Autumn Albertson, 9 year old Pinball Phenom featured in Glo Magazine

By Stacie Ball | Photo by Leaha Meinika

Most adults probably think they could defeat a 9-year-old in pinball, but don’t be so assured if that young lady is Huntertown celebrity Autumn Albertson!  She has earned a few plaques from several pinball competitions and is the youngest player invited to be in the championship. This year she ranked 14th in the entire state of Indiana for the Women’s Division. This Oak View Elementary student is schooling the world in pinball one competition at a time.

It all started in 2020 when most businesses were closed, and people were going stir-crazy at home. “My brother and I were bored, so my mom decided to look online to see what was close by, open, and fun to do,” Autumn remembered. She discovered her hidden talent at an arcade called Wizards World in Huntertown. She dropped some quarters into a machine called Twister and began her very first pinball game. Thus began a whirlwind of an adventure.

Many games and several quarters later, Autumn decided to participate in the Kid’s Pinball tournaments held at Wizards World. They have categories for all ages and experience levels. Once participants check-in, the officials place their names in a queue. A computer randomly chooses 2 to 4 players and a pinball machine, and the battle begins.

“My first tournament that I played in was a Kid’s Tournament, and I got 1st place,” Autumn recalled. “I played in Kid’s Tournaments for a while and then decided I wanted to play in the Women’s.”

The stakes were a little higher in the Women’s Tournament, but that didn’t scare her. “The tournament itself is the same, but it could last longer because a lot of women with years of experience come from all over to play,” she explained. “It’s challenging going against top players, but it’s a lot of fun!” She was pleasantly surprised to snag two 3rd place plaques, one 1st place plaque, and an Indiana State Championship 5th place plaque.

Autumn is proud of her accomplishments but is staying grounded. “My proudest moment was winning 5th place in the Indiana Women’s State Championship!” she mused. “I knocked out the State Women’s Pinball Champ! These women are tough and amazing at pinball, and just being selected to play in a championship was such an honor.” She stated that it feels great to be the youngest player in the championship, but it hasn’t quite sunk in yet.

Aside from pinball, Autumn is involved in theater and enjoys acting, baking, crafts, painting, shopping, and photography. She loves spending time with her mom, dad, brother, and adorable dog, Bentley. One day, she hopes to become a photographer or an actor.

The Albertsons would like to thank Mike and Trisha Burgess for all they do in youth and women’s pinball. If you are ever at Wizard’s World, Autumn recommends playing El Dorado, Pinball, Jack-Bot, Wizard, and her favorite, Memory Lane. Who knows? You may discover a new talent as you unlock the exciting pinball universe.