Morgan Park Sports Center will be closed July 4th for Independence Day. The facility will reopen on July 5th at 9:00am
We have enhanced our cleaning and safety procedures. Click here to learn more
jfigueroa@mcfetridgesportscenter.net
rcrawford@mcfetridgesportscenter.net
(773) 478-2609 EXT. 232
McFetridge Sports Center
![](https://scontent-ort2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e15/c130.0.819.819a/s640x640/119613855_674553789828163_8241940761992972170_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=107&_nc_ohc=3CuRuwjeTPgAX-vcTE7&_nc_tp=16&oh=7f293cc7417fdea207189c98362c1afc&oe=5F957AE0 "This week for our #SaturdaySpotlight we are highlighting Jackie Lazzari, our enthusiastic Figure Skating Instructor!
Jackie has been teaching figure skating at McFetridge for over 22 years and is passionate about teaching students the fundamentals of skating. Her love for the sport and all of its technical difficulties and artistic expression is evident with every class that she teaches, \\"I enjoy teaching skating skills with a focus on freestyle and I love watching the progress of my skaters throughout the years through competition and the annual McFetridge Ice Show. It is full circle when I take my skaters to other Chicagoland rinks where I competed and coach them at competitions. It has also been very gratifying for me to see some of my former skating students return to McFetridge after college and coach skating on staff.\\"
For Jackie, it is important to impart on her students that the lessons learned on the ice have real-world applications, \\"as I teach, I share life lessons with the skaters in hopes they will gain self-discipline and confidence as well as enjoyment. I always tell my skaters that ‘no one is stronger than city of Chicago kids.’\\" She also encourages patrons to learn skating no matter their age or skill level, \\"I teach all ages as I believe more interest in skating will advance the sport. Don’t be afraid to come out and learn the sport as an adult. Skating is for everyone.\\"
When Jackie is not at the rink, she enjoys cooking, traveling, spending time with her family, and attending their children\'s activities with her husband, Brad, \\"our son Matt (14) is a freshman at DePaul Prep High School and an avid hockey player for the Chicago Jets-so more time in ice arenas for me! Our daughter Isla (10) is a fifth grader at Saint Andrew School and is a competitive gymnast for CITY Club gymnastics.\\" She also enjoys family getaways to Wisconsin which she says, \\"even though we have to bribe our children to travel with us!\\"")
![](https://scontent-ort2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/119465146_723884654856949_5735948794155992164_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=101&_nc_ohc=w4NhE8Ib2h0AX-y1ifw&oh=728779e61f9111ea89961a110a0b2d71&oe=5F973CCB "This week for our #SaturdaySpotlight we are highlighting Pamela Paul, our incredible fitness instructor!
Pamela has taught fitness for over nine years and loves that she gets to the opportunity to not only give students a workout, but also an experience, \\"that is what I love most. With each class, I feel like I\'m hosting a little get-together and I want to make everyone feel at ease.\\"
With a background teaching a variety of fitness formats, including cardio dance, bootcamp, barre, and yoga, her favorite classes to teach are Pilates classes, \\"I love how it is both a workout and a therapy. It helps get you out of pain, prevent future aches and pains, and strengthens the most neglected muscles in the body.\\"
When Pamela is not teaching group fitness classes, she loves to hunt for treasures at flea markets and thrift stores, spend time with her \\"pandemic puppy\\" Sancho that she adopted in April, and root for the Yankees, \\"I moved to Chicago after 15 years in New York. I\'m a big Yankee fan.\\"")
![](https://scontent-ort2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/s640x640/118849556_369804747367469_2099464708662144121_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=105&_nc_ohc=NO-sV-wCXssAX_jAFtm&oh=d8a7986614b75b2b512de98361506c91&oe=5F9463EC "This week for our #SaturdaySpotlight we are highlighting our rockstar tennis pro, Jon Castillo!
For close to 30 years, Jon has taught tennis professionally through park district classes and private clubs. He has a lot of passion for the sport and enjoys introducing something that he loves so much to students who can then grow within the sport for the rest of their lives.
Jon enjoys teaching all different skill levels, age-groups, and special shots, \\"watching a student understand and \'get\' what is being taught and seeing the \\"light-bulb moment\\" happen is inspiring to me because that\'s the moment the student is hooked to the game of tennis.\\"
Tennis has real-world applications outside of the court and Jon makes sure to instill those lessons within his students, \\"what I particularly enjoy is how the sport of tennis has parallels to life and what I teach students in the game of tennis can translate to life. There are ups and downs in a tennis game or match, teaching the student to be aware of those moments and learn how to make the necessary adjustments is exciting. Explaining that it\'s okay to make mistakes but why did it happen so they understand how to correct the mistake is similar to life.\\"
When Jon isn\'t teaching tennis, he works as a Sports Chiropractor in private practice where he is passionate about helping people regain their mobility, functionality, and independence from debilitating injuries. When he isn\'t in the office, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, \\"we like to be on the beach somewhere tropical, we recently got a kayak so we enjoy being on or in the water.\\" Traveling is also one of his hobbies and last year Jon and his family took a very memorable vacation to the Philippines, \\"it was the first time for my wife and children to travel to the Philippines and see where I was born, my mother\'s family, and swim with the whale sharks in Cebu, Philippines. I didn\'t know how my wife and kids would acclimate to the weather, culture and time zone. They were champs, they said it was THE BEST trip they had ever taken. They embraced my family and the culture.\\"")
