At just 14 years old, twins Ziva and Zoey Lawson are destroying statewide competition on the pickleball court. These identical twins have been playing for only a year and a half, and are already playing at a 4.0 DUPR level, with 5.0 being a pro DUPR level. Being a pro at such a young age is a whole different experience.
“It’s more fun because we like playing with adults more than kids,” said Zoey.
They agree that being twins helps them with communication. They also both say that when they dress the same they can confuse their opponents. Besides looking the exact same on the court they can trick other players by stacking. Stacking lets players switch positions after serving to keep the player with the stronger backhand on a certain side of the court.
The twins workout every other day. They also train at their home court with their dad. Keeping a strict workout schedule helps keep them active, even when they’re not preparing for a tournament.
“We train at Level Up in Cannonsburg,” said Zoey.
“We drill outside, do workouts, and we have a bunch of great coaches,” said Ziva.
The two have many loyal supporters who enjoy watching them play. Ziva and Zoey alike consider their sister, Hallie, and their mom to be their biggest supporters.
“I try to come to as many of their tournaments that I can,” said Hallie.
Hallie is the twins’ social media manager and a current senior at Wheeling Park High School. She runs their Instagram and edits their videos. She also helps their posts reach the correct demographic, helping them branch out.
“I’m working on making a hype video, or introduction video,” said Hallie.
As high-performing as the two are, they still get nervous before big tournaments. They find that communication often helps them calm down.
“I get nervous, but then during it, I get more comfortable and get used to it,” said Zoey.
The twins always place physical and mental wellness first. The day before they compete, they make sure they don’t scrimmage, so as not to injure or tire themselves. They also make sure they eat well the day before and get a full night of rest.
“We don’t play the day before at all, and I eat very well,” said Ziva.
In November, they played in the West Virginia State pickleball championship. They played in the women’s 18-49 levels 3.5-4.0 bracket. While being only 14, this is the youngest level offered in West Virginia. Despite being significantly younger than most of the competition, they still brought home gold.
“The competition was way harder, we had to do way more stuff,” said Zoey.
“Before we were really nervous because that was our firstĀ really big tournament, as we started playing, we felt more comfortable,” said Ziva.
Make sure to follow The Twins on Instagram @twinzpickleball to stay updated on everything that is to come for them!
