Coaches

Get to know our Armory Ellensburg coaching team!

Jennifer Bresler

PPR Certified Coach

Jenn has been an athlete her entire life and has participated in a range of sports including soccer, softball, tennis, track and basketball. In high school, basketball became her main focus and she continued on to play at the collegiate level followed by 10+ years of coaching. Sports are Jenn’s passion, second only to her wonderful husband and two beautiful daughters. Jenn moved to Ellensburg in the summer of 2021 and discovered pickleball that following winter. With her sports background and tennis experience, she caught onto the game quickly and used her footwork and power to develop her style of play. Her first pickleball tournament was an eye opener but only motivated her more to improve her game. Fast forward to 2024, where Jenn has medaled in numerous tournaments and competes against the top players around Eastern Washington. She has spent countless hours studying the game to not only improve her skills but to teach others. She loves encouraging and pushing players to get better and develop a love for the game.

Email: jenn@armorypickleball.net
Phone: 206-335-8593 (text preferred)

Peter Buttler

PPR Certified Coach

Hailing from Werneth, a sheep and cropping district in Victoria, Australia, Peter is one half of the world-renowned Global Pickleball Bros. He cut his pickleball teeth on the back streets of Bellevue, WA at his friend’s house, when he didn’t even know what the sport was called; he just loved playing it. As days turned into months of playing, Peter drew heavily on his extensive background in tennis and ping pong to slowly fine-tune his unique playstyle. An avid participant in tournaments (at least 30), he has a wealth of knowledge to pass onto almost any level of player. Peter plays left-handed and can coach all aspects of pickleball; he specializes in topspin groundstrokes, volleys, lobs, and strategy.

Phone: 425-647-7685

Julie Carlson

Julie found pickleball five years ago, just before Covid disrupted our lives. She has a background in teaching, coaching, and physical education and currently teaches special education at Kittitas School District. Julie is a single parent, juggling the schedules of four kids. She loves watching them do the things they love. Julie has competed in many tournaments with a variety of people and is rated a strong 4.0 with aspirations to go to the next level. Julie loves how this game is constantly evolving, and she’s always working to develop her skills and mental game. Julie enjoys developing new players, and players who feel stuck and want to get over their plateau. She is not intimidated by any age group, as her background in teaching ranges from middle to high school. She has also spent years teaching fitness to elderly and special populations. She will coach you to build a solid foundation, then fine tune mechanics after that. She incorporates visual aids, practicing with repetition, demonstration, and video analysis (if desired). She has an ability to explain the “why” behind our movements.

Email: jajrcarlson@yahoo.com
Phone: 509-607-4686 (text preferred)

Donovan Conley

PPR Certified Coach

With no prior racquet sport experience, Donovan taught himself pickleball via tennis YouTube technique instruction so he could beat his 4.5 rated father-in-law. Once he achieved that goal, he turned his sights to tournament play, where he won tens of 4.5 silver medals and has earned gold medals in Singles, Mixed and Men's events at the 5.0 level. His career highlight is taking out the #7 singles player at a tournament in 2019. Donovan has been coaching since 2018, helping his tournament partners become 5.0s. Donovan has helped numerous players learn the game and level up their game. He's coached clinics with a top instructor and especially enjoys teaching technique and footwork. If you want to level up your game, sign up for a lesson today!

Email: donovanconleypickleball@gmail.com
Phone: 253-651-6594

Cameron Nix

PPR Certified Coach

Cameron (Cam) is originally from Birmingham, Alabama and grew up playing USTA southern and national tennis events. She eventually went on to play DI tennis at Birmingham-Southern College. After college, she coached high-level junior tennis players before switching gears to collegiate coaching. She coached at the DI and DII level for over 10 years throughout the southeast. Cam continues to coach tennis here in Kittitas County (weather permitting). Cam started playing pickleball in 2022 and immediately excelled, using her tennis and coaching background to master the nuances of the game. Cam’s transition to coaching pickleball has been seamless and she recently received the highest qualification of Certified Professional Pickleball Coach from the PPR (Professional Pickleball Registry). Cam has a passion for developing players of all ages and abilities. She enjoys working on technical development, whether it is related to a particular shot, stroke, or movement, and she enjoys “fixing” things players are struggling with. Being able to not only witness players improve, but to be directly involved in their improvement is one of the most rewarding parts of coaching for her.

Email: ccrnix@gmail.com
Phone: 706-897-0789

Danielle Polage

PPR Certified Coach

Danielle Polage is a Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR) certified instructor who plays competitive pickleball at the Sr. Pro Level. She was drafted for the Senior Pro National Pickleball League (NPL) by team Oklahoma City Punishers and travels the country
competing in professional team tournaments. In addition, she regularly competes individually in high-level tournaments and has won many medals at the 5.0 and Open Division. She is sponsored by Selkirk, one of the largest pickleball paddle companies in the world, locally based in Hayden Lake, Idaho. She is also sponsored by Tyrol, a top pickleball shoe company. Danielle is also a university professor at Central Washington University and loves teaching. She is fun and passionate about sharing her love of pickleball. She has a lot of experience teaching private lessons, small group lessons, and clinics. She is the regular teaching pro for the Parks and Rec in Yakima where she lives with her husband and the kids. Reach out to her if you want to take your game to the next level.

Phone: 509-494-9087

Dwayne Smithgall

PPR Certified Coach

Dwayne and his family started playing pickleball in 1977 and they’ve been playing ever since. He has a T-shirt that says “I was playing pickleball before it was cool!” Over the past three decades, Dwayne has participated in countless tournaments, competing in singles and doubles (he competed with his brother Dennis) and he has really enjoyed watching pickleball evolve and become America’s fastest-growing sport. Dwayne also loves the community aspect of pickleball and he has made so many great friends in Kittitas County and across the PNW. He’s enjoyed teaming up with Peter Buttler (Global Pickleball Bros) to provide clinics for those who want to improve their skills and strategy. Dwayne enjoys coaching beginners and intermediate players.

Phone: 509-312-9526

Gretchen Taussig Simpson

PPR Certified Coach

Gretchen has been playing, teaching, competing and coaching pickleball since the last century. With over 35 years of experience, you will learn to elevate your game, increase your skill sets, build your confidence, and become that partner everyone wants to play with on the court. Whether you want to learn techniques, strategies, or court dynamics, Gretchen will take you there in both recreational or competitive settings with her holistic approach to the sport. As a former coach of volleyball, basketball, and skiing, Gretchen knows how to communicate and work with all levels of players. With an understanding of what it is like to be a beginner in a sport and a competitor in tournaments, she will help improve your game.

Phone: 509-607-1415