USA Pickleball JUNIOR SPOTLIGHT
COACH
BEN OLLETT
DENVER ACADEMY
By Laura Gainor
For this month ’ s Junior Spotlight , we wanted to shine a light on Coach Ben Ollett , a physical education ( P . E .) teacher helping to grow pickleball within our youth community , while developing team skills with his students .
Coach Ollett has been a P . E . teacher for five years at Denver Academy , an independent school for diverse learners in Denver , Colorado , teaching grades 1 through 12 .
The pickleball P . E . program is part of a racquet sports unit combining badminton , tennis and pickleball . Currently all middle school students participate in the program , with high school students having it as an elective choice . Plus , Coach Ollett is looking to expand the program to elementary students and start a Denver Academy team this coming year .
“ Pickleball is a great unit because a lot of kids who may not typically enjoy traditional team sports really engage in the game during P . E . class ,” says Coach Ollett . “ All students at all athletic abilities play well together .”
Denver Academy has multiple pickleball courts inside The James E . Loan Athletic Center , which was just built in the last year and provides the students with a great sports facility on the 22-acre campus set in the middle of Denver .
It ’ s not only students who enjoy the opportunity to have pickleball courts on-site . Coach Ollett says many teachers also stay after school to get the chance to play with their co-workers .
With pickleball becoming a favorite of both teachers and students , Coach Ollett decided to make the unit more robust this year by adding a tournament at the end of February .
How did students enjoy the tournament hosted by Coach Ollett ? Luckily , there was a Denver
Academy student , Cortez Campos , who took an interest in playing a pickleball media role and showcasing his video talents by capturing moments and student interviews from the tournament .
“ I look forward to playing pickleball every day because it gets the energy out and it ’ s really fun ,” said Maddy W ., one of the tournament medalists . “ I think I would bring pickleball back to my family and get my whole family to play it .”
USA Pickleball was impressed by this exceptional opportunity for students to get to experience a positive , competitive environment and contributed to the tournament winnings by awarding each top medalist with a USA Pickleball official approved paddle , plus providing Coach Ollett and Denver Academy with a Youth Program Provider ( YPP ) membership — equipping the P . E . staff with the tools and resources they need to continue effectively coaching the students .
“ The YPP resources that are provided are a big help in creating a dynamic , engaging class ,” says Coach Ollett . “ Just playing pickleball is great , but a lot of kids need the extra progression and basic skills to reach a beginner level of play . Games like pickleball four-square are a really fun way to get tons of quality repetition on important skills .”
To watch Cortez ’ s full coverage of the tournament , and for more details about how your school can purchase a $ 40 annual YPP membership , visit
USAPickleball . org . The membership features a Youth Pickleball Playbook , laminated activity cards , access to discounted equipment and access to an instructional video series .
Thank you to Denver Academy and Coach Ollett for continuing to get students excited about pickleball ! •