Equipping Our Schools With Pickleball
One of the Southern Pickleball Academy's main goals is to ensure that students in the Aiken area elementary, middle schools and high schools have access to quality pickleball equipment as part of their physical education curriculum. Our plan is to then expand into other school districts across the Southeast. The International Federation for Pickleball (IFP) wants to introduce Pickleball into the Olympics as a legitimate international sport by 2032 so our work needs to begin today! The Academy is working hard to develop and support these future Olympic stars...our students.
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Even more important than the Olympics, we want to encourage our youth to put down their phones and pick up a paddle. The soft skills of conflict resolution, fair play, and integrity learned in this sport will take our youth far!
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Since September of 2023, the Academy has supplied all the pickleball equipment requested by 20 elementary, middle, and high schools through our grant program. More than $21,000 worth of pickleball equipment (nets, paddles, and balls) were donated through the Academy to these schools. All Aiken County schools who have requested equipment have now been supplied with what they need to engage their students with pickleball!
Jan. 30, 2025
Busbee Elementary
Located on the far reaches of Aiken County in Wagener, Busbee Elementary often gets overlooked, which is why our donation of two nets, 26 youth paddles, and 30 balls was that much more special. With this equipment, children living in the Wagener area now will have pickleball as part of their PE curriculum from elementary school, to middle school, and to high school!
Jan. 29, 2025
Aiken Elementary
Beth Eberhard was back in her old stomping grounds with a donation of two nets, 26 youth paddles, and 30 balls to Aiken Elementary. PE teacher Shannon Erwin soon had her students using the equipment in stations as they had fun working on various pickleball skills. It won't be long before these kids are whupping up on us adults on the pickleball courts!
Jan. 28, 2025
North Augusta Elementary
With this donation, Southern Pickleball Academy started a new program, using four elementary schools as hubs to share equipment with other nearby elementary schools. Coach Tanner Turner was thrilled to receive two wheeled nets, 26 youth paddles, and 30 balls. "Wow" is right!
Sept. 4, 2024
Horse Creek Academy
Academy staff members met with Coach Mike Rosenthal at Horse Creek Academy to donate 30 paddles, 30 balls, and one net to their charter school. The Academy held a New Player Clinic for their teachers, and the following spring, Coach Rosenthal started a pickleball club with his students! The pickleball contagion is spreading!
August 5, 2024
East Aiken School of the Arts
Beth Eberhard made a surprise delivery of 26 kid-sized paddles and balls to Lori Secrist, PE teacher at East Aiken Elementary. Coach Secrist, our Academy liaison with the Aiken School District PE teachers, sees the value of pickleball for her elementary students, citing the state PE standards for paddle sports and the size of the paddles as well-suited for this age group.
July 26, 2024
Town Creek Christian Academy
Academy staff members met with Coach MaKenzie Gratton at Town Creek Christian Academy to donate 20 paddles, 20 balls, and two nets to their physical education program. Coach Gratton was "all-in" and already making plans to start a pickleball club with their students!
July 19, 2024
New Ellenton Middle School
Robbie and Cindy Ogden met with Coach Chase Bell at New Ellenton Middle School to donate 18 paddles, 20 balls, and three nets. Coach Bell was so appreciative; their existing equipment was simply not usable. Now, students will now have the opportunity this year and beyond in their PE classes to play pickleball and to possibly develop a pickleball club.
July 18, 2024
South Aiken High School
Beth Eberhard and Cindy Ogden met with Coach Chris Hamilton and Athletic Director Bob Polewski at South Aiken High School to donate six new nets and two sets of court markers to go along with paddles and balls donated last school year. Coach Hamilton relayed that the pickleball PE unit is the students' favorite sport - us too, Coach!
July 17, 2024
Silver Bluff High School
Beth Eberhard, Bob Fogle, and Cindy Ogden met with Coach David Marshall at Silver Bluff High School to donate 20 paddles, 20 balls, and three nets. The students at Silver Bluff will now have the opportunity this year and beyond in their PE classes to play pickleball and to develop a pickleball club.
March 13, 2024
North Augusta High School
Beth Eberhard and Ben Lacy met with Coach Crystal Cummings at North Augusta High School to donate 40 paddles, 40 balls, and eight nets.
January 23, 2024
North Augusta Middle School
Ben Lacy and Beth Eberhard met with Coach Crystal Bush at North Augusta Middle School to donate 30 paddles, 30 balls, and six nets.
January 17, 2024
Midland Valley High School
Ben Lacy met with Scott Talbott and Coach Richardson at Midland Valley High School to donate 40 balls, 40 paddles, and two nets.
Kennedy Middle School
Ben Lacy met with Coach Shuford at Kennedy Middle School to donate 30 balls, 30 paddles, and six nets.
October 31, 2023
Paul Knox Middle School
Principal Rogers, Cindy Ogden, Coach Curry, Beth Eberhard, and Ben Lacy meet at Paul Knox Middle School to donate 30 balls, 39 paddles, and six nets.
September 5, 2023
Pickleball Professional Development Seminar for Aiken County Public School PE teachers
The Academy presented pickleball equipment to:
Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle School: 30 balls, 30 paddles, six nets.
Wagener Salley High School: 30 balls, 30 paddles, eight nets.
Aiken High School: four nets, 20 paddles, and 24 balls.
South Aiken High School: 50 paddles and 24 balls.
Highland Springs Middle School: 20 balls, 20 paddles.
A.L. Corbett Middle School: 16 paddles, one net.
Aiken Intermediate School: 30 balls, 20 paddles, three nets.
