This week on Pickleball Channel our guest is Jeff Shank, a popular pickleball instructor and player who lives at The Villages in central Florida.  Pickleball Channel met up with Jeff over the summer so he could share some of the resources available for Pickleball players in The Villages. Regardless of your level, it’s important to continue learning and playing and The Villages offers so much to help players improve their game.  Take advantage of it!  If you aren’t from Florida, go ahead and sign up for a class or lesson in your area. Learn from the experts, learn from your friends, share your skills and help grow the game!

Here is some information about the main offerings for pickleball classes at The Villages:

*Please note that while class times and locations were verified at the time of posting they are subject to change at any time.

  • Every Tuesday from 4 – 6pm is The Villages Pickleball Club class for members at the Eisenhower Rec Center. Topics vary.  Classes are beginner to Intermediate and usually follow a pattern of one hour clinic and one hour open play.
  • Starting Oct 1, Tuesday from 3-4:30pm Coach Mo instructs from Churchill Rec Center.  All Levels  are invited and topics include Strategy and Technique.  This clinic is for Residents and Guests.
  • Starting Oct 1, Thursday from 3-4:30pm Coach Mo instructs from Big Cypress Rec Center. All Levels  are invited and topics include Strategy and Technique.  This clinic is for Residents and Guests.
  • First Wednesday of the Month at 10:00am Jeff Shank instructs from Lake Miona Rec Center. Classes are for Intermediate levels and include Strategies to Advance To Higher Levels. This class is for Residents and Guests.
  • Every Friday from 10:00am Deb Harrison instructs from Lake Miona Rec Center.  This class is for Intermediate Players and topics include Stroke Development and strategy.  It is for Residents and Guests.
  • Monthly Referree Clinic  instructed by Jeff Shank from the Laurel Manor Rec Center and takes place the Friday before a monthly villages tournament.
  • Monthly Ratings Clinic conducted by Deb Harrison occurs at Seabreeze Regional Rec Center and takes place the 1st Thursday of the month at 3pm.  This event will get you rated for a tournament or league play.
  • Lifelong Learning College classes with Deb Harrison provide pickleball instruction for residents and non residents.  Go to their website to get more information: http://www.thevillageslifelongcollege.com/

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PICKLEBALL AT THE VILLAGES, FLORIDA:

There is so much going on at The Villages in Florida!  The population passed 100,000 in early 2013 and with that many people gathered together there are bound to be a plethora of activities available.  There are over 100 pickleball courts! It’s considered by some to be the hotspot of pickleball and to be a student of the game, it makes sense to join an activity with others where you can learn more!  With all of this in mind, we have narrowed down some of the information regarding pickleball play in The Villages.  There is definitely more available than just what is listed here, but this should get you started if you are considering a pickleball activity at The Villages for the first time.

With so many players and so many different skill levels playing at The Villages, The Pickleball Community Volunteer Group (PCVG) decided to organize players and courts by skill levels and ratings to make pickleball play fun for everyone.  They also provide a service to help you get rated.  If you are a beginner though, you can start here with classes listed by their website. BEGINNING CLASSES LISTED BY THE PCVG.

The Villages District Recreation Department also provides information on classes offered through their organization and posted in the local newspaper, The Villages Daily Sun, as well as their own website.  The newspaper is published on Thursdays and printed copies are available at any rec center in The Villages.

CLASSES LISTED IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER – THE VILLAGES DAILY SUN

INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE

They also have an app for iPhones and Androids so you can get all the information you need right on your phone! Click on iPhone or Android to take you directly to the correct app for the free install or go to THE VIDEO ABOUT THE APP FROM THE VILLAGES DAILY SUN
Activities in The Villages are also monitered by a website created by The Villages residents for The Villages residents.  It’s a great resource which can easily be sorted by activity, rec center location, or date and time. THEVILLAGESACTIVITIES.COM

And finally…we have featured and met with some great instructors from The Villages.  Here is some direct information about the classes they hold:

For more interesting facts about The Villages, check out this post with some interesting tidbits of information – 82 Cool Facts about The Villages

You can click on the SUBSCRIBE HERE button to subscribe for free and be notified as soon as new content is released on our website.

Visit our Facebook page for even more exclusive content and daily updates about pickleball!

Pickleball Channel is powered by the wonderful support of our friends and partners, Hyland’s Leg Cramps.  You can also learn more about our partners at http://hylands.com

Additional pickelball resources can be found at the USAPA!

4 Comments

  1. Interested in taking lessons at the villages. R there accomodations avail to stay while taking lessons?

  2. Michael petrandis

    Interseted in taking lesson from jeff Shank. How do i contact him?

  3. help im in oswego ny where can i take classes in pickleball

  4. Help Im in Oswego ny . Where can I take a pickleball class?

Leave a Comment