Pickleball Scotland Education Pathways
Pickleball Scotland offers a range of educational courses to members wishing to develop their involvement in pickleball.
The Pickleball Scotland education pathways
Schedule of courses
To download the latest schedule of courses click here
Ambassador Award
Description
The role of an Ambassador is to help grow the number of people playing pickleball around Scotland by introducing the basics of the game and facilitating recreational activity for adult players at the grassroots. The main aim of the Pickleball Scotland approach is to introduce the game using the Pickleball Scotland values which in essence means ensuring safety and enjoyment, keeping activity fun, and avoiding technical jargon so that when beginners are introduced to the sport they want to come back for more.
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Ambassadors learn our principles for introducing the basics during Game On! learning:
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Ensure that safety is provided
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Give a brief history of the game
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Explain the basic shots and rules one by one
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Introduce the Pickleball Scotland key values
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Avoid being overly technical at this stage
Format
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1 x 3-hour face-to-face training event
Cost
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£25 (subject to change)
Eligibility
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland member
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Have been playing pickleball for at least 6 months
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Have a basic competency with all pickleball shots
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Know the core pickleball rules ​
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Provide one reference as part of the application process
Qualification criteria and policy
Ambassadors are only qualified to introduce new players to the game and facilitate recreational activities for adult players.
The certification does not qualify Ambassadors to offer or provide skills development and they are not permitted to coach.
Ambassadors are not allowed to undertake regulated work or facilitate specific sessions for children, young persons or protected adults.
Ambassadors must agree to abide by the Pickleball Scotland Safeguarding policy and Code of Conduct.
Failure to comply with or uphold the above criteria for the Ambassador role may result in disciplinary action or suspension.
Introduction to Pickleball for PE teachers, Primary Teachers or Active Schools / Colleges Co-ordinators – the Local Ambassador Award
Description
For people who have skills and qualifications in delivering sport and activity classes we offer a three hour workshop which introduces you to the game and simultaneously provides you with the outline of our key principles for introducing the game.
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Local Ambassadors learn our principles for introducing the basics during Game On! learning:
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Ensure that safety is provided
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Give a brief history of the game
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Explain the basic shots and rules one by one
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Introduce the Pickleball Scotland key values
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Avoid being over technical at this stage
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We provide a 12 lesson plan for BGE produced by our University of Edinburgh teaching colleagues and a booklet which reminds you of the approach. We also provide a template that you can put your own logo onto to show that you have received this training.
If you would like us to deliver this course you need to have courts available and a minimum of 4 participants. The maximum number of participants is 5 for each court you have available.
Format
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1 x 3-hour face-to-face training event
Cost
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£80 per school or area (subject to change)
Eligibility
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Must be a PE teacher, Primary teacher or Active Schools / Colleges Co-ordinator
Qualification criteria and policy
Local Ambassadors are only qualified to introduce new players to the game and facilitate recreational activities within their organisations.
The certification does not qualify Local Ambassadors to offer or provide skills development and they are not permitted to coach.
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Please contact coaching@pickleballscotland.org if you are interested in this course.
Teaching Resources
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Prof. Nanette Mutrie MBE speaks to Sharon MacKechnie about pickleball teaching resources
Watch our video for the full conversation about teaching pickleball within schools throughout Scotland
12-lesson plan BGE resource
Pickleball Scotland along with our University of Edinburgh teaching colleagues, have developed a unique 12-lesson plan BGE resource for schools
Club Coach Award (Level 1)
Description
The aim of this award is to enable candidates to have the skills to coach groups and individuals with a skill level up to 3.5​.
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The training workshops for this award are delivered in two parts over a 3-6 month period:
Part 1 covers the fundamental pickleball techniques, introduction to coaching skills and reflective thinking, we assess candidates' basic demonstration skills and feeding skills, and we reserve the right to suggest further practice be required before progressing to Part 2 if we are not convinced a candidate currently possesses the required skill set.
Part 2 covers more strategic elements of the game looking at options for the serve, return, third shot, dinks, volleys, overheads, communication and further learning related to coaching principles.
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After completing this training, Club Coaches will be able to:
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​​Demonstrate all the fundamental skills
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Show various options for serve, return, third shot and dinking strategies
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Facilitate practice and conditioned games for all the fundamental shots
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Be able to use different coaching styles
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Identify key coaching attributes and be able to reflect on their coaching
Format
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Part 1: 5-hour face-to-face training event (with classroom and court based activity)
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Followed by 2 x submissions of practice session reflections for assessment and feedback
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Part 2: 5-hour face-to-face training event (with classroom and court based activity)
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Followed by 2 x submissions of practice session reflections for assessment and feedback
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Candidates may be asked to deliver an assessed coaching session
Cost
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Part 1: £50
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Part 2: £50
Cost is subject to change
Eligibility
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland member
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland Ambassador
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Have been playing pickleball for at least 6 months
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Demonstrate at least a 3.0 rating across all pickleball shots, skills and strategies
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Have a good working knowledge of the pickleball rules ​
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Must submit one description of an Ambassador session you have conducted
Qualification criteria and policy
Club Coaches are certified to undertake coaching activities for adult players.
Club Coaches are not allowed to undertake regulated work or facilitate specific sessions for children, young persons or protected adults without holding a valid Pickleball Scotland PVG, having undertaken the relevant Safeguarding training and having completed the Pickleball Scotland Inclusive Practice CPD.
Club Coaches must agree to abide by the Pickleball Scotland Safeguarding policy and Code of Conduct.
Failure to comply with or uphold the above criteria for the Club Coach role may result in disciplinary action or suspension.
Senior Club Coach Award (Level 2)
Description
The aim of this award is to ensure candidates have the skills to coach groups and individuals with a 3.5 and above skill level.
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The training workshops for this award are delivered in three parts followed by an assessed session over a 6-9 month period:
Part 1 covers coach competencies including feeding, pickleball skills, technique, communication and organisation.
Part 2 covers player technique assessment (observation & analysis) and the structuring, planning and delivery of 1-2-1 lessons.
Part 3 covers game-play strategies, and the management of groups and events.
An assessed session will focus on the delivery of a 1-2-1 coaching session​
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We reserve the right to suggest further practice be required before progressing through this award if we are not convinced a candidate currently possesses the required skill set.
Format
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Part 1: 5-hour face-to-face training event (with classroom and court based activity)
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Followed by 2 x submissions of practice session reflections for assessment and feedback
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Part 2: 5-hour face-to-face training event (with classroom and court based activity)
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Followed by 2 x submissions of practice session reflections for assessment and feedback
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Part 3: 5-hour face-to-face training event (with classroom and court based activity)
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Followed by 2 x submissions of practice session reflections for assessment and feedback
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Candidates will undertake an assessed coaching session
Cost
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Part 1: £50
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Part 2: £50
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Part 3: £50
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Assessed session: £TBC
Cost is subject to change
Eligibility
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland member
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland Ambassador
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland Club Coach (Level 1)
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Have been a Club Coach for at least 6 months
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Demonstrate at least a 3.5 rating across all pickleball shots, skills and strategies
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Have a very good working knowledge of the pickleball rules​
Prior to completion of the course:
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Hold a current Pickleball Scotland PVG
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Completed relevant Safeguarding course
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Hold a valid Emergency First Aid at Work certification
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Have completed the Pickleball Scotland Inclusive Practice CPD
Qualification criteria and policy
Senior Club Coaches are certified to undertake coaching activities for all players.​
Senior Club Coaches must agree to abide by the Pickleball Scotland Safeguarding policy and Code of Conduct.
Failure to comply with or uphold the above criteria for the Senior Club Coach role may result in disciplinary action or suspension.
Inclusive Practice CPD Award
Description
In collaboration with Scottish Disability Sport we provide a pickleball-specific Disability Inclusion training course aimed at ambassadors and coaches who are interested in becoming involved with pickleball activity for people with physical, sensory or learning disabilities.
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This is a 3-hour practical workshop which includes a mixture of discussion about communication skills, terminology and how best to use an inclusion approach to create opportunities for all participants to experience feelings of success and achievement from beginner right up to advanced levels of play. Tasks on court explore how to deliver safe warm-ups that will help assess ability levels and various Additional Support Needs (including neurodiversity), facilitating conditioned games, and a brief overview of adapted rules that apply to disabled players.
Format
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1 x 3-hour face-to-face training event (with classroom and court based activity)
Cost
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£25 (subject to change)
Eligibility
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland member
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland Ambassador
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Participants are required to complete a 1-hour online Disability Scotland eLearning module before attending the training.
Qualification criteria and policy
Holders of the Inclusive Practice CPD are not allowed to undertake regulated work or facilitate specific sessions for children, young persons or protected adults without holding a valid Pickleball Scotland PVG and having undertaken the relevant Safeguarding training.
Failure to comply with or uphold the above criteria may result in disciplinary action or suspension.
Pickleball for Wellbeing CPD Award
Description
The focus of this training course is the integration of mental health awareness and peer support into inclusion activities that offer a co-operative and modified version of the game facilitated using a humanistic approach.
The overall objective is learning how to increase the accessibility aspect of the game and ways of reducing barriers to participation at the grassroots in communities.
Target groups for Pickleball for Wellbeing (PfW) activities include people who want to get more active but have no previous experience of group sports; people living with long-term health conditions and/or ambulant disabilities; people in rehab from injury or returning to physical activity after a period of inactivity; and people experiencing mental health issues e.g. anxiety and social isolation.
Training includes discussion about frameworks for planning and organising sessions to engage participants in appropriate wellbeing activity and how to build a sense of physical and psychological safety.
There will be practical group tasks on court to co-learn how to facilitate the uniquely devised PfW approach.
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Format
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1 x 3-hour face-to-face training event (with classroom and court based activity)
Cost
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£25 (subject to change)
Eligibility
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland member
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland Ambassador
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Have completed the Pickleball Scotland Inclusive Practice Award​
Qualification criteria and policy
Holders of the Pickleball for Wellbeing CPD are not allowed to undertake regulated work or facilitate specific sessions for children, young persons or protected adults without holding a valid Pickleball Scotland PVG, having undertaken the relevant Safeguarding training and having completed the Pickleball Scotland Inclusive Practice CPD.
Failure to comply with or uphold the above criteria for the Club Coach role may result in disciplinary action or suspension.
Referee Award
Description
This course will train candidates to become National Referees qualified to referee at any tournaments in Scotland up to and including the Scottish National Championships.
This certification is a stepping stone and pre-requisite for potential further International Referee qualifications.​
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The course will equip successful candidates with the following skills and abilities:
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Knowledge of the basic and advanced rules of the game.
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Able to referee a game with the correct procedures for starting and ending a game, scoring, side-outs, time-outs and line calls.
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Apply the basic and advanced rules in a competitive match.
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Correctly mark the score and track the server, receiver and side-outs.
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Able to deal with disciplinary issues in a sympathetic, supportive and fair manner.​
Format
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Part 1: 5-hour face-to-face training event (with classroom and court based activity)
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Followed by 2 x submissions of practice session reflections for assessment and feedback
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Part 2: 5-hour face-to-face training event (with classroom and court based activity)
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Followed by 2 x submissions of practice session reflections for assessment and feedback
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Candidates must pass a test on the rules comprising 50 questions with an 85% pass mark
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Candidates must pass an assessment of their refereeing skills at a senior or National Event.
Cost
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Part 1: £50
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Part 2: £50
Cost is subject to change
Eligibility
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland member
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Must be a Pickleball Scotland Ambassador
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Know the core pickleball rules
Reasonable Adjustment / Special Consideration Request Policy
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Pickleball Scotland is committed to ensuring that our qualifications and courses are accessible for all, which is why it is vital that all learners where possible outline any reasonable adjustments/or special considerations they may require prior to attending the course.
This process covers two areas:
Reasonable Adjustments
These are defined as adjustments made prior to the delivery of a qualification and should be in place before a learner takes an assessment to enable a learner with specific needs to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding to the levels of attainment required by the specification for the qualification.
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Special Considerations
These are defined as the implementation of arrangements given to learners who have temporarily experienced an illness, injury, or some other event outside of their control which has affected their ability to take an assessment or demonstrate their level of attainment in an assessment situation.
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Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations are considered for people who have a disability, impairment or a lifelong health condition. Please note that we cannot consider applications for ongoing injuries.
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If you would like to make a request please contact coaching@pickleballscotland.org