PICKLERAGE
COACHES CATALOGUE
A COLLECTION OF AMAZING COACHES THAT FIT EVERYONES NEEDS!
MEET THE COACHES
Zack Lisojo
Mario Kaldas
Todd Filipps
Sharon Mathison
Stan Bonczek
Dave LiSooey
Chris Long
Tim O’Connor
Chris Arcadia Jake Roth
Mario recently moved back to New Jersey from Austin, Texas, where he trained with top pickleball pros, including Zane Navratil. With years of competitive experience, including college tennis at Rutgers and a top-10 NJ high school ranking, Mario brings a strong racquet sports background to his coaching. He is excited to join PickleRage to make it one of the best facilities in the area and to grow pickleball in his home state!
Mario is committed to seeing real improvement in just a few sessions. He brings techniques and insights from his training with the best in the sport. Mario tailors his sessions to his students’ levels and goals, from beginner to advanced.
Mario Kaldas
Head Pro
Todd Filipps
In 2021, Todd picked up a paddle and never looked back. What started as an amusing pastime quickly evolved into a passionate pursuit. He drilled, studied, and competed to earn medals up to the competitive 4.5 level. In 2023, Todd channeled this energy into coaching. Now, he shares his expertise to help players of all abilities embrace the sport and elevate their skills.
Coach Todd believes that learning should be as FUN as playing. His enthusiasm and knowledge of the game can make even the toughest technical challenges approachable. Clinics and private instruction are always tailored to the individual. He provides real-time feedback and steady encouragement, often with a lighthearted joke to keep players relaxed, engaged, and focused on the positive as they build confidence and consistency.
Todd played soccer for over 25 years, but now his greatest passions are pickleball, Villanova basketball, NY Giants football, and his wife and twins. Maybe not in that order…
Zack Lisojo
Zack fell in love with pickleball because of the joy of playing with his family, meeting new people and the strong sense of community.
Zack enjoys working with players of all levels and creating a fun, supportive environment for learning. His coaching focuses on Game-Based and Situational Drills that simulate real match scenarios and provide clear, actionable feedback. This approach keeps training engaging, purposeful, and tailored to each player’s goals. Zack also loves experiencing the different formats of pickleball, from tournaments to team play to recreational games. One of his proudest moments as a coach was helping a student prepare for a tournament and seeing him medal—a reminder of why he’s passionate about what he does!
Sharon Mathison
Sharon brings both positive energy and heart to every session she leads. Her coaching philosophy is simple and effective: fun first, fundamentals always. She believes confidence grows through encouragement and repetition, and that players learn best when they genuinely enjoy the game. Sharon’s mission is to help players of all ages fall in love with pickleball as a sport they can play for life.
With a professional background in teaching, Sharon naturally connects with players, especially junior players. She brings the same patience, structure, and positive energy from her classroom to the court, creating a welcoming environment where players feel supported and motivated. Seeing kids walk off the court feeling proud of their effort, and not just their score, is what she considers her greatest coaching accomplishment.
One of Sharon’s most memorable pickleball moments was standing courtside with friend and fellow instructor Coach Todd at an MLP event, watching the pros compete from only a few feet away. The experience inspired her even more and deepened her passion for teaching the game.
Away from coaching, Sharon tries to play pickleball every single day and still brings some of the competitive spirit she had as a teenager playing roller hockey. She stays fueled with Liquid I.V. Tropical Punch, swears by her Selkirk Boomstick paddle, and loves snacking on Doritos. When asked about hobbies outside the sport, her answer is simple: “There is ONLY pickleball.”
Stan Bonczek
From the moment Stan stepped on the pickleball court for the first time in 2019 he knew he had not just found a sport he loves but also a community he cherishes. He strives to bring that passion and welcoming spirit to his pickleball lessons. From beginners to players looking to level up, Stan brings patience and positive reinforcement to every lesson. He strives to improve a player’s technical skills, athletic performance, and pickleball strategy.
Stan enjoys working with players looking to move up in rating or preparing for their first or next tournament.
Whether coaching or playing, Stan’s favorite moments on the court are learning from mistakes. After playing in his first 3.5 tournament in 2019 (and being humbled) he realized that leveling up and succeeding in tournaments takes more than just skill. There is a mental and strategic side to the game that is just as important as skill.
Stan now plays on two 4.5 CrossClub teams and he credits his advancement to having quality drilling partners and never taking his game for granted. There is always space to improve.
Stan has a daughter off to college next year and also has three pets, one dog Cricket, and two cat brothers, Toby and Binx.
Chris is a former collegiate tennis player and instructor who transitioned to pickleball in 2022 after suffering a meniscus injury. Chris then found pickleball and that was all she wrote! Chris quickly improved his game, taking gold medals in 4.5+ events and a silver medal in 5.0+ at the 2024 New York Open. Chris enjoys working with people of all athletic backgrounds and skill levels and is a people person through and through!
Chris Long
Dave LiSooey
Dave’s coaching style centers on strong mechanics and solid fundamentals. He enjoys working with anyone who genuinely wants to improve and believes growth is possible at every level. He has been coaching one sport or another since college and brings experience, attention to detail, and a passion for helping players develop both confidence and consistency. His favorite pickleball moments are every ATP or Erne he gets to execute or see unfold on the court.
Away from coaching, Dave starts his mornings with black coffee and the New York Times games including Pips, Strands, Sudoku, and the Mini. He finds balance through his passions for fly fishing, lacrosse, skiing, and pickleball, in no particular order. His favorite shots on the court are the backhand flick/roll and the slice overhead borrowed from his platform tennis background. What he loves most about pickleball is that it is easy to play, yet difficult to master, and that the game continues evolving for the better almost daily. When he is not on the court, his ideal meal is dim sum with family and friends because there is always something for everyone.
Tim O’Connor
Tim is dedicated to giving every player the tools and skills they need to reach their pickleball goals while making the learning process genuinely fun. He’s patient and encouraging because he knows everyone grows at their own pace and follows their own path in this sport. Tim loves integrating new skills into real or simulated game situations early on so players understand not just how to use a skill, but why it matters on the court.
Tim truly enjoys coaching players of all skill levels, from beginners who have never picked up a paddle to more advanced players looking to elevate their game. Success for Tim is hearing students say they feel more confident and can clearly see their progress on the court. With advanced playing experience and four years as a PPR-certified coach, Tim excels at pinpointing what will help a player move forward and crafting a customized plan to make that happen.
As a USA Pickleball Ambassador, Tim is passionate about growing the game and introducing it to the next generation as well as to underserved communities in our area. One of his biggest highlights each year is organizing, playing in, coaching, and officiating a high-energy family pickleball event on Black Friday, which brings together more than 35 family members ranging in age from 5 to 70.
Chris Arcadia
Chris lives for sharing his passion for pickleball with new players! With over 6 years of experience, he is a patient instructor focused on building a solid foundation, teaching proper technique, and helping beginners and experienced players alike gain confidence and strengthen skills on the court. From understanding scoring to mastering the kitchen line, Chris covers every detail in between to get you rally-ready. He is so passionate about the sport that his wife and two kids even constructed a DIY pickleball court in their driveway for Father’s Day! If you are ready to take your game to the next level and have fun doing it, Chris is here to help you get started.
Jake began his coaching journey back in 2017 during his high school years, assisting with the junior programs for the recreation program at Columbia Middle School. He continued his teaching journey through college at Ferris State University in Michigan, majoring in Professional Tennis Management. During his sophomore year of college he was introduced to pickleball. He fell in love with the sport and earned his PPR certification as a professional coach that year.
Jake has continued to coach pickleball these past few years at various country clubs in the Midwest, running clinics and events for all skill groups and ages. His teaching style is tactical, showing how each part of the game directly corresponds to how each point plays out. His strength is in working on one specific part of the game at a time and showing how it would play out in a match play scenario. If you want a detailed analysis that will help your game improve, Jake is your man!
Jake Roth
