Developing On and Off the Court — The Premier Junior Pickleball Program
“Combining world-class training with values that create champions in pickleball and in life.”
The Problem with Junior Pickleball - And How We’ve Fixed It
Your child has talent. You’ve seen it. They pick up new skills quickly, hold their own against adults, and they have the drive to go far in this sport.
But here’s the challenge: there’s no clear, structured path from being “good for their age”, to competing — and winning — at an elite level. Most junior programs focus on recreational play and basic skills, but they don’t offer the kind of high-performance training necessary to truly develop a complete pickleball player.
Unfortunately, most
junior “programs”...
Lack a structured curriculum that builds skills in a logical, progressive way.
Combine different skill levels in a way that limits growth for most driven kids.
Totally neglect tournament preparation, match strategy, and mental toughness
Don’t track measurable progress or set clear development milestones.
The result? Talented young players are left to “figure it out on their own” — often hitting a plateau or burning out before they ever reach their potential.
We’ve completely changed that.
Our Briones Academy Philosophy
When it comes to real pickleball improvement, we believe in improving all 4 pillars of the game: Movement, Technique, Strategy, and the Mental Game. For aspiring juniors, it’s critical that they are taught this at a very young age. For each junior program, we’ll dive deep into each pillar individually, to ensure that they receive a complete and holistic understanding of the game, from the inside-out.
Pillar 1 - Movement
This is the foundation for absolutely everything that you do on the court. How well you move, is how well you will play. As for pickleball, good footwork is absolutely essential for improving your game. Most players have no idea how to move efficiently – and most coaches don’t even know how to teach footwork entirely. Your movement and how you move your feet is the foundation for this game, and is something that you cannot overlook.
Pillar 2 - Technique
As you become more knowledgeable about the game, you realize how important the technical aspect of the game is. When it comes to consistency, technique can literally make or break your ability to hit the shots that you will need to hit. Without a solid understanding of the correct technique for each shot, you’ll continue to find yourself lacking in consistency on all of your shots.
Pillar 3 - Strategy
Knowing exactly where to hit the ball, why to hit it there, and deciding what specific tactics to use on the court, is what separates good players from great players. As your game develops from a technical standpoint, your ability to adjust to different opponents, and your ability to know how to use your specific strengths to your advantage, is monumental.
Pillar 4 - The Mental Game
As important as the first three pillars of the game are, the most important pillar has to do with what is found right in between your ears – your mind. This is what separates the very best players in the world from the rest of the field, as your mental game can propel you to victory – or force you to completely collapse under pressure. Without a strong mental game, and a clear understanding of how to deal with your thoughts and emotions on the court, it doesn’t matter how great your skills are – as you will have to execute your game when playing under pressure.
In our junior program, we teach and reinforce every aspect of these 4 pillars, week in and week out. Each and every one of these pillars are so important to the game – which is why our teaching philosophy has had great success for over a decade.
Our Elite Coaching Standards
Along with our tried and tested teaching methodology, each of our coaches are hand-selected, and not only have extensive experience playing at the highest levels – but they exude great character, have great communication skills, and offer the highest-level of coaching ability. Along with this, they are genuinely invested in your individual game and success on the court.
Personalized Development is the Key to Success
With each of our junior programs, we also offer a very unique development plan for each individual junior. Every single player has different strengths, skillsets, and gamestyles – and it’s critically important that we foster an environment for your junior to grow and excel into the best player that they can be. Every month, they will receive an updated improvement progress report based on their game, so that they know exactly what they need to do to improve and exactly how to continue to improve it week after week.
How Our Program Works
Evaluation & Goal Setting
Every junior will start with a detailed evaluation led by one of our elite coaches. We will look at their technical skills, footwork, strategy, mental approach, and overall game awareness. This isn’t just about spotting weaknesses — it’s about identifying strengths and opportunities for rapid improvement. Together, we’ll set clear, measurable goals so that you know exactly what success will look like - and exactly how we’re going to get there.
Customized Training Plan
No two players are the same, so no two training plans should be either. Using the results of their evaluation, we design a personalized training roadmap built around our proven 4 Pillars of Pickleball Framework. This plan prioritizes the skills and strategies that will have the greatest impact on their game, while laying the foundation for lasting, long-term growth.
On-Court Development Sessions
Here’s where the real transformation begins. Every session will be structured, purposeful, and led by our elite coaches - who know exactly what they're working toward. We blend targeted drills, game-scenario training, and situational play so that the skills they learn in practice transfer seamlessly into real matches. Every rep, every drill, and every rally is very intentional - as we prepare them for competition.
Measured Progress & Feedback
Improvement isn’t guesswork here — we track it. Our coaches will provide regular feedback and performance check-ins, using both objective benchmarks and on-court observations. This ensures you always know where they stand, what’s actually improving, and what’s next on their roadmap. With this level of accountability, you’ll see their progress in weeks, not years.
Ongoing Support & Community
Training doesn’t stop when they leave the court. As a part of the Briones Pickleball Junior Academy, they’ll join a supportive community of driven players and dedicated coaches. Whether it’s additional resources, match strategy advice, or tactical coaching before a tournament, we’re here every step of the way. They’ll never feel like they’re training alone as they’ll be part of an elite team who’s fully committed to their success.
How Our Program Works
Join Our Program!
What Makes Us Different From Any Other Junior “Program”
Other Junior “Programs”
Briones Academy’s Elite Junior Program
Other Junior “Programs”
Briones Academy’s Elite Junior Program
No set curriculum; generic instruction
Teaches a proven, structured program based on the 4 Pillars of Pickleball
Focus only on basic skills
Includes comprehensive development including footwork, technique, strategy, and the mental toughness
No real improvement plan
Creates customized training plans for each athlete’s goals and playing style – while hyper-focusing on training sessions that are built out for each individual player and group.
High Student-to-coach Ratio
Intentionally limits class sizes – We intentionally cap our classes to six players, ensuring every player receives focused, personalized coaching in every session. This high level of individual attention accelerates skill development and keeps players progressing faster than in larger, overcrowded groups.
Uneven Skill levels
Level-Matched Training Groups Through our intentional player assessments, we group juniors so that every session is competitive, productive, and tailored to the right level. This creates tight-knit training groups where players push each other to improve while staying on the same developmental track.
Limited exposure to competition, and zero tournament preparation
Comprehensive Tournament Preparation – our program includes full tournament preparation, detailed match strategy, and a clear plan to get players competition ready. To reinforce this, we host in-house Briones Academy Junior Tournaments throughout the year, giving players valuable competitive experience in a supportive environment.
Low-level coaching with no real tournament experience.
Hand-selected, elite-level coaches with professional and/or elite junior competitive experience. Our entire academy coaching team is not only composed of top-tier coaches, but they each have competed at the highest level, and know exactly what it takes to play at the highest level of the game.
No long-term player tracking or planning
Progress monitoring and performance feedback to ensure measurable improvement each and every month. It’s invaluable for each junior (and parent) to know exactly where they stand with their game. Frequent updates, and having an improvement progress report is critical for the growth of every player.
Minimal, to no emphasis on building character
Development of leadership, respect, discipline, and sportsmanship both on and off the court. As important as it is to work hard to become the best player that they can be on the court, we believe it is equally as important that they strive to be the best player off of the court as well. Having noble characteristic traits is not only essential to excelling in pickleball – but it is also very important in other areas of life as well.
Lacks training and direction in strength, mobility, and injury prevention
Integrated strength, mobility, and injury-prevention training for long-term performance for each athlete.