Coaches

No matter where you are in your pickleball journey, our coaches are here to help you play smarter, stronger, and with greater confidence. New to the game? You’ll learn the fundamentals like rules, positioning, and core skills in a supportive, no-pressure and inclusive environment. Looking to elevate your game? Our experienced coaches can show you strategies, give personalized feedback, and practical drills that translate directly into real match results. Every session is built around clear instruction, meaningful development, and fostering connections that make you want to keep coming back to the court.

Nat “Gnat” Boughton

  • Director of Pickleball at Island Pickle
  • Racketpro Level II Certified
  • General Manger & Player on the Senior Pro Pickleball Team the Cape Cod Sharks
  • US Open Champion
  • Pickleball Pro at Ocean Edge Resort
  • Author of 2 books on Coaching and Performance
  • Head Coach of a State Soccer Champion & New England Club Volleyball Champion

As Director of Pickleball, our mission is to build an inclusive, welcoming community where everyone belongs—regardless of age, experience, or competitive level. Pickleball is at its best when it brings people together, and that sense of connection is at the heart of everything we do.

We will offer a wide range of programs designed to meet players where they are, including youth development programs, social and competitive ladders, round-robin play, leagues, and tournaments for all skill levels. For those looking to improve, we will provide individual instruction, group lessons, clinics, and skill-specific training led by certified professionals who focus on both development and enjoyment of the game.

Nancy Boughton

  • RacketPro Certified Instructor
  • Winner of 2 Golden Tickets to US National Championship in 2025
  • Player on the Senior Pro Pickleball Team Cape Cod Shark
  • Pickleball Pro at Island Pickle
  • Started after school volleyball prep up program for multiple middle schools
  • Head Coach of New England Club Volleyball Champion

Pickleball is more than a game—it’s a feeling. It blends competition, connection, and pure joy, bringing people together across ages and abilities. Whether it’s the sound of the paddle, the strategy of a long rally, or the friendships formed on and off the court, pickleball creates community, fuels passion, and keeps us coming back for just one more game.

For many of us who came from tennis, pickleball feels like a rediscovery of why we fell in love with racquet sports in the first place. The learning curve is welcoming, the rallies are immediate, and the social energy is unmatched. In fact, one month after picking up a pickleball paddle, I haven’t picked up a tennis racket since—and I’m not alone. Pickleball has a way of pulling you in, reigniting joy, and reminding you that sport is meant to be fun, connected, and shared.

Todd Zukowski

  • PPR Certified Teaching Pro 
  • RacketPro Level II Certified 
  • Current DUPR Rating 4.67
  • Player on Men’s Senior Pro Pickleball Team ( Cape Cod Sharks) 
  • Head Pickleball Pro at Ocean Edge Resort on Cape Cod
  • Pickleball Pro at Island Pickle. Mashpee, MA

I started playing pickleball in 2020 and enjoyed not only the social side of the game but the competitiveness.  I have since been on the tournament circuit and have medaled more than 40 times.

My enjoyment of the game and passion for sharing it with others has brought me to become a certified coach. Teaching allows me to impact on one’s knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm by helping them improve and enjoy the sport as much as I do.  I am a firm believer in pickleball’s influence on one’s health… physically, mentally, and emotionally.  It is a sport loved by all ages and at all ability levels.