that makes me the most happy. When somebody starts playing pickleball, and they have no idea what to do, zero strategy, seeing them progress is very rewarding.”
That teaching philosophy reflects the larger growth of pickleball in Omaha. What was once seen as a game for retirees has become a multigenerational sport.
“I feel like pickleball is exploding in Omaha, Nebraska,” Celis said. “A lot of people are playing, not just the older generation. You’ll see 7-year-old kids come in and play.”
For Celis, the paddle has become more than a pastime. It’s a tool for building community, fostering growth, and proving that Omaha belongs on the pickleball map. Whether he’s competing on the world stage or rallying with beginners at Ace, Celis is showing that the sport’s future—both locally and globally—is just getting started.
Leave feedback about this