USA Pickleball JUNIOR SPOTLIGHT
EMMA
IACONO
By Laura Gainor and Bob Nibarger
USA PICKLEBALL
This issue ’ s Junior Spotlight shines a light on
a young athlete who loves to inspire other youth . Emma Iacono , an 11th grader from Northwood High School in Pittsboro , North Carolina , has been playing pickleball since she was 13 years old .
She first picked up the game when her family was introduced to the sport while on vacation in Georgia . Her mom was inspired to go home and order paddles , study how to play by watching other athletes ’ YouTube videos , and set out to the courts for the family to learn how to play together .
“ We went to our local elementary school to play and everyone there was really amazing , and I immediately loved the game ,” Emma recalled . “ I picked it up a lot quicker than tennis . The social aspect was really great and the people I played with helped me improve my game .”
Emma ’ s younger sister Addison , a competitive tennis player , has also contributed to helping her improve her game by providing some pointers on the court .
“ Her coach gave me a few pointers to use on the pickleball court ,” added Emma . “ We all play as a family and have a lot of fun together .”
Some of the family ’ s favorite courts for playing — and a goal of Emma ’ s is to play on them in a future tournament — are the courts in Hilton Head , South Carolina . She got the chance to watch players at Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center and was impressed with their strategic play , studying their every move to try to incorporate their shots into her game .
Outside of pickleball , Emma is an avid musician . She has played piano for the last nine years , composes music , teaches other neighborhood kids how to play piano and also enjoys playing the flute and piccolo . She is proud to have been a part of the National Honor Society since her freshman year and hopes to attend North Carolina State University to have a career with NASA one day .
Emma looks forward to inspiring other younger people to play pickleball and has connected with the athletic directors at her school to get some leagues started soon .
When asked what advice she would give to other youth thinking about learning how to play , Emma said , “ Give it a chance . Once you learn how to play the game it ’ s something that is really interesting and fun to participate in . It ’ s a great sport . You don ’ t have to be particularly athletic as in other sports . It ’ s a really inclusive sport and I really enjoy it .” •