Pickleball Magazine 3-4 Courtesy of Pickleball Guru | Page 20

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IPTPA GOES GLOBAL
M
ay and June were extremely busy months for IPTPA
as President Seymour Rifkind (“Rif”) took a six-
week pickleball tour of Europe, Asia and Australia,
delivering IPTPA Teach the Teacher Workshops, which led to
a number of Level I certifications. Workshops were held in
Surrey, UK; Tokyo, Japan; Chinese Taipei; Guangzhou, China;
Shenzhen, China; and Brisbane, Australia.
IPTPA Director and Level II teaching professional Hong
Yuan accompanied Rif and acted as a translator in Japan
and China. IPTPA was well-received and the curriculum and
teaching methodology has set the world standard on how the
game of pickleball should be taught to the beginner through
an intermediate player. Players were respectful and eager
to learn, and many had prior experience teaching in a school
system or coaching tennis, badminton or table tennis.
Testing for Level II certifications was completed in Surrey,
UK, Chinese Taipei and Guangzhou, China. The IPTPA Rating
System was introduced and players were thrilled to see
how clear and specific the criteria were for each skill level.
The IPTPA rating system is fast becoming the recognized
pickleball standard for identifying a player’s skill level prior to
entering formal competition. The CRS certification program
was beta tested in several locations, and three players from
Chinese Taipei were successful in achieving the designation
CRS-4.
IPTPA opened two Testing/Training Centers, one in Chinese
Taipei and another in Guangzhou, China. In order to qualify
as an IPTPA Testing/Training Center, there must be an IPTPA
Director and a Level II teaching professional on staff. IPTPA is
moving toward a regional approach so individual countries, or
regions in the U.S., can better serve players interested in the
programs IPTPA offers. Each testing/training center will work
independently, offering programs on an as-needed basis.
IPTPA made TV news in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China,
delivering a powerful message on the benefits of pickleball
for all ages. Clips can be viewed at iptpa.com. •
The USAPA
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