Atlantic South Region

A New Blog for Beginning Players, Coaches, Teachers, and Students

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 23:55:00 +0000

I was often asked, when teaching lessons to new pickleball players at my club in Tanglewood last winter, "where can I go to learn more". I always referred new players to the USAPA website and the Training Room Link. Although the training room is an excellent source, I have put together a series of beginning pickleball sessions for use by beginner coaches, teachers, students and players of all ages who want to learn the basics of pickleball. I am not a "professional" player or coach. My goal is to have as many people as possible learn the game, play safely, and enjoy pickleball for the recreational activity it offers.

Using past experience in preparing eductional materials for web-based learning, I have tried to locate and research as many websites as possible and put them together in one spot. By creating links to websites such as the USAPA, beginning players and anyone teaching the game for the first time can click and learn more. My hope is that teachers will have students go online, read the material, and watch the videos before they go to the court.

I know that many learners are visual so have included as many pictures and videos as I could find. Newbies want to get playing quickly and do not want too much “chalk and talk”. Quick instruction and practice, then review and practice, are the key to successful lessons in pickleball, in my opinion.

If you are a new player of any age, a teacher or coach of beginning players, this is a site you should check out, Pickleball for Beginners and Coaches.

I would be happy to post the material of any pickleball coach and teacher who wishes to share their ideas with others. You may contact me at rwroswell@gmail.com

Group wants The Villages to have the most members in national pickleball association

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:38:00 +0000

By CAROLINE KLAPPER, DAILY SUN, August 29, 2008

THE VILLAGES — Even Villagers who don’t play pickleball know how popular the sport is among residents here. But surprisingly, the community is not well represented in the USA Pickleball Association.The community of Surprise, Ariz., leads the nation in USAPA membership with 72 members, while The Villages trails behind in fourth place, with only 23 members.
That number could be much, much higher, said Village of Alhambra resident Mike Heinke.“With the hundreds of pickleball players that we have ... I think we could be recognized as number one in the USAPA,” he said.Although Heinke only has been playing pickleball for about three years, he and two other Villagers, Carol Ravotti and Charlie Spinks, have become USAPA ambassadors in The Villages. Their job is to promote pickleball in any way they can.“I’d never heard of the game when I moved to The Villages, and now, like everybody else, I’m addicted to it,” Heinke said.

Read the complete article in the Life Style Section of The Villages Daily Sun

I Tell You True I'm Big Time Sorry Ladies

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:10:00 +0000

By George Brewer

She walked past me on her way to select a seat right up front and sat down waiting, alone, for the meeting to begin. There was nothing about this "little" lady that warned me of the impact she was about to make on me and I don't even know her name. It all started with one of those really good meetings The Villages Recreation Department sponsors for residents who want to learn more about Pickleball.

I sit in the back of the room at most of these meetings to support the Recreation spokesperson just in case they need help with Pickleball rules and any other questions. These well attended meetings are held inside the comfort of a brightly lighted room where newcomers are surrounded by others who know little or nothing about the game. The recreation director always makes those attending feel comfortable and before the meeting begins, new residents have a chance to look around the room to see if there is someone there they might have something in common with.

When the meeting began I noticed "she" slid forward on her chair to take in all that was about to be shared. Literature is passed out and discussed, the director shows an excellent video that VNN (Villages News Network) produced showing fellow Villagers playing and talking about Pickleball. Soon there was time for questions.

Her hand was one of the first raised but not immediately chosen. Standing at the back of the room I noticed her small, frail waving fingers at the end of a freshly tanned arm as she patiently waited to be chosen. Finally, it was her turn. What she said made me realize, to this day, that I have always been a deep thinker about things perfectly obvious to a more worldly person.
She said, "I've never played a game in my life. I always wanted to but back in my day they didn't offer sports for girls like they do today. Besides, when I went to high school back in the 50's, it was to find me a husband. I found me one and now 50 years later I'm ready to make up for what I missed and do me some playing. All I need is for someone to teach me how."

I'm a "he" and I've always taken sports for granted and it never had dawned on me someone, anyone, could never have "played". You see, back in my day, someone was always organizing some kind of "boy" activity and encouraging me to participate. Back then, I thought if girls were interested in sports they'd just get involved like I did. Since they didn't, I was comfortable believing girls just didn't like sports. How naive can you be?

Years later Title IX came and went right over my head. It was really disturbing to hear this woman's plea, for you see, I thought she was appealing directly to me to help her. She made me realize that there must have been hundreds of thousands of girls back in the 40's and 50's that had missed something in their "girlhood" that was always there for us boys. She never used the word "deprived" but it's the right word isn't it?

I tell you true, I'm big time sorry I didn't see how important sports were for all the "she's" out there who I could have, and should have encouraged to participate in something I have always treasured. I kid around about a lot of stuff in these monthly articles but not about this, I feel bad for being so self-centered.

So girls, if you're still willing to give it a try I'll make this pledge to you in writing:
"Every time The Villages has Pickleball lessons for beginners I'll try my very best to be there and seek out as many "she's" as possible and encourage those there that they belong on the courts and that it's not too late to start from scratch. It's not a gift I offer as an instructor, it's an installment payment, on a debt I owe, that is well past due."

I HOPE I C U on D Courts.....George Brewer

Pickleball Tournament for RV’ers in St. Clair, Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:02:00 +0000

What goes together like pickles and ice cream? RVing and Pickleball.

Pickleball continues to be the sport of choice at Thousand Trails RV Preserves. While soaring gas prices deterred some travelers this summer, serious RV picklers from several states met at the St. Clair, Michigan Preserve for the Second Annual Pickleball Tournament. This is Carol Madden’s home park and where she successfully coordinated the first pickleball tournament for visiting RV’ers last year. She returned this year to work with Preserve Manager, Anne Boorman, to make this year’s event even more exciting!

Sixteen men and woman competed in the Singles Tournament on Saturday August 9th.

Front Row Winners: Charlotte Gonet (First Place), SallyMichalski(Second Place) and Carol Madden (Third Place).
Back Row: Barb Johnson (Awarded the Pickle Jar for having the most fun!!) Dennis Johnson (First Place), Bob Shirley (Second) and Stan Michalski,(Third).

On Sunday August 10th, Bob and Carol were winners in the Mixed Doubles competition with Charlotte and her partner Oland Durst taking second and Dennis and Barb Johnson finishing third. Recipients of the “Having the Most Fun” Pickle Jar in the mixed doubles were Cal Humphrey and Sis Rose. The Preserve Manager presented all winners with a framed Certificate along with their Ribbon. First place winners, deserving of the Gold, received Gold Pickle Pins. All participants received green pickle lapel pins and ICE CREAM !!!
Many of our readers will recognize Dennis, Barb, Stan, Sally and Bob as members of the Peace River Picklers – who represented the Peace River Thousand Trails Preserve in Wauchula, Florida in the First Heartland Senior Games in Florida last winter. We expect to see them back in Florida this winter, once again showcasing their pickleball skills in the Florida Sr. Games.

Joining the players in St. Clair was Jean Mulder, the local USAPA Ambassador from Holland, Michigan. Jean and her husband Garret are also avid RV’ers and we expect that they will be back in the Southeast Region this winter introducing pickleball to new players at the Torrey Oaks RV Resort in Bowling Green, Florida.

Submitted by:
Donna and Rich Donald
Joint Ambassadors, USAPA, New Tampa, FL.

Tennis Elbow..

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:02:00 +0000

I'm telling ya folks, tennis elbow hurts like the toot..........
PICKLEBALL IN THE VILLAGES with George Brewer

I have a lot of Villagers suggest I use this column to write about specific subjects that are important to them. Tennis elbow is the most suggested but I have avoided that subject because I had never experienced the problem, done any research or understood the pain that accompanies this condition. Not anymore. I’m telling ya folks, tennis elbow hurts like the toot.

Read all of George's entertaining and informative article
Tennis Elbow hurts like a toot "Tennis Elbow"

Pickleball - Fall Senior Tournaments

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:01:00 +0000

Start checking your calendar, as the fall season of senior games starts.

For the complete list check the following website: Florida Sports - Senior Games.

A partial list of upcoming events is posted here.

JACKSONVILLE SENIOR GA MES September 22-28, 2008Mary Ferrell117 West Duval Street, Suite 220Jacksonville, FL 32202904-630-2681E-Mail: mferrell@coj.net Click here for sports of the Jacksonville Senior Games

TAMPA BAY SENIOR GAMES October 6-17, 2008Paula Jory1101 E. River Cove Street Tampa, FL 33604813-903-2266E-mail: joryp@hillsboroughcounty.org Click here for sports of the Tampa Bay Senior Games

FLORIDA SENIOR GAMES

"The 17th Annual Florida Senior Games State Championships return to Lee County and the City of Cape Coral, December 6-14, 2008 with over 2,000 of Florida's finest senior athletes expected to compete." Click on the following link to find out the dates for pickleball, Tournament Schedule

USAPA Sanctioned Tournaments
Also, make sure you are checking two places on the USAPA Website. Under the TOURNAMENT section check the link SCHEDULE and also TOURNAMENT SOFTWARE. The tournament software link allows you to actually register for upcoming tournaments on line. For example, there is a link to The Idaho Senior Games Aug 23, 2008, that you can go into and register online.

Want to Play Pickleball?

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:17:00 +0000

National Coverage for Pickleball

ABC's Good Morning America did a segment on pickleball on this morning's program, Wednesday, July23, 2008. Small local TV stations have covered the game in the recent past but I believe this is the first time national television has covered the sport.

The story stressed the growth in popularity in pickleball in the US. Reference was made to pickleball as "The Next American Pastime". Reporters also presented the fact that it was a game for all ages. A clip was shown of three generations in a family playing together.

This kind of publicity will make America's fastest growing game, grow even faster.

For those of you that did not catch Wednesday's segment of Good Morning America on "Pickleball, The Next American Pastime", click to play ( bear with the advertisement first). I think you will agree this is a real positive boost for our sport

Painting Pickleball Court Lines on a Tennis Court

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:43:00 +0000

Painting Pickleball Court Lines

by Rich Donald
Ambassador, New Tampa, Florida

For those of us trying to find tennis courts and for those that have found courts to convert, here is a step-by-step diagram by Rich Donald to help you with the task. Rich shows the lines that need to be added and/or extended and provides a list of materials to do the task easily. Rich and Donna have been doing this for a while so they know what they are talking about

To see the complete diagram in proper size click Painting Pickleball Lines . You can print the document following Rich's instructions.

Thanks to Rich for sharing his work and making the task easier for the rest of us. If you have any other ideas, please get them to me so I can get them on this blog.

Another very good source of information can be found at USAPA - Tennis Court Conversion

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:36:00 +0000

The Students Love Pickleball In Pickering Ontario, Canada

Thanks to David Cho-Chu

As I have visited pickleball centers in Ontario, Canada this summer, I have met several indviduals who are dedicated to the game of pickleball and its development North of the border. David Cho-Chu is one of those dedicated individuals. David is a former tennis coach who has brought all his skills from coaching tennis to coaching pickleball.

David has been involved in helping set up the program at the Malvern Recreation Center in Scarborough, Ontario. He has set up a program at his own East Shore Senior Center in Pickering, Ontario and is working with the Town of Ajax to do the same.

David has taken his dedication even further by introducing the game to a local elementary school. Snap Pickering, a local newspaper, was at the school to cover one of the teaching sessions Snap pickering 2008 July > Pickleball at Altona Forest PS...

Submitted by
Wayne Roswell
Ambassador USAPA, Sebring FL.

One Remarkable Player

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:44:00 +0000

PICKLEBALL IN THE VILLAGES with George Brewer

Everyone knows when its 7:30 a.m. at the Chula Vista Pickleball Courts because that’s when one of the most amazing Pickleball players to ever play in The Villages arrives just about every morning. He moves cautiously from the parking lot and slowly walks along the sidewalk leading to the courts with his most precious possession on his arm. He holds the gate open with one hand as he guides the one with him onto the courts. He is met with a chorus of "good mornings" from the players already assembled there. His smile signals back to them how much he appreciates their greeting.

Read the story of Ken Cross will be 94 years old this Summer. "One Remarkable Player"

C U on D Courts……George Brewer

New Feature

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:14:00 +0000

To save space, previous articles in our series "Coaches Corner" are posted to a separate section called "Coaches Corner".......... All the great articles are there for you to go back and reread.

Coaches Corner - Beginners - The Stars of the Future

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:09:00 +0000

Beginners- "The Stars of the Future"

by Mary Littlewood

Mary has put together an excellent set of lessons for teaching beginners. She outlines in detail the steps to take to introduce the game of pickleball to new players. She has used her expertice in teaching tennis to put together "lesson plans" for five days.

She starts with getting players comfortable making contact with the ball, hitting it back and forth between players, and then as players feel comfortable playing a game. Some coaches throw players on the courts immediately and let them play and then correct their mistakes. Mary starts on the other had in small stages and does not put players on the court until she feels they are ready.

If you are coaching beginners, adults or youngsters, you should definitely take note of Mary's progressional teaching method. To get all the 5-Day lesson plans by Mary Littlewood, click on the following link, Beginners - Stars of the Future.

All articles by our excellent coaches have moved into a new section of our site called "Coaches Corner".

National Senior Games

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:55:00 +0000

National Senior Games

For the first time ever, pickleball is an event in the National Senior Games. This event takes place in Providence, Rhode Island on September 4 – 7, 2008.

David and Nancy Jordan are overseeing the pickleball event with the assistance of Fran Myer and Barney Myer. For more information on the games, go to USGA - Pickleball.

Huntsman World Senior Games - Pickleball

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:37:00 +0000

HUNTSMAN WORLD SENIOR GAMES

In recent years, Don Odle the Regional Ambassador for the West Region, has been in charge of running pickleball at the Huntsman Senior Games. It is through Don's great efforts and contributions that the pickleball event of these games has been such a great successs.

For more information on the Huntman World Senior Games and the Pickleball Venue click on to Huntsman Senior Games

All the details on Pickleball are found at Pickleball - Huntsman Senior Games

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:10:00 +0000

What is becoming as Canadian as Hockey - Pickleball

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 12:40:00 +0000

Players Love Pickleball in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

In case you missed it, this is an article from the USAPA website on pickleball in my home province of Ontario, Canada. Click on the following link.

Pickleball In The Greater Toronto Area Of Ontario, Canada (Jun 1, 2008 Toronto, ON, by Wayne Roswell, USAPA Ambassador)

The Masters Senior Games, The Villages

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:20:00 +0000

Thanks to Madeline Castro, Special Events Coordinator, 1200 Avenida Central, The Villages, for providing the photo gallery of the recent Master Senior Games at The Villages. Congratulations to all particpants!

Slide Show of The Villages Masters Senior Games

Rich Donald Competes in The Masters at The Villages

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:20:00 +0000

Rich Donald Competes in Masters at The Villages

Rich Donald, ambassador for New Tampa, Wesley Chapel FL competed in The Masters Games at The Villages in April.

The Masters at The Villages attracts the best players in Florida.

The picture at the left shows Rich competing in the 55 - 59 age category at Lake Miona. Although Rich did not place in the finals, the competition was very stiff.

"Drilling for Success in Pickleball"

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:43:00 +0000

"Drilling For Success in Pickleball" and www.pickleballsucces s.com/ by Mary Littlewood and Sandy Stultz.

We're pleased to inform you that our blog site: www.pickleballsuccess.com/ is up and running! Our intent is to post articles on it that be informational and of value to you as pickleball players. It would be most helpful to us if you would have a look at our site; check out all of the links; and then give us some input via the comments option following each article posted or the "contact us" link.

Mary Littlewood

Our book, "Drilling for Success in Pickleball", will be available to ship April 30th. The book - 70 pages in color: 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 and signed by the authors - is $15 + $5.00 (shipping and handling) plus $1.34 (Arizona sales tax if applicable). The synopsis of the book is available on our blog site. If you wish to purchase one, send a check or money order to:

Pickleball Enterprises
200 E. Southern Ave. #201
Apache Junction, AZ. 85219

We have, unfortunately, met some snags in putting in place our down loadable book. There have been some technical difficulties that we hope will be resolved soon. Once the down loadable book is available, thee will be a notice posted on our blog site

It is our hope that our expertice in the teaching of sports can be of value to pickleball players. Thanks for your support in this project.

Sandy Stultz

The Mt Olive North Carolina Pickle Festival

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:35:00 +0000

The First Pickleball Event at The Mt. Olive North Carolina Pickle Festival

The first ever Pickleball Event of the 22nd Annual Mt. Olive Pickle Festival, Mount Olive, North Carolina, took place on Saturday, April 26, 2008. Competitors came from as far as Sebring Florida to take part in this fun event. Although the number of competitors was limited, interest in the game by spectators was high.

John Simpson, the ambassador for Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the natural tie in with pickleball and The Pickle Festival and convinced the organizers to host a pickleball tournament as part of the festivities. A portable net was set up on the street and the courts were marked off with chalk for the day. Experienced players from Crumpler, North Carolina, Sebring, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina put on a demonstration of the game for passers by.

Some younger spectators and volunteers joined in to learn the rules of the game and play with the experts. They enjoyed learning about the game and were given the name of the USAPA website to take back to their physical education teachers to promote the teaching of pickleball. A volunteer from the Mt. Olive Community College was also an observer and was given information about pickleball and the demonstration CD by John Simpson.

Although there were no real winners of the competition, participants in the mixed grouping received the “green” medal, a case of Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Spears compliments of the Mt. Olive Pickle Company.

John hopes with more promotion next year’s event will be even larger. He also wants more spectator involvement in the event next year. It seems such a natural that pickleball be part of the festivities.

Thanks to John for his efforts in getting the event going. It shows that with a little ingenuity pickleball can be played anywhere.

For more pictures click on this LINK: http://picasaweb.google.com/rwroswell/April272008?authkey=fg-rEXlVsE8

Submitted By:
Wayne Roswell
Ambassador, Sebring FL

New Website for Pickleball Players

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:32:00 +0000

Pickleball Success

We're pleased to inform you that our blog site -
www.pickleballsuccess.com - is up and running! Our intent
is to post articles on it that would be informational and
of value to you as pickleball players. It would be most
helpful to us if you would look at our site; check out all
of the links; and then give us some input via the comments
option following each article posted or the "contact us"
link.

Our book, "Drilling for Success in Pickleball", will be
available to ship, April 30th. The book - 70 pages in
color; 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 and signed by the authors - is $15.00
+ $5.00 (shipping and handling) plus $1.34 (Arizona sales
tax if applicable). The synopsis of the book is available
on our blog site. If you wish to purchase one, send a
check or money order to: Pickleball Enterprises
200 E. Southern Ave. #201
Apache Junction, AZ. 85219

We have, unfortunately, met some snags in putting in place
our downloadable book. There have been some technical
difficulties that we hope will be resolved soon. Once the
downloadable book is available, there will be a notice
posted on our blog site.

It is our hope that our expertise in the teaching of sports
can be of value to pickleball players. Thanks for your
support in this project.

Mary Littlewood
Sandy Stultz

Pickleball Takes Local Ambassadors Back to School

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:08:00 +0000

Coach Megan Leahy Brings Pickleball Demo to the Nancy Bartles Middle School in Tampa, Florida.

Local ambassadors Donna and Rich Donald of New Tampa Florida went back to school recently to teach pickleball to a group of middle school students. They assisted Megan Leahy a Physical Education Specialist at Nancy Bartles Middle School in Tampa Florida in introducing pickleball to her students. Donna and Rich invited Don Bass and Renee Glassman, local Pickleballers from Meadow Point II, Wesley Chapel, Florida to help with the demonstration.

They have described their experience in an excellent article. Please read about their "Back To School" experience.

Pickleball_Takes_Local_Ambassadors_Back_To_School.pdf

Congratulations to Ms Leahy for introducing the game of pickleball to her students. This is a life long sport the students can enjoy.

Hopefully, more ambassadors will be able to build on Donna and Rich's lead.

To see photographs of the students participating and enjoying this sessions, please click on the following link: http://picasaweb.google.com/rwroswell/NancyBartlesMiddleSchoolInTampaFlorida?authkey=PlW4t_g2jzw

Coach's Corner

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:46:00 +0000

The following section contains two articles in our series called Coach's Corner. Neal Nightingale has been able to line up some excellent contributors to this feature.

The following articles on "Pickleball Practice" and "Backhand Technique's" have been written by Gale Leach.

Her profile is provided below:

Gale H. Leach
Surprise, Arizona
Secretary, USAPA

Author of The Art of Pickleball which won the 2007 Arizona Book Award and will soon be available in its second edition
(Amazon.com, BN.com) -- $19.95

To do the articles justice, they are being published in their original format. The article "Pickleball Practice" is the first of the two. To open these excellent articles, click on the following links:

Backhand_Techniques.pdf
Pickleball_Practice.pdf

After reading these articles, I am sure you are going to want to purchase her book. Thanks Gale for your excellent contribution to our blog.

Mt. Olive Pickle Festival North Carolina

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:23:00 +0000

First Ever Pickleball Event - Mt. Olive Pickle Festival, Mt. Olive, North Carolina

Pickleball in a Pickle Festival - How Appropriate!

My name is John Simpson and I am the N.C. USAPA ambassador. I want to be sure all of you know that the Mt. Olive Pickle Festival is hosting its inaugural pickleball tournament. This edition is low key and will be an "open" doubles tournament, with teams of men, women and mixed all playing in a round robin format. The organizers are excited about their natural tie-in to pickleball and looking forward to expanding the tournament groupings in the future.

Update Information:

Where: East Main St (between Southern Bank buildings)
Mt Olive, North Carolina

When: Saturday, April 26, 2008 12noon to 3pm

Format: Open doubles (individual players will be paired together)

Cost: $5.00 per person
Pay in advance, or just show up and play!!!

To Register: Kevin.daniels@goldsboroymca.org
OR sign up at the Mt Olive Chamber Office!!!

For rules visit: www.usapa.org

Hosted by the
Goldsboro Family YMCA
www.goldsboroymca.org
pickleball.pdf

Coach's Corner

noreply@blogger.com (USAPA Atlantic South) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:54:00 +0000

Coach's Corner

Coach’s Corner will be an extra special feature of this blog. We have some excellent pickleball coaches lined up to provide material for this special section of the site. Some of the writers will include George Brewer, Gale Leach, Mary Littlewood and our own Regional Ambassador, Neal Nighingale.

Mr. Pickleball, George Brewer, of The Villages, has written our first article in this series.

Coaching BY GEORGE

Every Wednesday afternoon I arrive at the pickleball courts a half hour before my weekly "coaching" class and prepare the courts for two (2)one hour sessions of intense pickleball instruction.

I take out my chalk and mark the courts with xâ€™s, arrows, dots and dashâ€™s. I draw broad/solid lines outlining exactly what part of the court each player is responsible to protect and the direction they are to move while on the court. When the players first arrive and see the chalked off courts, they are reluctant to even walk on the court much less play on them and are intrigued at what must be ahead of them. But, for the first time in their lives they are actually seeing the court. Their transformation has already begun.

Before play begins, I explain the markings and ask them to promise me they will play the way I â€™ve asked them to for the next 45 minutes. No backhand shots are allowed. After honoring the 2-bounce rule they must never let the ball bounce again during the rally. Whenever possible, never play further than 2 feet from the non-volley zone line. When they return the serve from their baseline, they must be standing at their own NVZ line before their returned ball hit â€™s their opponents court. I donâ€™t just teach movement, I teach how, when and why to move.

Most important, they are taught to be a good partner. How to, and when to, communicate. How to play with a "lefty". How to reduce mistakes and create a distraction by just standing on the court in the proper position during serves and rallies.

If you â€™re still awake after getting this far, you might be interested to know I have been asked to write more about coaching in future articles and I have accepted. Next time I plan to talk with you about what makes a good partner. I bet you know someone (other than you) who should be listening.

c u on d courtsâ€¦â€¦. george brewer
Coaching%201%20by%20George%20Brewer.pdf