The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP) signed adolescent, age 17 Jalina Ingram, demonstrating the sport’s explosive expansion and expanding pool of talent
One of the tennis players who shifted to pickleball is the 17-year-old American pickler Jalina Ingram. Beginning in October 2023, Ingram began playing pickleball. By January 2024, she had established herself as a genuine talent at PPA competitions, and she hasn’t looked back. Ingram, a triple crown winner at the PPA Tour Masters, is now starting her path to establish herself on the professional circuit thanks to her talent, determination, and passion for the game.
Who is pickleball player Jalina Ingram, bio, age, parents, nationality, high school and Instagram
Age 17 Jalina Ingram was born in 2007 in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. Her biological mother was unable to care for her; therefore, she was adopted. Her adopted parents, father, Michael, and mother, Marion, adopted her at the age of six.
It rained on Saturday, November 23, 2013, the day Jalina was adopted and Marion (mother) and Michael (father) are relatives of Jalina’s birth mother and became foster parents to take care of Jalina, before officially adopting her. Marion was born in Trinidad and Tobago and moved to the US and joined the Army and she met Michael in North Carolina.
Ingram is graduating from high school at the Arizona Connections Academy and is going to start college at Estrella Mountain Community College and pursue a degree in communications.
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She had a lifelong passion for athletics. She tried flag football, football, swimming, and gymnastics before deciding on tennis. Ingram was a standout junior tennis player who won numerous tournaments and medals in age-group tournaments around the United States.
After that, Ingram stayed at the famous John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas, for the summer of 2022. This marked a sea change in her career. Players like Chris Haworth, Hunter Johnson, Yates Johnson, and Thomas Wilson, who all went on to become highly regarded pickleball players, trained at this institution.
She had to give up tennis, though, due to early difficulties. She was unable to handle the bullying from the senior academy players and security concerns at Newcombe.
Ingram attempted to switch training locations out of fear, but she found it difficult to stick with it and eventually lost interest in tennis by October 2023.
Encouraged by her father Marion, Jalina took up a pickleball paddle for fun after taking a few weeks off.
She began playing at the neighbourhood courts in Vistancia with friendly local players. Ingram became addicted to pickleball after falling in love with it over time.
Her ambition to get better increased along with her curiosity. She ultimately started going to the courts in Surprise City, where she got to know the Lams, Mikki Lieu and Larry Lam. In Arizona, the Lams are a well-known pickleball family, and their 16-year-old son is also becoming a rising star.
Ingram quickly found a trainer in David Furman, who still serves as her professional coach.
When Furman introduced Ingram to Kale Klein, a club player at Grand Canyon University (GCU), her career path began to take shape.
Ingram played tennis at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa before returning there at the age of 16.
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