Junior STAGE Program

Slate has the most comprehensive developmental program for juniors on the planet. Hands down. 

The Junior STAGE Program is based on the Long Term Athlete Development model. 

We ensure your child will learn in an appropriate learning environment, acquiring skills faster and funner than anywhere else. 

No matter the age and stage, no matter their goals, Junior STAGE has a program and pathway for your child.

Let’s make players for life.

Download the Slate Pickleball Club mobile app, create a Junior Stage 3 Membership account, then go to EVENTS-CATEGORIES-JUNIOR GROUP INSTRUCTIONAL to register your child. You can also click the link to register on your computer or phone. 

For app assistance, please click HERE for tutorials if needed. 

I never thought my kids could love pickleball this much. The coaches are great and we've all noticed how fast they are improving!

    Sara Mitchell
    Sara Mitchell

    Slate Mom

    Don't wait to enroll your child.

    If your child is not a beginner, we provide a complimentary 30 minute private evaluation.

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    Pathways

    "Player For Life" and "Excellence". There is a place for everyone.

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    Classes

    Divided by age and stage. 3-18 years old. 

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    Sub-Programs

    Showing a clear path of progression for every student.

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    Methodology

    Our team works together to bring the best product to your child.

    Junior STAGE Overview

    Junior membership is required but FREE! 

    Is your child already a player? Please reach out to info@slatepickleballclub.com to request a complimentary 30 minute evaluation for your child. 

    Active Start

    Ages 3-6 years old. It’s all about learning to love movement. 

    In the Active Start stage of Long-Term Athlete Development, the purpose is to develop fundamental movement skills like running, jumping, hopping, throwing, and catching in a playful unstructured environment. It is inappropriate to teach children at this age technical pickleball-specific skills. While the children use paddles and pickleballs to complete tasks, it is simple and playful, not specialized and competitive. 

    Pioneer 1

    Pioneer 2

    FUNdamentals

    Ages 6-8 years old girls, 7-9 years old boys. It’s all about building physical literacy. 

    The FUNdamental stage of the LTAD model stresses the importance of developing the fundamental movement skills which include the ABCs (agility, balance, coordination, and speed) before diving into overly technical, fine-motor work of pickleball tactics and technique. Teaching all the sports-specific technical strokes, positionings and strategies of pickleball to children this age has been proven to be ineffective. It is absolutely critical to make this stage fun and joyful, or we risk losing their interest.

    Foundations 1

    Enhanced 1

    Learn To Train

    Ages 8-11 years old girls, 9-12 years old boys. It’s all about developing pickleball specific skills. 

    The Learn to Train stage of Long-Term Athlete Development is the most important phase in a child’s life to develop sport-specific skills. Physically and psychologically, they are now ready and willing to learn all the techniques and tactics to make them better pickleball players.

    Note that Learn to Train is where children should be participating in a wide variety of sports to develop physical literacy, so Slate discourages specialization at this juncture.

    Foundations 2

    Enhanced 2

    Prodigy 1

    Train To Train

    Ages 11-15 years old girls, 12-16 years old boys. It’s all about building the competitive pickleball engine. 

    There are specific windows of opportunity in Train to Train stages for children, such as stamina once the growth spurt hits for both boys and girls, and strength for girls as they reach their peak height velocity. The two classes in this stage focus on them. 

    We also continue to take into account the differences for boys and girls. Regarding competition, students in this stage are going to try their best to win, but it is still important to control over-emphasis with results for all parties involved. Top performs are built by gradually building up the pressure that being a national and professional competitor brings. There is a significant social, psychological, and mental component that must be properly nurtured. It’s not a race!

    Prodigy 2

    Ultra 1

    Train To Compete

    Ages 14-18 years old girls, 15-18 years old boys. It’s all about optimizing the competitive pickleball engine. 

    Now that these upper tier athletes are highly experienced with sports and pickleball, are physically literate, and have an overall fantastic foundation across the board, they are ready for the intense training, pressure, and competitions required to become at the top of the game. This explains the shift to more competitive practice, where skill building is less prominent, but “optimizing the engine” is. They are psychologically prepared for the highest of pressures, including devastating losses and massive wins which will invariably occur as a professional athlete, and could even be life-changing.

    Ultra 2

    Active For Life

    Ages 12-18 years old. It’s all about loving the game for life. 

    The Active for Life stage is for those athletes who have successfully completed the first three stages of Long-Term Athlete Development, meaning they are physically literate, but are not on the “excellence” pathway. Most players end up in the Active for Life stage without ever being a professional (and that’s totally okay!), so it is important to us to ensure that all levels and needs are being met in the junior STAGE program.

    Foundations 3

    Enhanced 3

    Prodigy 3

    The Circuit

    The Circuit is designed to provide optimal play and competitive experiences for children. It is divided into four separate Tiers following Long-Term Athlete Development stages.

    Cost: $16/hour

    The 4 Tiers