GREAT FALLS — The Pickleball Experience is a worldwide tour led by former professionals that aims to help players hone their skills and elevate their game.
Starting Friday, the Experience hit Great Falls at the C.M. Russell High School tennis courts.
"The people here are amazing," Jemuel Morris, one of the former professionals leading the Experience in Great Falls, said prior to Saturday mornings session. "We are so blessed that we get to come out to different communities like this and teach pickleball for a living."
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"Playing was a lot of fun, but teaching has become my new passion," former professional Brian Ashworth said. "Like figuring out how to word certain things to certain people, everybody learns a little different. It's everything."
Morris and Ashworth are two of the three instructors who lead the experience.
Morris has been instructing for seven years, while Ashworth holds 10 years of playing and teaching. Both also have accomplished impressive feats as professional players, with Morris being a senior pro open gold medalist and Ashworth winning gold at a prior U.S. men's open.
Both also have ties to the Treasure State.
"I went to school in Helena at Carroll College, Brian grew up in Billings," Morris said. "Really nice to kind of come back and connect with some of our roots."
"I love coming back here," Ashworth said. "I think I appreciate it now more that I've left, and just (seeing) how much the sport has grown in Montana is just amazing."
Electric City Pickleball president Janna Reynolds said the club is always looking for new ways to get creative and integrate more in to what they do. She said that was a big reason for getting Morris and Ashworth to make a stop in Great Falls.
"I saw an advertisement for them in Billings actually," Reynolds said. "And so I reached out to (Jemuel) and just said, 'Hey you know, if you guys are coming to Montana please stop in Great Falls.'"
Reynolds has also been a participant in the clinics.
"I learned so much, just really enjoyed it," Reynolds said. "I think I elevated my game a little bit, and it was really cool because you get one-on-one, and so they kind of pointed out some things that I actually specifically needed to work on."
Since Morris and Ashworth are able to venture to lots of different places for their clinics, both said each stop means a lot to them.
"It's our passion," Morris said. "Without the people that want to learn, we don't get to do what we love. So we're very grateful for all the people that want to come out and learn. It's always special for us."
"Little kids can play (pickleball), grandparents can play it," Ashworth said. "Obviously to be higher level it takes a little bit more, but I think that's what makes it so fun. Anybody can come out here, you have fun, you laugh, you joke, you talk a little trash, it's pretty great."
Reynolds said that registration is still open for both Sunday sessions between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m., and the link is available on the Great Falls Pickleball group Facebook page.
