Pickleball community helps Lexington man discover CASA

CASA Volunteer Pat Riddell

Pat Riddell discovered CASA volunteering through pickleball. Now, he helps neglected children — and helps others discover CASA through pickleball, too.

“While I was playing one day, I was approached by a couple other pickleball players who are CASA volunteers, Ava Crow and Anne Flynn. They told me they thought I would be a great CASA,” Riddell said.

CASA volunteers are regular people who are matched with children in the family court system who have suffered abuse or neglect. Each CASA volunteer visits their matched child monthly, getting to know them often better than anyone else on the case.

CASA volunteers gather information about their child’s life and share it with everyone working the case, ensuring the child gets services and doesn’t get overlooked. It takes about 5-10 hours a month to serve as a CASA volunteer.

Children who receive a CASA volunteer are more likely to do well in school and far less likely to re-enter the family court system after their cases close. Unfortunately, CASA volunteers are only available for about 20% of children in the system right now.

“It’s been a great experience,” Riddell said. “And I have certainly grown to be a huge fan of the organization. Everyone does good work and the support staff is just excellent.”

Riddell has now served as a CASA volunteer for more than six years and helped 12 children along the way. In 2023, he helped organize the first ever Pickleball for CASA tournament, which raised awareness and more than $8,000 for the nonprofit CASA of Lexington.

This year, he is helping organize the next Pickleball for CASA tournament, which is expected to be held in mid-November.

Because of his efforts to raise awareness about CASA and his excellent work on his CASA cases, Riddell has been named a CASA Volunteer of the Month for July 2025.

“Pat’s work spreading the word about CASA through the pickleball community has helped more players discover CASA and either become volunteers or donate,” said Ben Kleppinger, Director of Communications for CASA of Lexington and a fellow pickleball player. “I think there are a lot of pickleballers out there who have a few hours a month to give and want to change the future for a hurt kid. Pat is helping us find them.”

Riddell’s Volunteer Manager Rebecca Brereton-Farr said Riddell has been on a difficult case involving two siblings for the past two years. He is regularly the person with the most up-to-date information at court hearings and is great at being a “squeaky wheel” for what his CASA kids need, she said.

“Pat is so patient and so kind towards all people in the case. I believe everyone trusts him and his perspectives,” she said. “He sees things for what they are and doesn’t sugarcoat his concerns. That comes from a place of caring deeply about his CASA kids and wanting them to be the most successful young people they can be.”

Riddell said his CASA volunteer work is very rewarding.

“It’s been rewarding to see the lives of these kids changed for the better,” he said. “People should definitely pursue becoming CASA volunteers if they’re interested. They will not be disappointed. Regardless of the challenges on a case, you’ll help these children have better lives.”

To learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer, visit www.casaoflexington.org.