The thwack of balls, the squeak of shoes on the wooden floor, and the excited murmur of the crowd filled the gym at the Gregg Park Civic Center on Saturday, August 24, during the first annual Back2School Youth Pickleball Scramble.
Youth from ages 10 to 18 participated in this event put on by the Southern Pickleball Academy and came from all over the CSRA and the Midlands of South Carolina. Before competition started, players were treated to an Exhibition Match that pitted Rolene Roux and Dylan Fahrbach against Drew and Ellie Fahrbach. These young players demonstrated not only an advanced skill level but also modeled great sportsmanship, a quality promoted by the event leaders.

“There are very few junior-only pickleball tournaments held in the Southeast and compared to adult tournaments, it’s a rarity,” said Bob Fogle, assistant tournament director. Southern Pickleball Academy has hosted two junior tournaments this year in Aiken County.
This was the first time competing in a pickleball tournament for some of these players and efforts were made by the tournament committee to make this not only a fun event but also one that would prepare them for future competitions. Ava Woiczechowski won the player drawing, walking away with a new pickleball paddle donated by Revolin Sports and other winners sported hats donated by Good Get Apparel. The gold medal matches were refereed by Davion Bellinger, giving them a real tournament experience.

Tournament director Kiss Gunther sees the value of this event, saying “Having youth events gives kids an opportunity to develop their skills through competition and gives them confidence to keep playing and having fun.”
Kim Woiczechowski’s two youngest children participated in the Back2School Scramble and agrees with Gunther. “They both enjoyed the competition with kids from surrounding areas and we all enjoyed the exhibition match and learning from skilled players. It was their first time seeing a referee in action for their gold and silver matches which was wonderful! Southern Pickleball Academy did a phenomenal job organizing a very well run event!”
Woiczechowski added that pickleball is a sport that they frequently play together as a family. “It is a fantastic way to get outside away from our phones and engage as a family while getting exercise. Pickleball has also quickly become a fun activity for teenagers to get together and socialize with their friends. My older two meet their friends regularly to play. Pickleball is a competitive sport for all ages and a great way to stay active and engage with family, neighbors and friends.”
Connor Berry and Caleb Handford won Gold in the 10-13 age bracket, Ruairi MacLeod and Ava Woiczechowski won Silver, and Yvie Gonzalez and Cameron Hodge took home Bronze.
In the 14-18 age bracket, Joel Patsourakos and Jacob Seigler won Gold, Luke Waldhauer and Josh Woiczechowski took Silver, and Bronze medals went to Joshua Daniels and Capers Jones.
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