Ben Lacy was born in Naples, Italy, in 1962 to a US Air Force father and stay-at-home mom. Ben is also military and spent 10 years in the US Navy as a nuclear plant operator. Ben finally settled in Aiken, SC, where he now resides with his loving wife, Jillian Ashworth and their numerous canine companions. Ben spent 25 years as a contractor to the Department of Energy, working as a nuclear engineer. Jill and Ben have three children (Alden Nead, Brent Lacy, and Nolan Lacy) and several grandchildren in the making. Since retiring from engineering, Ben spends much of his time either playing, coaching or refereeing pickleball, performing live music, and traveling around North America with Jill and the pups in their Airstream. Ben also enjoys writing and has published one novel (Shattered Diary) and one collection of short stories (Tales Best Consumed In The Light), both available on Amazon. Ben is a professional coach certified by the Professional Pickleball Registry and is a Level 2 USA Pickleball and Pro Pickleball Association Referee.

When folks ask Beth what brought her to Aiken, her reply is, "the stork." A native Aikenite, in her career as a teacher she met many people. However, when she and her husband retired and took up pickleball, she met and befriended so many more. The social aspects and the sheer fun of the sport have captivated her such that she plays every chance she can get. Her teacher-brain recognizes the power of pickleball to encourage youth to put down their phones and pick up a paddle. Engaging kids with pickleball--she says there's nothing better!

Cindy fell hard for pickleball after recovering from an accident and finds great joy in playing an easily adaptable sport. She went to college as a non-traditional student (older than normal) and graduated the same week her oldest graduated from high school. Cindy worked 15 years at Morris Communications in HR as a training specialist and brings a bit of technical experience to the team. She also served six years as the Business Admin in a local church and has the valuable non-profit bookkeeping experience we need to manage our accounting and guide our financial stewardship. Cindy is married to Robbie, another Pickleball aficionado. About the only thing they enjoy more is spending time with their three adult children and four grandchildren.

Denise and her husband Scott moved to Aiken in August of 2022. As they looked for ways to make friends and be active, they discovered pickleball. Playing pickleball has become so important in their lives and led them to find many new and wonderful friends.

Cathy has lived in Aiken for over 30 years. She currently serves on the Board of Southern Pickleball Academy. Cathy has played tennis for over 20 years so she found the transition to Pickleball to be very rewarding. Cathy owns and operates an event planning business specializing in corporate events, non-profit events, weddings, and private parties. Cathy volunteers her event planning expertise by serving as Special Events Coordinator for South Pickleball Academy. Cathy has a passion for the community, sports, and students. If she is not found on the pickleball court, you will probably find her on the tennis court. She enjoys both sports and believes they can and should coexist.

Born in Greenville, David is a lifetime resident of South Carolina, moving to the Aiken area in 1981 with his wife, Paula. They have three children, Ryan, Morgan and Paul, and two grandchildren, Tucker and Caroline. David’s passions have been time with family, his dental profession, love of flying, golf, and sports of any kind. He played baseball and basketball in high school, and served 4 years in the USAF as a Medical Service Specialist at Myrtle Beach AFB. He earned a BS degree from the University of South Carolina and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Webster University and graduated from the MUSC School of Dentistry. After practicing dentistry for 35 years, David retired in 2015. Since retiring he has enjoyed playing golf, shooting sporting clays, and traveling, but now is concentrating on getting better at Pickleball!

Holly grew up in Aiken. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, she lived in London for six years, working as a Children’s Literature Specialist for one of the premier Rare Book Dealers in the world. Holly moved back home to Aiken in 2018. She currently serves as the Fundraising Coordinator for Southern Pickleball Academy. Holly grew up as an avid equestrian so she was reluctant to play any sort of racket sport. However, upon discovering pickleball, she quickly became obsessed with the sport, like so many others. Holly owns and operates two retail stores in downtown Aiken, A Fox’s Tale and Caroliniana Rare Books. Holly has been a part of the Aiken Human Bingo fundraising event run by Aiken Mental Health, serving as fundraiser and head of decorations for its first two iterations (2023 and 2024). She was an integral part of their record breaking 2023 event, which raised over $80,000 for the organization.

Jeremy was born in Germany and lived in many other countries as an Air Force brat. He has had a multi-faceted career, working for U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, as a police officer, as an insurance agent and now owns his own Lawn Care business. Jeremy also works for the NCAA as a college baseball umpire and for the SCHSL as a volleyball referee. He started playing Pickleball in August of 2023 and quickly became addicted! He loves the sport, the competition, and the people he has met on the courts. Jeremy will work hard to make the game and our community better!

Ally graduated from Mizzou in May of 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is currently substitute teaching in Aiken County and plans on going back to school to pursue a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. Ally plays pickleball when she can and also when her mom begs her to play - or at least asks nicely.

Since discovering Pickleball in 2019, Cecilia has been on a mission to share the excitement and benefits of the sport with others. With a background in medicine, she believes that engaging with local schools and communities to promote active lifestyles is a wonderful way to give back to the Aiken area. She believes that supporting sportsmanship and fun through Southern Pickleball Academy as Volunteer coordinator will help others with a similar approach help improve our already amazing community.

As a professional firefighter, Dennis has volunteered his photography skills to raise money for hospitals and charities such as the Ronald McDonald House and the Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. He continues to find worthwhile programs that contribute to the health and fitness of our next generation.