About James
Hi my name is James “Big Jim” and I am a local New Paltz pickleball coach! I am also a PPR Certified Pickleball Professional. I am a 3.75 rated pickleball player & coach with a deep passion for competitive sports. My journey began out on the baseball field, where I played college baseball at SUNY New Paltz and later expanded to coaching as a rookie “A” ball advanced girls fastpitch pitching coach. I helped to develop and mentor the Ulster County girls softball “Player of the Year” which was one of my proudest moments. I’ve competed in 3.5 open pickleball tournaments, earning runner-up honors over at the Candlewood Lake Tournament in New Fairfield. My love for racquet sports has been a lifelong journey, stretching back to my college days, where I played #4 singles and #1 doubles tennis, earning the MVP award at Farmingdale College in 1987. Beyond pickleball, I’m a dedicated racquetball, handball and paddleball enthusiast and I love sharing my passion as both a player and teacher out on the courts.
I am offering fun private pickleball lessons, semi-private pickleball lessons, group pickleball lessons and hitting only sessions for all ages (kids, teens, adults, seniors) and for all skill levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced). So whether you need to work on some specifics like your forehand, backhand, volley, serve, service return, overhead, drop shot (dink), approach shot, footwork, singles strategy or doubles strategy-I would be happy to help you with your game!
I teach pickleball lessons in the New Paltz area but I will travel up to 15 miles to a pickleball court that is conveniently located near you.
Please contact me through my FindPickleballLessons.com coach page and then I will contact you back within 24 hours to introduce myself, answer any questions and if you are interested, we’ll set-up your first pickleball lesson or hitting session at a time and place that is convenient for you. I look forward to hearing from you and to the opportunity to be your New Paltz pickleball coach out on the court!
Private Pickleball Lessons (1 Player): $50 Per Hour
Semi-Private Pickleball Lessons (2 Players): $40 Per Hour Each
Group Pickleball Lessons (3 Players): $30 Per Hour Each
Hitting Only Sessions (1 Player): $60 Per Hour
First Lesson Satisfaction Guarantee!
Buy 6, Get 1 Free!
*If you’re interested in semi-private pickleball lessons (2 players) or group pickleball lessons (3+ players), you would first need to find a friend(s) to take pickleball lessons with you before contacting me.
- Local New Paltz Pickleball Coach
- PPR Certified Pickleball Professional
- 3.75 Rated Pickleball Player & Coach
- Competed In 3.5 Open Pickleball Tournaments
- Candlewood Lake Pickleball Tournament Runner-Up
- SUNY New Paltz College Baseball Player
- Rookie "A" Advanced Girls Fastpitch Pitching Coach
- Farmingdale College Tennis Team MVP
- Racquetball/Handball/Paddleball Player
- Teaches All Ages & All Skill Levels