Now Reading: 13-Year-Old Elsie Hendershot Goes from Junior Pickleball to MLP Pro
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13-Year-Old Elsie Hendershot Goes from Junior Pickleball to MLP Pro
13-Year-Old Elsie Hendershot Goes from Junior Pickleball to MLP Pro
Times Now News reports that 13-year-old Elsie Hendershot was traded from St Louis Shock to Chicago Slice in June 2026, making her one of the youngest players in Major League Pickleball. She…
The Story in Brief
Times Now News reports that 13-year-old Elsie Hendershot was traded from St Louis Shock to Chicago Slice in June 2026, making her one of the youngest players in Major League Pickleball. She turned professional earlier in 2025 after winning a national team title at the Dink Minor League Pickleball Championships in December 2024, with her squad beating The Big Dills to take a $3,500 cheque.
Hendershot, a lefty from Utah, began playing pickleball about three and a half years ago after switching from club football. She was drafted by St Louis Shock with the 30th pick in the 2026 MLP Draft and has since delivered clutch performances, including a decisive match point at MLP Orlando that pushed Chicago into the playoffs.
The Indian Opinion
The story of Elsie Hendershot is being used to promote pickleball as a fast track to fame, but it ignores the intense pressure on a 13-year-old. The real test will be whether she can sustain her development physically and mentally as she faces older competitors. How many teenage prodigies in other sports have faded after early success?
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
