What is the total cost to getting certified through PPR?

The total cost of certification has three components. First, you must join USA Pickleball as a member for $35/year. Since they are the governing body of the sport in the US, all of our USA-based members are required to join their organization. Second, you must join PPR as a member (check out the benefits tab for all the great perks of joining!). PPR dues are $186 per year.  They are prorated when you join and will renew each August 31^st thereafter. (If you are PTR or PPTR certified – your dues are greatly reduced to just $70 for the full year and prorated upon joining). Lastly, you can register for a certification workshop, which costs $147 and includes access to the study materials, in-person workshop, and testing.

What do I need to do before attending a certification workshop? 

Before registering for a PPR workshop, make sure that you are a 3.5 level player. You can find information about the levels on the USA Pickleball website (usapa.org) for a self-rating.  Or play a USAPA sanctioned tournament to be assigned a rating.

Before attending a PPR certification workshop, you will need to read through your study guide two or three times and must complete the online video pre-course. Your clinician will be teaching and reviewing material based on the assumption that you have mastered the contents of those items – so please come prepared! 

When can I expect to receive my study guide and online video course access? 

You can expect your materials via email within two business day of registering for the certification course. For example, if you register for the course on Tuesday afternoon, you’ll receive your materials by Wednesday evening. If you register on Saturday morning, you’ll receive your materials by Monday afternoon. If you do not see the email in your inbox, please check your spam or junk mail folder! 

How long does it take to study for the course?

To prepare for the course, you’ll need to at the bare minimum have read through the study guide at least two-three times (takes about an hour per read-through) and complete the online video course at least once (takes about three-four hours to complete). In order to master the material, take the time to write practice lesson plans and deliver them – explained more in the next question/answer below. Plan to devote several hours practicing your on-court delivery skills and several hours to lesson plan construction practice.

What are some of the best ways to study for the certification workshop? 

First, make sure that you have thoroughly read the study guide at least three times, making notes and highlighting important details from the guide. Second, watch the online video course that is focused on working with beginners, making notes on the key themes from each section.   

Third, print off a few extra copies of page 20 in your study guide and practice writing lesson plans for the four main situations you find yourself in while playing pickleball (serving, returning, transitioning, or nvz play), making sure they stay focused on a clear technical and tactical parameter while following the open-closed-open methodology perfectly. Compare your plans to the sample plans provided starting on page 38 of your study guide.  

Fourth, practice teaching those plans to real students – or at least walk through them at home, practicing how you explain different techniques, drills, or games.  If you really want to go above and beyond, video yourself giving practice lessons and review the tape! 

What does it mean to become certified as a Coach? Is that different than becoming certified as a Professional? 

Becoming certified as either an ASSOCIATE COACH or COACH or PRO means that you carry all the benefits and credibility of certification. PRO is our higher level of certification, while COACH is the level most of our instructors fall into.  ASSOCIATE COACH is where coaches will fall who tend to be more novice in teaching and skills.

How many certified instructors usually achieve that level? 

Historically, approximately 15% of our members achieve the PRO level on their first attempt. That said, we don’t pass a percentage of instructors in each workshop as FAIL, ASSOCIATE COACH, COACH or PRO. Each coach is individually evaluated relative to the standard of certification and is not compared to the other coaches at the workshop. 

Can I take any workshop to achieve the Pro rating? 

Yes! The material presented in any one of our workshops across the country is the same whether your goal is to become a certified ASSOCIATE COACH, certified COACH or certified PRO. The rating you achieve from our certification workshop will be dependent on how well you demonstrate comprehension and mastery of the material presented. 

What am I tested on to become certified? 

You are tested on your knowledge and abilities in three main categories:  

• Written Knowledge 
• Playing & Demonstrating Skills 
• Teaching Abilities 

 Your certification rating will be the lowest rating you receive across those three categories. For example, if you achieve PRO in written, PRO in skills, and COACH in teaching, your overall rating will be COACH. 

What do I need to do to pass the Written assessment? 

To pass the written assessment with the ASSOCIATE COACH rating, you must answer 75% or more of the questions on the test correctly. To achieve the COACH rating on the written assessment, you must answer 80% or more correctly.  To achieve the PRO rating on the written assessment, you must answer 90% or more of the questions on the test correctly. 

What do I need to do to pass the Skills assessment? 

To pass the skills assessment with the ASSOCIATE COACH rating, you must display technically sound strokes at a minimum 3.5 skill level while playing and demonstrating. Most coaches who achieve the ASSOCIATE COACH rating in Skills play between a 3.5 and  3.75 level. No tournament play required.

To pass the skills assessment with the COACH rating, you must display technically sound strokes at a minimum 4.0 skill level while playing and demonstrating. Most coaches who achieve the COACH rating in Skills play between a 4.0 and 4.25 level and have participated in a minimum of 1 pickleball tournament.

To pass the skills assessment with the PRO rating, you must display technically sound strokes at a minimum 4.5 skill level while playing and demonstrating. Most coaches who achieve the PRO rating are typically closer to a 4.5+ level in ability and technical demonstration and have participated in several pickleball tournaments.

Is there a study guide or practice test available for the written knowledge exam?

While there is not a study guide or practice test written specifically to prepare you for the final knowledge exam, the test content is entirely comprised of material you would have been exposed to in the course study guide, online video course, and in-person course. As long as you paid attention and jotted down a few notes, you shouldn’t have trouble on the final exam.

How will my clinician assess my skills?

PPR Certification Workshops are hands-on and take place on the court. Your clinician will observe your techniques and skills throughout the five-hour workshop, instead of running you through a series of drills asking you to make a percentage of shots for a rating.

How do I know what my player rating is? 

If you have not received an official rating by playing in a sanctioned pickleball tournament, you may self-rate by visiting USA Pickleball’s website and reading the detailed PDF documents they provide describing the skills and abilities of each level of player. 

What does the teaching test look like? What can I do to ensure success in this part of the test?

For the final hour of the workshop, each instructor will be asked to deliver a 15-minute sample group lesson, using the other coaches at the workshop as their ‘students.’ Instructors will need to follow the open-closed-open lessons structure introduced in the study guide and discussed throughout the course. In order to be successful in this portion of the certification workshop, coaches will not only need to follow the basic lesson structure, but also strongly link the activities to the main theme of the lesson (focusing on just one-two technical and tactical parameters) and demonstrate solid coaching skills in terms of player analysis/diagnosis, demonstration, activity explanation, etc.

What do I need to do to pass the Teaching assessment? 

To pass the teaching assessment with the COACH rating, you must demonstrate a competent application of the PPR teaching methodology (specifically following the open-close-open lesson format) and show an ability to exercise basic coaching skills in regards to demonstration, feedback, activity structure, and error analysis.  To pass the teaching assessment with the PRO rating, you must demonstrate all of the above skills at an exceptional level while executing a flawless application of the open-closed-open lesson structure. 

What type of prior experience and skills do I need to have to become PPR certified? 

To become PPR certified, you need to demonstrate solid pickleball-specific technique and tactics as well as be able to provide accurate diagnostics and corrections for your students. Having prior teaching experience (in a school setting or in other sports/racquet sports) is definitely a plus, but will not guarantee certification, since this is a course designed to certified you to specifically teach pickleball.  Our course attracts high-level pickleball players, enthusiasts of the game, full-time pickleball instructors, tennis pros transitioning into the game, or players who avidly teach their communities and want to learn more about how to do it properly. That said, take the time to absorb as much as you can from the prep materials and work hard on your own pickleball game to put yourself in a great position for success. 

 When and how do I receive my certification results? 

Your certification results will be emailed to you within two-three weeks of your workshop date. For example, if you take the certification class on Tuesday, October 12th, you will be guaranteed to have your scores by Tuesday, November 2nd at the latest. Oftentimes, we are able to turn the scores around in as little as one week.  We know you are excited to find out how you did! 

 If I don’t get the rating I was hoping for, can I retest? How can I do that? 

Yes – you may retest any portion of the certification workshop for a retesting fee of $40 per segment being retested. If you need to retest the written portion of the course, you can do so 30 days after the date of your workshop. To retest the skills or teaching portions of the certification, you can do so at any upcoming certification workshop by attending the final 1.5 hours of that workshop and jumping in to do your lesson. We recommend taking 4-6 months minimum to incorporate your coaches’ feedback into your teaching in order to put yourself in the best position for future success.  If you would like to attend the entire certification workshop again, you may do so for half-price. To register for a retest, please call the office to register at 843.842.9777. 

What will the in-person workshop look like? 

The in-person workshop will take place entirely on the court and will focus on working with improver players. Your clinician will lead the group of prospective instructors through different activities and topics, allowing coaches time to try things out, ask questions, and receive feedback on their coaching abilities throughout the workshop. For the final hour of the workshop, coaches will be asked to perform a 20-minute sample lesson, using the other coaches at the workshop as their ‘students.’   

 Is there anything in particular I should bring to the workshop? 

The workshop will take place for five hours on court – so bring the necessary snacks, hydration, and sunscreen to keep you going! There will be small, brief breaks throughout the class, but not an official meal break. Please come hydrated and having eaten. Additionally, the workshop takes place on court – so don’t forget your paddle, court shoes, and extra socks! Some coaches have also found it helpful to bring a shaded camping chair, in case the facility doesn’t have enough seating for everyone at the court. 

 What happens if rain is forecasted? 

We work closely with all of our facility hosts to ensure that a backup venue or gym space can be utilized to carry on the workshop as scheduled.  All changes made due to inclement weather will be communicated to you via text or email as necessary. 

 What if I need to move my workshop to a future date? 

Becoming a PPR member does not guarantee certification.  PPR membership fees are non-refundable.  If you cannot attend the workshop, cancellations received 96 hours prior to the start of the workshop will receive a 100% transfer of workshop and/or testing fees to a future workshop date/location. Cancellations received less than 96 hours and more than 48 hours prior to the start of the workshop will receive a 50% credit transferred to a future workshop date/location. Cancellations received less than 48 hours prior to the start of the workshop or failure to notify PPR Headquarters of your cancellation prior to the start of the workshop will result in a forfeiture of all fees. 

Will PPR ever cancel a workshop? 

Workshops are subject to cancellation/postponement if the minimum number of registrants are not met or in the event of inclement weather.  Before making flight/travel reservations, please first confirm with PPR Headquarters (843.842.9777) that the workshop will be conducted as scheduled.  

What should I do if I don’t see a workshop scheduled in my area? 

Send PPR Manager Julie Jilly an email at julie@pprpickleball.org. We are constantly scheduling new workshops all over the country and you can join our email lists for each state to be the first to know about new events. Additionally, we are always looking for new venues to host a PPR workshop! If this interests you, send Julie an email at julie@pprpickleball.org.