Pickleball is the easiest racket sport for a kid to pick up, and one of the hardest to get them to put down. Universal Rackets runs junior pickleball clinics for ages 7 to 14 at township parks and community centers across the Philadelphia suburbs, plus summer pickleball camps for ages 6 to 14. Kids are grouped by level, we provide the paddles, and your child just needs sneakers and a water bottle.
One-hour clinics for ages 7 to 14, once a week for four to six weeks. Grouped by level and built so every kid is hitting, not waiting.
Find a Junior Clinic
Full weeks of pickleball for ages 6 to 14, packed with games, drills and friendly competition.
See Summer CampsA coach, a group of kids at the same level, and a lot of balls hit in an hour.
Every junior clinic starts with a warm-up game to get the kids moving and laughing. Then the coach works on one or two skills, such as the serve, the dink or the kitchen line, using games rather than lectures. Every session ends with real points, so what they practiced shows up in actual play. Nobody stands in a line waiting for a turn.
Clinics meet once a week at the same day and time for four to six weeks. Your child sees the same coach and mostly the same kids each week, which is how skills stick and how friendships start.
Junior Level 1 is for kids who have never played or have only tried it a few times. They learn how to hold the paddle, how to serve, how the kitchen works and how to keep score, and they play points on day one.
Junior Level 2 is for kids who can rally and keep score and are ready for consistency, better footwork and the beginnings of strategy.
Junior Level 3 is for kids who play comfortably and want faster hands, tougher points and more match play. Some towns call this Junior Performance.
Not every town runs all three levels. Where numbers are smaller we run a Junior All Levels group and split the kids by ability on arrival. Not sure which fits? Pick Level 1 and tell the coach on day one. We move kids between groups whenever it helps.
A paddle: only if they already own one. We bring paddles and balls to every clinic and camp, so there is nothing to buy before your child tries the sport.
Sneakers: athletic shoes with closed toes. No sandals, slides or cleats.
Water and sun protection: a water bottle every time, plus sunscreen and a hat for outdoor sessions.
Every clinic runs with a low coach-to-player ratio so each child gets real coaching and real attention. Our coaches are experienced with kids, and the ball is a light plastic wiffle ball, so the sport is gentle on growing bodies. We email every family before the session with court assignments and weather changes, and rained-out sessions get a make-up date.
Every town page lists this season's junior clinics with live dates, times and levels.
Radnor, Lower Merion, Tredyffrin, Kaiserman JCC and Concord Township.
Upper Merion, Conshohocken, Whitemarsh, Lower Gwynedd, Upper Dublin, Springfield Township and Limerick. Whitpain and Lower Providence run junior pickleball camps in summer.
Doylestown, Warrington, Lower Makefield, Solebury and Perkasie.
Phoenixville and West Chester, plus La Salle in North Philadelphia and Fox Chase in Northeast Philadelphia.
Our Philadelphia area page lists every town and what runs there. Our pickleball page covers the adult side.
It depends on the town. Many locations register right here on universalrackets.com. Township-run programs, such as Lower Merion, Doylestown, West Chester and Springfield Township, register through the township's own recreation page, and the town page links you straight there. Every listing shows the dates, times, level and ages before you sign up. Junior sessions fill in the last two weeks before they start, so register early to get the day and time that fits your family.
See Junior Clinics Near YouOur junior pickleball clinics are for ages 7 to 14, and a few townships open them at age 6. Summer pickleball camps run for ages 6 to 14. For ages 1.5 to 8, Ready Set Rackets is our parent and child program that introduces pickleball, tennis and padel through play.
Yes. The court is small, the paddle is light and the ball is slow, so most kids are rallying in their first session. It builds hand-eye coordination, footwork and confidence, and because it is a doubles game kids are talking, moving and playing with a partner the whole hour. It is also a sport they can play with you and with friends for life.
No. We provide paddles and balls at every junior clinic and camp. Send your child in sneakers with a water bottle. If they already own a paddle they are welcome to bring it.
Yes. Clinics run at public parks and community centers, so you are welcome to watch from outside the court. Most kids play more freely when parents hang back a little, but you never have to leave.
That is exactly who Junior Level 1 is for. Most kids in a Level 1 group have never held a paddle. The first session covers how to hold it, how to serve and how to keep score, and every child plays real points before the hour is up.
Yes. Summer pickleball camps run for ages 6 to 14 across the Philadelphia suburbs, with half-day and full-day options by town. Campers are grouped by age and level on arrival.
Pick your town and grab a spot in a junior clinic or a summer camp. Beginners welcome, paddles provided.