PHOENIX — Pickleball continues to be the fastest-growing sport.

According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, nearly 20 million people in the U.S. played pickleball recreationally or professionally in 2024, a 45% increase from the previous year. The largest age group of players is 25 to 34.

But a 13-year-old Valley pickleball player is taking the spotlight.

Kelly Goodnow is now a pickleball world champion.

“I’m on the court maybe 5 or 6 days a week, so most days I’m definitely on the court,” said Goodnow, who plays pickleball for fun and for the competition.

“I think it’s the adrenaline that makes it so fun,” she said.

Goodnow has only been playing for a year.

“My mom took a clinic, and she loved it,” she said. “When she convinced me to try, I fell in love with the sport

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