Pickleball Classes at Holyoke Community College Starting Oct. 3

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) will run a series of pickleball clinics this fall for beginners and other players who want to improve their game all the way up to tournament-level play.

The group classes will be led by pickleball coach and racquet sports instructor Kelly Canniff, who has 25 years of experience educating children, adolescents, and adults.

Starting Oct. 3, the sessions run on select Tuesday and Thursday mornings on the indoor pickleball courts at the Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave. The cost for each 90-minute session is $90.

“We try to offer something for all abilities, all ages, and all levels, whether you’re a beginner or more advanced player,” said Tom Stewart, HCC’s director of Athletics.

“Pickleball 101” will run Oct. 3 and Oct. 5, with sessions at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. These sessions are geared toward people who have played a few times and cover topics such as serving, developing a forehand, scoring, basic rules, positioning, and strategy.

“Pickleball Intermediate Level” will run Oct. 24 at 8 a.m. and Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. and is designed for players who have taken beginner classes or already have some familiarity and experience with the game and want to advance their play by improving their groundstrokes, overhead shots, volleys, and serves, while adding direction, control, and accuracy.

“Pickleball Tournament Ready Prep” runs Nov. 28 and Nov. 30, with sessions at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. These are designed for players who want to prepare for tournament-level play, with practice that will help them improve shot variety and accuracy and develop better strategies for playing doubles.

Slots are limited. To register, visit hcc.edu/health-and-fitness.