with the IPTPA
What’s New
BY SEYMOUR RIFKIND
T
he IPTPA has been very busy continuing to certify new
pickleball teaching professionals. We now have 27 Directors
of Training/Testing in various locations throughout the United
States. We continue to observe prospective coaches doing
their skills test or student teaching at various tournaments to
accommodate the needs of our candidates when they reside too
far from a local Training/Testing Center. We officially opened
our first International Training/Testing Center in Ontario,
Canada, and are working diligently to expand our services
abroad.
We announced the 1st IPTPA World Congress to be held April
20-21, 2017, in conjunction with the 2017 U.S. Open Pickleball
Championships. We will be holding a full-day workshop for our
members covering a variety of topics. (Further information will
be on the IPTPA website, Facebook page and Pickleball Magazine
as it becomes available.) We will have classroom as well as
on-court activities to assist our membership in practicing best
pickleball teaching methods. A committee comprised of Simone
Jardim (chair), Jim & Yvonne Hackenberg, Byron Freso, Marcus
Luke, Lee-Anna Camper, Steve Paranto and Seymour Rifkind
are responsible for developing CEUs (continuing education
units) as well as the content and program of our 1st World
Congress. April will also be our one‑year anniversary, so we will
have cause for celebration!
We recently published the official IPTPA position statement
regarding clinics and boot camps. The posting can be found
on facebook.com/iptpa but is reprinted below for Pickleball
Magazine readership.
“The IPTPA was founded as a professional organization and
aspiring world leader in developing and delivering quality
instruction to Pickleball players. Over the past few months,
we’ve seen a proliferation of clinics and boot camps being
organized, many by people who see an opportunity to ‘cash
in’ on Pickleball’s growth with very little concern for the
value provided to the attendees. When we hear of student-toinstructor ratios of 30 to 1 (or more), the value of instruction,
even when IPTPA professionals are involved, is compromised.”
The IPTPA has put together a committee to make
recommendations on best practices when running a clinic or
boot camp. The committee members are Simone Jardim (chair),
Byron Freso, Jim and Yvonne Hackenberg, Marcus Luke, Steve
IPTPA members Kyle Yates and Scott Tingley giving a lesson while at the Royal Oak Tournament in Michigan in August.
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