When professional pickleball coach and referee Ben Lacy founded the Southern Pickleball Academy as a public charity in late 2022, he had no idea the impact it would make on the community in a little more than a year.
This past year, the academy introduced over 200 children to pickleball, worked with New Ellenton City Council and Mayor Kim Williams to develop a pickleball program, and started a popular series of First Friday Pickleball and Pizza pen play gatherings at the Virginia Acres courts.
Yet the academy’s biggest impact has been getting youth involved with pickleball. Recognizing the power of pickleball to help youth, the Southern Pickleball Academy began a campaign to get paddles into their hands instead of phones.
At the beginning of the school year, the Southern Pickleball Academy held a professional development seminar for physical education teachers in the Aiken County Public School District, bringing in volunteers to help guide the teachers in best practices for teaching the sport.
Through the generosity of academy donors and sponsors, the Southern Pickleball Academy has provided free pickleball equipment to 12 Aiken County middle and high schools: a total of 356 paddles, 328 balls and 50 nets.
The academy continues to support pickleball in these schools.
“Folks helped me learn the game, so I’m glad to be able to do my part to help others get started in pickleball,” said volunteer John Poore after taping six courts on the gym floor at Paul Knox Middle School.
The academy has organized and continues to mentor four public school pickleball clubs in Aiken County. At Midland Valley High School, the students weren’t satisfied with their pickleball club meeting just one afternoon a week, so they arranged a teacher sponsor who was willing to stay after school twice a week.
French teacher and club sponsor Garrett Maroney sees pickleball as a non-threatening sport that anyone can play. The “adrenaline rush” and the sheer fun of the game keep these students coming back even on Friday afternoons.
Students are eager to start competing with other school pickleball clubs, and plans are in the works for an inter-club competition in late May.
The Southern Pickleball Academy is holding the Southern Spring Classic pickleball tournament presented by Aloha Aesthetics on Saturday, April 27. Proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to continue supporting pickleball in the schools as well as starting a post-secondary pickleball scholarship program.
“Two years ago, I would never have claimed that I would be in the middle of a great grassroots movement," Lacy said. "Helping hundreds of students, having the honor of working with some of the most energetic and focused people, and truly making a difference in our community.”
His vision for the next 10 years is clear: developing a model program that can be replicated in chapters throughout the Southeast.
