Staff

Baseball/Softball Coaches

Alex Miramontes

Alex Miramontes

High School Football / Baseball Coach

Baseball Instruction and Strength Coach. Alex played at Roosevelt University as a pitcher from 2011-2015. Currently serves as a Special education teacher at Mundelein High School and specialize in mathematics.

Previous coaching experience included being the assistant/pitching coach at Dundee-Crown high school. Currently Alex is Mundelein High School Assistant Football Coach and Pitching Coach Baseball for Baseball Program.

Chris Brown

Chris Brown

Baseball Instructor

Specializes in Baseball hitting instruction – focused on HS level. Chris Brown had a successful prep career at Grayslake Central HS where he was a catcher and outfielder for the 2009 Class 3A State 3rd Place team. After a productive prep career, Chris received a baseball scholarship to St. Ambrose University (Division 2, NAIA). After his playing career, Chris moved into the professional ranks as an Associate Scout with the Texas Rangers.

His primary focus is scouting high school and college players in the Chicagoland and Southern Wisconsin area. He will enter his 5th season with the Rangers in 2019. Coach Brown has coached all levels of HS travel in his tenure has had more than 20 players move on to play collegiality. Chris currently is on the coaching staff with MVP Elite Baseball organization.

 

Eddie Holbrook

Eddie Holbrook

Baseball Instructor

Baseball Instruction. Specializes in hitting and fielding. Coach Holbrook, a switch-hitter, was a member of the University of Nebraska team that won the 2002 Big 12 championship team and played in the College World Series.

Previous Coaching Experience:

  • Trinity International University – Assistant Coach
  • Crusader Baseball, Lincoln, Nebraska – Head coach
  • 18 Years of coaching HS travel baseball in IL
  • Past Director of Northern Knights Travel Organization

Currently Head Coach & Recruit Coordinator for MVP Elite Baseball.

Gregg Winter

Gregg Winter

Baseball Instructor

Coach Winter has been a fixture in Buffalo Grove Baseball over the past 20 seasons, by creating and running the successful BG Coyote, Buffalo Grove Bearcats youth and Chicago Bruins high School level travel programs. He has coached the elite level travel teams that competed and medaled from events across the country. His 16u team recently won the PBR Invite only Summer Championship with a field of 56 best teams in the Midwest.

He has coached high School baseball for over 10 years throughout the Chicagoland area, starting at Adlai Stevenson working with underclassmen there then at Chicago Latin High School Varsity team where they won 3 straight conference(ISL) and regional titles(IHSA) and recently has just taken over the program at Rochelle Zell High School where his Varsity team just had most wins ever and reached regional finals(IHSA) while playing in the competitive Chicago Prep Conference.

In the fall, Coach Winter is Varsity Girls head tennis coach at Mundelein High School. He was a multi-sport athlete growing up in Wisconsin and attended Tulane University. He works in Wealth Management and was a former CME floor trader. Currently Lives in Long Grove with his wife who have 3 boys and 2 dogs. Enjoys playing competitive pickleball, long walks with 2 golden retrievers and attending Brewers baseball games.

Jack Kopacz

Jack Kopacz

Ex International League Catcher

Baseball and Softball Instruction. Specializing in catching, hitting, fielding, speed and agility. Wauconda High School ‘02 standout and second team all-American catcher at Missouri Baptist. In 2007, continued his catching career in the German Professional League. Has been coaching youth baseball for the past 12 years and currently on the coaching of the MVP Elite Baseball organization.

Jaime Contreras

Jaime Contreras

Baseball Instructor

Graduated from Barrington High School in 1990. Played under Kirby Smith. Dave Engle. Both these mentors in Baseball are in the Illinois Hall of Fame. As a player, he won Legion State Title. Specializes in hitting. Played catcher, 1B/3B

Coached 14U Bartlett Bandits in 1997 AABC – 4th in the World

Coached 15U AAU Top 10 in the Nation in 1998

2022-2023 with Rawlings Tigers of Northern Illinois 12U-15/16U

Joe Kinsella

Joe Kinsella

Head Softball Coach Lake Forest College

Softball Instruction. The 2021 season will be Joe Kinsella’s 15th at Lake Forest College and 22nd as a collegiate head coach. The three-time Midwest Conference South Division Coach of the Year owns a 274-180-1 overall record.

Kinsella graduated from Joliet Catholic High School in Joliet, Illinois, and Illinois Wesleyan University. His high school football team captured a state title and his college squad advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

John Devito

John Devito

Jr. Baseball Instructor

Specializes in Hitting and Catching. 2011 Graduate of Mundelein HS. Continued education at Eastern Illinois University. Since Graduating, John has been developing players at the youth and HS Levels.

Julian Martinez

Julian Martinez

Hitting Instructor

Martinez was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985 and spent 8 seasons playing Professional Baseball. In addition, he has coached on the major league level for 13 seasons which includes a five-year stint with the Chicago Cubs (doubled as Sammy Sosa’s personal hitting instructor) and an eight-year stint with the Washington Nationals where he has worked with MLB superstars Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper.

Recently, Martinez served as the Trinity International Trojans Hitting Instructor in addition to working with infielders and sharing recruiting duties.

Kent Szarabajka

Kent Szarabajka

Harper College Softball Head Coach

Coach Kent founded Illinois Impact Fastpitch Softball in 2010 and is currently a Softball Instructor at MVP Sports Academy in Lake Zurich, IL, where he provides instruction in pitching, fielding, and hitting. He is also In his 3rd year as the Head Softball Coach at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois.

He previously was the Head Softball Coach at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois from 2016-2018. At Trinity, he turned around a program that had won 3 games in the previous 4 years, winning 52 games over the next 3 years , and leading the team to a 29-19 record and an appearance in the NCCAA World Series in 2018. Coach Kent has over 38 years of softball coaching experience.

Kurt Kempema

Kurt Kempema

Baseball Instructor

Baseball Instruction. Specializes in pitching and fielding. Standout High School pitcher from Schaumburg, IL. Concordia University Chicago 2015 Secondary Education/Chemistry graduate. Has been coaching at the youth level for 7 years and currently on the coaching staff of MVP Elite.

Matt Langlie

Matt Langlie

Baseball Coach and Instructor

Matt Langlie, a native of Mundelein, IL, and graduate of Mundelein High School and UW-Whitewater, retiree from the US Marine Corp.

He played baseball for UW-Whitewater and was selected the recipient of the 2017 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Baseball Scholar-Athlete Award. Current coach for Deerfield High School Baseball.

Mike Mulder

Mike Mulder

Baseball Coach and Instructor

After graduating from Lake Zurich High School in 2013 and playing varsity baseball, Coach Mike played Jr. College baseball at Lewis and Clark  Community College in St. Louis, and went on to play two years at Benedictine University in Lisle, graduating in 2017.

Out of College, Coach Mike immediately began working with a Lake County based travel baseball program, coaching teams from 9U through 14U and overseeing all youth baseball operations. Coach Mike continues to Play and manage operations for a Chicago based Semi-Pro team – The Addison Braves.

Coach Mike also works full time in the commercial Insurance Industry. After a leave from coaching in 2021, Coach Mike is excited to Join MVP Baseball in 2022 and offer his expertise to the growing talent of the youth program.

Coach Mike specializes in pitching and catching instruction, as well as preparing the youth for High School Baseball.

Nate Alvarado

Nate Alvarado

Baseball Coach and Instructor

Specializing in Pitching and Hitting, Nate is from Kahaluʻu, HI and played 4 years of College Baseball at Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL.

In 2010 he coached and assisted in starting the Buffalo Grove Bearcats Program. While coaching there he’s built an impressive resume with Multiple MSBL championships, and Weeklong championships in Cooperstown, Myrtle Beach and Pigeon Forge. In 2019 he started the Chicago Bruins HS program alongside Greg Winter.

Rich Mascheri

Rich Mascheri

Minor League Pitcher

Baseball Instruction. Specialize in pitching and hitting. Wauconda High School standout, continued career at Western Illinois. Signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in ’13.

Richie spent the past two seasons playing for the Chicago Dogs as a relief pitcher. Currently Richie is on the coaching staff for MVP Elite Baseball serving as a head coach.

Tad Slowik

Tad Slowik

Baseball Coach

Slowik served 22 years within the Houston Astros’ scouting department, including three as the Astros’ Scouting Director, in which he led all draft initiatives between 2005-2007. He also spent six years as their national crosschecker, four as their Central Region Supervisor and six years as the Astros’ Upper Midwest Area Scout. He served three years on the major-league side of scouting, & as an advanced scout during the Astros’ 2005 World Series run.

In a 10-year span while at the top of the Astros’ scouting department, Slowik assisted in scouting and developing over 100 major-league players, including all-stars Roy Oswalt, Lance Berkman, Hunter Pence, Ben Zobrist & Brad Lidge, to name a few. During that span, the Astros made six playoff appearances, won three division titles & the club’s first-ever World Series appearance in 2005.

Slowik also served as a pitching coach in Class A, working under first-year manager Manny Acta. Slowik has coached at the collegiate, junior college and amateur levels as well.

As a player, Slowik pitched six years professionally, five with the Cubs and one with the Astros, between 1983-1988, advancing to Triple-A. The 6-foot-5 right-hander was drafted in the 27th round by the Cubs out of Rollins College, where he played baseball and basketball.

Seasonal Staff…. RC & John will be rejoining the staff in the fall of 2021.

John Devito

John Devito

Baseball Instructor

Baseball Instruction. His playing career spanned a 4-year career at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1982-1987. John was a scholarship player as a 3rd baseman and Outfielder and then made the transition as a catcher after his freshman season. After his collegiate playing career John continued to play Semi-Pro Baseball with several teams in the Chicago area up until the age of 30.

Presently, John is involved and has been a coach in the Mundelein Feeder Baseball program at the 13 and 14 yr old age level. John is available for hitting, infield/outfield, pitcher and catching lessons starting in November through April/Early-Mid May for private lessons.

RC Lichtenstein

RC Lichtenstein

Pitching Coach Montgomery Biscuits

RC Lichtenstein has 28 years of professional coaching experience. He has coached pitchers in all 28 seasons and has managed 3 seasons in Independent Pro ball as well. RC has coached over 120 pitchers who have gone on to pitch in MLB. He has had 2 Cy Young award winners, 1 Rookie of the Year and 10 MLB All-Stars.

RC just completed his 18th season in the Tampa Bay Rays system. He has spent 10 years in Single-A and A+ ball and 8 years at the AA level. During that time, he has coached in the Arizona Fall league twice, Venezuelan Winter League, and the Australian Baseball league. The last two seasons RC helped guide the Rays Single-A affiliate, Charleston Riverdogs. The Riverdogs have the most wins in MiLB over the last two seasons going 82-38 and 88-44. The Pitching staffs have led the Carolina League in ERA both seasons while winning back-to-back Carolina League Championships. In 2021 RC had both the MiLB Starting Pitcher of the Year (Taj Bradley) and the MiLB Relief Pitcher of the Year (Colby White) on his staff.

Golf Coaches

Grace Kil

Grace Kil

Golf Instructor

18 years of golfing experience. 15+ years of tournament play. Played professional golf for 3 years. Grace is able to help teens mentally and physically be prepared for tournaments.

Achievements:

  • Qualified for state all 4 years. Top 10 for junior and senior year.
  • #1 in tournament points in the midwest for 3 years as a junior player.
  • Won 2 college tournaments during the 1 year played collegiate.
  • Top 50 in the AJGA ranking
Jack Kleiner

Jack Kleiner

Golf Coach

Merchandise Manager/Assistant Golf Professional at The Club at Wynstone for 4 years.

Lead club fitter
Callaway Master Fitter

Worked at PGA Superstore for 2 years as a club fitter.
Absolutely loves the teaching/club fitting aspect of the golf game.
Die hard Cubs and Packers fan
I live in Barrington.
Golf should be fun and a huge advocate for “swing your swing”!

Matt Hausmann

Matt Hausmann

Golf Coach

Lead Assistant Golf Professional at The Club at Wynstone.
Member of the PGA of America.

He has the golf business and at Wynstone for 16 years.
Went to Carthage College and played golf and hockey there.
Sports in general have always been a passion of his!

Cricket Coaches

Calvin Savage

Calvin Savage

Coach - ACF Cricket Level 2 Certified

Calvin’s coaching career spans 10 years. He started as CSA level 1 coach in 2012 and became CSA level 2 coach in 2014. 2015. For last several years, Calvin has been the owner and head coach of Dolphin Coast Cricket Academy (DCCA) and most recently was appointed as head coach of St Just colts junior section and operator of their academy.

Calvin’s career as a player began in 2010 at the age of 17 with a debut with SA u19, First class debut and List A debut. In 2012, Calvin joined SA National Academy and represented South Africa for the U19 World cup (finished 3rd); and signed up with Dolphins Franchise. Calvin was part of Dolphins franchise from 2012 through 2020. Calvin has also done 4 stints in UK as overseas professional and represented Furness CC, Hartley cricket club and Darwen cricket club. 

Dheeraj Damarla (DJ)

Dheeraj Damarla (DJ)

Coach - ACF Cricket Level 2 Certified

Dheeraj (DJ) is a certified wicket keeping coach from Root Cricket Academy UK and also ACA Level 2 coach. He has played college level cricket in Andhra and corporate & club level cricket in Chennai. He has been associated with CYCA from the past 2 years.

At CYCA, Dheeraj is our lead coach for wicket keeping.

Mehul Shani

Mehul Shani

Head Coach - ACF Level 2 Certified

Mehul leads the Coaching team at CYCA. While a structural engineer by trade, Mehul’s first love is Cricket.

Mehul has played Div 1 Cricket for Queens Park Cricket Club, Trinidad 1998-2000. In US, Mehul hasrepresented Midwest Cricket Zonal team for US Nationals 2004 and represented Midwest Cricket in LA Open 2003-2005

Mohamed Javid

Mohamed Javid

Wicket Keeper / Batsman, ICC Level 1 Certified

Tamil Nadu Cricket Association State Leagues (2008-2014)
Played DIV – 2 in State League & DIV – 1 in District Leagues
ICC Lelevl – 2 Tournaments in Abu Dhabi (2015-2017)
Played DIV – 1 in GCC Tournaments.
Global Zalmi League in Dubai ( 2018-2019 )
Represented Bonn Zalmi (Germany) Team
Gulf Cooperation Council Tournaments in UAE

Sandeep Palakkal

Sandeep Palakkal

Coach - ACF Cricket Level 2 Certified

Sandeep brings his passion for the sport of cricket to his Coaching techniques. When he is not working as a QA Engineer, he is on a cricket field either as a team member or as a coach for kids with CYCA.

Vineet Sinha

Vineet Sinha

Coach - ACF Cricket Level 2 Certified

Vineet brings lot of cricket experience to our academy as a coach. He has trained under Dennis Lillee at MRF pace foundation for 2 years. He is ranked as the fastest bowler in Mumbai (7th in India). Vineet has represented Mumbai against England’s national team; Mumbai’s U23 team; Poland’s national team for 4 years and has played league cricket in UK for 8 years.

Vineet’s coaching credentials include: coaching Premier Division in UK; coaching in DY Patil with Tendulkar Middlesex Academy as a guest coach and coaching for Achievers Cricket Academy in Mumbai.