TEAM ILLINOIS Board of Directors
TEAM ILLINOIS Board of Directors
Joe
Opron
President, Founder,
Academic Recruiting Advisor,
2021 & 2022 Head Coach
LEADERSHIP
COACHING:
George Washington University - Head Coach
Fenwick - 2018 IHSA Asst. Coach of the Year
Oak Park - River Forest HS
Troy Athens High School (MI)
Rochester School District United (MI)
Director & Founder of East Ave Lacrosse
PLAYING:
Chicago Outlaws - CILL '14 leading scorer
Oakland Univ. - MCLA D1 national goals leader
Wheeling Jesuit Univ. - NCAA D2
Troy Athens HS (MI) - 2x All-State
Getting to know Coach Opron: Coach Opron has an incredible 23-year playing and 15-year coaching background that fuels his passion for helping student-athletes reach their full potential on and off the field! Coach Opron enjoys drawing on his extensive academic and professional backgrounds to help student-athlete make decisions about the next 40 years of their life, not just the next 4 years of lacrosse!
By day, Coach Opron is a financial derivatives attorney and a former adjunct law professor. When not coaching and running East Ave and Team Illinois, Coach Opron enjoys spending time with his wife (Kelly) and three young children (Aubrey 5, Courtney 5, and Joey 2).
Dr. Rolando Izquierdo
Founder, Treasurer, Head of Advancement
BIO:
Founded Yeti Lacrosse
Director of Lacrosse, Coach - Blackhawks Lacrosse Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
St. Viator High School - Team Doctor
Orthopedic Sports Specialist
Assistant Professor - Rosalind Franklin University
Getting to know Dr. Roly: Dr. Roly's efforts and philanthropy focus on building community organizations lacrosse organizations that provide value to families and positive, enriching experiences for young student-athletes.
Dan
Applebaum
Youth National Director
COACHING:
Director, East Ave Lacrosse
Director, Beast Ave Boxla
Fenwick HS Head Coach
Northside College Prep
Oak Park-River Forest HS
Lyons Township HS
PLAYING:
Team Israel, midfielder / transition box player
Israel Premier League
Mars Hill University - NCAA D2 All-Conference
Oak Park-River Forest HS
Getting to know Coach Applebaum: Coach Applebaum co-founded East Ave to increase access to the game he loves and that has provided him with his most formative life experiences. He cherishes the opportunity to forge long-term relationships with the young men who look up to him. Lacrosse has taken Coach Applebaum to play on a professional and international stage, and he is eager to pass that opportunity on to the next generation of Illinois youth lacrosse players.
Kyle
Pepich
Secretary
COACHING:
Director, Yeti Lacrosse
Founded Tribal Lacrosse Club
St. Charles North HS
South Elgin HS
Jacobs HS
Cary Grove HS
PLAYING:
Northern Michigan University - All-Time Point Leader
Schaumburg HS - 2x Captain, founded program
Getting to know Coach Pepich: Coach Pepich's biggest motivation is exposing players, especially youth, to the game he fell in love with as a kid. He is energized by helping new players realize their goals in lacrosse as a way to teach them how to set and achieve goals in any forum.
When Coach Pepich is not on the sidelines, he enjoys pursuing his passion for culinary arts and spending time with his wife and two dogs.
Geoff
Harty
Director
COACHING:
Director, Founder, Second City Lacrosse
St. Viator HS
True State Team Director 2017-2020, World Series of Youth Lacrosse Director 2018-2020
Won NLF National championship while
Glenbrook South HS
PLAYING:
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy - D3 All American, conference player of the year, 3x All-Conference
Glenbrook South - All-Time Leading Scorer, led IL in points and goals, Team MVP
Getting to know Coach Harty: Harty attended United States Merchant Marine Academy where he majored in Logistics and graduated in 2015. Harty was a four year starter for the USMMA Men's Lacrosse program. During his four years, he has many accolades such as All-American, Conference Player of the Year, team MVP, leading score, and team captain. After college Harty worked as a director for a club lacrosse program in Illinois and was the Offensive Coordinator for his Alma Mater, Glenbrook South. Harty is currently the Founder and Director of Second City Lacrosse Club and the Varsity Assistant for Saint Viator High School. Harty currently resides in Chicago.
Kevin
Benages
Director of College Recruiting
COACHING:
Naperville North High School
Founder, Orange Crush Youth Lacrosse
Under Armour All-American - Midwest
Inside Lacrosse Committed Combine
True National
Brine National
Titanium Elite
PLAYING:
Notre Dame College Prep - Earned varsity letters in 5 different sports
Northeastern University
Getting to know Coach Benages: Coach Benages has embodied and exemplified the Team Illinois motto of "for the boys" throughout his amazing 12-year career as a teacher, lacrosse and football coach and expert in athletic performance. Coach Benages is also widely recognized as one of the top college recruiting experts in the Midwest, having helped over 500 student-athletes play at the next level!
When he's not teaching, training, or with the boys, Coach Benages enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.
TEAM ILLINOIS Program Directors