On May 13, a delegation of students and coaches from the Utah Tech University pickleball team visited Guangzhou. Their itinerary took them from the dizzying heights of the Canton Tower to the cutting-edge labs of humanoid robotics companies—a journey that mixed sport, technology, and people-to-people exchange.
They came as world champions—and left with new friends and a deeper appreciation for Chinese innovation.
From a world title to a cross-Pacific trip
The Utah Tech Trailblazers are no ordinary college team. In November, they made history by becoming the first-ever world champions of collegiate pickleball. Competing in a three-day tournament hosted by the Professional Pickleball Association and Adidas in Dallas, Texas, the team swept all opponents and remained undefeated. In the final against India, sibling duo Clayton and Ella Boydston clinched the mixed doubles decider 22-20 to secure the trophy. Liam Duffin now ranks second in the world, while Mary Monson and Dylan Ciampini are third and fourth respectively; Ciampini and Ashlee Peterson are world champions in women's doubles.
"In November, my team won a world championship, and that's what really brought us here," said Dylan Ciampini. "Being able to bridge the gap between America and China through pickleball and really gain friendship through all of that has been an amazing experience."
A city that builds up—and reaches out
The team's first stop was the Canton Tower. From its observation deck, they looked out over Guangzhou's sprawling skyline.
"Overseeing the whole city, you can see how tall all the buildings are," Ciampini said. "It is absolutely beautiful seeing it from a skyscraper point of view—my goodness, it's amazing."
Coach Chloee Butterfield agreed: "To come up this high and have this point of view is really, really incredible. You get to see the vastness and the development that is a testament to this area."
Robots, community and the future of training
The delegation also visited a humanoid robotics company, where they interacted with cutting-edge machines—including a robot dog designed for firefighting and factory work. "One of the things that stood out to me the most was the robot dog," said Liam Duffin. "I think it's a very interesting opportunity, especially for dangerous jobs like firefighting."
Benson Parry saw a connection between the robots they saw and his own sport. "We're integrating machines into sports," he observed. Right now, the most advanced training tool in pickleball is a ball machine that follows you around the court. "But I think this could be just one more step—a robot you can talk to that will help you work on the exact shots you need, and give you training advice." His comment highlighted how the same AI and robotics powering Guangzhou's factories could one day help athletes improve their game.
Community and people-to-people exchange
Throughout the trip, the theme of community kept returning.
"Community is something very important, and pickleball fosters that," Duffin noted. "When you see people play, it's from different age ranges. A lot of my closest friends now are 40, 50, 60 years old—that would never have happened. It's the same thing between China and the US. We have completely different cultures and beliefs, but we can bond and create a special relationship through one sport."
Butterfield added, "The most incredible thing about pickleball is community. My 6-year-old daughter plays with my mother—they have a great time. Pickleball checks a lot of important boxes, and I think it will do the same for many people in China."
When asked why they traveled all the way to Guangzhou, the answer was simple. "Why we needed to come all the way across the Pacific is the people," Butterfield said. "A really important part of why we're here is just the people-to-people exchange."
Benson Parry sees huge potential for the sport in China. "Pickleball is growing very rapidly in the US, but there's a lot of potential for it to grow even bigger here in China. This is one of the first steps to bridging that friendship—getting the sport and relations between the US and China to where the sport can grow even more."
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Photo & Cover & Video: Pan Jiajun
