As soon as you meet Zach Pellowski, you know this is a guy you want to hang out with. He’s an athlete, a player, and a coach who cares about helping every one of his students become the best player they can be. “Everyone is different,” he said, “with different reasons for playing pickleball, different aspirations as a player, and different capabilities. I’m six-three, with a six-foot 8-inch wingspan, so my ability to cover the court is completely different from many of our students at Deer Creek, but they’re all here to have a great time.” Go ahead. Measure your wingspan. We did.

Zach is currently the Head Pickleball Pro at our Deer Creek Racquet Club and at the Pickleball Complex at Danny Cunniff Park. This winter, he will bring his more than 20 years of playing and coaching racquet sports to the Park District’s brand new Club Pickle and Padel, a state-of-the-art domed facility being built in Highland Park. “What I love about the design of the Club is that the district has focused on the little details that make a big difference to players: the court layout, the colors, the lighting—they all impact the way the facility will feel. It shows a great deal of respect for the game and the players, and it’s going to be an exceptional facility for all skill levels. This will be a great opportunity for everyone on the North Shore to get involved with fun, healthy games—both pickleball and padel—that they can learn quickly and play for life!”

Club Pickle and Padel is scheduled to open in winter 2024-25.

When Zach talks about the details of his approach to coaching, from the basics for beginners all the way to tournament-level game strategy, you hear some of his important concepts for pickleball at the Park District, and specifically how they will apply at the new Club Pickle & Padel. Inclusively is one. He understands that this is a sport that can bring the people together, and he cares about that. Respect is another. Respect for the game and respect for every player on the court. Community comes up a lot. “This new Club is going to be different from the privately built spaces that are popping up. The Park District is creating a place where the whole community can come together, whether they are learning, playing, or watching, and I’m really excited about that.” And if there’s one thing he stresses about coaching, it’s instilling confidence in his students. “Confidence equals fun,” he said. We love that. It fits perfectly into what we do here at your Park District every day.

Destined for a life on the courts.

Zach is 29, with a surprisingly deep background in racquet sport. “I was born into racquetball,” he said. That’s because his grandmother was the Junior Racquetball Team USA coach and the Director of a Racquetball Club in Colorado—where he and his family moved to from Milwaukee when he was 9—his mom had played semi-pro racquetball and his uncle had been a member of the Junior National Racquetball Team. After Zach won two Junior National Titles and three USAR Junior Sportsman of the Year Awards, he enlisted in the United States Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller. “Rapid City, South Dakota wasn’t my first choice, but that’s where the Air Force needed me!” Following his service time, he played for the #1 Men’s Collegiate Racquetball Program at CSU-Pueblo. Moving east in 2019, first to Wheaton and then Schaumburg, to pursue a racquetball career was working out just fine, until everything shut down in March of 2020. “By the time things started to open up, most of the racquetball courts in Park Districts and recreation facilities had been switched to yoga and fitness rooms.” But what had sprung up was pickleball, and in early 2023 Zach transitioned full-time to the fastest-growing sport in the country. Lucky for us!

Zach came to Deer Creek this year after having directed the pickleball programming as Head Pro at Centre Court Athletic Club in Hanover Park from late 2022 until this spring. He’s bringing his unique background and racquet skills to his new home, where he has found what so many of us know. “People here care about the community. They love the competitive part of being on the court, but they also really love the social aspect of being with friends and family, making new friends, and encouraging new players to learn pickleball.”

“Taking care of business means taking care of people,” said Zach. You can hear how sincere he is about that. We can’t wait for more of you to meet Zach, on and off the court. His energy is palpable, his attitude is purely positive, and we’re thrilled that he is not only our Head Pickleball Pro, but a member of our Highland Park community.

Sign Up

Are you a pickleball enthusiast?

Join us at the 4th Annual North Shore “Smash for Charity” Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, September 21, from 8am-2pm, on the courts at Danny Cunniff Park. Zach Pellowski will be there, so you’ll be able to meet him, get some pointers, and enjoy a day of great pickleball.

The tournament includes Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Divisions, and you can register to play right now on the Parks Foundation website.

Proceeds benefit the Parks Foundation, supporting exceptional Park District projects and ensuring all Highwood and Highland Park families can participate in Park District programs.

Win a FREE 1-year membership to Club Pickle & Padel!

Sign up for the tournament and register to start fundraising and raise more money to support the Parks Foundation. The player who raises the most funds, wins the free membership to the indoor pickleball facility.