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. When we are open, all you have to do is click on the date and time of the program of your choice.
Need a Level? We provide complimentary evaluations daily from either 9-10:30am or 10:30-12pm during our Level-Based Open Play.
Foundations is Slate’s ultra-fun four week introduction to pickleball.
Foundations is a welcoming experience that introduces all the basics of pickleball. Players should expect a level-appropriate experience, 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 environment. 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, taking this course makes you eligible to participate in the rest of Slate’s comprehensive programming.
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: $99 (membership and demo paddle is included in the price)
Ratio: 4 players to 1 coach to 1 court
TBD
Our core developmental program, divided into six Levels with the intention of bringing the absolute best out of our students.
If you yearn to truly improve your game and are willing to make big and necessary changes to how you play, this is the program for you. Coaches of this program are highly trained to mold you from head to 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 Foundations (Level 2), to one step away from professional player (Level 7), 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.
Level 6 and 7 is considered our adult High Performance program, differentiated by its overall structure, with individualized periodization plans. Thus, 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-$34/hour
Ratio: 4 players to 1 coach to 1 court
TBD
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 instruction, it isn’t as developmental and surgical as Adult Group Instructional, intended as a means to practice and hone the skills already acquired.
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 exercised. The tail end of class is composed of rotating match play experiences 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 the shots better considering the baseline you have.
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.
This is a seasonal commitment program to ensure coaches can properly teach and develop your game.
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
TBD
This program combines your love for music and pickleball games with an awesome 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
TBD
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 act more so as the cheerleader while roaming the action.
Cost: $15/hour
TBD
Our unique league format that uses an adaptive Rating system to create addictive competition.
When participating in this league, you are assigned a Rating directly correlated to your Level. This will place you on a court with all players most similar to your Rating. You’ll play 2 games to 11 with each player on your court. The scores will be placed into the Algorithm which will adjust your Rating.
This is a fantastic format, because, for example, even if you are assigned a court with lower Rated players, you’ll have to perform and win handily in order to maintain or raise your Rating. The algorithm will adjust your Rating down if you don’t keep the ratio of points won versus points lost high in this situation. The same goes for when you are playing with higher Rated players. Even if you lose most of your games, if your ratio is good, you may have your Rating increase despite these losses.
It’s so addicting! Give it a try!
It is a weekly sign-up program, meaning you sign up for one league meeting at a time.
Cost: $11/hour
Friday: TBD
The classic format is now properly level-based with our basket up and down the river system.
For the Level-Based Open Play, a coach is present to help keep the flow going, as well as providing a Level assignment if you are unrated. This is the primary place of acquiring a Level if you are looking to participate in Slate programming. If you are a total beginner (Level 1), you must take Foundations before participating in Open Play, which gives you the skills to move to Level 2: the minimum needed to participate in all other Slate programming.
Here’s how it works for Level-Based Open Play: if you and your partner win the game to 11, you move up a court, putting your paddles in the next court’s basket as you wait for them to complete their game. When they do, the court is yours, and you split partners unless there is a strong preference to stay with your partner. The coach will always be there to assist.
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! But we encourage everyone to use the up and down the river rotation. And for both experiences we cap numbers to ensure that the open play experience doesn’t get overcrowded.
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 Levels 5-7:
Level-Based Open Play:
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!