Mentoring

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Since 2016 we have offered summer mentoring for beginners and those wanting to improve their performance on the game’s basics. These free sessions are currently being held at Sycamore Park on Carpenter just east of Clark. They’re every Wednesday morning from 9:00 to Noon. However, they are by invitation only these days. Since COVID we have two, one-hour sessions, each for 12 fully vaccinated  Picklers. The first starts at 9:00. The second at 10:15. One Mentor will work on one court with four students. (omit) We sometimes serve over 100 students on Wednesdays.

Also, Mentors Bear, Dennis, John, and others run Thursday and Saturday afternoon mentoring sessions at Hamilton from 3:00 to 5:00. No reservations or invitations involved. Some days there are only a dozen students, and some days three dozen show up.  We’ve served over 100 students at these sessions.

During the indoor season, we reserve a gym of six courts every other Tuesday morning at Canlan Sportsplex in Lake Barrington for mentoring. Students ask to be put on "Expect to be available" lists for each week.  On Sunday afternoon we invite 24 Mentorees to participate from 9:00 to Noon on Tuesday. Every half hour they will have a different Mentor. Then those whose schedule allows, enjoy lunch a mile away . They have until Noon Monday to accept the invitation or be replaced. Students will be assigned a court, based on their skill and experience. Mentors will rotate courts every half hour so each gets to work with each Mentoree.

Of course, if a schedule changes and a Mentoree needs to be removed from an ETBA list, we  expect him/her

to let Bear know well in advance.  Bear added the Saturday afternoon mentoring session exclusively for Picklers who are unable to make either the Wednesday morning or Thursday afternoon sessions,  due to work, grandkids, golf, etc.

The photos below were from the pre-COVID days when our Wednesday session was walk-on, no invitation

needed.