Rich Synek.....Academy Director/Baseball Instructor
Founder of the Glenbrook Sports Academy, Rich has been teaching and coaching youth athletics for more than 29 years. Over the last 10 years, Rich has been coaching independent travel baseball for the Lake County Chiefs and, more recently, the Highwood Braves. Since 2000, Rich's teams have compiled an overall record of 382-102-4 with a number of past players now competing at the high school and collegiate levels. As a former school teacher and father of four, Rich is dedicated to providing the very best instruction and most positive experiences that a sports academy can offer.
Chris Malec.....Baseball Instructor
Chris comes to us from Michigan State University where he recently followed up his playing career by spending a season as an assistant coach. There, he coordinated practices, assisted with recruitting, and administered youth camps for the University. As a player, Chris had many successes including earning Player of the Year and All-American honors as a pitcher and first baseman for the College of Lake County. Chris has grown up with a love for the game and looks to instill that passion in an enjoyable and educational way, and providing his students the opportunity to take their game to the next level.
Ryan Graham.....Baseball Instructor
Ryan comes to the Academy this year bringing 3 years of private instructional experience. As a player, Ryan began his career at Triton Junior College, where he received All-Conference and All-Region honors. Ryan played two years at the University of Delaware, before moving on to play two years professionally in the independent ranks for the Gary Railcats of the Northern League and the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League. Ryan is presently a Physical Education teacher at Northbrook Jr. High and Freshman "A" baseball coach at Glenbrook North High School.
Sean Flynn….Baseball Instructor
Sean recently moved to the Northbrook area from Naples, FL bringing 7 years of instructional experience. As a former catcher, Sean finished his collegiate career at the University of Kansas, before moving on to play 3 years professionally in the independent ranks for the Kansas City T-bones of the Northern League and the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League. As a recent law school graduate, Sean is now working for a sports agency in the Chicago area.
Doug Scott.....Baseball Instructor
Doug is a long time Northbrook resident with extensive coaching experience ranging from youth baseball to junior college with over 13 years of coaching for both Northbrook Baseball and the Highwood Braves notching numerous tournament victories including Cooperstown in 2006 and the MSBL Championship in 2007. Doug also coaches at Loyola Academy in Wilmette.
Dan Porter.....Baseball Instructor
Dan, a graduate of Glenbrook South, was a scholarship athlete in both football and baseball. He has been involved in organized baseball for over 35 years as a player, coach, and instructor - best known as a serious power hitter. For the past 8 years, Dan has been coaching in the Glenview Youth Baseball and Highwood Braves programs and brings a tremendous amount of baseball experience to the Academy.
Andy Pope.....Baseball Instructor
Andy has over 35 years of baseball experience as both a player and coach. As a graduate of Notre Dame High School, Andy was recognized as a High School All-American at the catching position and went on to play collegiately at Northeastern Illinois University. Most recently, Andy coached the Niles Bandits independent travel baseball team to an overall .667 winning percentage and subsequently joined forces with the Highwood Braves 15U travel team in the summer of ’08. Andy has a strong background in baseball fundamentals and possesses a real passion for helping young athletes become more successful on and off the field.
Brett "Boomer" Synek.....Baseball Instructor
Boomer was a 3-year varsity starter and 2-year team MVP at Glenbrook North High School. He concluded his high school career by leading his team to the most successful Spartan season in 37 years including a Conference, League, Regional, and Sectional Championship along with a #4 final state ranking. Boomer's .482 batting average, .800 slugging%, and .579 on base% placed him among the elite hitters in the state earning him All-Conference, Pioneer Press All-Area, Sun-Times All-Area, and Tribune All-State Special Mention honors. Boomer is presently playing collegiately at Oakton CC and will be available for hitting, pitching, catching, and fielding instruction this fall/winter.
Jay Meyer.....Baseball Instructor
Jay brings over 40 years of baseball experience to the Academy. For the past 15 years, Jay has been coaching and instructing youth players of all skill levels - through the New Trier Travel program and more recently the Highwood Braves. In addition to his baseball expertise, Jay has been a professional youth counselor for more than 30 years.
Joe Colucci.....Baseball Instructor
Joe re-joins the Academy bringing 10 years of private instructional experience with him. Joe has an incredible passion for working with hitters and pitchers of all ages. In high school, Joe played all four years at the Varsity level and went on to star at North Park University in Chicago. While there, Joe excelled in many hitting categories and led the 2001 CCIW Conference in HRs, RBI, and SLG%. Joe also specializes in all other skills of the game and possesses the energy and personality that kids love. Joe is also a valuable member of the HIghwood Braves coaching staff.
Mike Synek.....Lacrosse Instructor
Mike was a 3-year starter on the Glenbrook North Varsity lacrosse team and played college lacrosse at Illinois State University. At GBN, Mike is the school's all-time leading scorer having scored 50 goals his senior season and 102 for his career. Mike was the first player in GBN history to earn 1st Team All-State honors and subsequently led the IHSLA All-Star game in scoring. At Illinois State University, Mike was a 4-year starter on Attack, earning All-Conference recognition for the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference. Mike was also a 3-time team Captain and served as the Team President. Currently, Mike is the Assistant Varsity Coach for the Glenbrook North High School lacrosse team and plays semi-professional box lacrosse for the Chicago Outlaws.
Michael Kordecki, DPT, SCS, ATC.....Physical Therapist
Mike is currently the Director of the Praxis Physical Therapy & Human Performance Center in Vernon Hills. With over 20 years of practical clinical experience working in the areas of sports medicine and orthopaedics, Mike has developed his reputation as a leading clinician in his field spending the majority of his time rehabbing athletes of all ages. As a licensed Physical Therapist and Certified Athletic Trainer, Mike spent 8 years with the Chicago Bears training Staff and recently obtained his Applied Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Mike will be lecturing at upcoming Academy seminars.
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