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STAFF
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Ron Apollon  (Director)
had a brilliant career at New York Institute of Technology where he set a school record by saving 9 of 12 penalty kicks. He went on to star at the semi pro level for several teams in the New York area. He also played for a couple of seasons for the Atlanta Magic USISL Indoor professional team.
Ron holds the USSF “A” and the National Youth coaching licenses and has coached several teams as well as goalkeepers in the Atlanta area during the past 15 years. He is currently the Community Coach for the Pace Academy Girls Varsity team in Atlanta, GA. Ron has been a staff coach in Georgia’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) since 1997 and heads the ODP goalkeeping department . His coaching career also includes stints as Technical Director at GA Rush Soccer Club, Director of Goalkeeping at North Atlanta Soccer Association, Director of Coaching (Girls) at Metro North Youth Soccer Association, Staff Coach at Tophat Soccer Club, Men’s Goalkeeper Coach at Georgia State University, Assistant Men's & Women's coach at Oglethorpe University and GK Coach at Georgia Perimeter College Women’s team. Ron has coached at several camps including the MNYSA Striker/Keeper Camp, the Warner Soccer Camps,and at Star Goalkeeper Academy camps.
Hope H. Clark (Assistant Director)
is currently the Head Coach at Georgia College and State University (GCSU) in Milledgeville GA, a member of the Region III ODP Goalkeeping Staff, and an Assistant/GK Coach for the Guyana Women's National team. She previously was the Director of Goalkeeping for AFC Lightning Soccer Club and the GK coach for Glory United FC. In addition to her club and college duties, she was a member of the Georgia ODP goalkeeping staff for three years working with the '89, '93 and '90 girls’ teams. Hope was a four year starter at Virginia Tech and earned various honors, including All-Mid Atlantic Region Team. She then coached at the Division I and II collegiate level at both American University and at the University of Tampa. Hope was a member of the Atlanta Silverbacks W-league team in 2005 and 2006. Hope holds a USSF "B" coaching license and a NSCAA Goalkeeping License.
Patrick Mitrovich (Assistant Director)
 Patrick is in his third season on the Eagles soccer staff as an assistant and goalkeeper coach after a four-year career with Winthrop. Mitrovich helped the Eagles men’s soccer team to Big South Conference Championships in 2006 and 2008. The four-year starter was a three-time All-Big South Conference selection and was the 2005 Big South Freshman of the Year. In 2008, he was selected as the top goalkeeper in the South Atlantic Region. The Marietta, GA native concluded his Winthrop career ranked first all-time with a 0.89 goals-against-average and finished second in shutouts with 19. In four years, he combined for a 54-16-7 record. The 54 victories in net is a school record at the NCAA Division I level. This past March Patrick signed a professional contract with the Charlotte Eagles of the United Soccer League. He has also played for the Atlanta Silverbacks and Fredericksburg Hotspur of the Premier Development League. He was also on the 2008 MLS Draft List. Mitrovich attended Walton High School is Marietta, GA where he was an NSCAA/Adidas All-American and the 2005 Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year. In addition to coaching at LDGA, Patrick is also runs the Winthrop Goalkeeper Summer Academy and heads the SC Olympic Development Program Goalkeeping Staff.
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Additional Staff Coaches
Jonathan Harvey
Harvey is currently an Assistant Coach at the University of Georgia after five successful seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at NCAA Division II North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, Ga. Harvey helped the Lady Saints to a 48-34-8 record in his five seasons, a stint that culminated in 2010 with the program's first ever NSCAA Top-25 ranking and finish as the Peachbelt Conference Tournament runner-up. John is no stranger to youth soccer in Georgia having served as Georgia ODP Staff Coach for the 92 and 96 Girls teams. Harvey has also trained goalkeepers at United Futbol Academy and Gwinnett Soccer Association over theprevious two years. He has extensive summer camp experience as well having been on staff at Clemson Soccer Camp, Western Carolina Soccer Camp, and the University of Georgia Soccer Camps. Harvey played his collegiate soccer at Oglethorpe University and also served in the United States Navy from 2000-2005. This stint in the Navy included decorated combat tours in the Al Anbar Province, Iraq, in 2004 and 2005. John holds the USSF B License, NSCAA Levels I, II, and III Goalkeeping Diplomas.
Jimmy Maurer
A decorated collegiate and professional player, Jimmy is the GK Coach for the Clayton State women’s soccer team and is on the GA Olympic Development Program (ODP) GK Staff. He also is the starting goalkeeper for the Atlanta Silverbacks for the North American Soccer League (NASL).
A native of Lawrenceville, Ga., Maurer enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at South Carolina, where he started 78 games and finished second all-time for the Gamecocks in shutouts with 28. He was a three-time All-Conference USA selection and 2007 Conference USA Freshman of the Year. Prior to attending South Carolina, Maurer was in the United States U-17 National Team Pool for three years.
Maurer played on various clubs in the USL Premier Development League during his collegiate career. That included the Atlanta Silverbacks U-23 team in 2008 and the Chicago Fire Premier in 2009. While with the Fire, Maurer was selected as the PDL Goalkeeper of the Year, pacing the Fire to the PDL championship game. He concluded his PDL career with the Atlanta Blackhawks in 2010.
Maurer prepped at St. Pius X High School in Atlanta, where he garnered Gatorade State Player of the Year honors during his senior season in 2007. He helped pace the Lions once to the state quarterfinals and twice to the semifinals. In addition, Maurer played on the Region III ODP team for three seasons and the Georgia State ODP team for six years, and was selected to the U-18 U.S. Youth Soccer All-American team in 2006.
Jackie DeNova
Jackie is currently the A ssistant/GK Coach for Coker College in South Carolina. A two-time All-American at William Carey University in Mississippi, DeNova had an impressive playing career that included being named to the Nissan All-Region Team and the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) All-Conference Team. She was also named SSAC Defensive Player of the Year and Divisional Player of the Year, in addition to receiving Conference Player of the Week honors multiple times, as well as National Player of the Week.
In addition to her stellar playing career, DeNova has a wealth of coaching experience. She has served as a staff member for the Columbus State University Soccer Camps for the last five years and has experience training goalkeepers throughout the region. She holds a USSF National Coaching License. A native of Washington state, she graduated from William Carey in May 2011.
Russ Stroud
Russ Stroud serves as Goalkeeping Coach for the Atlanta Beat in the Women's Professional Soccer league. He is an Ivy League graduate with experience training both youth and college keepers.
For the last three years, Stroud has worked alongside Head Coach Rob King at Kennesaw State University. In two of those three seasons, the Owls won regular season titles in the Atlantic-Sun Conference. In 2007, the Owls claimed the A-Sun Conference Championship and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Stroud’s work with the KSU keepers received national recognition in 2006. The keepers earned a fifth overall ranking in both goals against average (0.36) and save percentage (.906) plus a seventh overall raking for most shutouts (12). Stroud began his fourth season with the Owls in August.
In addition to his time with KSU, Stroud has worked with the Georgia Olympic Development Program (GA ODP) for the last five years as a goalkeeper coach and evaluator.
Stroud is a graduate of Yale University where he played in goal for the Bulldogs and worked with Head Women’s Soccer Coach Rudy Meredith. He is a Georgia native who started for the ’82 GA ODP team and spent his club career with Atlanta Fire United (formerly West Gwinnett Soccer Club) and the Silverbacks Soccer Club (formerly Untied Quest).
Dan Pietro
Dan currently coaches at North Atlanta Soccer Association where he is also the Director of Goalkeepers. Dan played collegiate soccer at Charleston Southern University before starting his coaching career. He is a former Academy Director and GK Coach at Cobb FC and a certified "Coerver" instructor. Dan is also on the Georgia ODP GK Staff and holds a USSF "B" License.
Ben Yabrow
Ben is a former LDGA camper who has been on the LDGA coaching staff for the past 3 years. He has recently been named the GK coach for the Men's team at Case Western Reserve University where he set school records for saves, wins, shutouts, and best save percentage during a four year career. In 2010 he was voted Honorable Mention All-UAA. In his sophomore year, Ben played in and started in 18 matches and allowed 20 goals for a 1.10 goals against average… In 2008 he was twice named UAA Defensive Athlete of the Week. He is a Four-year letterman at George Walton Comprehensive High School where he earned All-County honors from 2006-08 and was tabbed as an All-State selection in 2007 and 2008.
Rade Tanaskovic 
Rade is currently the GK coach for the Atlanta Silverbacks Women's team of the USL W league as wel as for the Emmanuel Collge Men's team, after completing a brilliant career at North Georgia College. In 2009 He was named to NSCAA All-Southeast Region Team…Named to Preseason Peach Belt All-Conference team…Tabbed as Peach Belt Second-Team All-Conference…Played in 14 games and started 12…Played in goal for 1,235 minutes and recorded 65 saves with a save percentage of .793…Named a Peach Belt Conference Presidential Scholar Athlete. In his freshman year, he was also named Peach Belt Conference Goalkeeper of the Week...played in 18 games and started 15…recorded five shutouts…allowed 28 goals and made 87 saves…goals against average was 1.55…recognized as the Peach Belt Goalkeeper of the Week. Rade attended Medical High School of Belgrade where he won Region and State Championshipsand was awarded the Best Goalkeeper awrad. He also played club soccer for FC Kolubara and FC Rad in Serbia. Rade is currently a coach on the GA ODP GK staff.
Monica Sanchez
Monica is a former member of the Puerto Rican National team with which she acquired 7 caps, including the 2010 Olympic Caribbean games. She played one collegiate season at the University of South Carolina and was a 3 year captain at Columbus State University. Monica's coaching credentials includes stints at the Columbus Youth Soccer Association as well as at the Brookstone School in Columbus GA.
Michael Williams 
Mike Williams was named as a graduate assistant coach with the Southern Polytechnic State University men’s soccer team in June 2011. During his two seasons at Southern Polytechnic, the Hornets advanced to the Elite Eight of the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship in both 2012 and 2011. In his first year, Southern Poly won the 2011 Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament title for the first time.Prior to joining the SPSU squad, Williams played for four years as a goalkeeper at NCAA Division I DePaul University. He was a member of one of DePaul’s most successful recruiting classes, and helped lead the team to its first Big East Tournament and NCAA Tournament appearances. Mike is currently a coach on the GA ODP GK staff.
Salina Diop, MS,ATC 
Salina is the Head Athletic Trainer for The Walker School. Salina received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Health and Exercise Science from Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. Salina has also been the Head Athletic Trainer for LDGA since 2008. She did her graduate work at Georgia State University and received a Master of Science degree in Sports Medicine in May of 2003. Salina has had experience in providing sports medicine services at the Upper School and collegiate levels. She has also covered a number of professional and amateur sporting events including the USA Indoor National Track and Field Championships and The Peachtree Road Race. Salina is licensed in the state of Georgia and has been certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association since 1999. | | |
