Pickleball Magazine 2-6 Courtesy of PickleballTournaments | Page 91

T he IPTPA recently completed its Handbook for Level I Certification, which will be the document used during the Teach the Teacher workshops in select geographical locations across the country. The IPTPA Teach the Teacher workshops are highly recommended for all IPTPA teaching professionals, as they will assist each member to become a better, more effective instructor. Completion of the course—worth 2 CEUs —is a requirement to maintain member certification. The workshops are intended to provide a consistent and unified approach to lesson planning and instruction. Terminology, skill progressions and strategies should be consistent among all IPTPA teaching professionals. This provides a consistent and unified voice for all IPTPA teaching professionals, which is extremely valuable when clinics and boot camps are made available to the pickleball community. When each member is unified on what skills should be taught at each skill level, as well as the appropriate skill progressions and techniques, a consistent message is delivered to the intended audience. This creates a clear and concise coaching methodology from all IPTPA teaching professionals and helps reinforce the value of IPTPA membership. It also sends a clear message to players of the advantage of being taught by an IPTPA teaching professional. The IPTPA’s Teach the Teacher workshop will also be made available to non-IPTPA members. As the leader in pickleball instruction, it is our responsibility to assist any player interested in teaching others the appropriate skills, techniques, and skill progressions of the game, as the IPTPA is setting the standard worldwide for quality pickleball instruction. Individuals responsible for introducing the sport at new facilities or clubs should be familiar with the appropriate skills, techniques and progressions to prevent beginner players from developing bad habits. Teach the Teacher will be an eight-hour workshop presented over two days, with teaching demonstrations, evaluations and reviews on an individual basis. An IPTPA Level I Handbook will be provided to all participants and will form the basis of the workshop. Players who complete the workshop will be given an IPTPA Certificate of Completion and awarded IPTPA Pickleball Trainer (PT) designation. They will be recognized as having a thorough knowledge and understanding of IPTPA’s teaching curriculum and be recognized as qualified to introduce pickleball instruction to beginner players. The IPTPA’s future plan is for Teach the Teacher to be Step 1 of the requirement toward eventual IPTPA certification. This additional step to our Level I curriculum will be incorporated in 2018 and will be updated via our website. We hope to introduce the Level 2 IPTPA Certification Program in 2018, which will provide pickleball certification for teaching the advanced intermediate player through the pro skill level. This will require a new curriculum model. Any IPTPA member who wishes to be involved in curriculum development should contact [email protected]. The completion of the handbook, plus the additional designation of IPTPA pickleball trainer, Level I and Level 2 certified pickleball professionals will assist many foreign pickleball federations in gaining recognition from their respective governing bodies. For assistance and to discuss the use of any of IPTPA’s copyrighted materials, please contact [email protected]. The IPTPA Rating System continues to build support, with pickleball clubs across the country signing up as member clubs. Club members love the objectivity of the test and the clear, concise requirements that are outlined for each skill level. Having an objective IPTPA Certified Rating Specialist administer the test eliminates any favoritism, either up or down, that often exists when clubs have their own raters. An IPTPA rating provides a consistent rating that can be duplicated with the same results regardless of geographical location. As more clubs expand their pickleball offerings to include ladder leagues, round robins, etc., having all players competing in like-skilled groups creates a more competitive and fun atmosphere for all. The IPTPA Rating System is the clear choice to achieve those objectives. For detailed information on the IPTPA Rating System as well as descriptions of the requirements at each skill level, visit the website at iptpa.com.  • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 | MAGAZINE 89