A New Spin on Pickleball Ambassadors: Kris Barrett’s International Journey
Pickleball ambassadors are common in many communities. They promote facilities, gear, and brands. They build communities and welcome new players. And they are exceptionally passionate about the game.
Kris Barrett put a new spin on that ambassador tag, packing up her pickleball gear, community-building skills, and love of the sport for a move to Europe in 2022—as the wife of Tom Barrett, U.S. Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. While Tom, a former U.S. congressman and Milwaukee mayor, spent three years in the diplomatic corps as a Biden administration appointee, Kris went beyond official duties. A retired schoolteacher, Kris played across Western Europe, became a tournament champion in Belgium, and spearheaded a 70-plus member multicultural pickleball group.
“It’s been a lot of fun to find a sport that so many people can play. I wasn’t sure I would find a sport that was so inclusive and competitive,” Kris says, reflecting on her experiences. “I’ve played with teenagers up to 85-year-old people of all different nationalities. Playing with so many different people, I learned not to underestimate anyone—not even myself.”
New People and Places to Play
Kris Barrett on the podium after winning a pickleball tournament in Belgium during her time abroad.
Finding people to play with—to fill the gap left by her close-knit Milwaukee pickleball friends—as well as places to play in a country the size of Rhode Island became early challenges. Yet Kris methodically conquered these issues and more.
Before leaving the U.S., Kris searched online for everyday players in Luxembourg, as well as Germany, France, and Belgium—all countries within an hour’s drive or less from her soon-to-be embassy home.
“Moving to Europe as a retired person was tricky; I didn’t know anyone and it wasn’t easy to meet people,” Kris noted. “Pickleball was a great way to get to know people. A few of the people I played with became very close friends,” including a playing partner from Minnesota. The two entered a tournament in Belgium and won.
Common Ground Across Countries
Kris’s pickleball cohort of 70 eventually represented multiple nations and a wide age range. Yet she saw common characteristics.
“There are timid players, the super competitive players, the advice givers, the point debaters, and the friendly in-between. They all have something in common: they all want to come back for more, both in Europe and at home,” she says.
Finding facilities in a country known for castles, not pickleball courts, however, was tougher than finding new friends. While parks and green spaces are plentiful in Luxembourg, public and recreational courts are not. Tennis, paddleball, and badminton dominated private clubs—until Kris and company found two tennis clubs that allowed late-night play.
“There were no lines and we set rubber markers on the ground to mark where lines would meet. You had to use your imagination and hope that your opponents and your partner had pretty good eyes,” she says, remembering the challenging scene.
Home and Away Games
Kris Barrett (second from left) with members of the multicultural pickleball group she built in Luxembourg. More than 70 players came together before she and her husband, U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrett, returned to the U.S. in January.
Eventually two private clubs opened more pickleball spaces, Kris said. Yet she detected the same tension that exists stateside: tennis and other sports players “seem to be threatened by pickleball. They are worried that they will lose court time or lose players to pickleball.”
Back in her Milwaukee home since the change in administration in January, Kris relishes the Luxembourg years, including the pickleball-prompted friendships she now has around the world. Now nursing a pinched nerve in her neck, she looks forward to a return to her home court roots—and packing her paddle for upcoming trips.
“The bonus to playing pickleball is that you are always meeting new people,” she says. “My husband and I are off to Hong Kong in October. We will stay with one of the friends I met playing pickleball. Hopefully we’ll be able to squeeze in a couple games.”
About the Author: Laurel Nelson-Rowe is an independent contributor to Empower Pickleball. A longtime business technology and communications leader, she now runs LaurelComms, delivering content for corporate and non-profit partners. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her on the pickleball court, volunteering, or sharing stories on her Substack, My Life Adventurement.