EDPE 522 - Pickleball: Teaching One of the Fastest-Growing Sports

Some sports become too taxing to play as we age, but racquet and net sports are not those types of sports. Students can use the skills they learn from these games for a lifetime of physical activity. However, tennis and other racquet and net sports can sometimes be difficult for students to learn and for PE teachers to introduce in a typical gym.

A very enjoyable and effective alternative that teaches the same skills is pickleball. Given the smaller playing area, slower pace, moderate intensity, and high “fun factor,” pickleball is an excellent way to help students develop confidence in foundational racquet and net sport skills. Plus, unlike with tennis, most school gymnasiums can easily accommodate up to five pickleball games at a time.

In this course, you will be equipped with the knowledge and tools you need to effectively teach pickleball. You will design drills and activities to teach the rules and lingo of the game, body positioning and shot techniques, offensive and defensive strategies, and more. In addition, you’ll learn strategies for addressing common errors, correcting poor form, and creating meaningful assessments that will help build students’ competence in the game.

Using the tools and techniques from this course, you will be able to plan lessons that introduce and refine the skills students need to enjoy pickleball throughout their lives.