** Free Parking: Plenty of free parking is located at the front of the centre. Pickleball will be held at basketball court no. 1 of the Ashburton basketball stadium centre.

** IMPORTANT: "You Can Not Practice Soft AND Expect To Play Hard." **

Pickleball FUN Community (PFC) & Ashburton Pool & Recreation Centre (ASHY) FRIDAY TOURNAMENT DRILLS & MATCH PLAY Session offers 4 indoor Pickleball Courts, with all equipment including a variety of demo paddles (Joola, Hustle, Ronbus & Obelisk) to try out for all levels of players from Beginners, Intermediate, and Advance during your 3-hour Pickleball FUN session.

** VERY IMPORTANT: "The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile." ~ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi **

Within your 3-hour session, you will have a 1-hour session (normally starting 10:30 am) which is run mainly by Greg Lapham, a current certified Level 1 - Pickleball Development Coach. Our coaching will cater to both tournament DOUBLES as well as SINGLES strategies and drills. We laser focus on the "WHW" SCOREBOARD = WHY, HOW & WHERE for each major DRILLS Mastery and drill sheets will be provided for each type of drill.

** Here’s what our community pickleball superstars are saying about Greg's coaching…

"Excellent session with Greg. Extensive session covered next-level dinks, 3rd shot approach, and overhead. Drills backed up the theory, and play standard benefitted in subsequent games." ~ Craig R.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my session with Greg. His instructions and explanations are very clear and he tailors his session to cater for the varying skill levels and needs of each attendee. There is an opportunity to practice what we have been taught and Greg is always on hand to give feedback. His instruction, knowledge, expertise, and love of the sport is exceptional and I look forward to further opportunities to participate in these teaching sessions." ~ Ann C.

"Great coaching sessions with Greg, I value the strategies and basic skills that I learnt and can now put them into practice." ~ Dawn M.

"Today's training session with Greg was great. We covered several strategies and the one that stood out to me was about returning serve to the back of the court without too much power. This keeps the server back and allows setting up to come in close. I had been trying to really belt my returns back but this can waste energy. Thanks for the session Greg I have plenty to practice this week." ~ Helen M.

"Awesome coaching session today with Greg. I really liked his coaching style and his session was extremely helpful with lots of things to go away & work on. Loved the drills and Greg watched us throughout giving suggestions continually with clear explanations. 👏⭐🙏" ~ Joy K.

"Thanks Greg for giving me good lessons. I think, I've improved more after 3 lessons with you." ~ Pat B.

"Excellent session with Greg. Three or four key points that offered a clear improvement, then followed by drills that improved skill and consistency." ~ Craig

** BOOK ONLINE NOW FOR YOUR FRIDAY TOURNAMENT DRILLS & MATCH PLAY!

** 🥰 VERY IMPORTANT PICKLEBALL FUN SAFETY MEASURES FOR YOU 🥰 **

When playing Pickleball, as with any sport and physical activity, there is always a risk of injury. Therefore, we all must take responsibility for our safety and take the necessary precautions to prevent injuries.

👍 To ensure that everyone is having awesome fun and staying safe with the game, we would like to remind all members of the following safety measures during each pickleball coaching and social session:

✅ 1. DO PROPER WARM-UP ACTIVATION EXERCISES BEFORE YOUR SESSION: Warm-up activation exercises are very important to prepare your key muscles for the game and prevent injuries. NOTE: We have a list of activation exercises designed for pickleball which you can get from the session host.

✅ 2. PLAY WITHING YOUR LIMITS: Do not push yourself beyond your limits. Know your capabilities and play accordingly.

✅ 3. DRINK CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT YOUR SESSION: Staying hydrated is important to prevent cramps and other injuries.

✅ 4. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS: Always look out for other players, spectators, and potential hazards on and near the court.

✅ 5. WEAR PROPER INDOOR COURT SHOES: This will provide adequate support, grip and again prevent any unnecessary injuries.

✅ 6. DO NOT PEDAL BACKWARDS TO RETRIEVE BALLS: Avoid running backwards to retrieve balls as this can cause injuries. Instead, turn around and run forward to retrieve the ball.

✅ 7. LET SOME CHALLENGING SHOTS GO: It's certainly okay to give up a point to avoid injury.

By following these 7 key safety measures, we can all have fun playing pickleball safely and reduce the risk of injuries. 🤗 We all must look out for each other and create a safe and fun environment for everyone. 🥰