Founders Take: How Pickleball Helped Me Embrace My Femininity
ELN Apparel is more than just a pickleball brand, it’s a story of rediscovery, passion, and purpose. Founded by a young mom of three boys, Eli, Liam, and Noah, ELN Apparel was born from a journey of resilience and self-discovery. After years of dedicating herself to motherhood and the corporate grind, she found an unexpected love for pickleball, a sport that reignited her competitive spirit, confidence, and joy.
What started as a simple hobby quickly became an obsession, transforming not just her mindset but her entire outlook on life. She realized that pickleball wasn’t just a game, it was a way to reconnect with herself, build community, and embrace the strength and independence she had forgotten. With that newfound passion, ELN Apparel was created to empower athletes and everyday players with stylish, high-performance pickleball wear that blends function, comfort, and confidence.
Named after her greatest inspirations, her sons Eli, Liam, and Noah, ELN Apparel is a tribute to family, perseverance, and the belief that it’s never too late to chase what sets your soul on fire. Whether you’re stepping onto the court for the first time or playing at a competitive level, ELN Apparel is designed to help you feel your best because when you feel good, you play even better.
For most of her life, Jen hated anything that felt too feminine or girly. Growing up as a tomboy, she lived in oversized tees, athletic shorts, and sneakers, always choosing comfort and function over frills and lace. Dresses and skirts were a dreaded part of her childhood, only worn when absolutely mandatory- to church, where wearing them wasn’t a choice but a demand. As soon as she had the choice, she stopped wearing them altogether, avoiding anything that made her feel restricted or unlike herself.
For 30 years, she stood by that feeling, believing that dresses and skirts just weren’t for her. They represented something she had no desire to embrace until pickleball changed everything. The sport not only reignited her passion for movement and competition, but it also introduced her to an entirely new way of expressing herself. For the first time, she saw athletic skirts and dresses not as a burden, but as a symbol of strength, confidence, and playfulness.
She fell in love with the way pickleball and tennis apparel made her feel powerful yet feminine, sporty yet stylish. The very clothing she had spent a lifetime avoiding suddenly became an essential part of her identity, representing a version of herself she never expected to embrace. It wasn’t about being forced into a mold but about choosing to redefine what femininity meant to her, on her own terms.
ELN Apparel is a reflection of that transformation. It’s for the athletes, the moms, the women who never saw themselves in skirts but now wear them with pride. It’s for those finding themselves through sport, movement, and community. It’s for anyone who wants to play hard, feel good, and look great while doing it. ELN Apparel isn’t just about what you wear it’s about the journey of becoming who you were meant to be.