# Rusty Reopelle > Rusty Reopelle is a Pickleball coach in Tacoma, Washington. Source: https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle. Every page on this site has a Markdown version at its URL plus `/index.md`, or send `Accept: text/markdown`. ## About - Headline: Pickleball lessons with Rusty - Teaches: Kids, Teenagers, Adults, Seniors - Levels: Beginners, Intermediates, Experts - Years of experience: 40 - Lessons taught: 115+ - Rating: 5.0 out of 5 from 53 ratings My name is Rusty, I am a PCI certified PB coach from Tacoma, WA. My introduction to and journey with pickleball is one of a kind and my story alone. If I could sum it up in a few short sentences I would. Due to the uniqueness and length, it will take a bit more. My dad was a Tacoma firefighter and competitive handball player. They had courts at the station, and I started playing with dad and his buddies. Handball is a tough game for a 14-year-old. One day after playing handball, I had to go to baseball practice, my hands were so sore I couldn’t catch the ball, hold a bat or throw the ball without wincing and looking like a baby. I came home and told my dad how terrible practice that day was, he quickly remedied that by sawing off the handle of an old wooden tennis racquet. This worked for about a month, and we decided that a real racquet was in order. My dad knew of a guy up on the Hilltop that was the top racquetball player in the Pacific NW. We went to his little shop, and I met the owner, Sid Williams. (Future Hall of Famer, Original Founder of the USAPA and Original Pioneer of Pickleball), He outfitted me with a new aluminum Leach (I still have it). Little did I know that he would become one of my closest friends a mentor and confidant. Sid became my coach as I started to show promise in local tournaments beating all the ‘old guys’. Fast forward 4 years, one month after my high school graduation, 1978. Sid called and said grab your gear, we are playing this afternoon at the new Family Fitness Center. As I was getting warmed up and my gear ready, he laughed and said “you won’t need all that, we are playing pickleball”. I had never seen nor heard of ‘pickleball’, I thought to myself, what a silly name. But Sid being who he was to me, I rather reluctantly agreed. The courts were all indoor/outdoor carpet, we had a whiffle ball and wooden paddles. I had an absolute blast that day. We played as much as we could that summer, all indoors, all at the Family Fitness Center. There were no such thing as outdoor courts yet. I went to work for the Club and after the summer was over, I left for college to play baseball. After three years of college baseball, I returned home to Tacoma and right back to the club to play racquetball. In my absence pickleball had picked up steam, it was growing, and the courts were usually full. At the same time my sales career was taking off as well. I played both sports whenever I could. Sid was running racquetball tournaments and I was his right-hand man. We would play in the mornings and afterwards we would head out to secure sponsorships donations and door prizes. I didn’t know it at the time, but Sid was giving me a “Master Class” of running tournaments. Somewhere around 1984-85, he took his format and applied it to pickleball. This is where competitive pickleball begins. I was there in the beginning of the new era. Singles was the game at the time and there was one guy I could never beat. Heck no one could beat. Future Hall of Famer Billy Jacobson was that guy. He was the best. Can’t think of a time or tournament that he didn’t dominate. So, I became a doubles specialist. Winning the 1st Annual Washington Open Games for mixed doubles. Billy didn’t play that division. This was the biggest pickleball tourney ever, anywhere. It was sponsored by Nalley and sanctioned by the newly formed USAPA. I loved spending time with Sid on and off the courts. He was truly one of a kind. I loved him dearly and miss him greatly. I played as much as I could, but as a young man at 26 years old I was building a career and was coaching football basketball and baseball at the Boys and Girls Club, there wasn’t a lot of free time. Yet, I was always there with Sid running the tournaments. The Open Games was the last time I played competitively. I took a break to be a college baseball coach, get married and start a family, helping Sid whenever I could. Well now it is September 2022, I am 62 years old. I haven’t played p… ## Packages and prices - **Lesson Package**: 4 prepaid 60-minute lessons for $400.00 ($100.00 per lesson). Sold as 1 to 20 lessons. ## Where lessons happen - The Drop Pickleball Club, Tacoma, Washington - Browns Point Elementary School, Tacoma, Washington - Sehmel Homestead Park, Rosedale, Washington - Hales Pass Park, Gig Harbor, Washington - VanZee Park, Port Orchard, Washington - Fircrest Community Center, Fircrest, Washington - Sehmel Homestead Park, Gig Harbor, Washington - Rosedale Park (tennis court), Gig Harbor, Washington - Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, Washington ## Weekly hours - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM - Friday: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM - Saturday: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM ## Cancellation policy - Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours before a lesson. The coach charges no fee for a late cancellation or a no-show. ## Reviews > Honestly, Rusty's lesson stood out because of how he broke down some tricky shots, which really helped my consistency. Though the pace was steady, I appreciated how he tailored the advice to my style. Still, I left feeling quite confident about applying what I learned. If you're looking for a coach who’s precise and thoughtful, Rusty’s worth trying out. > From Matt, 5 out of 5 > I've been playing competitive pickleball for years, but Rusty's coaching helped me further hone my skills and strategy. He's an expert instructor who really knows how to help his students reach their full potential. > From Henry, 5 out of 5 > As an experienced pickleball player, I sought a coach to help refine my skills and strategy. Rusty was a perfect choice - his expertise and experience really helped me improve my game. > From Mark, 5 out of 5 > Great broad stroke lesson. Now know where I need to work/practice going forward. Rusty is personable, patient with just the right touch of demanding! Again, great lesson-thanks Rusty🏓 > From Kevin, 5 out of 5 > Rusty's coaching has been instrumental in helping me take my game to the next level. He's a skilled instructor who really knows how to challenge and motivate his students. > From Ava, 5 out of 5 > Rusty's coaching has been incredibly helpful in taking my game to the next level. His years of experience as an athlete and coach really shine through in his instruction. > From Jackson, 5 out of 5 > Rusty's coaching really helped me get into pickleball and enjoy the game. He's a great instructor who takes the time to explain things clearly and make the game fun. > From Brandon, 5 out of 5 > Rusty is such a patient and encouraging instructor. He helped me develop my skills and confidence on the court, and his passion for pickleball is contagious! > From Emily, 5 out of 5 ## Pages on this site - [Home](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/index.md) - [All services](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/services/index.md) - [Pickleball Lessons](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/lessons) - [Private Lessons](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/private-lessons/index.md) - [Lessons in Fircrest](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/areas/fircrest) - [Lessons in Gig Harbor](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/areas/gig-harbor) - [Lessons in Port Orchard](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/areas/port-orchard) - [Lessons in Rosedale](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/areas/rosedale) - [Lessons in Tacoma](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/areas/tacoma) - [Fircrest Community Center, Fircrest](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/locations/fircrest-community-center-fircrest) - [Hales Pass Park, Gig Harbor](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/locations/hales-pass-park-gig-harbor) - [Rosedale Park (tennis court), Gig Harbor](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/locations/rosedale-park-tennis-court-gig-harbor) - [Sehmel Homestead Park, Gig Harbor](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/locations/sehmel-homestead-park-gig-harbor) - [VanZee Park, Port Orchard](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/locations/vanzee-park-port-orchard) - [Sehmel Homestead Park, Rosedale](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/locations/sehmel-homestead-park-rosedale) - [Browns Point Elementary School, Tacoma](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/locations/browns-point-elementary-school-tacoma) - [Point Defiance Park, Tacoma](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/locations/point-defiance-park-tacoma) - [The Drop Pickleball Club, Tacoma](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/locations/the-drop-pickleball-club-tacoma) - [Agent instructions](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/llms.txt) ## Book through the API Rusty Reopelle sells Pickleball lessons on this site. It is one coach on TeachMe.To, listing id `0f45bf33-aca1-4b0b-b5e4-71aa24038606`. An agent reads this coach, quotes what this site sells, and books it through the TeachMe.To agent API. - [Agent instructions, generated from the live API](https://api.teachme.to/agent/v1/llms.txt): Read this before calling anything. Sessions need no registration. - [This coach](https://api.teachme.to/agent/v1/coaches/0f45bf33-aca1-4b0b-b5e4-71aa24038606): The coach read. `site.packages` are the packages sold here, priced as this site prices them, and `site.cancellationPolicy` is this site's policy. - [Open times](https://api.teachme.to/agent/v1/coaches/0f45bf33-aca1-4b0b-b5e4-71aa24038606/slots): Pass `sitePackageId` and `locationId` with `from` and `to`. - Quotes and bookings: pass `sitePackageId` and `lessons` to `POST /quotes`, then `POST /bookings` with the quote. The booking returns `paymentUrl`; the student pays there, and the booking is readable while they do. Send `policyAccepted: true` after showing the student the policy when `site.cancellationPolicy.agreementRequired` is true. - [OpenAPI 3.1](https://api.teachme.to/agent/v1/openapi.json): The machine contract. The `sitePackageId` and `locationId` values for this site are in [llms.txt](https://sites.coach/rusty-reopelle/llms.txt).