2021 virtual INSTRUCTOR symposium
Our instructor symposium was held on April 26-30th, 2021. The sessions will be streamed live and recorded to be shared publicly at a later date. This event is FREE for all PCI Members to attend! Check out the session topics below as well as the FAQ at the bottom of this page to RSVP.
Monday, April 26th, 2021
Drills and Games: Starting the Point Effectively. This session will introduce different activities that can be used to begin the point with an advantage. The activities shown will be flexible so that they can be used with players of different levels of skill.
Advanced Tactics: Applying Pressure Through Varied Movement. This session highlights the ways in which advanced players are using different movement patterns to make things more difficult for their opponents. In this session, we will review a range of movement patterns during different phases of a point (e.g. serving, returning, third shots and more). This session is well suited to anyone who is interested in understanding the evolution of pickleball at a high level.
Tuesday, April 27th, 2021
Drills and Games: Improving Net Play. This session will highlight different activities that can be used to improve the skill of players when at the net. This will include movement skills as well as dinking, volleying and overhead smashes. The activities discussed will be adjustable depending on the skill level of different players.
Advanced Tactics: Isolation and Resistance. In this session we will look at the variable ways that advanced players isolate an opponent as well as attempt to resist isolation by the other team. We will use video footage from pro events to highlight these examples.
Wednesday, April 28th, 2021
Coaching Best Practices: Running Great Group Lessons. This session looks at key elements of group training that can make or break the experience. We will identify meaningful practices that coaches can implement to ensure that their group lessons are safe, fun and effective for everyone.
Advanced Technique: Drops and Drives. Elite players are consistent and effective when playing both drops and drives. This session focuses on the technique used by elite players in order to make these shots both useful and reliable.
Thursday, April 29th, 2021
Using Charting Effectively: Data analysis is exploding in the sports world, but you don’t need to be a mathematician to use it in your pickleball coaching. In this session we will look at some easy ways to chart matches in order to gain insight and improve outcomes.
Case Studies: In this session we will use real-life examples of players at different skill levels and highlight some common challenges they have. We will also discuss possible solutions and ways that coaches can implement them.
Friday, April 30th, 2021
Advanced Technique: Different Footwork for Different Situations. In this session we will examine some advanced footwork used by elite players. We will look at a variety of examples of footwork and discuss the contexts and reasons why these particular techniques are useful.
Q & A with Mark Renneson: In this session, PCI founder and Head Coach Mark Renneson will answer your coaching questions. Drawing on more than 25 years of coaching experience, Renneson will help you tackle any challenges you face or questions you have. Have a question to submit? Click here. Mark will answer submitted questions and will also be answering some live at the event, time permitting.
Symposium FAQ
What’s the purpose of the symposium? Pickleball is a relatively small community and the community of pickleball instructors is even smaller. We think this is a great chance to bring together people who are interested in thinking about pickleball instruction and to have conversations and share ideas.
Who is invited? All PCI members are welcome to join us for this symposium. The recordings will be shared publicly in the future.
What if I’m not available to attend but still want the info? No problem! We will be recording all of the sessions and make them accessible to everyone at a later date.
What technology is required? We’ll be hosting the symposium on ZOOM. You do not need an account to join so long as you have the meeting ID number that is emailed to you after you RSVP. Please consider joining the event 10-15 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time so we’re able to troubleshoot with anyone needing help and are able to start on time.
Do I have to sign up? Please do. This gives us a good handle on how many people we’re expecting and once you RSVP above we’ll use that email address to send your meeting login link. If you’re feeling shy don’t worry, you don’t have to turn your camera on, but we would love to see you!
Is there a cost? No. We think discussions around coach education are important for all instructors and we are happy to offer this opportunity free of charge. And as a PCI members, you get to see it first!
What if I have more questions? Just send a note to info@pickleballcoachinginternational.com