Palm Beach Royals bring pro pickleball clinics to local teens

More than 70 teens got a first serious look at pickleball as the Palm Beach Royals and Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County rolled out a youth program built to last, not just to entertain for an afternoon. The clinics reached players at the Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club of West Palm Beach, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delray Beach and Boca Raton, and Conniston Middle School, giving young athletes a direct path into a sport that is growing fast but still depends on access to courts, coaching and equipment.

The program was formally announced on February 26, 2026, and it was structured around monthly clinics led by professional players and Royals staff. That matters because the instruction went beyond a casual introduction. Teens learned the basics from people attached to a Major League Pickleball expansion franchise, giving the sessions a more organized feel than a one-off demo. The initiative also included donated paddles and training resources so club staff could keep running pickleball after the clinics ended, turning the project into a repeatable youth pipeline rather than a temporary visit.

Conniston Middle School gave the effort a ready-made home. Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County opened the school-based site in January 2023 as one of three school locations, and nearly 80 students were participating in the after-school program there at the time. The Conniston site had already been supported by a Florida Department of Education grant, and the school-based club program costs $30 per year to participate, a price point that underscores why the partnership can matter for families who need low-cost access to organized sports.

For the Royals, the youth push also fits a larger identity shift in Palm Beach County. The franchise began play in 2026 as a Major League Pickleball expansion team and was described locally as Palm Beach’s first major pro sports team. Co-owner Zach Hunter framed the initiative as an investment in the next generation on and off the court, while Transworld CEO Andy Cagnetta said the partnership is meant to build confidence, teach discipline and create new opportunities for young people. The clubs and Royals also have a summer inter-club youth tournament in mind, a competitive finish that could give the county’s youngest players a reason to keep showing up.