Pickleball’s popularity is soaring in the Lehigh Valley. Two of the sport’s phenoms got their start here

 By STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS THE MORNING CALL

Two Lehigh Valley natives among the best in the world

Mention the name Anna Leigh Waters among local pickleball players, and the recognition is instant.

That’s because at just 14 years old, Anna Leigh is already a pickleball superstar. The Allentown-born teen started playing the game in 2017, when her family was evacuated from their Florida home during Hurricane Irma. As they waited out the storm here in the Lehigh Valley, Anne Leigh’s grandfather, Neil, taught her the game alongside her mom (and Neil’s daughter), Leigh Waters.

“I grew up in Center Valley and played tennis for Southern Lehigh,” Leigh said. “I won states one year, and I also played softball, so I was very immersed in the Lehigh Valley sports scene. And as it turned out, we were the first people to play on the Grange courts ... the first time we played we were like ‘we want to play again.’”

Not long after picking up the sport, mother and daughter turned pro. They now rank among the best in the world, winning gold in tournaments across the country, including the U.S. Open. Anna Leigh is also a fierce competitor in singles and mixed doubles, and holds the distinction of being the youngest professional pickleball champion in history.

“We’ve really kind of had this mother-daughter intuition where we know what the other is going to do, so we can anticipate the next call. And I think that’s been one of the things that’s helped us be so successful,” Leigh said.

While the two are busy showcasing an aggressive style of play that has won them a legion of new fans around the world, they look forward to coming back to play at Grange Park again soon.

“It’s just fun to get back to the people that like started it all for us and taught us how to play,” Leigh said. “We’ve made a lot of new friends up there and it’s just like coming home.”