Growing Pickleball in our Schools
One of the Southern Pickleball Academy's main goals is to grow Pickleball in the Aiken area middle schools and high schools, 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.
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!
During the 2023-24 school year, the Academy supplied all the pickleball equipment requested by 12 middle and high schools through our grant program. More than $11,000 worth of pickleball equipment (nets, paddles, and balls) were donated through the Academy to these 12 schools...
Aiken High School
*Has a Pickleball Club*
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Paul Knox Middle School
Highland Springs Middle School
Wagner Salley High School
North Augusta Middle School
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A.L. Corbett Middle School
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South Aiken High School
*Has a Pickleball Club*
Midland Valley High School
*Has a Pickleball Club*
Aiken Intermediate School
Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle School
Kennedy Middle School
*Has a Pickleball Club*
North Augusta High School
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
