USA Pickleball JUNIOR SPOTLIGHT
ELISE , NOAH AND CALEB
YEUNG
By Hope Tolley
Elise , Noah and Caleb Yeung are three siblings from Chandler , Arizona , who are forging a deep love for pickleball . Their father , Bruce Yeung , a professional sports photographer and avid pickleball player , introduced them to the sport last year during the pandemic , which allowed them to be outdoors , to have fun and to get exercise . Over the course of the last year , they have played in USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments with much success , which has solidified their pursuit of further development . Additionally , all three have been planning to compete at the 2021 USA Pickleball National Championships .
Elise , 13 , the youngest of the three , is in eighth grade at Chandler Preparatory Academy . She would like to learn a double backhand and to also improve her skills with her left hand as she is a “ switch hitter .” Elise has participated in Junior Tournament and is playing in junior singles and mixed doubles with her brother Noah this year at Nationals . She enjoys watching Lucy Kovalova / Matt Wright play against Ben Johns / Simone Jardim because the matches are so exciting , and they all play so well . Outside of pickleball , Elise enjoys taking Wushu classes and making stickers for water bottles , backpacks and just about anything a sticker would stick on . She hopes to start a pickleball club at her school so that she can introduce her friends to the sport .
Noah , 15 , also attends Chandler Preparatory Academy and is in the 10th grade . He played his first tournament in May of this year and placed first out of 12 teams in the 3.0 19 + division . Noah has played in two USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments and has received two gold medals in Men ’ s Doubles 3.0 19 + and won a bronze medal in Men ’ s Singles 3.0 19 +. His goals are to continue
improving and to exceed his father ’ s skill level so that he can dominate his dad on the court … and continuously remind him of that . He enjoys having fun on the court and hitting around-the-post shots , ernes and tweeners . Noah has been looking forward to competing at Nationals with his doubles partner , Jayden , and his sister Elise in the Junior Division .
Caleb , 17 , is a senior at Chandler Preparatory Academy and has been applying to colleges . He played in his first tournament in the beginning of 2021 at the Red Mountain Tennis Club in Mesa , Arizona , where he and his father finished fifth in the Men ’ s Doubles 3.5 19 + division . It was unexpectedly windy on the tournament day , which affected their shots , but that made Caleb determined to learn , to practice and to compete in different weather conditions .
He has since played in four USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments , finishing with a bronze followed by three gold medals , and has been looking forward to competing at Nationals . His goal is to be the best player he can be , hoping to become a sponsored Franklin player competing at the 5.0 / Pro level like Ben Johns . Caleb models his game after Ben and strives to master Ben ’ s backhand flicks . He also loves the local State Forty Eight brand clothing for its quality and design , but especially for representing Arizona everywhere . Besides appreciating the mental strategy of pickleball , Caleb enjoys playing chess online .
Given the quick success that Elise , Noah and Caleb have achieved , they are striving to improve their game , have fun on the courts , and have great potential to become the next generation of formidable pickleball players . •
PHOTO BY BRUCE YEUNG