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Meet the pickleball instructors at the Paseo Club

June 17th, 2024 | 3 min. read

By Jen Azevedo

More and more people are choosing to learn the sport of pickleball in Santa Clarita and abroad. They are coming to pickleball for many reasons — the social aspect, as a fun alternative to tennis, and for outdoor fitness. 

The best way to improve your skills is to attend drills with other students and to hire a coach for a series of private lessons. Both options will help you refine your technique, learn to move safely to minimize your chance of injury, and develop a better strategy. 

The Paseo Club is the only full-service pickleball facility in the SCV. Pickleball Director Tyler Shaffer and his team provide drills, leagues, private lessons, tournaments, and youth programs.

You deserve to find an instructor who is a great fit for you — someone who is informative, personable, and experienced. In this article, you will learn a little about each of the pickleball instructors at the Paseo Club so you can get a better sense of who each coach is and what drills they teach.  

Who are the pickleball staff at the Paseo Club?

22abd359-5ea5-49a8-865b-8620cf15fa74Tyler Shaffer, Pickleball Director

Training/Certifications: PPR-certified (Professional Pickleball Registry)
Drills taught: 3.0, 3.5 Drills and Live Ball
Favorite part of teaching: When somebody has an “aha” moment when learning something new.
Why pickleball is such an awesome sport: The laughter never stops.
Best student success story: Which one? I have a handful of students winning tournaments and leagues.

Screen Shot 2024-06-17 at 9.50.47 AMNick Woll, Pickleball Instructor

Training/Certifications(s): After 6 months of training under a certified professional, I have taught pickleball for over two years.
Drills taught: 2.0 Intro Class and 3.0 Live Ball class 
Favorite part of teaching: Watching my students take an idea learned in a private lesson or class to a competitive game! 
Why pickleball is such an awesome sport: The pickleball community is extraordinarily welcoming, and you can play the game with people of all ages and skill levels. 
Best student success story: Watching two of my students go from struggling at the 3.0 level to winning tournaments against 3.5 players.

Screen Shot 2024-06-17 at 9.49.50 AMChris Null, Pickleball Instructor

Training/Certifications(s): I have taught pickleball for five years and have been a coach for pro player Tyson McGuffin's camp. 
Drills taught: Adult Starters, 3.0 Live Ball, and 3.5 Drill
Favorite part of teaching: Having members tell me that what I'm saying has changed their game for the better and watching something finally click for them that they thought they wouldn't be able to do before. 
Why pickleball is such an awesome sport: Pickleball is an awesome sport because it's very easy to get into but very rewarding to get good at. The friendliness and overall good attitudes of the pickleball community are second to none. 
Best student success story: As the longest tenured pickleball coach at the Paseo Club, I've been with this program from its inception when we had just four courts. Now we have a thriving community that is a privilege to be a part of. Some of my favorite stories are when my students and I are working on one specific skill and then it finally clicks. I've been told that it has completely changed their game for the better!

Screen Shot 2024-06-17 at 9.50.06 AMKP Puvogel, Pickleball Instructor

Training/Certifications(s): USPTA  certified Pickleball Professional and United States Professional Tennis Association
Drills taught: Starters 2.0 Pickleball
Favorite part of teaching: My favorite part of teaching pickleball is teaching members a sport they can play for the rest of their lives and getting them to experience the positive benefits of exercise!!!
Why pickleball is such an awesome sport: Pickleball is the FASTEST-growing sport on the planet. It is an awesome sport for many reasons, most notably for providing  exercise, getting the blood flowing, getting oxygen moving throughout your body, meeting people, and acquiring new friends! It’s a very social oriented sport — and the Paseo Club is synonymous with everything social! Pickleball is challenging and it’s damn fun — something that’s been a big surprise to me.
Best student success story: I placed second and won the silver medal in mixed doubles in the first tourney I ever entered, Dinks for a Cause  — after picking up a paddle for the first time only two months prior to the competition. Well done Coach KP (lol)!

comp_53712342253_db2a30727e_oGetting involved in pickleball at the Paseo Club

Whether you have never played a game of pickleball in your life or are a 3.5 player and training for your next comp, there are resources for you at the Paseo Club

Pickleball drills and live ball classes are taught six days a week in the mornings and evenings. Most coaches are available for private instruction. Individual lessons, especially in combination with drills, are the fastest way to learn the game and improve your skills. Lessons are designed according to your abilities, experience, and goals so you can have a fully customized class.  

Do you love pickleball and want to share your passion for the game with your kid? The Paseo Club has a pickleball summer camp! Camp runs from June 10th through August 9th in 2024. You can select as many or as few days of camp as you want so it can accommodate your schedule. Extended care is available!

The Paseo Club is a social club that has supported families and individuals in meeting their health and fitness goals for over twenty years. The club offers tennis, pickleball, fitness, swimming, and Pilates programs. High-quality amenities such as childcare, cafe and clubhouse, and an onsite spa help make our members' experience top-notch.

If you want to become a part of a community that values healthy living, then the Paseo Club may be the place for you. Join the Paseo Club today. See you soon! 

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Jen Azevedo

Jen Azevedo is a tennis professional, pickleball professional, personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and the general manager of the Paseo Club. She loves the community at the Paseo Club and that it is also a safe and fun place for her daughter. Jen’s favorite activities are joining her tribe for trail races or her partners for tennis matches. Occasionally Jen slows down to relax with a book — she reads over 100 a year!