AOTM

Olivia Pichardo is the first woman to make the roster of Division I baseball team

February 7, 2023 by Tara S

Laurel Wamsley, Jonathan Franklin | NPR

When Brown University’s baseball season starts in February, one of the players taking the field will make history. Olivia Pichardo, a first-year student from Queens, N.Y., will be first woman on the roster of a Division I college baseball team in the U.S.

“It’s kind of crazy to know that I’m living out my dream right now and my ideal college experience that I’ve always wanted, so that’s really cool,” Pichardo said in a media release. She said being named to the team is surreal, as it has been her goal since eighth grade to continue playing baseball in college.

Pichardo walked on to Brown’s team following tryouts and a grueling assessment process – during which she immediately impressed the head coach, demonstrating her abilities as an infielder, outfielder and pitcher.

“It’s a workout common for baseball and allows us to evaluate athleticism and arm strength, as well as both offensive and defensive skills,” said Brown baseball head coach Grant Achilles. “Olivia put together the most complete walk-on tryout I have seen from a player since becoming a head coach.”

The first of many successes on the ballfield for women

Making the cut is just the latest achievement on the ballfield for Pichardo. This year, the 18-year-old was named to the roster of the USA Baseball Women’s National Team as a right-handed pitcher and outfielder.

Pichardo will be a utility player for Brown, able to play in both infield and outfield positions.

Brown University Athletics

Women have been making strides onto the rosters of baseball teams in recent years. In May, Kelsie Whitmore became the first woman to start in a game in pro baseball’s Atlantic League, taking left field for the Staten Island FerryHawks.

Baseball For All, an organization that advocates for girls and women in baseball, keeps a list of colleges and universities that will consider talented players, regardless of gender. There are 8 women (including Pichardo) who are rostered to play varsity college baseball in the spring of 2023, according to the organization.

Pichardo says her teammates have been welcoming, and cheered when she was named to the roster.

Brown University Athletics

Baseball has always been her sport of choice, despite critics’ opinions

Pichardo will be a utility player in both the infield and outfield when the college season starts. She says when Achilles announced during an October team meeting that she had made the cut, her new teammates broke out into applause.

“I did not expect that at all — that definitely took me by surprise,” Pichardo said. “Everyone was super happy about it.”

But in an interview with Morning Edition, Pichardo tells NPR’s A Martinez that throughout her baseball career, there have been countless times where many tried to discourage her away from the sport.

“Throughout all of my baseball career, every time I progress to the next level, more and more people would ask me about maybe switching to softball,” Pichardo said.

“There’s no shade towards softball, but it’s just that I’ve never played softball before,” she added.

Nevertheless, with any luck, she’ll be far from the last woman to play college baseball at the highest level.

“I’m just really glad that we’re having more and more female baseball players at the collegiate level, and no matter what division, it’s just really good to see this progression,” Pichardo said. “It’s really paving the way for other girls in the next generation to also have these goals that they want to achieve and dream big and know that they can do it.”

Meet Olivia Pichardo, the First Woman in Division 1 Baseball: ‘Inspiring Girls Is My Biggest Motivator’

February 7, 2023 by Tara S

By Natasha Dye | People

In November, Olivia Pichardo’s dreams came true. After weeks of tryouts — preceded by years of practices and games and time spent throwing a ball with her dad — the 18-year-old athlete earned a spot on Brown University’s baseball team, making her the first woman to play for a Division 1 varsity college baseball team.

On the last day of tryouts, Pichardo sat among rows of male hopefuls in an auditorium at Brown, eager to learn if she made the cut.

That’s when Head Coach Grant Achilles delivered the best news of her life: “Olivia, thanks for joining us for the Fall and officially for the Spring.”

Everyone clapped for Pichardo, a pitcher, as she lit up with a smile, displaying the “quiet confidence” — as her mother Maximo calls it — that wowed Bears leadership. “I’ve always set a standard to perform at a certain level for every single game,” says Pichardo. “Throughout my life, I’ve had pretty high expectations for myself.”

It’s a drive that began developing at the age of 6, when Pichardo made her Little League debut in her hometown of Queens, New York.

But in those early days, baseball was just an excuse to have a good time with her father Max, who volunteered to be a coach on all her teams. “He grew up playing baseball in the Dominican Republic,” she says. “He helped me develop a love for the game rather than developing all of the technical skills, because at that age it’s mostly about having fun.”

Pichardo says the fun of baseball temporarily faded at the age of 14, when she started “getting insecure about being a girl playing baseball,” while others switched to softball.

Participating in baseball camps sponsored by MLB and USA Baseball helped her overcome the discomfort. “That was a big motivator for me to keep going,” she says, “and not really care about what other people might have to say about me.”

After finding success at the MLB Breakthrough Series and an MLB Grit event, she made the USA Baseball Women’s National Team at just 18, playing as a right-handed pitcher and outfielder last summer.

Hustling on the global stage made her even more determined to find a university where she could continue pursuing her passion. “I knew that I wanted and could play college baseball,” she says, “but the problem was finding the right school that fit me academically and where I would join the baseball team.”

The perfect place turned out to be Brown, the Providence, R.I. Ivy League university where she became just one of the 5.5% of applicants to be accepted into the class of 2026, partly thanks to her impressive 5.2 GPA.

Receiving her acceptance letter was “a happy moment” for Pichardo, who says Brown was her mother’s top choice. “She cried when I got in, which made me uncomfortable,” she says, laughing.

As Pichardo began her studies last semester, she signed up to try out for the baseball team as a walk-on. Heading into the audition, she was confident in her ability to stand out. “I’ve always been able to not only just keep up,” she says, “but also excel.” Now she feels like just another one of the Bears. “My teammates treat me like they would each other, which I appreciate,” she says. “It’s all I could ask for.”

Currently, she’s leaning towards a major in business economics “because it’s a versatile degree” that will give her options if she doesn’t go pro. “I’m thinking about maybe pursuing an MLB front-office job one day,” says Pichardo, who became fascinated with the “behind-the-scenes” of baseball as an intern with the New York Mets last Spring.

But for now Pichardo is focused on the upcoming season, kicking off Feb. 24. against the Memphis Tigers.

Her preparation has included reading Training Camp by Jon Gordon, a mandatory assignment for the Bears that encourages baseballers to find “something outside of yourself to play for,” she says.

When Pichardo hits the field, she’ll play for the next generation of female baseball players. “When I was little, I didn’t know there were other girls playing baseball,” she says. “Inspiring girls is my biggest motivator.”

Amit Elor, 18, becomes youngest American to win world wrestling title

November 17, 2022 by Tara S

By: Cody Goodwin | USA Today

Amit Elor, at just 18 years old, became the youngest American wrestler ever to win a Senior world title this week.

Elor won gold at the 2022 Senior women’s freestyle world championships in Belgrade, Serbia. She went 4-0 and took first at 72 kilograms (158 pounds), securing a 10-0 technical fall win in Thursday’s final over Kazakhstan’s Zhamila Bakbergenova.

“I’m still in shock,” Elor told USA Wrestling afterward. “It’s unbelievable. It’s setting the new standard for girls younger than me. It’s about being an inspiration for others.”

The California native and New York resident turned 18 on Jan. 1 of this year, and she supplants Kyle Snyder as the youngest American wrestler, man or woman, to become a world champion. Snyder was previously the youngest when he won in 2015.

Japan's Masako Furuichi, left, and Amit Elor, of the United States, compete in their women's freestyle 72 kg wrestling match during the Wrestling World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Elor was dominant this week. She outscored her four opponents 27-2, and registered wins over three past world medalists:

3-2 over Japan’s Masako Furuichi, the 2021 world champ;
a 39-second pin over Turkey’s Buse Tosun, a 2021 world bronze medalist;
and her 10-0 win over Bakbergenova, the 2021 world silver medalist.

“All the training I’m doing, it’s good and it’s working,” Elor told USA Wrestling. “This has been my dream since I was a little girl. This is what I want more than anything in the whole world. I think about it every single day.”

“I just stuck to my style and what I believe in. If I do that, I can beat anybody in the world. I still have so much to work on. But I believe in my style and I believe in my coaches, and it worked out.”

Elor’s gold-medal finish was the lead highlight for the U.S. women’s freestyle world team this week in Serbia.

The American women took second in the team race for the second straight year, totaling 157 points behind seven medalists. They finished behind Japan, who scored 190 thanks to nine total medalists, including five individual champs. China took third with 84 points.

Elor was one of three American women to win gold, tying the 2019 team for the most by a U.S. women’s freestyle team. The seven medalists also ties a USA Wrestling record, matching the totals from 2003 in New York City and 2021 in Oslo, Norway.

Dominique Parrish won gold at 53 kilos (116) in her first trip to the world championships. At 68 kilos (150), Tamyra Mensah-Stock, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist, won her second world title, outscoring her four opponents 34-0. She recorded a first-period pin in her finals match on Thursday, and is now a five-time world and Olympic medalist.

Behind them:

Helen Maroulis finished second at 57 kilos (125), and is now an eight-time world and Olympic medalist;
Kayla Miracle also took second, at 62 kilos (136), for the second consecutive year;
Sarah Hildebrandt won bronze at 50 kilos (110) to become a four-time world and Olympic medalist;
and Mallory Velte secured her second Senior-level world medal with a bronze-medal finish at 65 kilos (143).

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In the last 14 months, Elor has won a 2021 Cadet world title, a 2021 Junior world title, a 2022 Junior world title, and now 2022 Senior world gold. Across all four competitions, she’s 14-0 and has outscored her opponents 131-3.

And, again, she’s just 18. She said she plans to stick around for a long, long time.

“There’s still so much more to accomplish,” she continued. “My number one dream is to be an Olympic champion, but there’s world championships every single year, and each year is a new year and a chance to prove that you’re number one. I love that.

“There were a lot of nerves, but every time I felt nerves, I just reminded myself why I’m wrestling, and that I love this sport. So just go out there and enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy the moment, it’s not worth it.”

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.

Ole Miss’ Tenly Grisham wants to put her name, tribe on the map

November 17, 2022 by Tara S

BY: Scott Procter | BVM Sports

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (BVM) – Tenly Grisham first stepped into the batter’s box for one of the most accomplished high school softball programs in the country as a seventh grader. There was some initial fear as she looked across the infield at the pitcher’s mound to see athletes four or five years older than her, but Grisham believes it was one of the best things to ever happen to her.

“It was nerve-wracking for sure,” Grisham said of leading off for Neshoba Central High School in the seventh grade. “I was coming in a seventh grader and I didn’t know what to expect. I was kind of thrown into the fire with going in as the leadoff (hitter) but I knew I had eight other players behind me that would help me out so I knew as long as I tried to do my part as best as I could, they had my back.

“My coach giving me that opportunity was the best thing I could’ve asked for.”

The decision to throw Grisham directly into the fire has resulted in nothing but success for Mississippi’s most dominant softball program.

After a 31-3 record this past season, Grisham helped lead the Rockets to their ninth-straight MHSAA Class 5A state title. Grisham has been Nashoba Central’s leadoff hitter for the last six years and has five championship rings to show for it. The only year without a championship came in 2020 when the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rockets have gone an eye-popping 96-5 over the last three seasons and although Grisham is a major reason why, the opportunity she’s been afforded throughout her prep career is not lost on her.

“It’s been amazing,” Grisham said of the Rockets’ dynasty. “Not everyone has the opportunity to play for such an outstanding high school program and I thank God everyday for blessing me with that opportunity. Just playing with them shows how much I love softball.

“Every player, whether they’re the nine-hole batter or the leadoff, cheers from the side like they love the game so much and want to win and I could not thank them enough for having my back.”

Perhaps the only thing more impressive than Neshoba’s 8-1 record in the playoffs this season and dominant sweep of East Central (7-0, 14-4) in the state finals is what Grisham accomplished during her senior campaign.

The 5-foot-4 senior batted .531 with 23 RBIs, 55 runs scored and 45 stolen bases. She was walked 15 times and struck out just once all season in 111 plate appearances. The elite play led to Grisham becoming just the third Gatorade Mississippi Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Neshoba Central.

“I was very shocked because there are several talented players in Mississippi, especially in softball,” Grisham said of the Gatorade honor. “Being named Gatorade Player of the Year, I’m speechless about it and I didn’t know how to react when my mom told me. I’m honored.”

Neshoba Central swept New Hope (9-0, 7-1) to punch its ticket to the MHSAA State Championship Series, and the Trojans’ head coach knows just how important the Rockets’ leadoff hitter was to their success in every facet of the game.

“Tenly is a triple-threat on offense,” New Hope head coach Casey Finch said in a Gatorade press release. “She can slap for power, place the short ball and her speed and knowledge on the basepaths is incredible. She’s also an exceptional defensive player.”

Ranked as the nation’s No. 42 recruit (No. 28 among infielders) in the Class of 2022 by Extra Inning Softball, Grisham is on the doorstep of a dream she’s had since a child: playing collegiate softball.

The Gatorade Mississippi Softball POY will stay close to home and headline the Ole Miss Rebels’ No. 3-ranked recruiting class. Much like being thrown into the fire as a seventh-grade leadoff hitter for a state championship-caliber squad, Grisham feels like she has an opportunity in Oxford that she can’t pass up.

“They gave me a really big opportunity to come play for them and they were so welcoming and loving,” Grisham said of Ole Miss softball. “They knew me, I wasn’t just another number, I was a player and person to them. They made Oxford feel like home.”

Grisham is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the only federally recognized American Indian tribe living within the state of Mississippi. As one of the United States’ original first nations, the tribe is more than 11,000 members strong and Grisham hopes to be an inspiration to her community.

The future Rebel will certainly work to elevate her status within the softball world, but more important than that is showing other young ladies like her what hard work can do.

“I want to prove that any Choctaw little girl that plays softball can do it; they can make it to the big stage,” Grisham said. “I just want to make a name for myself but as well as my tribe and let them know like, “she grew up playing on the rec ball fields and she made it there.’ I just want them to know that they can make it. That’s the main thing.”

Grisham capped off decorated career with title, Gatorade Player of the Year honors

November 17, 2022 by Tara S

By Drew Kerekes dkerekes@themeridianstar.com

By the time she was a senior this past spring, Neshoba Central’s Tenly Grisham was a well-known player in the Mississippi prep softball scene.

An Ole Miss signee, Grisham had been starting for the Lady Rockets since middle school and has won a state championship with the team every year she’s played varsity fast-pitch. That was capped off in 2022 with the school’s ninth straight fast-pitch title in MHSAA Class 5A.

Grisham hit .531 this past season with a .612 on-base percentage, 45 stolen bases, eight doubles, two triples, one home run, 23 RBIs and 55 runs scored from the leadoff position while manning shortstop for the Lady Rockets. She was named the 2021-22 Gatorade Mississippi Softball Player of the Year and was also a first-team All-State and first-team All-Region 3-5A selection.

Because of her dynamic senior season, Grisham was named the 2022 Premier Preps Softball Player of the Year.

“It’s truly a blessing and an honor,” Grisham said of earning Premier Preps recognition in addition to Gatorade Player of the Year. “I am grateful for both, and I’m glad to represent my tribe (the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians) and school with these prestigious awards.”

In 2017, Grisham took over at third base for Neshoba Central when she was only a seventh grader. At the time, Trae Embry was head coach of the Lady Rockets, and current head coach Zach Sanders was an assistant. Even back then, Sanders said Grisham stood out as an athlete.

“We knew something was special about her the first time we saw her walk onto the field,” Sanders recalled. “You’re talking about a small-statured seventh-grade girl who the ball came off the bat of differently. She was able to play positions unlike any seventh grader you’d ever seen. You really just had to be there to understand.”

Sanders said Grisham was second-team All-State in her seventh-grade season, which showed just how much potential she had.

“She was really good as a young player, and she didn’t stop at that,” Sanders said. “She grew and continued to make it to where she was Gatorade Player of the Year, which is one of the top honors you can get as a softball player in the state of Mississippi.”

Even after six years of starting for the Lady Rockets, Grisham said it doesn’t feel like six years have gone by.

“If I could go back, I would tell myself to take it all in, have fun and just enjoy every moment because it goes by super fast,” Grisham said.

The 2022 Class 5A state championship was the school’s ninth in a row (the 2020 spring season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and the pressure was always on Neshoba Central every season to keep repeating as state champions.

“We learned to take it one pitch and one game at a time,” Grisham explained. “We had to have fun or the pressure was overwhelming. When you have a team that is able to connect with each other, then it’s easy to play with no pressure.”

As a youth softball player, Grisham looked up to former standout shortstop Hailey Lunderman, a 2015 graduate of Neshoba Central and fellow member of the MBCI. Like Lunderman, Grisham signed with Ole Miss to continue her softball career, and Grisham said she’s honored to follow a similar career path to someone she idolized.

“I definitely looked up to her,” Grisham said. “She played with so much grit and passion, how could you not want to be like her? It was nerve-wracking at first (batting leadoff like Lunderman did) because she was the greatest to be in that leadoff spot, so I knew I had big shoes to fill. But watching her play year after year, to take the torch was the best honor and feeling.”

Now, Grisham will have the chance to represent the MBCI and Neshoba Central at the SEC level, and it’s an opportunity she doesn’t take lightly.

“Playing collegiate softball has always been a goal of mine,” Grisham said. “It’s a blessing. Now I get to be a role model to all the young Native girls (who watch me) as well as represent the tribe that has cheered for me all of these years.”

Seeing Grisham have so much success is no surprise to Sanders, and he only expects that success to continue at Ole Miss.

“Looking back all the way to when she was in seventh grade, she was just an exceptional athlete,” Sanders said. “I would say you wouldn’t find a better kid overall athletic-wise, and she’s also just a great young lady.”

Meet Anna Leigh Waters: The 14-year-old pickleball pro is taking the sport by storm

November 17, 2022 by Tara S

By: Shad Powers Palm Springs Desert Sun

Anna Leigh Waters has established herself as one of the top female pickleball players in the world.

She is currently ranked No. 3 in singles and No. 4 in doubles and has sponsors and prize money rolling in.

The fact that she’s only 14 hardly comes up anymore.

“I don’t think they think of me as 14 anymore,” Waters said as she prepared to begin play at the season-ending Pro Pickleball Association Masters event in La Quinta on Thursday. “When I first played pro as a 12-year-old, I think people were like ‘Wow, she’s pretty young,’ but now I think they think of me as just another player like them. They don’t care how old I am, they just really want to beat me.”

Pickleball’s young gun has won three singles tournaments in 2021. In the world of pickleball, she’s already a household name.

“It’s pretty amazing and a little weird to go places and get recognized on the street or something,” said Waters, who lives in Delray Beach, Fla. “But I really enjoy getting to travel around the country and play a pro sport where my family can travel with me. I’m making memories and having experiences that I would never have without pickleball, and it’s just a really exciting time for me right now.”

Her origin story

It was Irma who got Waters into pickleball in the first place. Irma is not a coach or a relative, it’s a hurricane.

In 2017 when Hurricane Irma was bearing down on Florida, she and her family had to evacuate and went to Pennsylvania to stay with her grandfather for a couple of weeks.

He played pickleball and asked Anna Leigh and her mother, Leigh, if they wanted to give it a try.

Anna Leigh Waters takes a moment between points during the Pro Pickleball Association Masters tournament at the La Quinta Resort and Club, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, in La Quinta, Calif.

“He asked us ‘Do you want to go play pickleball?’ and my mom and I looked at each other and said ‘No, not really. We don’t want to play pickleball,'” she said with a laugh. “But, of course, we tried it and fell in love with it right away, and we played non-stop those two weeks. Then we went back home to Florida and started playing in tournaments … and now here we are at the La Quinta Resort in a professional tournament.”

When she turned pro in 2019 at age 12, she became the youngest player ever on the pro tour. She won a tournament that year, which naturally made her the youngest winner ever on tour.

Waters is homeschooled, which she has been since the third grade, long before she picked up a pickleball racket, so she’s continued with that throughout her career. She likes to work ahead and get everything done before a tournament so she doesn’t have to think about school during a tournament.

In what amounts to just two seasons as a pro — she didn’t play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic — she’s won four singles titles and has made $41,875 in career earnings.

Why pickleball and not tennis?

Most top pickleball players started as tennis players and Waters is no exception. She started playing in youth tournaments at the age of eight. She had a lot of success, but not a lot of fun.

To be honest, she hated it.

“Pickleball is just so much more fun, that’s basically all there is to it,” Waters said. “Junior tennis tournaments are kind of terrible. After I would win a match or something, there were times I’d get threatened by other parents, and it just wasn’t fun for me. Then, when I found pickleball, I was enjoying tournaments at a recreational level, and I just kept moving up in the divisions. And now here I am at the pro level, and it’s still really fun.”

Waters still played an occasional tennis tournament even up until the pandemic hit in 2020, but since then, she’s moved entirely to pickleball.

Playing with mom

Another reason her journey has been fun-filled is that she and her mother have been playing doubles together. Not just playing together but winning together.

Her mother Leigh said it’s basically been any parent’s dream come true.

“We just have way too much fun together, I love it,” she said Thursday while watching Anna Leigh play singles (their doubles competition begins Saturday.) “We have such team camaraderie as well as mother-daughter camaraderie out there. I think that gives us the advantage, that mother-daughter intuition. It’s a blast. Who wouldn’t want to play a professional sport with their kid and actually make money doing it? It’s like a win-win-win situation. It’s unreal. It’s changed our lives.”

Anna Leigh Waters talks to her mom after a set during the Pro Pickleball Association Masters tournament at the La Quinta Resort and Club, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, in La Quinta, Calif.

Aside from the intuitive edge, Team Waters plays with a power and an aggression not often seen in women’s pickleball.

They began playing together in 2019 at the Texas Open when Anna Leigh filled in as her mom’s partner. And in that event, the first time they played together officially, they took second place.

Still new to the sport, they fell back on their tennis instincts of just plain hitting the ball hard whenever possible. The women’s game was more about finesse, and the truth is some people didn’t love seeing that style of play being introduced, but now it’s become all the rage.

“A lot of people attribute us for having at least something to do with changing the game, especially the women’s game,” Leigh said. “Because it was all about finesse and dinking, and we were just going with pure power and aggression.”

Anna Leigh said it was noticeable when they returned after the COVID-19 break.

“When we first started playing pickleball, we played it like tennis, we never totally changed our game,” Anna Leigh said. “We’re known as ‘Bangers.’ Some people sort of resent us or that style, but now it seems like recently pickleball has changed and it’s become way faster and it seems like everybody is starting to play like that. When we got back from COVID-19, it was like a totally different sport almost, and everybody was starting to do what we were doing.”

Moving forward

Anna Leigh won her opening match on Thursday, defeating Kaitlyn Christian 11-4, 11-1 as she began to move through the women’s bracket. She then rallied in the second set to beat Callie Smith 11-8, 12-10 in the semifinals. She will play for the women’s singles championship on Sunday against Lea Jansen who knocked off World No. 1 Catherine Parenteau 9-11, 11-6, 11-6.

She will play mixed doubles on Friday with one of the most recognizable players on the men’s side, Tyson McGuffin. Then on Saturday, it will be women’s doubles with her mom. And then Sunday will be the championship matches. She will definitely be in the women’s singles final, she hopes to be involved in all three.

“It felt good to get out there because the last tournament I played, I lost in the finals and didn’t have the energy I usually bring to the court,” she said from a shady spot after Thursday’s opening-round win, avoiding the 90-plus degree temperatures. “So today my goal was to not just win, but to play to my strengths, you know, have a lot of energy, hit my shots and everything. And I did that.”

Of course, Waters wants to win every time she steps out on the court, but she feels like at this stage in her life it’s really just about getting better and more comfortable in big events like this. Wins or losses will come, but each event makes her better. That’s her philosophy.

And she feels like the sport in general is on the rise, and showing no signs of slowing down. That’s exciting to her.

“Right now in the last year the sport has grown so much and I think it’s going to keep growing and bigger sponsors are going to get involved and it’s just going to become a bigger sport in general,” she said. “Like it will be just like other pro sports that people are watching on TV and things like that.”

Whatever happens in the future, the Waters family is just enjoying the present. How could you not?

“There’s not many sports where at this age she could be a professional athlete,” Leigh said. “But she’s so composed on the court, and she’s a good sport out there but also a fierce competitor. I couldn’t be more proud. And with each tournament she’s getting better and better. It’s definitely a fun ride.”

Shad Powers is a sports columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.

Anna Leigh Waters Pickleball Player

November 17, 2022 by Tara S

By Carlee Lightle

Anna Leigh Waters is one of the biggest names in the country in women’s pickleball. Waters is just 14 years old and has already seen success comparable to Kyle Yates! Before 2017, Anna lived a quiet life in Delray Beach, Florida. Her gold medal-winning career was kickstarted by tropical storm-turned-hurricane Irma, a supportive mom, and a background in tennis.

Over the last two years, Anna has started playing in tournaments, competing in mixed doubles matches, and creating a name for herself. Here’s her story.

The Career of Anna Leigh Waters

Anna Leigh Waters has had a career that many athletes can only dream of. Despite only playing pickleball for five years, Anna has had a successful career that has no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Introduction to Pickleball

She was first introduced to pickleball in the summer of 2017. A 10-year-old Anna took a trip to her grandparent’s house in Pennsylvania with her mom Leigh Waters.

The trip was prompted by the unfortunate arrival of hurricane Irma as an approaching tropical storm escalated. Who knows where she would be today if the trip never happened!

Both Anna and Leigh played pickleball daily during their two-week stay to pass the time. The duo quickly found a passion for the sport and realized their potential success as singles and a duo in the pickleball world.

By the time they left Pennsylvania, they had decided to explore their talents more seriously.

Two years later, Anna Leigh became a part of the pro pickleball association. She started winning tournaments as soon as she started playing the sport professionally.

Her first major win happened during a Waters VS Simone Jordin and Corrine Car match.

Ranking

Anna consistently holds her rank in the top 5 best women’s players in the world. She competes in women’s doubles, singles, and mixed doubles.

What is Anna Leigh Waters’s Net Worth?

The exact net worth of Anna isn’t public information, but it’s been estimated that she is worth around 1.4 million dollars! That money comes from multiple sources, but her brand partnerships are the biggest source of consistent income.

Partnerships

Brands can work with popular players to promote their product on the court, similar to the Nascar branding you see on the driver’s cars and uniforms.

Thankfully pickleball partnerships are a bit more subtle but still very beneficial for both the brand and the player!

Anna currently has partnerships with PaddleTek, Faye and Florie, and Lasso.

Anna Leigh Waters Personal Details

Since Anna is new to the professional game, there are a lot of details that the public doesn’t know just yet. She’s too young to be married or have kids, she hasn’t attended college, and her career skyrocketed overnight because of her sheer athletic abilities.

While we’re excited to learn more about Anna as her career progresses, let’s review what we know so far!

Age

Anna is currently 14 years old. She was born on January 26, 2007. She first went pro when she was 12 years old.

Her pro tour proved to the world that Anna could play with the best players around. Today, she has won more than one gold medal with no sign of slowing down.

Early Life

Anna was homeschooled by her mother, Leigh. Homeschooling was a personal choice for the family, but the extra time it allowed for Anna to play sports was a definite perk!

Waters has always been drawn to sports. Before becoming a pro player, Anna was successful on the court as a tennis player.

Despite her success in tennis, she has said she never enjoyed playing the way she enjoys getting to play pickleball.

The transition from tennis to pickleball is a common theme in many of the highest-ranked players.

She had a history of winning any tennis tournament she signed up to play in. As she got acclimated to the new game of pickleball and playing with pickleball paddles, she knocked everyone’s expectations out of the park.

Athletic Build

Anna is 5’6” and weighs 123 pounds. While she doesn’t look intimidating with such small stature, the sport of pickleball is about a lot more than sheer physical force.

Anna uses her small size to her advantage when competing against difficult opponents.

Her aggressive style of playing makes her a fierce competitor, regardless of her size.

Family Life

Anna Leigh has always been close with her family. She was homeschooled from a young age, which is part of why she was able to go pro at such a young age.

Anna is especially close with her mom and women’s doubles teammate, Leigh Waters.

Major Wins

Anna and Leigh won most of the tournaments they would sign up to play in around the country. At the Texas Open, they won. The same can be said about the US Open and the USAPA Nationals.

What Paddle Does Anna Leigh Waters Use?

Any pro pickleball player will tell you that not all paddles are created equal. Paddles that work for some players aren’t compatible with other players, so finding the sweet spot is a challenge when you’re starting.

Anna uses a Bantam TS-5 custom paddle made by PaddleTek. This paddle delivers power, speed, and precision with every swing.

Power comes from the Bantam Polycore interior. The paddle feels light in your hand, allowing for light swings that hit hard during a match or tournament.

She also loves that it can be customized with her favorite colors! Check out the Bantam TS-5 and other PaddleTek paddles here.

Paddletek Bantam TS-5 Pickleball Paddle

Check Price

Watch Out For Anna Leigh On the Court!

As one of the youngest pro players in the sport, Anna Leigh Waters is one to watch as she continues to smash through each tournament, claiming victory along the way. It’s always exciting to see a young athlete grow with their sport, and she is definitely one of pickleball’s brightest stars.

Meet Anna Leigh Waters

November 17, 2022 by Tara S

Anna Leigh Waters is Top 5 in the world in women’s professional pickleball and competes in all three divisions: Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Singles. Upon going pro at only twelve years of age, she became the youngest professional pickleball player in history. She partners with her mom, Leigh Waters, and helped develop the two’s family trait of “banging” and “ripping” on the pickleball court. When the Waters made their debut in pickleball, they pioneered a new playing style that relies on power and reflex volleys paired with rock-solid defense and resets. Rather than patiently dinking and waiting for their opponents to make a mistake, the Waters prefer to speed things up and muscle their way through points – an aggressive style that has won them a passionate fan base. Anna Leigh Waters is also a fierce competitor when it comes to Singles and Mixed Doubles and generally partners up with JW Johnson, Kyle Yates, or Tyson McGuffin for the latter event.

Waters is a national champion in Women’s Doubles, winning her first gold medal at the 2021 Orlando Cup. She also took golds in Singles at the Newport Beach Showcase, the Orlando Cup, and the Texas Open – all in 2021. Waters finished first in Women’s Doubles at the Tournament of Champions, as well as at the Margaritaville USA Pickleball Nationals Championship. She is the youngest professional pickleball champion in history, capturing titles at only twelve years of age. She is a bronze medalist in Singles at the 2021 U.S. Open and a silver and bronze medalist (Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles, respectively) at the 2021 Acrytech Atlanta Open.

Waters, along with her mom, took the whole of 2020 off from pickleball due to concerns about COVID-19, but has lost no time working her way back up to the top since her return to the Pro Circuit in 2021. Waters seems to balance her pro pickleball career, normal teenagerhood, and competitive travel soccer with ease. She is quick to smile and laugh on-court, but her passion and fire leaves no one in doubt about what she wants the result to be. Outside of pickleball, she enjoys soccer, shopping, cooking, and fashion.

ORTEGA WINS HONDA AWARD FOR LACROSSE

June 21, 2022 by Tara S

Jamie Ortega, a senior attacker from the University of North Carolina, was named the Honda Sport Award winner for Lacrosse as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).

Ortega is just the second Tar Heel to win the Honda Award, joining Kara Cannizzaro (2013).

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 46 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2022 Honda Cup, which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 27th.

Ortega was chosen by a vote of administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Finalists included Ally Mastroianni (North Carolina), Charlotte North (Boston College) and Emily Sterling (Maryland).

“I am honored to have been chosen for this year’s Honda Sports Award for Lacrosse,” Ortega said. “To be selected from this amazing group of finalists is truly gratifying. I am part of an incredible team sport and receive this along with the teammates who I’ve shared my accomplishments with, and I am both humbled and grateful to have been chosen.”

Ortega was named the ACC Attacker of the Year for the second straight year and is a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist. Hailing from Centereach, N.Y., she is a four-time First Team All-American and the first five-time All-American in UNC history after earning Third Team honors as a freshman.

She led North Carolina to four trips to the NCAA Final Four and the 2022 national title. In the conference postseason, she set ACC Tournament records with nine points and five assists against Boston College.

The attacker is UNC’s leader in goals (69), assists (44) and points (113) on the season and her points and assists ranked sixth and seventh nationally. Overall, she finished her career first in ACC history and second in NCAA history with 466 career points. Her 334 career goals are third in the NCAA history and second in ACC annals. The senior closed her career as UNC’s career leader in goals and points and is second in school history in assists.

“We are so grateful that Jamie is being recognized with the prestigious Honda Award,” said head coach Jenny Levy. “We cannot think of a more deserving student-athlete. Throughout her time in Chapel Hill, Jamie excelled at the highest level and continued to grow as a player and teammate. A consummate winner, her consistency of excellence during her collegiate career and the impact she had on our program is unparalleled.”

“As a co-captain of our 2022 team, Jamie’s leadership, hard work and dominant performances were keys to our undefeated, national championship season,” continued Levy. “Simply put, she is a champion who represents the University of North Carolina and the sport of lacrosse in a first class manner.”

The CWSA, entering its 46th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.