Leigh Waters: Building a Champion Without Losing the Joy

What does it take to help build one of pickleball's greatest careers while making sure the game stays fun?This week on 99% Pickleball, Mari Humberg and Nikki Maldonado sit down with Leigh Waters, former professional pickleball player, coach, and mother of Anna Leigh Waters, for a conversation about the remarkable journey that put their family at the center of professional pickleball.Leigh shares how she went from collegiate tennis and a 14-year career practicing law to competing professionally alongside her daughter, and eventually becoming the coach behind one of the most dominant players in the sport. She opens up about navigating the line between parent and coach, adapting her approach to different athletes, and why keeping joy in the game has always mattered more than outside expectations.But this conversation goes well beyond Anna Leigh's career. Leigh reflects on watching professional pickleball transform in real time, the surreal moments that have come with its growth, what she believes the sport needs next, and the legacy she hopes to leave for the players and young girls coming behind her.From parenting and coaching to competition, fame, family, and the future of the game, this is a rare look at pickleball through the eyes of someone who has helped shape its modern era.