Spicy Pickleball Academy players looked in fine form ahead of the English Open with six medals last weekend including a gold in Belgium for founder Mollie Knaggs.
Mollie took home gold in women’s doubles with Evie Kenna and silver in women’s singles from the Belgian Open in Brussels as the Brits once again dominated the podium on the European stage.
Also in Belgium, Mollie’s protegee George Gentry conquered his nerves at his first international competition to win gold in the men’s doubles advanced category alongside Sam Anderson.
George (pictured above, centre) has progressed from a DUPR 3.0 to a 4.0 in just a couple of months under Mollie’s tutelage, having had no previous racket sport experience. “All the hard work at the academy mentally and physically has been so worth it,” Mollie told Pickleball52. “He’s really looking forward to the English Open now.”
For Georgia Macalle there was a first ever gold medal as she teamed up with mentor Dave Lazarus (pictured below) in the 4.0 mixed at the HEAD Norwich Open. Georgia has been well and truly bitten by the bug, giving up netball and athletics and throwing all her eggs in the pickle basket – and earning a sponsorship deal with Diadem. Beating the likes of Katie Morris en route to the Norwich title will boost her confidence even more ahead of Telford next week.
Also in Norwich, teenager Olly Grantham and Manchester-based Matt Brindle teamed up for the first time, having met as team-mates in the Spicy Pickleball PPL team in Bolton. They beat some good pairs to claim men’s doubles silver.
As if that weren’t enough, another Spicy Pickleball Academy player, Ireanne McLaughlin, took silver at the English Open warm-up tournament in Abingdon.
Mollie commented: “Anne took all the learnings from the group sessions and some one-to-ones we’ve had together. She said that had really helped her in the competition.”
Overall, Mollie says her players’ success stems from her having “a really good eye for what players need to work on to improve.”
She added: “I can always pinpoint things instantly and then we get to work. I also create a positive-only environment, especially in group sessions. Mostly it’s just my passion for wanting to see them improve. They can feel the joy I get out of it and that probably makes them work even harder.
“I’m now so excited to see how my Spicy players get on at the English Open as well as what I’m going to be able to achieve on court myself.”
