Coach Profile

MEET THE COACHES – MACCABI SPORTS PROGRAMS

Coach: Dror David
Sport: Soccer
Dror has 10+ years coaching soccer both at the youth and adult levels. In 2010 his team won the Ontario Cup Championship with the Richmond Hill Raiders U21 Women’s Team.  Drawing on his experience as coach, player and education, Dror exercises excellent pedagogical methods to bring the best out of his athletes. He still competes at the top level of the Ontario Soccer League and crowned the 2016 champions. Dror was a member of the UOIT Ridgebacks Varsity Soccer Team while attending.
Dror is very excited for the opportunity to be coaching the future wave of Jewish athletes in soccer and hopes to influence Jewish youth to compete at the highest levels.
Certification:  Provincial B Licence – The Ontario Soccer Association ; NCCP Level 3
Maccabi Experience: 2017 Maccabiah Games, 2013 Maccabiah Games – Bronze Medal (first in Canadian history)

Coach: Lawrence Freedlander
Sport: Basketball
Lawrence, completing his Masters Degree in Education, has been coaching developmental basketball for over 20 years for house league and rep teams at the T.D.S.B, JCC, Parks and Recreation, Phase 1 Basketball, YMCA and Youth Maccabi.  He has had the opportunity to coach development skills programs for players in the NCAA and European Pro Leagues.   Lawrence philosophy of coaching is to teach the basics constantly. No matter how far a player progresses it is always the basics that provides opportunity. It is then to teach the various combinations of the basics that provides for player advancement.
Certification: NCCP Level 3; Technical Instructor for the NCCP
Maccabi Experience: Coach of the 1984, 86 and 88 Youth Maccabi Games Basketball team

Coach: Jason Mausberg
Sport: Soccer
Jason has been coaching elite men’s and youth soccer for over 12 years for both Maccabi Canada and USA levels. He uses his superlative management skills in interacting with the players and relates strategies on an individual and easily executable basis. Jason is still competing as a player and was the elder statesmen on the 2013 Canadian bronze medal open Men’s team at the Maccabiah Games. Jason also captained the USA masters team to a silver medal at the 2005 Maccabiah Games.
Certification:  Ontario Pre B license
Maccabi Experience: 2013, 2009, 2005 Maccabiah Games; 2011, 2007, 2003 Pan America Maccabi games; 1984 world youth Maccabi games

Coach: Ryan Odes
Sport: Basketball
Ryan, a Physical and Health Education teacher at the elementary level for 6 years and the coach for the school basketball team. He is actively involved in coaching multiple basketball teams for a variety of age groups, along with many other sports teams as well as running basketball clinics for youth at summer camps. Ryan’s experience also includes playing rep baseball and coaching championship teams in softball, soccer and volleyball. Ryan has a passion for coaching and enjoys helping students develop their skills and understanding of the game.
Certification:  NCCP Level 1

Coach: Danny Sankar
Sport: Soccer
Danny has degrees in both Human Kinetics and Sports Psychology and coaches Soccer for a wide range of ages both in house league and rep levels.  His coaching experience also includes football, basketball and rugby at the high school level.  Danny has a positive and encouraging attitude and promotes athletic and personal growth for all players.
Certification:  NCCP Levels 1- 3, Active Start, Fundamentals, Learn to Train.
Maccabi Experience: 2009 & 1997 Maccabiah Games, 1999 Pan American Games, JCC Maccabi Games (Memphis 1982, Detroit 1984)

Coach: André Serero  
Sport: Basketball
André has been coaching for over 35 years and can been seen on the basketball court and/or soccer field or as a professor and Executive-in-Residence at Ryerson University’s business school. André has a tremendous passion for coaching, mentoring and giving back to the community and has been involved with Maccabi Canada’s Skill and Development Sports Program from its inception.  He has coached rep teams with the York South Silver Knights organization and JCC Maccabi Teams.  André has the unique ability to coach both the player and the game and he sees the big picture and works to maximize each individual player’s basketball potential and skills, coupled with a dedication to instilling the life skills and values that are at the very core of any team sport.
Certification:  NCCP Levels 1 -2 ; Basketball and Soccer
Maccabi Experience:  2017 Maccabiah Games – Coach Youth Boys Basketball Team ; 2015 European Maccabi Games – Coach Youth Boys Basketball Team (Bronze Medal) ; 2015 (Fort Launderdale) and 2014 (Detroit) JCC Maccabi Games Basketball (Silver Medal both years)

Coach: Amy Sherman
Sport: Basketball
Amy was a four-year player & two-year captain at Emerson College in Boston, MA. She has been coaching young athletes for over 10 years, including the past 3 years within the Ontario Basketball Association. She promotes a positive and inclusive team environment, resulting in the development of top-level players and highly-ranked teams. Amy, a nutritionist and trainer, is dedicated to helping athletes achieve their goals – both on and off the court.
Certification:  NCCP Levels 2, Certified Holistic & Sports Nutritionist, CF-L1 Trainer
Maccabi Experience: Coach: 2017 Maccabiah Games Junior Girls Basketball ; 2014 JCC Maccabi Games Fort Lauderdale (Gold Medal) ; 2013 JCC Maccabi Games Detroit (Gold Medal) ; Athlete: 2009 Maccabiah Games Open Women’s Basketball ; JCC Maccabi Games (2004-2007)

Coach: Josh Shermer
Sport: Volleyball
Josh has been involved in Volleyball all his life. He has over 10 years of coaching volleyball, indoor and beach. He was a member of the University of Toronto Varsity team and Humber College Varsity team that won a bronze medal at Nationals in 2014.  Josh is passionate about the game of Volleyball and the development of youth Volleyball.
Maccabi Experience: 2013 Maccabiah Games Open Men’s Team – Silver Medal ; 2009 Maccabiah Games – Open Men’s Team Bronze Medal

Coach: Mack Robertson
Sport: Volleyball
Mack is an assistant coach for the Men’s Varsity program at Humber College, his collegiate varsity team. During his collegiate career, in 2012 the team won gold at the CCAA National Championship and Nationals and in 2014 bronze at Nationals.  Returning for his second year with Maccabi Sports, Mack has a wealth of knowledge from his experience coaching and playing that he wants to impart on our next generation of players.
Certification: NCCP Level 1
Maccabi Experience: 2013 Maccabiah Games Open Men’s Team – Silver Medal ; 2009 Maccabiah Games – Open Men’s Team Bronze Medal

Coach: Gil Vainshtein
Sport: Soccer
Gil has been involved with soccer all his life.  He played at the highest amateur level in Ontario and attended Alderson-Broaddus Collage in the USA on a Soccer scholarship.  Gil, demonstrated excellent leadership with his teams, and was honoured to be named Team Captain for his University team, Team Canada at the 2011 Pan American Games and Bronze medal team at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel.  He was named to the NCAA Division II men’s All-Appalachian Team in 2005.
In the last 5 years Gil has been coaching Youth Maccabi kids. He is very motivated and excited to share his soccer knowledge and experience while watching kids develop and improve their skills.
Certification: Fair to Play
Maccabi experience: 2013 Bronze Medal team, 2009, Maccabiah Games; 2011, Pan America Maccabi games

Coach: Josh Winer
Sport: Basketball
Josh, a teacher in York Region for 12 years, has coached basketball for over 15 years.  His experience includes coaching teams at multiple levels: elementary, high school, university and rep teams.  Being Josh’s second year in the Maccabi Sports program he enjoys giving back and coaching younger students helping them achieve their goals in basketball.
Certification:  NCCP Level 3 – theory and technical.
Maccabi Experience:  2009 Maccabiah Games – Gold medal in Fastpitch for Canada

Coach: Yuri Afonin
Sport: Soccer
Yuri has trained 9 years in one of the strongest soccer academies in Israel, Hapoel Tel-Aviv, where he gained experience in both coaching and playing competitive soccer at the professional level. He worked and played with some of the best coaches, and was also the assistant fitness coach at the Hapoel Tel-Aviv youth academy. Yuri is very passionate about the game of soccer, and he is very motivated to increase the level of professionalism in soccer by sharing his knowledge of the game and how to be a professional athlete with the young players and helping them develop their skills to the best of their abilities.
Maccabi Experience:  Coach of the U2007 Maccabi Canada Rep Soccer team

Coach: Josh Bennett
Sport: Soccer
Joshua has been coaching elite men’s and youth soccer for over 6 years for both Mohawk College Men’s Varsity Soccer team and as the Technical coach for Hamilton Sparta Youth Soccer Club.   He uses his interpersonal skills & technical ability as his approach to develop young players. Joshua possess a vast amount of playing experience from the provincial, youth national team and university level. Joshua was awarded a full scholarship to Simon Fraser University, and he is still competing as a player with the Maccabi Hawks men’s team.
Maccabi Experience: Coach Maccabi SC Rep teams U15& U13.