Derek is a great coach to help someone get to the next level of playing. In every lesson I always learn something new about what I'm doing wrong in my techniques, how to improve, what to be aware of, and how to anticipate the incoming ball from the opponent's positioning and movement. I look forward to learning more and doing more drills in the future lessons.

Derek is a great coach to help get my PB playing to the next level. In every lesson, I learn something new about what I'm doing wrong in my hitting techniques, how to improve, what to be mindful of, how to anticipate speedups from the opponent's positioning and movement, etc. I've definitely benefited a lot from these lessons, and look forward to learning more and doing more drills with him.

Derek is very patient and nice. He help me improve my pickleball skill drastically. His advice's are right on the target skill and I enjoy the way he coach.

I’ve had a very solid experience working with Derek over the past couple of years and would recommend him to anyone looking to improve their pickleball skills. I have personally taken private, semi-private, and group lessons with him and have referred about 10 friends and family who have all had an excellent experience taking lessons from him.

Derek is very technique-focused and identifies the adjustments needed to improve your current mechanics. He breaks down your strokes and footwork and explains the adjustments in an understandable way. For example, he will relate concepts to other racquet and non-racquet sports and uses those references to make things easier to understand and apply.

Derek also emphasizes shot selection to help you to think through points more strategically. He teaches various types of shots so that you may have the necessary tools available when faced with different balls. As part of his lesson, a point is usually played out with Derek feeding specific balls for the new shot/skill learned.

Derek is open to questions during and after lessons and provides drill homework so you have structure for practicing on your own. This makes it easier to keep improving between sessions.

Lastly, Derek is a very patient coach who understands that learning new skills can be uncomfortable and difficult. He adapts his coaching based on individual progress, encourages his students and is excited alongside us when any progress is made. With every lesson I take from Derek, my excitement for the sport is always elevated. Overall, I highly recommend Derek!

I started working with Derek because I’ve been wanting to progress toward a 4.0 level. I had also taken a few parks and rec pickleball classes which were fine but the private coaching lessons will elevate you much faster and efficiently. I really enjoy his coaching style and highly recommend him!

I feel fortunate to have found Derek as a coach. His knowledge of the sport – and the ability to explain it to a player with no ‘racquet’ experience – has been invaluable to me. I marvel at his ball-machine-like skills during drills: Whether you want to practice returning a top-spin dink, or drives hit at your feet in the transition zone, or high backhand volleys, or lobs . . . you name it, he will deliver it – and provide instant feedback and instruction. He is patient, but persistent – pushing you to improve beyond your comfort zone. I thoroughly enjoy our sessions, and highly recommend him if you are looking to improve your game – regardless of your current level.

Derek is a great pickleball coach; he’s very detailed and can instantly see what I’m doing wrong and tell me how to correct it. He does a good job of breaking down mechanics and other fundamentals such as footwork—something I never knew could make such a difference in game. He has the right amount of instruction without being too repetitive. Highly recommended! Aaron

I’ve taken 10+ lessons with him over the last few years, and I can’t recommend him enough. He catches everything—your grip, leg movement, paddle face, and even those tiny arm adjustments that make a huge difference. He is also super professional, easy to talk to, and genuinely a nice teacher :) 10/10 would recommend

Coach Derek is a fantastic coach—super knowledgeable, patient, and really good at spotting the one small thing that’s throwing your game off. He keeps each session focused with clear goals, simple cues, and drills that translate directly into real match play (not just “hit more balls and hope”).

What I like most is how he balances encouragement with accountability. He’ll push you, but in a way that feels supportive, not stressful. Since working with him, my consistency has improved, my shot selection is smarter, and I feel way more confident with speeds up. Highly recommend Coach Derek if you want to level up quickly and actually understand what you’re doing.

Derek is very knowledgeable and patient while helping us to be better pickleball players. We are so lucky to have him coach us