The most robust developmental and play program for pickleball on the planet. We call it STAGE.
From total beginner to tournament player, we have a comprehensive menu of learning, practice, cardio, and competitive programming.
Don’t miss out.
Student
Thanks again for the opportunity to take part in the Beta testing. I loved the class. I can’t wait until you guys open. Excited to join.
Student
Through our STAGE methodology, you will learn faster and funner than anywhere else. Develop your skills, reform your technique, balance your mindset.
Elation will come.
A properly controlled environment. Quarterly assessments will show you the way to advance.
The variety and breadth of STAGE experiences is unparalleled.
To transform into a Pickleball Professor, you must master the 57 tactics.
Consistent, high quality lessons with any coach, all trained to Slate's premier standard.
We make enrollment easy. In the home page of the Slate app, go to “Events”, then “Categories”, then find and register for the program that fits you best!
Need a Level? We provide complimentary Level Evaluations all throughout the week. This fun and welcoming experience is required to register for a majority of our programming.
Foundations is Slate’s ultra-fun introductory program to pickleball.
Foundations is a welcoming experience that introduces all the basics of pickleball. Players should expect a level-appropriate environment, where success comes easy, and new friendships come naturally.
Coaches use a variety of quick skill progressions and game applications that build upon each other to create a rewarding, addicting learning pathway. Basic tactics and foundational proper technique are taught to ensure a strong foundation for future play and development.
The rules are introduced over the course of the experience, so by the time you graduate, you will feel comfortable and ready to join leagues, open plays, and more, learning and competing successfully with your new pickleball friends.
If you are a total beginner, you will benefit from following up with our Foundations Grad class, and 8 week program that will occur in the same timeslot as Foundations for each Season.
Once completing the Foundations program, you will be eligible to join Level-restricted programming going forward.
Coaching Level: High. Well-rounded coaching that will focus on developing the "foundations" of every aspect of your game from paddle technique to positioning to strategy.
Cost:
Foundations: $99 (membership and demo paddle is included in the price)
Foundations Grad: $199 (membership required, paddle not included)
Ratio: 4 players to 1 coach to 1 court
Spring Season: Starts April 7
Our core developmental program for adults, designed with the intention of transforming every aspect of your game to make you the best player you can possibly be.
If you yearn to truly improve your game and are willing to make significant changes to how you play, this is the program for you. Coaches of this program are highly trained to mold you from head to tippy toe to bring you to your full potential. With our guidance, you too can have a seat in the grand roundtable of Slate’s Pickleball Professors.
Applying our STAGE methodology, students are properly challenged in a rewarding, exciting environment with other students at the same Level. Gamification and competitive applications within the class make the experience fun and help solidify the learning. Maximum repetitions is key.
The range of classes goes from fresh off the Foundations program (Intern), to our High Performance version for those that are Vice Presidents and higher, with everything in between. The format of the class shifts to adapt for the changing needs of each Level. Less surgical technical changes are needed as the players move up the pathway, as the format shifts to developing weapons and advanced strategies rather than building foundational pickleball skills.
Personal attention is paramount. Players feed each other while experiencing realistic and varied play while the coach roams and effectively teaches. Near the end of every Season, each participant receives a detailed assessment. If they receive enough points, they are qualified to move to the next Level.
The High Performance program, differentiated by its overall structure, with individualized periodization plans. Slate is the perfect destination for highly advanced players looking to dominate their next tournament.
This program is a seasonal commitment so coaches can properly develop players.
Coaching Level: High. Well-rounded coaching that will focus on developing every aspect of your game from paddle technique to positioning to strategy.
Cost: $29/hour
Ratio: 4 players to 1 coach to 1 court
Spring Season April 7-June 1
INTERN:
MANAGER:
DIRECTOR:
HIGH PERFORMANCE (Vice President and above):
The perfect program for those wanting to get a high-repetition practice in with plenty of play.
This program is a middle ground between Adult Group Instructional and Cardio Pickleball. While there is plenty of instruction, it isn’t as developmental and surgical as Adult Group Instructional, intended moreso as a means to practice and hone your current skillset.
The primary portion of the class is high-repetition, high-energy hitting activities, which practice specific situations relevant to the players’ Level, followed by fun competitive games that apply what was just exercised. The tail end of class is composed of taste of match play to put it to the test.
The coaches assist in bringing the best out of you, improving your positioning, tactics, and strategies, and giving some technical quick-tips to help you execute your shots even better.
If you are taking an Adult Group Instructional class, Practice and Play is a great supplement, as you get an opportunity to get focused repetitions on the situations that you’re developing, as the Leveling is the same across the two programs.
You can sign up for the whole Season or sign up week by week.
Coaching Level: Moderate. High energy coaching that will work on improving your game without resorting to drastic technical changes to how you play.
Cost: $24/hour
Ratio: 4 players to 1 coach to 1 court
Spring Season April 7-June 1
INTERN:
MANAGER:
DIRECTOR:
Cardio Pickleball combines your love for music and pickleball games with an awesome, addicting, and social aerobic workout.
The core of Cardio Pickleball at Slate revolves around addicting and competitive games that are carefully designed to make you move more than you normally would in standard pickleball experiences. While a coach leads with high energy to push you to maximize your cardio workout, developmental instruction generally isn't part of the experience.
Feeding is adapted per player to ensure the proper level of challenge for all players. Furthermore, the program is divided into four levels with varying ranges of playing ability so the experience is as enjoyable as possible.
This is also an opportunity to practice skills learned in developmental programming in an ultra-fun format that will keep you coming back for more and more.
If you've never done a Cardio class before, give it a try! You won’t regret it.
Cardio Pickleball is a weekly sign-up program, where you sign up for one class at a time.
Coaching Level: Moderate. While there is no developmental instruction, there is high energy and feedback given from the coach, acting more as the cheerleader and scorekeeper.
Cost: $24/hour
Ratio: 6 players to 1 coach to 1 court
OPEN (all Levels):
MANAGER-DIRECTOR:
DIRECTOR-VICE PRESIDENT:
VICE PRESIDENT+:
Train together with your fellow teammates in preparation for matches and tournaments!
This program is designed for those that are signed up for intraclub leagues, where Slate competes against other clubs/teams. Part of the team experience is the practice component, which prepares your teamwork, mental game, tactics, strategy, and partner-specific positionings to perform best during interclub league play for both singles and doubles.
We generally do not focus on technical work, but more on situational needs as per observation during matches. But if the need arises, there will be full developmental technical work to improve performance.
This is one of the primary differentiators from the other group offerings at Slate: our lessons in these practices are directly related to performance observed by Slate coaches during matches. The tail end of practice includes match play experiences in pressure environments to get your mind in the game!
The leveling differs from Slate, and matches the half number rating scale as per CIPA, DUPR, UTR-P and USA Pickleball (2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0+). Players do not receive a quarterly assessment as do players in Adult Group Instructional programming.
This program is a seasonal commitment so coaches can properly develop the team.
Coaching Level: High. Well rounded coaching that will fully develop strategy, positioning, and even technique depending on the team’s needs.
Cost: $27/hour
Ratio: 4 players to 1 coach to 1 court.
TBD
Our in-house competitive offering for those looking for thrilling level-based match play experiences.
We divide our coach-led league program by Level, so that all players are on an equal playing field. Expect intense, close matches across multiple courts, where each week a different competitive format is utilized. Round robin, up and down the river, compass draw, red versus blue, ratio, and more, keeping the play varied and engaging.
This is your chance to put it all out there, showcasing your skills (hopefully acquired in our group developmental programming), and making some new friends in the process!
This program is a seasonal commitment to ensure consistent players and game design.
Coaching Level: Light. The coach will roam the action, providing positive reinforcement and the occasional helpful tip.
Cost: $15/hour
Spring Season April 7-June 1
INTERN:
MANAGER:
DIRECTOR:
VICE PRESIDENT+:
Level-Based Open Play is the classic format done even better with our coach-led up-and-down system.
Wide Open Play is complimentary with your paid monthly membership, and is your analogous to public park rack-based open play.
For the Level-Based Open Play, a coach leads the experience. If you are a total beginner, you must graduate the Foundations program before participating in this category of Open Play, which provides you the skills to move to Intern: the minimum needed to participate in a majority of Slate's programming.
The coach guides the match-ups and plays in where needed. The maximum ratio is 6 players to one court: 4 in and 2 out, ensuring low wait times.
For Wide Open Play, a coach is not present, so it is up to the players to keep things moving, just like it is on those outdoor public courts!
Compete and socialize with the format that has taken the country by storm at Slate, because no one does it better.
It is a weekly sign-up program, meaning you sign up for one open play at a time.
Cost for Level-Based Open Play: $4/hour
Cost for Wide Open Play: Complimentary with Membership
Wide Open Play:
Wide Open Play VP+:
Level-Based Open Play:
INTERN-MANAGER
MANAGER-DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR-VICE PRESIDENT
VP+
It was a great experience for me learning about pickleball. I’m definitely signing up for the club. I can’t wait for the opening day!