TIPS FOR SELECTING A COACH

Think about your goals.

Setting attainable goals is important. Consider your pickleball journey, age, skill level, how much time you can invest and how soon you want to reach your goal. Think about what aspects of your game you need help with. When you talk with a coach, you will want to be ready to explain your particular needs:

•  Are you a beginner and need help getting started?

• Are you an intermediate player and want to advance to a higher level?

• Are you interested in competitions?

• What is your personal goal?

Specifics to consider.

Are you interested in individual or group (2 - 4 players) lessons? Is working with a certain gender important to you? Are you interested in a series of lessons or just an occasional lesson? There are a number of great coaches out there, but not every coach is the right fit for every person.

Ask the right questions.

Many coaches will appreciate you coming with a list of questions. A few important things you will want to consider in finding the right person are:

• What professional certifications and credential do they have? Is the certification from a pickleball industry organization or agency like Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR), the official education and certification partner of USA Pickleball (offers two levels of certification: COACH and PRO), the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA), which also offers two levels of certification, or Pickleball Coaching International (PCI)?

• How long have they been a coach?

• What do you typically charge people? Do you require a specific commitment? (It is not standard to pay for lessons in advance but rather at the completion of each lesson.)

• What is your desired frequency of sessions and long do the lessons last?

• What does your schedule look like? When are you available?

• Do you specialize in working with specific populations (e.g., beginner, intermediate, advance, adaptive)?

• What is your preferred method of communication? Is a text message ok?

• How do you stay up to date with the latest information and studies in the pickleball world?

• What kind of insurance do you have in the event there is an accident while being instructed?

It is your responsibility to be an informed consumer.

The APA does not endorse any specific coach. The APA, as a service, provides basic information on local coaches who have fully completed the Association's questionnaire and have a professional certification with accompanying insurance for listing on the website.