National Trainer

Resides: Los Angeles, CA

Marysol Flores is a Training Manager with Up2Us Sports where she is dedicated to developing the skills of coaches across the Los Angeles region, and the country, to make a difference in the lives of young people. Marysol served with AmeriCorps as an Up2Us Coach at local youth programs in South Central and East LA and has worked in youth development for the past four years. She is currently in the process of completing a Masters degree in Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego, where she is studying the intersection of sports, peacebuilding, and community healing. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Lesley University, where she also played for their women's soccer team.

Assistant National Director, Training

Resides: Miami, FL

Thomas has served as part of the training team at Up2Us Sports in the Southeast region since 2014. Before joining the team at Up2Us Sports he worked with the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins community outreach departments. Along with his work at Up2Us Sports, he has coached high school baseball for the last 7 years at McArthur High School and Cooper City High School in South Florida.

National Trainer

Resides: Baltimore, MD

Samantha’s strong belief that coaches play a pivotal role in child development led her to join the Up2Us Sports team as a Training Manager in May 2022. Samantha attended the University of Maryland where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and her Master’s in Public Health. During her time at Maryland she worked as a manager for the women’s basketball team where she assisted with daily operations, player development, and recruitment efforts. Samantha has coached youth sports for several years, and currently coaches field hockey and basketball at Richard Montgomery HS in Rockville, Maryland.

National Trainer

Resides: Rochester, NY

A proud Rochester, NY native, Alannah attributes most of her successes to her ability to play sports as a kid alongside thoughtful, supportive coaches. She graduated summa cum laude from UMass Amherst in 2021 with a degree in Sport Management and has since founded her own 501c3, Rising Phoenix Sports Program, which provides sports programs for girls+ in juvenile detention centers. Alannah worked on impact-generating research projects with UMass Amherst's Laboratory for Diversity and Inclusion in Sport and is a proud volunteer firefighter. Above all, Alannah is dedicated to advancing opportunities for women and girls in male-dominated spaces, as well as supporting coaches in the sports-based youth development space.

National Director, Training

Resides: New Orleans, LA

Interested in having Nate speak at an engagement? View his speaker profile by clicking on his headshot above.

Nate LeJeune is a youth development and relationship-building expert with 15+ years of experience. As the Up2Us Sports’ National Training Director, Nate manages a training staff that conducts training across the nation, including 9 Up2Us Sports regional offices. Nate has also been a City Director of the New Orleans region, as well as a trainer, program manager, and 1 service year as a Up2Us Sports Coach. Nate’s background includes over 16 years of youth development experience, 7 years of managing sports-based youth development (SBYD) programs and staff in positive youth development, 5 years of training programs and coaches in SBYD, and over 10 years of creating programming and training teams to engage youth on a weekly basis. Through these years of experience, Nate has become well-versed in data collection best practices and fundraising. Nate has also become an expert on trauma-sensitive behavior, youth development, relationship development, AmeriCorps programming, team culture, team management, and leadership skills.

National Trainer

Resides: New Orleans, LA

Sean brings over twenty years of experience in working with local youth through coaching, summer, and enrichment programming. A lifelong New Orleanian, Sean earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English from Tulane University and a Master's of Science in Counseling from Loyola University New Orleans following four high school years at Brother Martin High School. Prior to joining Up2Us Sports, Sean served as the Physical Education teacher, Athletics Director, and Middle School Science and Math teacher at St. Stephen Catholic School. In addition to this role, Sean spent years with Partnership for Youth Development, Firstline Schools, Playworks New Orleans, and Jefferson Parish Recreation Department in various youth development coordinator and management positions. Through these experiences, Sean aims to provide New Orleans youth with safe and healthy opportunities to have fun and gain positive experiences through games, sport, and other enrichment activities. And while he loves staying busy in these roles, he also can be found enjoying New Orleans festivities, catching up on TV & movies, crafting, cooking, and when there's time, playing some video games!