“It was really surprising going from juniors to pro,” noted Kelly. “I was playing so well in juniors, and pro is a different level.”

From her mom’s point of view, though, Kelly was always expected to hold her own against professional competition.

“In Mesa, she had her first pro match. I was at home with my son, taking him to school, and my husband went with her. He called me and told me that Kelly pickled the girl in the first game, so I immediately drove to watch her second qualifying match and I was so impressed,” recounted Erin. “She played aggressive and she looked like a natural.” 

As their daughter made the transition to the pro level, Erin and her husband James focused on supporting her dreams as best they could.

“There’s so much growth and development happening for anybody at that age, and now she’s entering into a professional career at 14. We made the decision to switch to online school because she can’t do regular school with a job like this,” explained Erin. “As parents, of course we’re questioning whether we did the right thing. She’s only 14, she’s still figuring out who she is, and we’re figuring it out along with her. This is her opportunity, and we have to take it while we can. She’s living her dream, and it’s so cool to watch her do it.”

But playing on the Junior PPA Tour certainly helped build her confidence on the court. 

“Junior PPA helped build a good mentality for me,” emphasized Kelly. “It helped me stay not in my head so much and get a lot of practice.” 

While Anna Leigh Waters was a role model for Goodnow, it was actually Catherine Parenteau who became Kelly’s mentor in juniors. 

“Catherine was watching me play last year in Texas and she gave me a few tips,” revealed Kelly. “And when she sees me at tournaments, she always says hi. Not many juniors have had that, so it’s really cool.”

If Kelly’s pickleball career mirrors the path of Parenteau, she’s undoubtedly an up-and-comer worth keeping an eye on.

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