ANN EICHELBERGER – THE WOMAN BEHIND THE TEAM WATERS' WOMEN

 by Stacie Townsend

Any professional athlete can attest that a lot of work behind the scenes goes into his or her success on the court or other playing field. The same is true for pickleball athletes, including mother-daughter duo, Leigh and Anna Leigh Waters—also known as Team Waters. Attending practice sessions (both on the court and off the court), coordinating travel plans, working with sponsors and partners, helping organize food preparation, etc. is all required to be able to play on the pickleball court. And, for 14-year-old, Anna Leigh Waters, the list goes even further, as she has to add to that list attend school, study, attend soccer practice, attend soccer matches (to note, Anna Leigh is an avid (and superb) soccer player, in addition to a professional pickleball player), and, of course, be a teenager.

Fortunately, for Anna Leigh (age 14), she has her mother, Leigh, as her on-court partner to help with all of these things. And, fortunately, for the both of them, they have a team of supporters behind them to help make “it” all come together, so that the pair of them can pursue their professional pickleball careers. This team includes Stephen Waters (Anna Leigh’s father and Leigh’s husband), Neil Eichelberger (Leigh’s father), and Ann Eichelberger (Leigh’s mother). This pickleball blog puts a spotlight on Ann, who Anna Leigh calls “Gaga.”

Ann, of course, has always been in the picture, as Leigh’s mother and Anna Leigh’s grandmother. However, her role in the family evolved when Leigh moved with Stephen and Anna Leigh to Florida from North Carolina circa 2016. At the time of the move, Leigh and Stephen called Ann to ask whether Ann, as a former schoolteacher for many years, would move to Florida with them to home school Anna Leigh. Ann claims that “moving generally ranks up there with death” to her, but she didn’t even have to think about the decision to move—she was moving to Florida to homeschool her granddaughter, so that Anna Leigh could get the best education she could, while taking advantage of the many athletic opportunities in front of her (which, at the time, were focused on tennis). (Read More)