boxes to sift through along with raising two kids all took their toll on my life.
I needed to make a change— and this pickleball sport was starting to take off, so why not try it?
My initial thoughts were: Smaller court, not much movement if you play doubles, and maybe it will give me the workout I have been missing for years. I had tried gym memberships, treadmills and more, but nothing worked long term and I didn’ t like to be indoors. There’ s something about the sun and being outdoors that I have always loved.
That year I got better. So good that I joined a local club near my home in early 2023. Competition immediately increased along with the number of times I played during the week. Those old, dusty competitive feelings were slowly coming back to me. I wanted to get better, and I did.
I entered my first tournament in the summer of 2023, an open at age 54. Looking back, it was probably not the best decision, but another member at my club asked and I accepted. We went 1-5 but I got my first DUPR rating: 3.1.
“ What is DUPR?” I remember thinking.“ They have a rating system? If I keep playing, get better rankings, can I eventually qualify for the senior pickleball tour? I should probably check first to see if there is a tour.”
I did not know the industry, its structure, and how it worked, so I started to engage.
Unfortunately, in April of 2024 I had a heart attack. It came on very slowly … I had three signs during the day: sweating, I could not catch my breath, and tiredness. Then pain traveled to my armpit, and that’ s when my wife recommended we go to the ER. Thank God we did. My anterior descending artery was 98 percent blocked. I was rushed into cardiology and given a stent the full length of my“ widowmaker.”
I remember thinking about how I had been working out, religiously playing pickleball at the time— every other day, 1.5 hours a day— and loving it. Was it pickleball that helped vet my issue? What if I had never taken up the
MARK ZAMISKA( SECOND FROM THE RIGHT) AND HIS NEIGHBORS TURNED THEIR CUL‐DE‐SAC INTO A HOMEMADE PICKLEBALL COURT, USING FLOUR TO DRAW THE COURT LINES.
sport? Would I have had that attack in my sleep … would it have been a different outcome?
According to Johns Hopkins, exercise is a highly effective way to identify underlying heart issues, so I am crediting pickleball for saving my life.
Pickleball has been a lifesaving experience all around— giving me the joy of spending time with family and friends playing the sport, and rekindling the competitiveness that I once thrived on when I played volleyball. I will always be indebted to it.
It is also the main reason I started ProCourt Partners LLC, leveraging my worldwide sales and sales management experiences of the last 30 years and MBA education to help this sport thrive and prosper. There is so much sponsorship opportunity and revenue tournament directors can capture, and our company can help with that. We also pride ourselves on creating that center-court pro experience for all amateurs.
I’ m not sure I would still be here if it wasn’ t for the sport, but grateful that I am. •
Mark Zamiska is a retired FedEx sales and marketing executive of 25 years, Major League Pickleball Coaching International professional, and CEO and founder of ProCourt Partners.
JULY 2026 | MAGAZINE 47