A huge shoutout to 15-year-old Anna Leigh Waters for making Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list (not to mention being the youngest by about a decade!). You heard it here at Pickler first—in 2017, we told you that she would be the “future of pickleball.”
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Monday, December 12, 2022
Podcast: Kitchen Konversations With Connor Pardoe PPA CEO
15:15 Ben and Anna Leigh Dominance
Jason Aspes: So, let's talk about the Domination by Ben and Anna Leigh this year. Anna Leigh had seven Triple Crowns.
Ben had four I believe.
They won 12 mixed championships out of 18 tour stops and they only participated in 13.
Connor Pardoe: Catherine and Riley got them once. Other than that, they were perfect.
Jason: I mean domination, right? They pretty much dominated the sport.
Is that good for the PPA?
Is that something that worries you at all or is that good because we're building superheroes?
Connor: I think both answers to those questions are right... (Watch Clip)
Thursday, December 8, 2022
Pickleball is a hit with kids, but interest in team sports drops
Washington Post KidsPost By Fred Bowen
ASPEN INSTITUTE’S NEW ‘STATE OF PLAY 2022’ REPORT SHOWS POSITIVES BUT ALSO DISAPPOINTING TRENDS IN YOUTH SPORTS.
The Aspen Institute recently issued its annual report on kids’ sports called “State of Play 2022.” The Aspen Institute is an organization that studies lots of important issues, including kids’ sports.
The report is full of interesting facts and trends that have occurred in the games kids play. So let’s take a look.
Here are the five favorite competitive sports among kids ages 6 to 12:
1. Basketball
2. Baseball
3. Soccer
4. Tennis
5. Football, if you combine tackle and flag.
(Bike riding is still kids’ favorite activity.)
Another racket game that grew like wild is pickleball. The sport with the funny name is popular with grandparents, but kids like to play, too. Pickleball grew an amazing 83 percent from 2019 to 2021, attracting almost a half-million regular players among people ages 6 to 17.
One reason for pickleball’s popularity among young people is that a big star in professional pickleball is a teenager: 15-year-old Anna Leigh Waters. (Read More)
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
2022 World Pickleball Rankings - Anna Leigh #1 In The World
Singles
- Anna Leigh Waters 157502
- Salome Devidze 100253
- Lea Jansen 83684
- Anna Bright 82755
- Catherine Parenteau 81336
- Jorja Johnson 74257
- Parris Todd 70428
- Irina Tereschenko 47819
- Megan Fudge DeHeart 350010
- Mary Brascia 3300
Doubles
- Anna Leigh Waters 14000
- Andrea Koop 13150
- Leigh Waters 11280
- Catherine Parenteau 11075
- Anna Bright 10625
- Lucy Kovalova 9975
- Callie Smith 9675
- Simone Jardim 9402
- Lea Jansen 8612
- Jessie Irvine 8450
Mixed Doubles
- Anna Leigh Waters 14250
- Catherine Parenteau 10057
- Simone Jardim 8146
- Vivienne David 7365
- Jessie Irvine 6856
- Andrea Koop 6432
- Jorja Johnson 6135
- Lucy Kovalova 6081
- Lee Whitwell 4418
- Anna Bright 4144
World Pickleball Rankings are endorsed by USA Pickleball, the PPA/APP and the US Open Pickleball Championships as their official rankings. 2022 Tournaments
Anna Leigh Waters Pro Singles Titles, Triple Crowns
Sunday, December 4, 2022
2022 PPA Hertz National Championship
Singles
8:28 Anna Leigh Waters vs Mari Humberg Commentary: Anna Bright/Dave Fleming (Live Stream Begins)
5:27:34 Anna Leigh Waters vs Lea Jansen
Doubles
2:58:49 Catherine Parenteau/Anna Leigh Waters vs Meghan Dizon/Allyce Jones
3:01:15 Highlight Of The Tournament: Allyce Jones does a back somersault at the end of the point
6:59:36 Catherine Parenteau/Anna Leigh Waters vs Anna Bright/Jessie Irvine
Mixed Doubles
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Forbes: 30 Under 30 2023
 |
| Anna Leigh Waters became the youngest professional pickleball player in history at age 12 and the youngest tournament champion the same year; last year, she won her first national championship, in women's doubles, playing alongside her mother, Leigh Waters. (Read More) |
The 2023 30 Under 30 list itself shows how representation is changing in the sports world: Of the nominees selected by the judges, 16 are women, and 17 identify as people of color. And the honorees are breaking new ground in other ways as well.
Anna Leigh Waters is the top-ranked player in the ascendant sport of pickleball—at just 15. (Read More)
Essentially Sports: Fast-Growing Racquet Sport Scripts History as 12-Year-Old American Player Easily Overtakes the Likes of Elite Tennis Stars
Monday, November 28, 2022
Leigh Waters - Torn ACL Injury
Today, Leigh Waters announced that due to a torn ACL injury that occurred during the U.S. Nationals, she will not be playing on the PPA Tour in 2023. (PPA Tour Facebook Post)
2022 USA Pickleball Nationals | Pro Mixed Doubles (November 10, 2022)
Leigh Waters ACL Injury
Leigh Waters/Tyson McGuffin vs Maggie Remynse/Federico Staksrud
Leigh Waters ACL Injury
Leigh Waters/Tyson McGuffin vs Maggie Remynse/Federico Staksrud
November 11, 2022 Facebook Comment
Thank you everyone for thinking of me. I’ve had to withdraw from playing with AL today. In the next few days I’ll have a better idea of how long the road to recovery will be. Yesterday was tough-really tough. But the love I have received from all of you and fellow players has been amazing. Thank you 🙏
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