Meet Our Coaches

Meredith Pollack, RSPA, PTR, PPR, RPO, P4 Certified Tennis and Pickleball Coach

Meredith returns to NCHSRC for year #3 and is excited to showcase her amazing staff of tennis and Pickleball coaches.  Meredith is a long time area tennis pro and has experience working with players of all ages and ability levels.  Prior to having her two boys, she was a travel coach for high level junior tennis players and toured players to all the major national events around the country.  She was a USTA Zonals coach for the Midwest Section team.  She has authored articles for tennis professional magazines and presented at national tennis conventions.  While junior tennis was her main focus for years, she has also been highly successful in coaching ladies travel teams, co-ed cardio tennis, and more.  She has experience as a high school head coach and also has put in years as a USTA tournament director.  A little over a year ago she followed some of her tennis players into Pickleball and quickly dove into the coaching aspect there.  While there is still a tennis to Pickleball learning curve, many of the fun components of fast, situational drills translate nicely to the small court.  She is on staff at The Picklr in Naperville and enjoys running multi-court competitive drills.  This summer she will be adding Typti, a brand new racquet sport, to programs in and around Naperville as well.  With her role for the park district active year round, Meredith is a resource for networking area coaches with opportunities to grow tennis, Pickleball, and Typti across a variety of facilities.  She will run adult tennis drills as her schedule allows and coordinate with her coaches for additional offerings while building out fun special events.  Meredith has Lucas (9) and Logan (6) who attend River Woods.  Lucas enjoys Pickleball and you might see him on the courts this summer.  

Zachary Carpentier P4 Certified Pickleball Coach

Zach is both an amazing Pickleball coach and player.  He is on staff at The Picklr Naperville where he teaches all ages and ability levels.  As a P4-certified instructor, he combines formal coaching education with an athletic background in baseball, basketball, and football. This multi-sport foundation shows up in his coaching through dynamic footwork, timing, hand-eye coordination, and court awareness — offering players a fresh, athletic perspective that differs from traditional racquet-sports instruction.  He discovered pickleball in the fall of 2023, and it quickly became more than a hobby — it became a passion he pursued every single day. By the start of 2024, he was fully immersed in the sport: playing daily, studying the PPA Tour, breaking down pro matches, and absorbing as much coaching knowledge as possible. That dedication accelerated his growth and inspired him to give back to the community.  His coaching style blends clear communication with steady, positive energy, creating an environment where players feel supported and motivated. Whether someone is picking up a paddle for the first time or pushing toward high-level competitive goals, his approach adapts to their experience, learning style, and ambitions so every player gets the understanding, direction, and confidence to attack their goals and level up with purpose every time they hit the court. You will come away from lessons knowing what to work on in your game play and having an understanding of effective winning patterns.  Zach is also on staff at The Picklr Naperville.  

Sriya Kota Tennis

Sriya returns for the 3rd year to NCHSRC and brings her youth tennis coaching experience back for the players she has watched grow over that time.  Sriya is a graduate from Waubonsie Valley High School where she was an amazing student-athlete and team captain for her Varsity squad.  Sriya is currently attending Indiana University.      

Aanika Parekh Tennis

Aanika joins the staff this summer returning from her Freshman year at The University of Michigan.  Growing up, Aanika was an active USTA tournament player and competed all four years on the NNHS Varsity team.  She has been a coach for The Naperville Park District since she was 15.  Aanika blends fun with goal-oriented results so that players enjoy their pathway to improvement.  She is a great resource for youth players who are interested in the next steps to USTA tournament competition as she competed in her junior career.

Aasha Trivedi Tennis

Aasha will join the tennis staff in mid June when she returns from The University of California Irvine. Aasha has played tennis all her life and was on Varsity at Naperville North High School for two years. She made it to sectionals her Junior year and she continues staying active by playing every week at U.C Irvine's recreational courts. She is also working as a coach at both the Naperville Park District and Cress Creek Commons Pool. During the summer into her Senior year Aasha and her mom created Cress Creek Commons Pool’s tennis club. They taught kids ages 5 to 15 and even taught lessons for adult women. Through this experience Aasha has learned how to teach all levels of tennis and continued to grow as a tennis player herself. 

Giana Xiao Pickleball

Giana’s athletic background starts with over a decade of competitive tennis.  She was varsity three of her four years at Naperville Central High School playing first doubles.  Her tennis training provided her a serious edge when she picked up a Pickleball paddle for the first time just over a year ago.  Since then, the sport has become a huge part of her life.  Whether playing every day over the summer, grinding hours on the court over winter break, and hitting 3-5 times a week during the school year, she has pushed her DUPR rating from 3.5 and is now chasing a 5.0!  She is currently on the University of Illinois Collegiate Pickleball Team’s top team and has competed against collegiate players across the country, helping her team earn spots at both the APP and DUPR Collegiate National Championships.  She is known on court for her powerful, consistent serves and aggressive drives put opponents on defense.  She is actively working on her soft game with cross-court dinks and baseline drops.  She knows firsthand what it takes to build every layer of the sport.  Whether a brand new beginner or a player looking to level up specific parts of your game, Giana brings real competitive experience, a tennis-trained athletic base, and genuine passion for earned improvement with every lesson.

Joel Ruderman Pickleball

Joel returns for his 2nd year to NCHSRC and brings her pickleball coaching and playing experience back for anyone trying to learn how to play. He has previously coached at the Naperville Tennis Club where he worked with kids and adults learning and progressing through their pickleball career. He is a fun and energetic coach who is looking forward to working with anyone as excited about pickleball as he is.  Joel is currently at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne and is a graduate from Naperville North.

Mariam Ahmad Tennis

Mariam just graduated from Naperville North where she was captain for the girls Varsity squad.  Mariam has played tennis for most of her life and is truly a skilled coach.  She has experience running fun and effective drills that combine tactical and skill specific instruction.  Last year she worked with both youth and adult players at NCHSRC and for The Naperville Park District as well.  

Saloni Parikh Tennis & Pickleball

Saloni has been playing tennis ever since she was 8 years old.  It continues to be a big part of her life.  She played singles and doubles on her varsity team at Metea Valley High School, which helped build her love for the game and competition.  She started coaching for the Naperville Park District during her freshman year of high school and has been teaching there ever since.  She works with players of all different ages and skill levels.  She is in her third year at Nova Southeastern University studying biology in a direct medicine program.  When she isn’t studying, she can be found enjoying the nice Florida weather on a tennis or Pickleball court.  Her favorite shot is her backhand.  She loves helping players build confidence in their shots.