Pickleball Camp

Really, what is the difference between a pickleball lesson and a clinic? Or a workshop versus a camp? Really, there’s not much differentiating any of these examples of programming.

They are all led by a pickleball instructor and then are all done in a peer/group setting - with the exception of a private lesson.

This past week a colleague of mine and I ran a week-long camp. This is the first of two weeks that we’re offering camps, and for this first round, we offered a morning youth camp and an adult afternoon camp.

While the youth camp was a bit more sparing in attendance, more than we would have liked, the participants came in green as grass and left the week being able to track the score, keep rallies going, and they even learned the Erne and ATP shots.

So, let's talk a bit more about pickleball camps...

Image Credit: @saramcinness002

Why Go to a Pickleball Camp?

To get better at pickleball, of course, but even though I say this, I continue to be so impressed by how ready and dedicated people are to improve their game.

One thing that I try to understand with every participant is why they are there. Yes, to get better, but also, would they like to become a stronger player in rec play or do they want to eventually enter a tournament?

Maybe it’s that they are already playing tournaments but are not finding much success. Whatever the reason is, I recommend that anyone who’s considering a pickleball camp for their future should know why exactly they want to be there.

What to Expect at a Pickleball Camp

You are going to work hard and you’re going to learn a lot. This past week, I saw students taking notes, because retaining all of the information that was being delivered would be nearly impossible to do just by memorizing it.

I think a lot of students expected to remember what we shared by working it into their muscle memory, and they probably retained quite a bit of information, but without a doubt, taking notes makes complete sense to me.

Be Prepared to Work Hard

When I say this, I mean that instructors hope and expect that each person comes with focus, with intention, and works hard to incorporate the learning material.

When I give hour-long lessons, my students are running drills for less time but when people are in a camp setting, they are expected to drill for much longer.

For example, I had students drilling third shot drops - running from side to side - hitting drops, in five-minute increments. This was something they were not used to doing.

Keeping in mind, these people were doing this drill in the second half of their final day of the week. They had been hustling in various conditions too - they had to switch from indoor, hardwood courts, to proper outdoor courts and back to indoor courts (and indoor ball).

There was heat, humidity, rain, wind, and basically every element was being thrown at this group but they pushed through every drill.

Image Credit: @saramcinness002

Be Prepared for Varying Information

This past week in particular, there wasn’t one student who hadn’t received instruction before, and many of the students had received instruction from multiple instructors.

Like anything in life, take information with a grain of salt, but past that, there’s some information that will resonate more than other stuff.

This comes down to what works well for your own game, what is in line with your own pickleball goals, and sometimes it comes down to how the instructor delivers information.

I remember saying to one student during a private lesson: “Let the knuckles lead the shot”. This person had been working on their backhand volley for months and describing the shot in that one way gave this student a huge lightbulb moment.

I think this is why writing down information is even more valuable. Writing down your observations during a demonstration or watching peers is also extremely valuable.

Your Instructors Matter

The teachers are obviously an important element of a successful camp experience. Instructors come from different sports and backgrounds.

More often than not, instructors will incorporate their past experiences into their coaching philosophies and delivery. Some instructor considerations when selecting what camp to attend:

• What is the depth of their coaching experience?
• What are their pickleball accomplishments?
• Are you able to find out anything about the instructors, in the sense of how they deliver information?
• Do they have a history of running camps - if so - have they been successful camps?

There are some instructors who spend a lot of time talking versus allowing students to try and do the work; and while their intentions are good, I do know from personal experience, that I try and consider everyone’s various learning styles and do my best to be as compatible as possible. 

Image Credit: @saramcinness002

Different Types of Formats

Camps put on by organizers may not guarantee consistent coaches. It’s more about the brand than it is about the coaches. A camp put on by the coaches themselves is definitely centered around their abilities. 

How a camp is run is dependent on the organizers themselves. I know that at least one successful camp in the USA offers video replies, meaning, they will record students playing, or drilling, and then offer analysis based on the video footage which is such a great addition to a camp.

Other camps will include a tournament to finish the camp, this will allow students to put their newly acquired skills to the test and a more high-pressure situation. In the past, I have coordinated a camp that was more workshop-based.

Each instructor had a skill or strategy they were responsible for delivering and every group would rotate through the instructors. This also allowed each participant to receive instruction from each coach.

A Few More Considerations to Make Before Selecting a Camp:

• What’s the maximum number of participants, and how does that affect the ratio of student to coach?
• What’s the facility like? If the camp is on outdoor courts, does the venue have an indoor option in case of bad weather? If it’s indoors, is there air conditioning or windows and fans for ventilation?
• Regardless of indoors or outdoors, what’s the surface like?
• Make sure you’re selecting a camp suitable for your skill level, that the content includes areas you want to work on and that the length of the camp is compatible to your fitness level.

Camps are an excellent way to accelerate the development of your game in a condensed amount of time and it is worth experiencing at least once.

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