About

Mark Livingston is head of Coach Mark Pickleball, Inc., a pickleball coaching practice located in Blaine, Washington.

Tournaments test your control, consistency, precision, and confidence!

Mark played tennis for 50 years (including ten years as an instructor) before picking up a paddle. He is now a Certified Level 2 Teaching Professional through IPTPA (International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association), a Certified Pro through PPR (Professional Pickleball Registry) and a Certified Coach through PCI (Pickleball Coaching International). Coach Mark is an IPTPA 4.5 rated player and Director of an IPTPA Training and Testing Center at the Birch Bay Activity Center. He instructs, coaches, drills, and trains with players at all levels of skill.

Coach Mark is an advocate for and practitioner of the “play slower and lower” style of pickleball. Play Slower and Lower (and the Slow Game) focuses on mastering the control and consistency required to hit all nine shots in pickleball from anywhere on the court. The benefit? When you slow the game down with quality drop, dink, drive, volley, and reset shots, you upset the rhythm of opponents. This enables you to control game tempo, produce high balls (popups) that you or your partner can easily put away, and win more games, matches, and medals!

Coach Mark is a retired Certified Management Consultant™ with 35 years of experience working with corporations, startups, nonprofits, and government entities at the federal, state, and local level. During his first career, Mark headed Loyal Promoters LLC and specialized in helping clients launch new products, design skill-based training systems; and grow more loyal promoters.

Coach Mark is also a co-founder of The Social Impact Foundation (TSIF), a private family foundation with the mission to improve the health, wealth, and well-being of communities. Grants from TSIF, along with revenue from Coach Mark Pickleball programs and services, are used to fund projects and support organizations (like the Birch Bay Activity Center) that make a positive and sustainable impact on the communities they serve.