After years of dominating the professional circuit, Anna Leigh Waters finally secured the one trophy that had eluded her: the Major League Pickleball (MLP) championship. In a recent interview with The Dink’s PicklePod, Waters revealed that the New Jersey Fives’ victory was not merely a product of individual talent, but the result of strategic roster changes, a refined mental approach, and a collective decision to prioritize team success over personal ego.
Leadership and Roster Strategy
A pivotal moment in the Fives' championship run was the mid-season trade that brought Federico Staksrud onto the team. While the move was controversial, Waters credited Staksrud’s elite singles ability—which she ranks among the top three in the world—as a necessary component for winning the high-pressure Dreambreaker format. Integrating Staksrud required teammates Will and NoWay to accept reduced roles, a leadership challenge Waters navigated using four specific principles:
- Focus on team performance: She clarified that the roster change was an objective upgrade to the team’s overall potential, rather than a critique of any individual player's skill.
- Reference the track record: She reminded the team that their previous success in reaching the finals proved their individual capabilities were never in question.
- Frame as a strength assignment: She positioned the role change as a strategic placement that allowed each athlete to compete in the specific event where they felt most confident.
- Demand team-first thinking: She required players to set aside their egos for the sake of the collective goal, a difficult but necessary step that ultimately led to the championship.
Beyond the roster, Waters emphasized that the team’s mental approach during the final Dreambreaker against the St. Louis Shock was the final piece of the puzzle. She provided her team with a clear mental framework to overcome the pressure of the moment:
- Stop waiting for the opponent to fail: She instructed the team to stop expecting the St. Louis Shock to deflate, noting that they needed to take the win rather than wait for it to be given to them.
- Reframe the pressure: She encouraged the team to view the Dreambreaker as an exciting opportunity rather than a source of anxiety.
- Focus on the immediate point: She urged the team to ignore the scoreboard entirely and concentrate exclusively on winning the next point in front of them.
Ultimately, Waters’ drive remains rooted in a relentless pursuit of perfection. Even while celebrating the MLP title, she remained focused on the minor errors from her earlier mixed doubles match, proving that her competitive obsession is fueled by the desire to improve every single point, regardless of her previous accolades.
