Player Development
Debuting in South Florida at The Fort in January 2025, APP Academy is the first-ever US and International boarding pickleball training and development program.
The program is designed to develop APP Next, Collegiate and Professional pickleball players, while building well-rounded student athletes.
Our family orientated environment encourages players to reach their goals by embracing challenges on the court, in the classroom, and through daily competition.
Thank you for visiting our site and showing interest working with our team overseeing both the APP Academy and Touring Pro Program - the APP High Performance Coaching Staff.
I strongly feel that this group of dedicated coaches and leaders in the pickleball industry, will make both of these player development programs the best worldwide training opportunities for any aspiring player junior to pro.
Ken Herrmann
Managing Owner, APP Player Development Program (APP Academy & APP Touring Pro Program)
APP ACademy High Performance Summer Camp
Ages 23 and younger
Skill Rating: 3.5 or higher
Must be able to score and maintain a rally
6:1 Player To Instructor Ratio
Players will be separated by skill level and monitored for advancement based on performance.
10 Weeks Offered | Mondays - Fridays
June: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th
July: 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th
August: 3rd
Choose Your Session
Morning Session: 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Afternoon Session: 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Full day: 8:30 am - 11:30 am and 1:30 pm - 4:30
Cost: Each player will receive an APP Academy t-shirt
Food is available to purchase at The Fort.
$400.00 | Morning session (15 hours for the week)
$400.00 | Afternoon training session (15 hours for the week)
$700.00 | Both training sessions (30 hours for the week)
The Fort
Premier sports facility in South Florida, the ultimate destination for athletes and enthusiasts
01
Premier Facility in United States
02
Located in South Florida
03
43 lighted courts (14 covered)
04
On-site fitness facility
05
Full service restaurant
06
2000 sq ft pro shop
07
Championship court seating 1200
Timeline
June 2025
APP High Performance Summer Program
Sept 2025
Fall Semester(Sept 8 - Dec 20)APP Academy Boarding APP Touring Pro Program APP After-School Program APP Saturday Program
Dec 2025
APP Holiday Boot CampsDec 22-24, 2025Dec 29-31, 2025
Jan 2026
Winter Semester(Jan 5 - May 16)APP Academy Boarding APP Touring Pro Program APP After-School Program APP Saturday Program
June 2026
APP High Performance Summer Program (June 1 - Aug 7, 2026)
non-Boarding Programs
Programs Offered:
APP Touring Pros Program • APP Academy Full time (Non-Boarding) •APP After-School Program • APP Saturday Program • APP Holiday Boot Camp • APP High Performance Summer Program
Fall Session September 8 - December 20, 2025
Duration: 15 weeks
Days: Monday – Friday, plus Saturday
Holiday Boot Camp
December 22-24, 2025
December 29-31, 2025
Winter Session January 5 - March 28, 2026
Duration: 12 weeks
Days: Monday – Friday, plus Saturday
Spring Session April 6 - May 15, 2026
Duration: 12 weeks
Days: Monday – Friday, plus Saturday
Summer Session June 1 - August 7, 2026
Duration: 10 weeks
Days: Monday – Friday
Full Year Boarding program
The Fall 2025 (Sept 8 – Dec 20) boarding program is full. We are accepting applications for the Winter/Spring 2026 session (Jan 5 – May 15). Annual Fort Junior Membership is required.
September 8, 2025 - May 2026
Holiday Break – December 22, 2025 to January 4, 2026
Spring Break – March 30 to April 5, 2026
Graduation May 16, 2026
Player Training & Activities Schedule
6:45am Rise and Shine
7:30 am - 10:30 am Breakfast/ Studies
11:00 am - 2:00 pm Morning Session: On Court Training
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Lunch, Studies, Appointments, Admin
4:30 pm - 7:00 pm Afternoon Session: On Court Training
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm Dinner
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm Study Hall
9:45 pm Curfew
10:30 pm Lights Out
Weekend:
- No scheduled activities
- APP Academy Saturday session or private lessons available
- Travel to local, regional/national tournaments supported
- Entertainment(movies, mall get-a-ways, entertainment)
Training Schedule & Rates
11:00 am - 2:00 pm Morning Session: on/off court training
2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Lunch, Studies, or rest
11:00 am - 2:00 pm Afternoon Session: on/off court training
Cost per training hour:
- Drop-in rate: $90/daily session ($30/training hour)
- Save $15 per Touring Pros Program/Full-Time (Non-boarding) session by purchasing bulk training hours in advance at $25/training hour – bulk training hours purchased are used in the season and can be mixed for the various training programs offered and private lessons. Email academy@theapp.global to purchase bulk training hours.
- Late Cancellation Fee –any player who has signed up for a program then cancels within 24 hours of the scheduled program will be billed 50% of the group session or 100% of the private lesson. Instructor services are scheduled in advance based upon enrollment.
Weekly schedule includes Monday through Friday
The APP Academy After-School program is designed for athletes who attend a traditional school and wish to attend the high-performance development training program offered by the APP Academy.
- 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM on court training
- Plus, Saturday Noon – 3:00 PM
Cost per training hour:
- Drop-in rate: $90/daily session ($30/training hour)
- Save $15 per After School session by purchasing bulk training hours in advance at $25/training hour – bulk training hours purchased are used in the season and can be mixed for the various training programs offered and private lessons. Email academy@theapp.global to purchase bulk training hours.
- Late Cancellation Fee –any player who has signed up for a program then cancels within 24 hours of the scheduled program will be billed 50% of the group session or 100% of the private lesson. Instructor services are scheduled in advance based upon enrollment.
Saturday Program Overview
The APP Academy Saturday program is designed for athletes who wish to attend the high-performance development training program offered by the APP Academy.
Saturday Noon - 3:00 PM
Cost per training hour:
- Drop-in rate: $90/daily session ($30/training hour)
- Save $15 per Saturday session by purchasing bulk training hours in advance at $25/training hour – bulk training hours purchased are used in the season and can be mixed for the various training programs offered and private lessons. Email academy@theapp.global to purchase bulk training hours.
- Late Cancellation Fee –any player who has signed up for a program then cancels within 24 hours of the scheduled program will be billed 50% of the group session or 100% of the private lesson. Instructor services are scheduled in advance based upon enrollment.
Full-Time Boarding: Education
APP Academy is dedicated to academic success, ensuring education remains a priority alongside performance training. Our methods create well-rounded student-athletes through advanced technology, tutorial support, ACT/SAT prep, and the flexibility needed by serious athletes.
Our goal is for 100% of APP Academy athletes to earn academic or athletic scholarships and continue playing pickleball at the collegiate level.
- Online / Public /Private
- Registration Assistance
- Coordinating Tutoring
Pathway to Competing at the Highest Levels
A continued pathway of development for an aspiring player wanting to compete at the highest levels of the sport
FAQs
A player in the APP Academy is still playing amateur tournaments with a skill level 5.0 or below. When they are committed to playing full-time pro and meet APP Co-Director’s approval, they can move to the Touring Pro Program (TPP).
Registrations are now being accepted for the non-boarding full-day program and after-school program. Fall session begins September 8, 2025; winter session begins January 5, 2026 and spring session begins April 6, 2026.
Registrations are now being accepted for the Winter/Spring APP Academy Boarding Program (player age 18 and younger). The Winter/Spring session will be January 5th through May 16, 2026.
Please email academy@theapp.global for additional information.
We will move the academy to the covered courts in case of rain.
6:1
A player with a 3.5 skill level or higher is invited to participate in the APP Player Development Program. A player’s skill level can be assessed using their UTR-P rating, current tournament results, and/or a 30-minute evaluation with one of the APP Academy High Performance Coaches. The APP Academy After-School program or Saturday program are great places for players with a 3.5 skill level to start.
Players with advanced skill levels will be invited to participate in the APP Academy Touring Pro training sessions held during the day-time.
To inquire, please send your pickleball history and goals via email to: academy@theapp.global
The APP Academy’s staff will review and schedule your next steps.
A student can arrange a private lesson with one of the academy's high-performance coaches by contacting Missy Sipe at academy@theapp.global
A junior will have the opportunity to obtain a junior membership at the Fort to play additionally with family and friends if enrolled in either the APP Academy or the Fort’s junior program. For additional information contact Fort Membership Director, John (JT) Jackson at: Johnj@playthefort.com
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