HCC Offering Pickleball Classes in January, February

HOLYOKE — Ready to pick up pickleball as a new hobby or improve your game while outdoor courts are closed for the winter? Holyoke Community College (HCC) is running a series of pickleball classes in January and February for beginners, intermediates, and tournament-level players in the college’s indoor athletics facility.

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.

Sessions run on both Tuesday and Thursday mornings on the pickleball courts inside the David M. Bartley Center for Athletics & Recreation on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave. Each class runs 90 minutes. The cost for each three-week, three-session series is $90.

• Pickleball 101: Tuesdays, Jan. 16-30, or Thursdays, Jan. 18 to Feb. 1. Classes start at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. These classes are geared toward beginners or those who have played a few times, and covers topics such as serving, developing a forehand, scoring, basic rules, positioning, and strategy.

• Pickleball Intermediate Level: Tuesdays, Feb. 6-20, or Thursdays, Feb. 8-22. Classes start at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. This series 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: Tuesdays, Feb. 27 to March 12, or Thursdays, Feb. 29 to March 14. Classes start at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. These classes 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.

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