Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Elle Ruggiero

Each week, Marple Newtown Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. This week, we highlight sixth grader Elle Ruggiero, a smashingly successful squash player at just 11 years old.

Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Elle Ruggiero

Whiz Kid's Age: 11

Whiz Kid's School:

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Elle won the Spanish Junior Open in squash for girls under 13 this past June in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. She also won the 2011 Junior National Squash Championship in the US for girls under 11 and was ranked number one in the nation in squash for girls under 11 for 2010-2011. She is the winner of the all four Junior Championship Tour tournaments (Under 11) and finished second place at the U.S. Open (Under 11).

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Elle was first exposed to squash around the age of 4 or 5 when she watched her brothers’ Jamie, 16, and Will, 14, weekly squash lessons. She first picked up the sport as a default, which later grew into her passion.

"I've been playing squash for about five to six years," said Elle. "I've been playing with my dad. My brothers started playing at a squash clinic so I started because there was nothing else to do except watch TV and I didn't really want to watch TV."

Elle remembers the first time she ever picked up a racquet and she never looked back since.

"I was watching a movie and my dad wanted me to play squash with him because my brothers were playing," remembered Elle. "I didn't know what to expect but I got a liking for it. It came kind of naturally."

Soon, Elle was taking lessons and entering tournaments around the age of 6 or 7. In her first tournament at Berwyn Squash, Elle came in second, losing to a 9-year-old in the finals.

"I was a little nervous because it was my first tournament and I wanted to do well but I was excited too because it was my first tournament," recalled Elle.

On average, Elle plays in about 10 tournaments. Last year alone she played in about 11 tournaments–from all along the East Coast to Ohio and the Spanish Junior Open in Spain. In addition, Elle has already graced the courts of Ivy Leagues from Princeton to Harvard and Yale. Her favorite out of all the courts? Yale.

"My favorite place to play at is probably at Yale because of all the glass courts," shared Elle. "My last tournament was at Yale and it was on glass courts and that was at nationals."

But her favorite part about playing in tournaments is reuniting with other squash friends. "I like when you first arrive and see all your friend from all over the East Coast and how you can hang out with them because you don't get to see them all them. And how you get to play with them at the tournaments," she said.

Though Elle has dedicated to playing squash for about two to three hours a day about five to seven days a week, she said she'll "never get sick of it." She looks up to older brother Jamie–"I really want to be as good as him and have the drive that he has."

The moment Elle actually thought she was a decen squash player was when she won nationals at age 7.

"After I won nationals–that occurred to me. I knew that after I won, that this was actually my sport and what I was to be good at so I kept playing and kept practicing," she modestly said. "Playing squash makes me feel kind of special because it's my sport that I play and it's the sport that I'm dedicated to."

Elle credits her coaches and trainers–Luis Sanchez of the Cynwyd Club, her first coach for 5-6 years from Mexico; her two coaches now Paul Frank (a professional player from Australia but now the director of Squash at Fairmount Athletic Club and a national performance director) and Louise Frank (a professional Scottish player); and Joe Russell (a former English pro)–for her early success.

Her long-term dream is to play squash professionally in college and hopefully someday in the Olympics–"it's not in the Olympics yet but I wish it were someday"–as well as coaching someday like her own coaches.

But for now, Elle is enjoying the sixth grade and loves her honors math class, especially her teacher George Wattles, who is "funny" but also "wants us to learn and motivates us to do our best on every test and quiz."

And, of course, joining Episcopal Academy's squash team. This will be her first time playing with a team. "I'm really looking forward to play squash this year because I always wanted to be on a team. I'm excited."

Editor's note: Know a great kid who made Eagle Scout or did your local soccer team take the championship? They may be our next Patch Whiz Kid honoree. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.