IPTPA Pickleball Certified — Hooray!

Written exam. Check. Skills test. Check. Observed teaching lesson. Check. And with that, it’s official. I am now — according to the IPTPA website — one of only 4 individuals in the state of Ohio certified as an IPTPA Level II Certified Pickleball Teaching Professional.

What is the IPTPA?

The IPTPA — or International Pickleball Teaching Professional Orgnaization — is the “world leader in developing teaching standards in the sport of pickleball.” When an instructor meets these standards — successfully passing a written test, skills test, and observed teaching lesson — certification is awarded.

So, How Did You Score on the Written Exam?

I’m glad you asked. For the 50-question written portion, I got 49/50 correct — or a score of 98%. By comparison, a passing score is 80%.

Who Administered the Skills Test and Observed Teaching Lesson?

For the skills test and observed teaching lesson, I visited the Robert Elliott Regional Training/Testing Center in northern Florida. You’ve likely heard of Robert. He is a previous Champion/Gold Medalist at the USAPA Nationals and Tournament of Champions as well as a US Open Pro Medalist. He is also the founder/CEO of one of the largest pickleball paddle companies in the industry, Engage Pickleball. Robert administered both my skills test and observed teaching lesson — ensuring that I was not only proficient and fundamentally-sound in hitting all pickleball strokes (hitting dinks, drops, and everything-in-between at a minimum 80% success rate), but also possess the traits of a best-in-class pickleball instructor.

Who Cares?  Why Does IPTPA Certification Matter?

An IPTPA certified teaching professional is an instructor that has met a comprehensive set of teaching standards in the sport of pickleball.

As a player seeking instruction, an IPTPA certified instructor has passed a rigorous 3-part testing program while continuing to improve their teaching skills through yearly training requirements. A certified IPTPA instructor, is your guarantee that your instructor knows the specific strokes, strategies and shot selections specific to pickleball.
International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA)

Lessons, Clinics, and Skill-and-Drill Sessions

At PickleballMAX, we have lots going on this summer with lessons, clinics and skill-and-drill sessions in Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Mason, West Chester, Middletown and everywhere in between. The Level II IPTPA certification will instill confidence in you as a student that the training/lessons I provide is best-in-class.

Happy practicing and drilling!  See you on the courts!