When we heard about the pickleball coaching course in Lyon – Saint Priest, we thought, “Perfect! A bit of learning, a bit of sightseeing, and maybe even a croissant by the river.”
Of course, things don’t always go as planned.
As soon as I and the two other coaches who traveled to Lyon, Pete Pulkrabek and Vojtech Petr, arrived at the venue, we were blown away by the impressive sight.
From the moment we walked into 1nPick, France’s first American-style pickleball center, all of our sightseeing plans disappeared faster than a smash to the kitchen line. The place was incredible — five professional courts, each equipped with cameras recording every match, and even an option to get your own personal highlight reel afterward.
Forget museums — we were too busy analyzing our drop shots.
Our mission was to attend the official IPTPA coaching course, which was an exciting next step for the three of us in attendance. Eager as always to bring new skills and excitement back to our home club here in Prague.
The coaching course took the whole day, but it flew by.
It was intense, inspiring, and a true deep dive into the art of teaching pickleball. Even after hours of training, we still found ourselves on court that same evening — playing again, this time with our instructor Cyril Dirand himself. He truly delivered fantastic energy, guidance, and unforgettable rallies.
1nPick showed us what the sport can look like when passion meets professionalism — and it made us even more excited to bring that same energy back to Prague.
Because who needs sightseeing when you’ve just seen the future of pickleball?
Check out our recap video below!
