The coaching side of pickleball is still gaining traction.

The most notable mentors are Julie Johnson, Leigh Waters, and Athena Truillot because of their pupils' remarkable success and their personal connections to the pros, but players employing coaches remains a rarity.

John Cincola, however, has been been steadily transitioning into a coaching role by sharing tips via his YouTube channel. 

“I played college tennis and coached tennis full-time for the juniors, so coaching is definitely in my DNA,” said Cincola. “I love coaching, especially pickleball, because people can learn so quickly. I love when people get the 'Aha!' moment on the court.”

While Cincola is still competing in tournaments, he's also working with Michael Loyd and another prospective pro as well.

How does he manage being both a player and a coach?

“Even when I’m playing, I’m still thinking of things from a strategic perspective. When I play my match, I’ll lock in on that, and as soon as I’m done, I’ll hop over to Michael’s matches and see how he’s doing and shift into that coaching role,” explained Cincola.“I’m going to be phasing out of my playing days in the next year or so, so coaching is what I’m wanting to move more in to.”

He believes a good student has several key qualities.

“I look for someone who’s willing to learn, willing to have an open mind on new ideas,” he said. “Someone who wants to work hard, has specific goals, is competitive, and has that winning mentality.”

At this point, players often have support on their bench from their doubles partner, a friend, a significant other, or an MLP teammate.

For example, Gabe Tardio regularly has Hayden Patriquin sitting courtside during for strategy advice and encouragement.  

So what is the benefit of having a coach in the first place?

“Especially in singles, it’s great to have somebody in your corner, having someone to bounce ideas off of. For example, with Michael, him playing a great point and being able to look over at me and give me a ‘C’mon!’ or a fist bump goes a long way,” mentioned Cincola. “It’s about knowing you have someone who has your back, so you don’t feel so alone out there.” 

Having been involved in pro pickleball for years, Cincola has seen just how much the game has grown and evolved.

He believes that America's fastest-growing sport could easily become like pro tennis where every player has a coach on the sidelines. 

“Just like in everything we’ve seen in pickleball, it’s looking more and more professional by the day. These tournaments look so different than what a tournament looked like four years ago,” said Cincola. “I would say that in the next couple of years, you’re probably going to see every Top 20 player with some sort of coach or somebody that they’re working with to help their game.”

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