Play Pickleball at May Nissen Park

I'm Coach Darren and I specialize in improving skills through targeted drills with a pickleball machine. My focus is on addressing weaknesses and specific shots such as more consistent and powerful backhands, hitting speedups and defending them, third shot drops, topspin rolls, resets, countering slices and dinking and flicks. By emphasizing technique and repetition, I help players improve their confidence on the shots, reduce errors and win more.

"Practiced lob return after a serve, and lob serve. Felt confident after practicing that I can use these effectively during games. Eager to try. Also practiced quick returns at the net, which gave me some more confidence there. Even tried spin returns. Need more practice to get that skill. All great practice and coaching. Thanks, Darren!

Hi! During my high school and college years, I played varsity tennis and even earned an invitation to the Junior Davis Cup tryouts. I then channeled my passion for the sport into coaching, leading to a head Varsity tennis coach in high school. These days, I've immersed myself in coaching pickleball, drawing from my rich tennis background to nurture and elevate players in this exciting game. Unlike many other coaches I earned a California State Bachelors degree which included a fifth year California State Teaching Credential. This training has given me the special skills to teach and coach my students at all levels of the game. It’s my passion. I recently won the Gold Medal 🏅in the Mixed Doubles at the Tri-Valley Pickle Ball Championships.

"Nick’s coaching session was great. He quickly grasped my strengths and weaknesses and gave helpful tips that brought a huge difference in my play. He covered net play, volleys, serves, fun game play 1:1 to bring the game mood and as a bonus stayed extra time to play few matches partnering with me and against me providing additional feedback on my play. If you are finding ways to switch between pickleball and tennis, Nick’s got some really good tips around switching your technique. I would highly recommend Nick to anyone at any level trying to improve their skills. I am coming back again for more lessons.

Mary's coaching style is encouraging, friendly, and at times, challenging, designed to bring out the best in her players' performance. An athletic individual, she played multiple sports in high school, including tennis, volleyball, and basketball, which has given her a well-rounded understanding of sports and fitness. Last summer, Mary coached beginners to intermediate-level players for Lifetime Activities in Walnut Creek, CA, where she helped athletes build skills and confidence. With a current DUPR skill level of 3.75-4.0, she brings both experience and passion to her coaching, motivating players to push their limits and achieve their personal best.

"Able to play a pick up game with other players cycling through and learned live tips

Passionate professional athlete making waves in Pickleball and Racquetball pro circuits represent Team India in World Games 2025. With a background deeply rooted in these dynamic racquet sports, I bring experience and a competitive edge to my coaching. My coaching style is about unlocking your potential, refining your skills, and advancing your game. Whether you're a beginner aiming to master the fundamentals or a seasoned player seeking advanced techniques, I'm here to guide you on your journey to success. Let's elevate your game together!

"I enjoyed this session. We had a 2 hour session because the last session 4/1, did not occur . This was most enjoyable as we not only worked on serves, dinking, backhand, blocking etc… we played a few games. Loved it

This is Roger Lee.  I am a PPR certified coach and teaching pro at Crow Canyon Country Club where I lead the pickleball programming organizing clinics and skills and drills workshops, and pickleball social activities. Because there is such a large demand for training, I also lead the “Train the Trainer” sessions to teach new coaches.  I grew up playing tennis through high school and college, played racquetball competitively afterwards, but have really enjoyed playing and teaching Pickleball. I promote pickleball everywhere I go across the US, and in countries that have never seen a pickleball like parts of Uganda and Kenya.  With eight years of coaching experience and a National Medalist title, I'm dedicated to helping you excel in pickleball. I offer tailored coaching to unlock your potential while fostering a fun, supportive learning environment. Let's elevate your game together!