Kansas City native Aaron Trost is returning to Ukraine with a paddle and a mission. The founder of Pickleball Planter, a non-profit dedicated to spreading joy through sport, Trost will spend three weeks in Kyiv teaching pickleball to war victims, including children, veterans, and people with disabilities. It’s part of his broader effort to use the sport as a tool for mental and physical healing in communities hit hard by conflict.
Trost launched his global initiative in 2021 and has since brought pickleball to countries like Laos, Vietnam, and Honduras. Ukraine holds particular weight. He first visited in 2023 during wartime and found that, even amid sirens and uncertainty, the game created moments of calm. “People would take shelter, then come back and keep playing,” he recalled. “It felt almost normal.”
To Trost, pickleball is more than a pastime; it’s a lifeline. His approach blends accessibility with encouragement, helping players reconnect with their bodies and each other. As bombs fall and lives are upended, he offers a reminder: hope can be found in the unlikeliest places… even on a cracked court with a plastic paddle.
