By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Valley 14-year-old is making waves in the up-and-coming sport, putting him on the doorstep of becoming a pro before he can even drive.
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While Maverick Messinger has tons of talent, like most teenagers, he started by playing with his family.
“I started playing during COVID and I hated it, but I think I just didn’t like playing with my family,” Messinger said.
It was not all sunshine and rainbows right off the bat, as Messinger said he was losing to people who are experts in the sport.
“I started playing with my sister and one of my friends and I mean I would get beat up by all the grandmas because I didn’t know what to do,” Messinger said.
Since then, he has found himself collecting medals at all sorts of events, most recently winning the Boys Doubles Championship at the PPA San Clemente Finals, placing him at No. 7 in the junior rankings. For a competitive kid, the thrill of winning is what he plays for.
“I just love the feeling I get when I win, I don’t know how to explain it but it only happens when I win,” Messinger said.
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He trains with other local pros who are full-grown adults, and he said playing a pickup match against someone who doesn’t know how good he is is always a treat.
“When I play, they are definitely surprised, they make this face and lift the eyebrow,” Messinger said.
The 14-year-old now has his eyes set on going pro. He already has sponsorship deals and hopes next year he cracks through.
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