CLINICS & LESSONS

Your Path to Better Play Starts Here.

At Syracuse Indoor Pickleball, we believe everyone can play pickleball, and everyone can improve with structure, feedback, and community.

Whether you’re just learning to keep the ball in play or chasing your next DUPR rating, SIP’s coaching team helps guide your journey from beginner to confident player, and beyond.

PLAYER JOURNEY

Stage 1: 2.0 → 2.5 | Learn the Game

Coach: John Sheridan

Focus: Confidence, Rules, and Fun

Start your journey with “Everyone Can Play Pickleball”, a welcoming, game-based introduction to the sport. Learn the rules, scoring, and basic positioning while meeting other new players in a friendly environment.

Ideal For: Brand-new players who are just getting started with the fundamentals of play.

Stage 2: 2.5 → 3.0 | Building Consistency & Game Awareness

Coaches: Brook Bregman PPR Certified Coach, DUPR Ratings Certified

Focus: Controlled rallies, court positioning, and understanding shot purpose

After learning the basics with Coach John, players progress into Brook’s small-group sessions designed to turn familiarity into flow. Brook emphasizes how to move together, set up points, and begin recognizing the “why” behind each shot. The focus is on controlled rallies, placement, and maintaining rhythm during real play.

Ideal For: For players who understand the rules and fundamentals but want to feel more confident, consistent, and connected during real games.

Stage 3: 3.0 → 3.5 | Develop Game IQ & Performance Awareness

Coach: Lindsey Reider, M.P.H., PPR Certified Coach

Focus: Strategy, consistency, and understanding what drives success on the court

Once players can rally with control and sustain points, the next step is learning how to play smarter. Lindsey’s Coaches Court transforms regular match play into a live learning experience, blending competition with analysis and feedback.

During Coaches Court, players compete in live 4-on-1 sessions while Lindsey observes, documents, and provides individualized scorecard feedback. This real-time approach helps players see how decisions, positioning, and shot selection directly impact outcomes.

Ideal For: For players seeking to elevate their understanding of point construction, teamwork, and shot decisions during real play.

Stage 4: 3.5 → 4.0+ | Advance Your Game & Define Your Path

Coaches: Brook Bregman & Kevin Smith

Focus: Precision, performance, and purposeful progression

At this stage, players have developed rhythm, confidence, and tactical awareness — now it’s about refining performanceand identifying what kind of player you want to become. SIP offers two distinct, complementary paths for advanced players:

Skill Refinement & DUPR Development (Brook Bregman)

Brook helps advanced players translate consistency into confidence under pressure. Her drilling clinics are designed to build precision, control, and situational awareness while using DUPR play to benchmark progress. Each session blends competitive structure with community connection, allowing players to test their skills, track improvement, and pursue higher levels of play.

Singles Strategy & Competitive Play with Kevin Smith

Kevin’s singles coaching focuses on the tactical, physical, and mental elements required for confident one-on-one performance. Through structured match-play scenarios and feedback, players learn how to dictate tempo, manage endurance, and close out points effectively.

Ideal For: For players who want to elevate their performance through structured training and intentional competition.

Everyone Can Play

Coach: John Sheridan

$29.99 for a 2-hour lesson + 1 free hour of open play

Fun, game-based introduction for brand-new players

Learn rules, serving, scoring, and positioning

Coaches Court

Coach: Lindsey Reider

$20 per person (4-on-1 coached match play)

Receive live feedback and personalized scorecards

Ideal for players refining strategy and team play

Clinics & Drilling

Coach: Brook Bregman

Pricing varies based on clinic focus, see schedule

Small-group development focused improved play

Great for players progressing beyond the basics

Singles Play

Coaches: Brook Bregman & Kevin Smith

$150 total (includes DUPR ranking + 6-week program)

4 players per group · 1 hour each week

Begins with a DUPR ranking led by Brook

Your Path Beyond 3.2: Recreation or Competition

As players move through the stages of coaching, something shifts, consistency builds, decisions sharpen, and confidence grows. It’s often at this point, around a 3.2 DUPR level, that players begin to define what pickleball means to them.

Recreational

For many, it becomes a rhythm, a way to stay active, connect with others, and keep learning without pressure. This is the recreational pathway: where the joy of play and sense of community remain central. These players still refine their technique and strategy, but progress is measured more by feel than by ranking. Their time on court focuses on flow, camaraderie, and sustainable improvement that fits a balanced lifestyle.

Competitive

For others, the game starts to take on a different intensity. They crave feedback, structure, and competition. This is the competitive pathway: where performance goals, DUPR tracking, and tournament play become motivators. Coaching becomes more analytical — focusing on precision, tactics, and the ability to execute under pressure. Improvement is measured not just in consistency, but in confidence and performance during competition.

MEET THE SIP COACHING TEAM

Brook has been playing pickleball since 2021 and is one of the driving forces behind growing the sport in Central New York. As a leader of the CNY Pickleball organization, she helps expand access to new courts, community programs, and player development opportunities across all skill levels.

At SIP, Brook specializes in helping players build confidence, connection, and control through structured sessions that blend social play and skill development. She also manages DUPR progress tracking and leads advanced drilling series for players ready to refine their game.

Coaching Focus: All levels, DUPR tracking, Drilling Clinics, and Player Development

Lindsey combines over 30 years in health and wellness education with his deep understanding of pickleball strategy. A certified coach through the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR), he created SIP’s Coaches Court, where live match play becomes a tool for tactical learning.

His approach blends analytics, communication, and teamwork — helping players not just perform, but think strategically on the court. Lindsey’s background as a Professor of Health & Wellness at Onondaga Community College brings an academic depth to his coaching.

Coaching Focus: Coaches Court, Strategy, Team Play, and Performance Analysis

John brings warmth, humor, and community to the SIP environment. His “Everyone Can Play Pickleball” program helps new players start with confidence and fun.

With a background in education and youth mentorship, John creates an encouraging atmosphere where players learn rules, scoring, and positioning while connecting with others who are new to the sport. His ability to make pickleball approachable sets the foundation for every player’s journey.

Coaching Focus: Beginner Players, Community Engagement, and Onboarding

Kevin’s passion for pickleball began early, but his return to the game in 2020 reignited his competitive drive. Since then, he’s captured multiple singles titles and developed a training approach focused on tactical precision and endurance.

At SIP, Kevin leads the Singles Development Program — a small-group, 6-week series for advanced players. His sessions focus on court control, shot sequencing, and the mindset required for one-on-one play. He works alongside Brook to integrate DUPR rankings and measurable improvement into every series.

Coaching Focus: Singles Training, Competitive Strategy, and Advanced Development

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