Found out yesterday that they are currently offering pickleball lessons at Edgemoor Recreation Center. It is a 4-week introduction to pickleball course held on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. The next session begins tomorrow, May 5, and continues over the next 3 consecutive Wednesdays: May 12, 19, and 26. The cost is only $30, which is a bargain for 6 total hours of pickleball instruction. Jennea Noel from Wichita Parks and Recreation also mentioned that they typically only have 8 students per session, which is an excellent instructor-to-student ratio. You can register online via the Wichita Parks and Rec website or by calling (316) 688-9392.

If mid-afternoon does not work with your schedule, the city offers other alternatives.

• Riverside Tennis Center – $40 for 4 weeks of pickleball instruction
  • Mondays, 6:30 to 8:00 PM, starting on June 7
  • Mondays, 6:30 to 8:00 PM, starting on July 5
  • Mondays, 6:30 to 8:00 PM, starting on August 2
• Boston Recreation Center – $30 for 4 weeks of pickleball instruction
  • Wednesdays, 5:30 to 7:00 PM, starting June 9
  • Wednesdays, 5:30 to 7:00 PM, starting July 21

Besides the lesser fee, another good thing about taking lessons at Boston Rec Center is they have open play every Wednesday at 7:00 PM for only $2. So if you take lessons there, you could stay and practice after class.

Chicken N Pickle and Nahola Fitness Center also offer lessons.

Chicken N Pickle offers a beginner clinic from 9:00 to 10:00 AM on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month. The one-hour clinic covers pickleball fundamentals, strategy, and scoring. The $10 fee includes a rental paddle and allows you to stay for open play if it’s available that day.

If you already know the basics but want to meet and play with other players who are new to the game, Chicken N Pickle also hosts a “Newbie Night” once a month. The cost is $5 for 2 hours of open play and a free appetizer (paddles and balls are extra). The next “Newbie Nights” are May 11, June 1, and July 6. This is a recurring event so be sure to check the Chicken N Pickle events calendar for future ones.

Chicken N Pickle also offers private, semi-private, and group pickleball instruction for players of varying skill levels. The rates are as follows:

• private lessons – these lessons are specifically tailored to your individual skill level; cost is $50 per hour
• semi-private or group lessons – these are ideal if you want to take a lesson with your doubles partner or if you want to learn with your own group of friends; rates will vary based on how many people are in the group
• 3 or 4 and a pro play lesson – this allows one of the Chicken N Pickle teaching professionals to play along with your group while providing immediate feedback on shot selection, strategic decisions, and court positioning; cost is $20 per person per hour

Call Chicken N Pickle at (316) 535-7150 for more information or to schedule your lesson.

Besides the regular lessons offered by Chicken N Pickle staff, nationally-acclaimed pickleball pros will sometimes offer multi-day clinics and pickleball training camps at Chicken N Pickle. Ben Johns, Lauren Stratman, and others have done clinics at Chicken N Pickle. This month Engage pro Scott Burr will be in town. Registration will sometimes be directly through the company providing the training rather than through Chicken N Pickle, so if you are interested in attending this one, you would register directly through the Engage website.

Nahola is my favorite place to take lessons. They have a couple of teaching professionals there who are absolutely amazing.

• Kayla Keuter, one of the owners, is a 4.5 player with Level 1 IPTPA certification in pickleball instruction. She has 7 years of experience teaching pickleball and many more years of experience coaching other sports.
• Chris Heck is a 5.0 player and US Open Pickleball Championship gold medalist who has Level 2 IPTPA certification. Chris has taught me pretty much everything I know about pickleball.

Nahola offers an Intro to Pickleball (Pickleball 101) class geared towards teaching beginners the basics of the game, rules, and scoring. The cost of the one-hour class is $10 per person. The next one is on Saturday, May 15, but you can also call Nahola at (316) 295-2102 to schedule a private Pickleball 101 session for your group.

Nahola also has some pickleball classes on Wednesdays during the month of May.

• Level 1 – 4:00 to 5:00 PM – May 5, 12, 19 – focuses on learning and improving basic skills
• Level 2 – 5:30 to 7:00 PM – May 12, 19 – focuses on improving skills and strategy

Call Nahola at (316) 295-2102 to register for one of these classes or to schedule a private or semi-private lesson with either Kayla or Chris. They are both fantastic.

Many of our local country clubs also offer pickleball instruction. If you are a member of one, check with your club for details. Additionally, we have several professional pickleball players who live in Wichita who offer private pickleball instruction when they’re not traveling for tournaments. Don’t be afraid to reach out to some of them (they’re famous so you know who they are) to arrange something.

I hope you find this post helpful. Lessons are a great way to advance your skills and will definitely enhance your enjoyment of the game. If you think pickleball is fun now, wait until you learn how to hit more advanced shots like ATPs (around the post) and Ernes. Your friends will be amazed.