About Us

Mark on board Cunard Cruise Ship

Mark in action playing football

Zak in action playing football

Zak in action playing real tennis

The family dog Deuce with his ball

ZemSports was built through a lifetime in professional sport. Our story begins with football. Growing up in the 60s and 70s, a football was never far from our feet. Like so many kids, that ball shaped everything — discipline, resilience, teamwork and belief. That passion led to signing for a professional football club as a teenager — every child’s dream.

When that dream ended at 18–19 through release, sport didn’t disappear — it evolved. That moment of heartbreak became the start of a new chapter. Real Tennis became the next professional pathway, leading to a lifelong career as a player, coach and mentor. It is also the sport that ultimately brought us to the North East, a region we’ve grown to deeply love for its unbeatable passion for sport — especially football.

Later in life, another challenge appeared. At 45, after a lifetime believing golf wasn’t “my sport”, a new journey began. Becoming a qualified golf coach opened a third major sporting chapter and led to the original creation of ZemSports — running golf events, coaching, and sports experiences across the UK and beyond. ZemSports is named after our family:
• Z for Zak
• E for Eadle
• M for Mark
Zak followed a similar sporting path — involved with professional football at a young age and now competing at the highest levels of Real Tennis as an elite player. Today, while Mark runs the business day-to-day with over 45 years of coaching and professional sporting experience, Zak continues to represent the next generation of elite sport. Together, ZemSports represents everything we believe in: sport as a teacher, a connector, a lifeline and a community.

Our Mission At ZemSports, our mission is simple: To give something real back to sport. We believe that sport should be: • Personal • Community-driven • Built by sports people, for people who love their sport Whether that’s through: • Bespoke sports product printing • Custom football, rugby and sports equipment • Golf events and experiences • Or building meaningful products that clubs, communities and individuals can truly call their own We don’t believe in mass-produced identity. We believe in connection, meaning and pride. Our goal is to help grassroots clubs, schools, local communities and everyday sportspeople create something uniquely theirs — not what big global brands decide for them.

At ZemSports, our mission is simple: To give something real back to sport. We believe that sport should be:

For people who love their sport Whether that’s through:

We don’t believe in mass-produced identity. We believe in connection, meaning and pride. Our goal is to help grassroots clubs, schools, local communities and everyday sportspeople create something uniquely theirs — not what big global brands decide for them.

We believe sport is personal — every product, event and experience should reflect real identity, not mass-produced sameness.

We put grassroots clubs, schools and local communities at the heart of everything we do.

With decades of real sporting experience, we create products and services shaped by people who truly understand sport.

We value craftsmanship, honesty and real sporting heritage over shortcuts or quick mass production.

Our vision is to build a world where every athlete, club and community — no matter their level — can access meaningful, personalised sports products and experiences.

We aim to inspire confidence, identity and pride by supporting grassroots sport, empowering local communities and creating genuine connections through bespoke sports craftsmanship.

ZemSports strives to be a trusted partner for people who love their sport, shaping a future where authenticity matters more than big-brand identity.