Fort Pierce - Saturday September 2, 2023: Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports and St. Lucie County’s Parks & Recreation Department wants to help residents better understand the game with the return of a four-week, teaching/coaching session for players of all skills at the Havert L. Fenn Center.
St. Lucie County Parks & Recreation is bringing back instructor Dereck Prince (The Pickleball Guy) to lead the “Get to Know Your Pickleball Game” program for beginners, intermediate and advanced players, who are at least 12 years old or older. All sessions will take place inside the Fenn Center, 2000 Virginia Ave. in Fort Pierce.
The cost to participate in the four-week events is $30 per class. Residents can choose the class that fits their needs.
The dates and times for these sessions are:
- Beginners: Mondays (Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, Nov. 6, 13, 20, 27) from 6 to 7 p.m.
- Intermediate/ Advanced: Tuesdays (Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26 and Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28) Intermediate sessions take place from 3 to 4 p.m. with additional time available from 5 to 6 p.m.
- Advanced sessions take place from 4 to 5 p.m. with additional time available from 6 to 7 p.m.
- Beginner Week 1 - Ball Control Drills; The Serve; Returning the Serve
- Beginner Week 2 - The Forehand & Backhand Drive/Groundstroke
- Beginner Week 3 - The Forehand & Backhand Block Volley
- Beginner Week 4 - The Straight-Ahead Lift Dink; Pickleball Scorekeeping
- Intermediate Week 1 - The Push Dink; Cross-Court Dinking
- Intermediate Week 2 - The Forehand and Backhand Volley (The Fast Game)
- Intermediate Week 3 - The Dink Volley; The Drop Shot
- Intermediate Week 4 - Doubles Strategy—Offense & Defense; Mid-Court Defense/Resetting
- Advanced Week 1 - The Offensive Lob; The Overhead Smash; The Lob Return
- Advanced Week 2 - The Drop Volley; The Backhand Roll; The Erne; The ATP
- Advanced Week 3 - Slicing & Spinning
- Advanced 4 - Covering the Middle; Poaching; Stacking & Switching
Space is limited to 12 players for each session. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. No equipment is needed for the “Get to Know Your Pickleball Game” program; however, athletic attire is recommended.
For more information, please contact the St. Lucie County Parks & Recreation staff at 772-462-1521 or visit www.stlucieco.gov.