Liv's mom spotted her daughter's future fiancé at Shaw Park long before Liv did. She started sneaking photos of him mid-game and texting them over. They were almost always blurry, but Liv could make out one detail. He was playing in a bandana.

This pickleball proposal story starts with a matchmaking mom and ends on those same courts, lit up with flowers and string lights. Here's how Liv and Kyle went from a family scouting report to engaged, with a lot of open play in between.

Meet Liv and Kyle

Liv grew up in Georgia. Kyle is from Connecticut and moved to Georgia about three and a half years ago. They moved in together after eight months of dating and now own a house in Downtown Woodstock.

They share a workplace, too. Liv's family owns HVACBee, an HVAC company, and Kyle bought a franchise from them, so he owns part of the family business. Liv splits her week between HVACBee and her job as a speech-language pathologist at a middle school.

"We truly eat, sleep, work, and play together," Liv said. "So much chaos but so much fun!"

Friends call Liv the laid-back, more introverted half and Kyle the outgoing one who gets things done. On weekends, their house is where everyone ends up to watch college football or PPA matches. "Mostly PPA," Liv said.

Two paths to the same pickleball courts

Liv picked up a paddle during COVID, when her parents' neighborhood got new courts. "It was really the only thing we could do to get out of the house, and my family is super competitive, so it was perfect," she said.

She had played beach volleyball in college and was burned out on it. Pickleball gave her a new sport that still fed her competitive side.

Kyle started playing with family friends in Connecticut. After the move, he found Shaw Park and played four to five hours a day, almost every day.

He is an open play regular who loves meeting people as much as competing with them. He is also known for asking older players, or anyone standing by themselves, to be his partner. Liv says he still does it.

A pickleball love story that started with mom

Liv's parents and brother played at Shaw Park nearly every day. They kept coming home with news about "a cute boy named Kyle" she had to meet. They also mentioned that he was always the one inviting people to join his game.

Then came the photos. "My mom would try to sneak pictures of him while he was playing and send them to me," Liv said. "They were pretty much always blurry, but I could very clearly see he was playing in a bandana. HARD NO."

Her mom handed over his number anyway. Liv and Kyle went to Your 3rd Spot, an adult arcade with a bar, for their first date. "We have pretty much been inseparable every day since," Liv said. "Bandana and all."

Partners on the court, some of the time

They used to play every match as partners. "We have found the house is much more peaceful when we don't," Liv said.

Kyle has his own theory about her game. He says Liv plays like a 3.5 when they are on the same side and a 5.5 when she is across the net. As for who wins more, Liv says she does, and Kyle agrees. "He is learning that is just easier," she said.

These days, they play on an Alta team with friends on Mondays and set up one or two more groups during the week. They also play at the Dill Dinkers West End and Kennesaw locations, where many of their friends are members. "They have the best vibe and courts," Liv said.

Competition is part of the fun for both of them. They have played in many DUPR-rated tournaments, and Liv says the rating raises the stakes. "I love DUPR! It adds another level of competition to the sport, which I love coming from such competitive beach volleyball," she said.

The pickleball proposal at Shaw Park

Kyle picked Shaw Park for a reason. It's where he first met Liv's family, and it's where the two of them met up to play after work when they started dating.

Liv knew a proposal was coming at some point. She guessed it would happen in Aruba, since they were flying out the next morning for a week-long trip. That night, Kyle took her to dinner near Shaw Park.

During dinner, a few pickleball friends texted Kyle a photo of shoes he had supposedly left at the courts that morning. He showed Liv and said they should grab them on the way home before the trip. She had no idea.

"I didn't know it was coming until we pulled around to the bottom courts and I saw all the flowers and lights set up," Liv said. "I immediately started bawling and refused to get out of the car."

Their close friends Emma Cook and Jordon Carswell helped plan the surprise. Emma spent a couple of hours at the courts setting up the flowers and lights while the couple was at dinner, then photographed the proposal. Jordon helped with setup and filmed the moment with his drone.

As for what either of them said, Liv has no memory of it. "I blacked out," she said.

The night had one more surprise. They stopped at her parents' house so Liv could say goodbye before the trip. When she walked upstairs, 20 of their closest friends were waiting to celebrate.

What's next for this pickleball couple

For Kyle, the sport has always been about people. "Kyle would say that pickleball is the best thing that ever happened to him," Liv said. "He always says the people at Shaw Park are like family to him."

They don't have as much time to train as they used to, but they still love to travel. Next spring, they hope to pick a PPA Tour stop in a city they haven't explored and play the mixed doubles event together. 

Liv and Kyle met because a mom paid attention at open play, and Kyle proposed on the courts where it started. Your next partner, rival or best friend might be waiting at your local courts, too!