Pickleball in Prison is a Feature Documentary about Roger BelAir, a retired banker who teaches our favourite game to prisoners in maximum security prisons. He is transforming lives behind bars. The Bros chat with acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker and Pickleball fan, Daniel Ostroff about this amazing story. And we learn that MORE PICKLEBALL = LESS CRIME.
Pickleball in Prison
Pickleballs popularity has exploded across the United States. It’s finding its way into parks, halls and malls and now – in prisons. It’s unbelievable to think Pickleball is being played in prisons. And the story of the man that started it all, retired Banker Roger BelAir is captured in Pickleball in Prison.
BelAir believes that Pickleball is a force for good. He has been to multiple prisons across states, teaching the game to inmates. BelAir is in demand as he shares the transformative and healing powers of Pickleball. It brings inmates and wardens together.
And we all know, Pickleball is the perfect sport to bring people together.
The Bros sat down with Daniel Ostroff, to tell us about Roger BelAir, the life changing impact of Pickleball on prisoners and why this powerful story is one worth supporting.
Pickleball in Prison Interview with Daniel Ostroff
Daniel Ostroff is an acclaimed Movie maker with many connections to Australia (so technically an Aussie). He loves the country and he will be making his next film in Australia with writer-director Jeremy Sims (who we know and love from the TV show Chances in the 90s), as the make “Star of the Sea”. Ostroff is also developing a remake of Road Games, a classic Aussie movie.
The Bros are huge fans of Ostroff’s classic 2001 Hit “Dog Town and Z-Boys”, and we were lucky enough to chat with him about his latest and greatest, Pickleball in Prison. Let’s kick it in.
Aussie Pickleball Bros: Hi Daniel, tell me about Pickleball in Prison and why you started this amazing project.
Daniel Ostroff: “In December 2022/January 2023, my girlfriend and I took pickleball lessons because all of her girlfriends were all playing it. We loved it, and started playing every weekend. We played yesterday.
In March 2023, I read a news story online about Roger BelAir, a 70-something retired businessman who taught pickleball in prisons. And how he did it to be of service and how it was really making a difference. That was surprising, to say the least. As a producer, I was drawn to the many dramatic contrasts in the story.
I thought, “This might make an interesting movie.”
I contacted him, explained my interest, and made a plan to meet him.
I showed my girlfriend the same story and she, a family law attorney who grew up in Beverly Hills, said, “I want to teach pickleball in prison.” That surprised me. And she encouraged me to make this movie.
It really made me think there was a story here. At that time, I didn’t know Roger would eventually be mentoring many others to teach pickleball in prison. My girlfriend’s reaction was a harbinger of that.
I met him, made a deal for his life story rights, and because at that meeting he told me that he was going to teach pickleball at FOUR PRISONS IN THREE DAYS in early May, I decided to start making a documentary about him. Hard to resist.”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: Tell me about Roger Belair, he’s a retired banker and then he decides to pick up the phone and go to a prison to teach pickleball. That sounds crazy, what is he like?
Daniel Ostroff: “Roger is very solid, responsible citizen. He’s very personable and polite. He’s got all of the hallmarks of someone successful in business. He’s well-spoken, and he makes clear, concise statements about his intentions. He is practical. He also tells me great anecdotes, which are life lessons.
He has a great value system. He doesn’t waste time. I’m always on safe ground if I quote Roger. He’s also a successful writer. He wrote two best-selling business books in the 1980s. He reminded me of a famous American football coach.”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: Roger was getting press about teaching Pickleball in prisons, was it difficult to convince him to be in your movie?
Daniel Ostroff: “I think he checked me out and saw that I was serious. I may have suggested he watch DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS. PICKLEBALL IN PRISON is my tenth movie as a producer.
So, like DOGTOWN, some journalism kicked off PICKLEBALL IN PRISON. I like stories based on reality or, if fiction, very well-researched.
Aussie Pickleball Bros: During the filming of Pickleball in prison, you visited four maximum security prisons, what was that like, did you have any security and what were the inmates like with cameras around?
Daniel Ostroff: “We are still in production. We filmed at a luxury resort in Mexico for a day. Roger teaches twice a year at Rancho LaPuerta, and I had a great team there. The entire crew is on the Kickstarter page. At Rancho LaPuerta, we were allowed to use drone cameras.
As for security, we trusted the prison staff to keep us safe. There were no incidents. The inmates were focused on Roger BelAir, who taught them how to play pickleball. We, the film crew, were the proverbial “flys on the wall.” The crew is very professional. And one member of the crew, Kim Komenich, who has a Pulitzer Prize, had previously taught video at San Quentin prison.
Then we filmed four prisons in three days. We are on Kickstarter as a work-in-progress, early-stage documentary.”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: When I think of American prisons, I always think of Jonny Cash who played at over 70 prisons. And Jonny Cash played in prisons to humanize those prisoners, and I can see Roger BelAir as having a similar personality. Have you ever thought of that connection? Is Roger the modern-day Jonny Cash, but with a paddle instead of a guitar?
Daniel Ostroff: “Roger is a modern-day “Johnny Appleseed.” That’s his own description of himself. He has always hoped to encourage others to do what he does. A year ago I started recording Zoom calls Roger had with potential acolytes, one at a time, or maybe two couples on one.
Now, there are more than 50 people he is mentoring to teach pickleball in prisons. He does everything he can to encourage them and share his experiences of teaching pickleball in 20 prisons in 6 states.”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: I really hope there is a Jonny Cash song in the movie, I do love that Jonny Cash at Folsom City album….
Daniel Ostroff: “I love it too.”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: One thing I love about pickleball is its healing properties. Older people, or people with disabilities can play, and their conditions improve because of it. What is so fantastic about this movie, is the healing properties of Pickleball on these prisoners. Did you expect that or were you surprised by the impact of the game on these prisoners? Did you see it firsthand?
Daniel Ostroff: “I didn’t know how exactly it would affect them, although I knew that wardens kept telling other wardens about Roger and pickleball. He started out having to contact prisons himself. Now, wardens tell other wardens, and they invite him. We saw the impact firsthand.
Let’s not forget my new tagline, MORE PICKLEBALL = LESS CRIME. This movie is also about effective ways to do better at rehabilitation and public safety!”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: One thing I loved was that Roger BelAir is a “Jonny Appleseed” of Pickleball in prison, and he is mentoring 50 people to continue his work. This could become a global phenomenon, all because of your movie. Could Roger start mentoring Australian Pickleball in Prison programs? Could your movie kickstart a global movement?
Daniel Ostroff: “That’s the idea. The film is why it works, how it works and how we can expand the program. Making this movie is a big responsibility.”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: I know you have been playing Pickleball for the last 2 years or so, did you play any games in the prison? Or do you play with movie types?
“Daniel Ostroff: ” didn’t play pickleball at the prisons. The focus is on Roger. That’s where it needs to be. He knows what he is doing. He has been teaching since he retired. He takes his responsibility as a teacher very seriously. This means he always includes humour when he teaches because when people smile, they are more likely to learn.
My girlfriend and I play in Los Angeles regularly and we’ve played at two other cities in California. We would love to play anywhere we go. I’d love to go with her to Australia, and with Roger and his wife too.”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: Now Pickleball in Prison is being crowdfunded on Kickstarter, and it has hit 60% of the Goal. The Bros backed this project and we really want this to succeed, what can other Aussie Pickleballers do to help support the movie.
Daniel Ostroff: “Click on https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1827539222/pickleball-in-prison and support. And then tell others to support it too. We only have 9 more days to hit our goal!
By hitting or exceeding our goal on Kickstarter, we’ll get many times more from other larger investors, who understand what a big deal it is if you hit your goal on Kickstarter.”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: Any chance of a special screening in Australia when you next make it down?
Daniel Ostroff: “If someone contacts us through Kickstarter, and it’s easy to contact us there, we are open to a dialogue about this.”
Aussie Pickleball Bros: When this movie blows up, will you be on hand to make the film adaptation of Roger BelAir and Pickleball in prison?
Daniel Ostroff: “I have consistently imagined “___________(your favorite seventy-something movie star) is “Roger BelAir” in Pickleball in Prison. And I will produce that.
My focus now is on funding and completing this documentary.”
Final Thoughts
The Bros hope you enjoyed that interview with Hollywood Filmmaker Daniel Ostroff. We really hope Pickleball loving Aussies can see the value in supporting this movie and it’s message. We want to thank Daniel for his time and genorisity speaking with us, and for making such an important documentary about Roger BelAir.
We wanted to end with some words from a Backer in Argentina, that Daniel shared with us that encapsulates why this project is so important. He wrote:
“I decided to contribute to this project because in my country, Argentina, I personally saw the extraordinary results of practicing sports inside prisons as an invaluable tool for the social reintegration of prisoners.”
Daniel mentioned that he heard from prison officials in the US that pickleball is the best because there’s no physical contact, it’s easy to learn while young and old can play. And as one prisoner interviewed for the movie said….
“In prison, I’ve kind of steered away from sports due to potentials for conflict. And so I’m somebody who doesn’t like conflict and I would just always– I would not play sports, but pickleball is perfect for me because there’s not really a potential for conflict. We’re not going to be roughhousing or bumping into each other. It’s a pretty cordial sport, I guess. It could get rough, but I don’t foresee any troubles in this game. And for somebody like me who doesn’t want any conflict, I think it’s a great way to get out some of that competitive energy in a positive way.”
What a powerful message.
The Bros want to again, thank Daniel Ostroff for his time and the Bros cannot wait for the release of Pickleball in Prison. And we urge all Pickleball fans to support this kickstarter.
Pickle On!
The Aussie Pickleball Bros.