Empire is excited to continue offering pickleball classes for juniors and adults interested in learning the fastest growing sport in the country! Lessons will be held throughout the Fall at Dinkers Pickleball Facility in East Rochester. Sessions will run for 4 consecutive weeks. Check out all the information including days, times, and prices on the upcoming indoor offerings below.
Junior Group Lessons
For Juniors ages 9-12 looking to start playing Pickeball! Students will learn the basics of the sport all while having fun and staying active. No prior experience required to join this class. Junior Group Lessons will take place at Empire and Thornell Farm Park.
Empire Location
4 weeks @ $99
Wednesday
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Thornell Farm Park
4 weeks @ $125
*Registration opens June 3rd to Pittsford residents and June 10th to the public
Monday
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Session 1 Dates: March 3 - April 1
Session 2 Dates: (Tentatively) April 7 - 22
Adult Group Lessons
Beginner
This beginner course is the perfect place to start playing Pickleball! There will be a variety of fun and fast-paced drills & games that will teach you how to Dink, Serve, volley and keep score. An exceptional way to get started with Pickleball while having a great time and getting a good workout in. No prior experience is necessary to join this class.
Dinkers
4 weeks
$77
Tuesdays 6-7p
Advanced Beginner
Now that you know your way around the court and can keep the score, you will learn the fundamentals of control and power. You are going to love the unique combo of drills and structured playing situations! To register for advanced beginner, players must have prior experience playing pickleball a couple times, knowledge of scoring, and a basic understanding of the sport.
Dinkers
4 weeks
$77
Tuesdays 7-8p
Intermediate
This is where You become YOU on the Pickleball court. We will continue to build your skills and add weapons to your game! Speed-ups, patterns, and strategies will be more heavily incorporated through the drills and games being offered. You will have the competitive edge over opponents in no time! To register for Intermediate, players must be rated minimum 3.0 or be a current student approved by Empire.
Dinkers
4 weeks
$154
Pickle & Play
For those looking to get more point play in and less instruction, join us for the Pickle & Play on Monday nights! One court will be drills & games and the second court will be dedicated to point play. Players will rotate between both courts throughout the time. You can pay for individual classes ($15/class) or $60 for the 4-week session.
Dinkers
4 weeks @ $60
$15 per class
Monday
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM
3-n-Me
‘3-n-me’ is the perfect Pickleball for those that want to combine a more private coaching environment with match-play. Formatted like a Drill and Play, you and 2 friends will work with Richard on specific doubles-based drills for an hour who the last 30min dedicated to matchplay with Richard as your 4th player. Cost is $110/group.
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Sessions will be held at Dinkers Facility on Fridays & Saturdays. Click the link below to register.
Private Lessons
Private Lessons are available for booking to work on both technique and tactics. To book a private lesson, please email richard@empiretennisacademy.com
Group Private Lesson (2 - 4 players) | $75 / 60 min. |
Group Private Lesson (2 - 4 players) | $90 / 90 min. |
Package of 5 Individual Private Lessons | $255 / 60 min. |
Individual Private Lesson | $55 / 60 min. |
About Richard
Richard Levine is very excited about returning to the Empire Academy Team as our Director of Pickleball for his 2nd season. Richard hails from the NYC Metro area, where he played Tennis at Ramapo High School in Rockland County and then Division 1 at Hofstra University on Long Island. Richard is PPR Certified (Professional Pickleball Registry) and was one of the first 25 people to receive a degree in Professional Tennis Management at Ferris State University in Michigan. After completing his degree, he moved back to New York where he was the Head Pro of the Tamcrest Country Club. After two years at Tamcrest, Richard became the Co-Owner and Director of the Columbus Racket Club on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. While at Columbus Racquet Club Richard also coached the High School Team at Columbia Prep, where he was named the High School Coach from 1997- 1999. Richard sold Columbia Racquet Club and moved onto becoming the Director of the Woodstock Tennis Club. In 2001, Richard moved to Florida and became the Director of Racquet Sports at The Beauclerc Country Club/ JCC of Jacskonville from 2001 - 2013. During his tenure at the Beauclerc Country Club, Richard helped lead several of his adult doubles leagues to win numerous First Coast Championships, and had also received an International JCC Award for Innovative Programming. After 25 yrs in the tennis industry, Richard shifted gears and opened and still currently runs an Entertainment Company as a Singer/DJ/Entertainer. With all of his years coaching/playing tennis, Richard transitioned to becoming an avid Pickleball player and coach. Richard became passionate about everything Pickleball and has used his 25 years of coaching tennis stroke mechanics and high performance doubles coaching to provide players with unique technical, tactical and mental insight to bring quality instruction to players in the Jacksonville area over the past several years where the Pickleball scene is booming. Richard now has his coaching certification from the Professional Pickleball Registry, and is excited to join the Empire team as our Pickleball Head Professional and spread the popularity of the sport to the Greater Rochester Area. You can reach Richard at richard@empiretennisacademy.com.