Costa Rica · December 2026
Costa Rica Pickleball Camp with Steve Kennedy
Six days at an all-inclusive beachfront resort. Train every morning with a US Open champion. Spend every afternoon on vacation.
This camp is for: couples, friends and solo travelers. Non-playing spouses are welcome at a guest rate. The beach does not require a paddle.
The Experience
Mornings that fix your game. Afternoons in paradise.
Steve has run more than one hundred camps across Florida and the Caribbean. The formula is simple and it has filled 48-player camps: three focused hours of coaching every morning while it's cool, then the rest of the day is yours: pool, beach, excursions, or more pickleball if you can't help yourself.
Real instruction, every day
Skill blocks, drilling and live-ball situations each morning, with video review of your match play. Most points at every level are won and lost in the dink game, so that is where the week starts.
Small groups by level
You're placed with players at your level and the coaching ratio is capped. As the camp grows, Steve brings additional certified pros rather than diluting the coaching.
A real vacation attached
All-inclusive means meals, drinks, pools and the beach are steps from the courts. Group dinners every night, with at least one story from the pro tennis tour per evening.
Day by Day
The rhythm of the week
Tap any day to open it. The shape of each day is the same on purpose, so you'll know exactly when you're training and when you're free.
Day 1 Arrival and welcome
Fly into Costa Rica, transfer to the resort, and settle in. We meet in the late afternoon for introductions, level placement on court, and the first group dinner. Nothing strenuous today. Travel days are travel days.
Days 2–5 Camp days: train, then play
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Breakfast at the resort |
| 8:30 – 11:30 | On-court instruction: skill blocks, drilling, situational play, video-reviewed games |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch, then the day is yours: beach, pool, spa, excursions, or open play |
| 4:30 PM | Optional round robin and strategy sessions |
| 7:00 PM | Group dinner |
Each morning has a theme (dinking and the soft game, third shots, transition play, and match strategy), so by Friday the pieces fit together.
Day 6 Final games and departure
A short final session and camp games in the morning for those with later flights, then transfers back to the airport. You leave with a written summary of what to practice next, and usually a few new regular partners.
Where You Stay
The resort
An all-inclusive beachfront resort with courts on the property. Once the resort is confirmed, this section will show the rooms, the restaurants, the pools, and the honest details worth knowing before you book. Waitlist players get that the moment it is signed.
The Fine Print, Up Front
What's included
Included
- 5 nights at the all-inclusive resort
- All meals and drinks, all week
- 15+ hours of on-court instruction
- Video review of your match play
- Court fees and camp balls
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure day
- Written end-of-camp game plan from Steve
Not included
- Airfare to Costa Rica
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Gratuities for resort staff
- Spa treatments and off-site excursions
- Anything you break in a moment of dink-related frustration
Straight Talk
Things you should know before you book
Costa Rica in December is beautiful, and it's the tropics. That's why all instruction happens in the morning. Afternoon play is optional and shaded breaks are built in.
Between the flight and the transfer, plan on most of Day 1 in transit. We schedule nothing that day except dinner.
Three hours of real coaching each morning is a workout. You should be comfortable playing several games back to back. You do not need to be advanced. You need to be ready to move.
December is early dry season, but showers happen. Sessions shift within the day rather than getting cancelled, and video review moves indoors.
Your Coach
Steve Kennedy
Steve played professional tennis, reaching the top 210 in the world and qualifying for the main draw of the 1987 US Open. After 26 years teaching at Fort Lauderdale's famed Jimmy Evert Tennis Center, he found pickleball, then won the 2017 USA Pickleball Nationals Senior Pro Championship, plus titles at the Tournament of Champions and the Texas Open.
He has led more than 100 camps across Florida and the Caribbean. His coaching philosophy: "Drill, drill, drill, and don't let your game become predictable."
- 1987 US Open Main Draw
- 2017 National Senior Pro Champion
- 6× US Open Medalist
- USPTA Elite Professional
- 100+ Camps Led
Reserve Your Spot
How booking works
- Text or call Steve to get on the waitlist. He answers his own phone.
- Waitlist players hear the price and the exact dates before anyone else, and get first claim on the sixteen spots.
- When you commit, a deposit holds your spot and the balance splits into payments before travel. No lump sum, no surprises.
Spots are limited by the coaching ratio, not the resort. When the courts are full, the camp is full.
- Resort, meals, drinks and coaching included in one price
- Non-playing guests welcome at a reduced rate
- A deposit holds your spot once dates are set
- December 2026, exact dates announced to the waitlist
Prefer to talk? Call Steve directly · or email steve.kennedy1@att.net
Questions