In the latest episode of “MaryGoRound,” Mary Brascia welcomes her sister Maggie back to the show. The two sisters join up for a chat with fellow Selkirk sisters Jade and Jackie Kawamoto.
The sister duos discuss the highs and lows of playing with a sibling and the secret to success when playing with a family member. They also play a fun game of, “Who is more likely to?”
Strolling down memory lane
The Brascia sisters reminisce about the PPA Las Vegas event as it was the first event they ever competed in at the 5.0 level. They share the ups and downs of playing with family and share a piece of advice from their father that they always follow.
Balancing full-time NCAA jobs with full-time pickleball
Both Kawamoto sisters work with the NCAA and play full-time pickleball. Jackie says their pickleball careers wouldn’t be possible without the flexibility of the NCAA.
The secret to the Kawamoto success?
The Kawamotos have made deep runs recently on the PPA Tour and their MLP team, the D.C. Pickleball Team, were finalists in the last MLP event. Jade jokes she and Jackie have seen recent success because they’ve been emulating the Brascias — enjoying each other’s company on the court.
Will the twins play together in 2024?
Maggie shares that she’ll play every tournament she can in 2024 alongside Mary. The Kawamotos, however, say they often need a break from playing with each other so they hope to split up tournaments by playing with different partners.
Mic’d up pickleball:
The sisters discuss what it’s like actually playing alongside family and handling the perception that they never fight. Both sets of sisters freely admit that they are constantly fighting and propose a mic’d up faceoff to let people in on the fun.
The training regimen for the Kawamotos:
The Kawamotos often pick up recreational games after work to practice, but as the weather turns colder in Indianapolis, they are having to search for indoor options. The twins have also been drilling more with each other this year than in years previous, even if Jade jokes that she has to tell Jackie not to speak to her if she hits a ball incorrectly.
How did the Kawamotos start playing pickleball?:
The Kawamotos were introduced to the sport by their father, who picked it up at a local recreation center. For the first year, they played at a local church on its basketball courts. However, through COVID-19, they began playing more and more.
University of Dayton connection:
Mary, Jackie, and Jade all went to the same college, the University of Dayton. The twins were playing tennis for the university when Mary went on her recruiting visit, which Mary jokes sealed the deal for her.
Who is more likely to, sister edition:
The sisters play a fun game of “Who is more likely to?” Each set of sisters answers a variety of questions, including: Who is more likely to be late to practice? Who is more likely to get married first? Who is the favorite sibling in the family?
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