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Goal for project 8: Plan and implement a state-wide youth program to increase involvement in pickleball of this age group.
Estimated length: 1 year
Project manager: Andrea Hui
Components: This could include: working with home schooled children, participating with LGA holiday programs, creation of short videos of young people playing pickleball, youth tournaments, family/grandparent days at clubs, utilise social media, education program for teachers build relationship with schools.

Initiatives (2024)

• Create a subcommittee to develop the following programs for this cohort. This subcommittee could include: retired teachers/educators from the three education sectors, ambassadors, experienced home schoolers, coach etc*
• Establish a team to focus on work with schools
  • On trial basis, create relationships with sports coordinators and local primary schools in one or two areas to determine how to roll this out across the state
  • Clubs in the trial to establish at least one playing session after school hours for independent playing
  • provide contacts with pickleball suppliers (they already have school programs and pricing)
  • ensure that age-appropriate coaching programs are provided
  • provide links to these coaches
  • investigate the need to expand the numbers of coaches with respect to youth coaching
  • seek guidance from the Head Coach to provide to youth coaches with our expectations of what should be provided
• Select a PANSW LGA and create a targeted program for teachers
• Provide a how to play/ coach youths program with outcomes and indicators linked
• Make recommendations for council holiday programs being offered around the state so clubs can volunteer pickleball as a component of these programs
• Ensure scaffolds of promotional materials and brochures are available for clubs to modify
• Utilise social media particularly with videos of younger people playing pickleball including links to NPL videos
• Provide a kids button on the PANSW website
• Investigate working with home schooled students
• Create a plan for family days, grandparent days intergenerational days that clubs can use – could include selling off a court for a family to use on those days
• Create a ‘birthday party’ plan that clubs could use
• In coordination with the competitions committee, have a Youth Tournament conducted late in the year or plans finalised for one early in 2025 (possibly in the last week of school holidays)
• Create a plan to encourage school leavers to join their local club
• Create a listing of “free” playing venues in NSW on the PANSW website**

*     this cohort accounts for circa 30% of players in US yet remains far less significant in our current membership base. This would assist in increasing playing / membership numbers as well as potential playing / facility resource development

**   Some LGAs are creating ‘free’ pickleball playing courts

Financial implications: $2000