Pickleball novices are invited to attend free community clinics to learn tips and tricks from volunteer coaches to expand their prowess in the popular community sport.
Participants of an August pickleball event hosted by PKLN are pictured at Worcester Prep’s courts.
Submitted photo
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Pickleball novices are invited to attend free community clinics to learn tips and tricks from volunteer coaches to expand their prowess.
PKLN, a Berlin-based Pickleball group, is hosting Pickleball Smash on Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Worcester Preparatory School’s courts. It is open to anyone looking to learn the sport’s basics, enhance their paddle-wielding techniques, or play a few friendly matches and drills with fellow community members.
The clinic is set to begin at 6 p.m. and end around 8 p.m. Paddles and balls will be provided.
Mike O’Malley, PKLN’s founder, said the free event will be held monthly. The first clinic was held on August 1, attracting approximately 30 pickleball newbies. Paddles and starter sets were given away in a random drawing, and the coaches ran drills to get the beginners used to hitting soft shots over the net.
O’Malley said the Sept. 19 event will be similar but “bigger and better. ” Local vendors are expected to supply food and refreshments, and a curated music playlist will be played over a speaker.
A giveaway like the Aug. 1 event is planned, except this time, with winners determined by competitions.
“We might have coaches come up with a game and see who the best player is,” O’Malley said. “There are so many games we want to try, like Pickle Pong.”
PKLN hopes to expand the regular clinics. While the first two were scheduled for Worcester Prep, organizers are looking to change it up each month and expand the event throughout Delmarva. Delaware, Chincoteague, and other spots on the Virginia shore are at the top of their list.
“I love Berlin, and Berlin will always be PKLN’s home, but we want to spread it out,” O’Malley said. “We are trying to appeal to a younger crowd, so we want to show up in different towns and get more people involved with pickleball … all of Delmarva will be our initial target.”
The coaches will be at each of the clinics. There are five instructors in total, two of which are twin brothers Kevin and Ben O’Malley (no relation to Mike O’Malley) from Berlin. The pair have been playing pickleball for roughly 10 years.
The brothers and O’Malley connected over their mutual passion for the sport and brainstormed how to “get more paddles in hands and bounced around the logistics of a free community clinic,” the founder said. “From there, the first PKLN Community Smash event was born.”
The primary mission of PKLN is to bring Pickleball to the Berlin and Delmarva areas.
The program was launched earlier this year. Organizers hope to continue their community smash clinics, host a charity tournament in October, and expand PKLN in 2025.
The organization’s website, pklnpickleball.com, and Instagram and Facebook pages provide schedules, tournament and clinic updates, and additional information.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States. According to a Sports and Fitness Industry Association report, participation in the game has grown an average of 158.6% over the last three years.
“There is an ease and appeal of getting out there, and in the outdoors, with people you love having fun,” O’Malley said. “It is easy for anyone to pick up. People as young as six, for example, can compete… It is just a weird pop feeling on the paddle that is addicting. It gets you hooked.”