August 15, 2025
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
That famous quote most often attributed to the genius physicist Albert Einstein but also others, begs the question: Are pickleball players insane?
An athlete and sports performance coach named Basil Mouasher says they’re not crazy but they do repeat the same mistakes, often not due to technique, but to mental errors.
Mouasher says he can help you reduce those errors.
He has a fancy title: Sports Calibration Coach, but his instructions are easy to understand. Known to friends and clients as “Bas,” he’s 57-years old and lives on the Australian island state of Tasmania. Mouasher says he has helped many pickleballers improve by thinking more on the court, and thinking differently
Mouasher works with athletes in all sports. He once advised the late boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
Mouasher identifies and addresses an athlete’s particular constraints or limitations, the often unseen or unacknowledged factors holding them back.
“Once these are identified,” Mousher says, “a tailored coaching approach is designed to unlock advancement across the physical, mental, emotional, and energetic dimensions of performance. Sports calibration coaching focuses on what’s not always visible: the deep-rooted patterns, blocks or blind spots within the physical body, mental body, emotional body, and energy body. These internal factors can prevent progress, even in those are are otherwise disciplined and hard-working.
“Through clear, simplified coaching methods that are easy to follow and apply both on and off the court, I help players unlock their next level.”
Mouasher was a tennis player who discovered pickleball in 2023. He plays two or three days a week and loves the sport. He says he sees several recurring mistakes rec players make. First is a lack of focus.
“Many players treat every point the same, whether it’s casual or competitive. But lack of mental presence leads to unforced errors and missed opportunities.”
Another common mistake Mouasher cites is poor communication. “Doubles play especially suffers when teammates don’t talk enough. Calling shots, signaling positioning and staying connected throughout the point are often overlooked.”
But Mouasher says keep the conversations during matches about the game. “Recreational games can get social but chatting mid-play breaks focus and flow. Knowing when to shift into game mode is key.”
Mouasher sees rec players getting easily distracted. “Whether it’s the score, surroundings or frustration, players often lose their mental footing quickly-and that can derail their performance.”
Finally, Mouasher sees a resistance to coaching or feedback. “One of the biggest obstacles to improvement is an unwillingness to be coached or accept constructive criticism. Growth requires humility and openness, and that’s often what separates plateaued players from those who make real progress.”
Among Mouasher’s favorite drills are volleying (“great for building quick reflexes, hand speed and control at the net”); resets (“essential for calming the chaos and transitioning from defense to offense under pressure”); third shot drops (“crucial for softening the pace, setting up the point, and gaining control control of the kitchen”) and dinking (“they sharpen touch, patience and strategy in the soft game-where so many points are won or lost.”)
Mouasher himself has needed mental strength. Born and raised in Sydney, as a child he had excess pronation, meaning his ankles rolled inward unnaturally, which put ongoing strain on them. His feet were positioned outward. Kids teased him, saying he walked like a duck and would say, “Quack, quack, quack” as we walked past them at school. He couldn’t play sports in high school. “Most sports flared up the pain in my ankles,” he says. “Walking, running, even standing for long periods took effort,” he says. I had to work twice as hard as others just to move through daily life. I couldn’t play the sports I loved. I walked differently.”
Instead of playing team sports, Mouasher says, “I found my lane in the gym. Weight training became my passion, and I pushed it all the way to the pro-amateur level. It because more than physical-it gave me purpose when other doors were closed.” He’s now a muscular 6 feet tall and weighs 205 pounds.
At 16 Mouasher underwent surgery in which his feet were straightened and his ankles were fused. While his mobility was limited he could walk without pain.
Mouasher spent time traveling and lived in the US from 1991-2000. He became a holistic health practitioner and a musculoskeletal clinician. “It was a period of intense growth-I continued developing myself both physically and mentally, and it deepened my understanding of human performance, healing and resilience,” he says.
Mouasher says the philosophy behind calibration is, “One who is calibrated well within themselves-Greatness is inevitable.” One who is calibrated poorly within themselves-Destruction is inevitable.”
Even though Bas lives in Tasmania, he says he can help you remotely. You can reach him at mrbmouasher@gmail.com.
Hopefully you won’t be one of those pickleball players who make the same mistakes over and over.
Thoughts of the week, not all pickleball
· I love the Little League World Series. Went to Williamsport to see it about 30 years ago and it was well worth it.
· I like following my baseball team and the pennant races but I’m also counting the days until college football kicks-off.
· If you’re looking for a free streaming service and don’t mind ads, “Fandango at Home” offers hundreds of terrific movies. Most aren’t new but there’s a great selection.
· Sullivan’ s Crossing is a terrific series streaming on Netflix. Some might call it a series version of a “chick flick,” and it does get a little soap opera-like at times, but I don’t care, I like it.
· If you totaled up all the time I have watched a soap opera in my life, it would be less than 10 minutes. And that was while changing channels when I was home from school as a kid and looking to watch a game show.
· I have seen more than a few pickleball serves lately hit the centerline and the receiving team calls them wide. In fact my partner called a few good serves out when he was receiving them and I corrected him. He wasn’t pleased but I was sure the balls nicked the line, and I wouldn’t be thrilled if the other team called our line balls wide. Also, I have recently seen one receiving team player call a ball out but his/her partner called it in. Then I have seen the “out” call standing. As most of you know, that’s not the rule. If one player on the receiving team calls the ball in, it’s in.
· Then again, it’s only rec play so sometimes when none of our foursome is sure if a ball is in or out, we do the point over.
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