RYS STAFF COACHING BIOGRAPHIES
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Abe Chehebar, Staff Coach
Teams: Boys 2011 Thunderbolts, Girls 2013 Lions Abe is a native of Ossining and former collegiate standout at both UConn and Fordham. Abe is a well-respected youth coach at several clubs in Westchester and has been a member of the RYS staff for more than five years. His quality as a player, demeanor as a coach, and technical acumen make him an outstanding trainer for players of all ages and abilities. |
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Adrian Ciocoiu, Staff Coach
Teams: Boys 2010 Gunners, Boys 2009 Red Dragons Since becoming the assistant boys’ varsity soccer coach at Rye HS in 2003, Adrian has held multiple roles in the Rye community—head JV coach at both Rye and Rye Neck, assistant Varsity track and field coach at Rye, and Rye City School District food services employee. As a youth soccer coach, Adrian has earned respect from players and families for his tireless commitment to his players. Adrian’s passion for the sport is also on display in his long-time commitment to organizing adult soccer for countless Rye residents and RYS parents. |
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Prince Danso, Staff Coach
Teams: Boys 2012 Earthquakes, Girls 2013 Leopards, Boys 2008 Reds Prince has been a highly successful JV soccer coach in Rye since the 2015 season and has coached various RYS teams over the years. A native of the Bronx who was a standout goalkeeper during his days at Samuel Gompers HS and Monroe College, Prince is known for his love of the sport and his ability to connect with his players. |
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Kevin Kaye, Staff Coach
Teams: Boys 2010 Hotspurs Kevin’s experiences in the sport include 20+ years in various coaching, refereeing, and facility management roles. As a coach, Kevin has a USSF “C” License and previous coaching experience with the Central Park Rangers and the Hackley School. As a USSF Grade 8 referee, Kevin is also one of the top local high school referees. From 2017-2019 he was the Construction and Facility Manager of Ophir Field. |
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Mike Konicoff
Teams: Girls 2012 Pride, Boys 2013 Chelsea, Boys 2011 Rebels A two-time all-America during high school, Mike also earned New York State Player of the Year as a senior at Suffern High School in 2004. During his high school years, Mike was a member of both the U16 and U18 US National teams. As the 9th ranked player on ESPN's list of Class of 2005 prospects, he went on to enjoy a standout career at Boston College, where he captained the Eagles during his senior season. Mike and his family live in Rye. Away from the field, Mike works full-time as an attorney. |
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Elver Maldonado, Staff Coach
Teams: Girls 2014 Eagles, Boys 2014 Gators, Girls 2012 Royals Elver is a former standout player at Mamaroneck High School who went on to have a successful four-year career at Plattsburgh State. After starting all 19 matches and earning all-SUNYAC tournament honors as a senior, Elver began his professional playing career in Central America before returning to the Westchester area. Elver joined RYS in September 2019 and has proven to be one of the club’s most exciting new hires. |
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Rich Savage, Director of Player Development and Parent Coaching
Teams: Girls 2014 Flames Rich's primary role is to focus on the well-being of the club's players--from the beginning intramural player to the highest-level travel player. In addition, Rich mentors volunteer parent coaches and managers to ensure that parents feel supported in, and prepared for, their roles. Rich is a lifelong resident of Rye and highly decorated coach who has won multiple Coach of the Year honors from The Journal News. In addition to leading the Rye HS Girls' varsity team to countless championship matches (including two appearances in the NY State Finals and one State Championship), Rich has coached dozens of high school all-Americans, college all-Americans, and professional players. His compassion, kindness, and experience as a parent and coach in Rye are invaluable for our players and parents. |
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Andrew Schuck
Teams: Andrew is a veteran coach at RYS whose passion for the game, kindness, and patience make him an ideal leader for our youngest age groups. A former Pelham HS soccer player, Andrew has a B.A. from NYU’s Steinhard School of Education and an M.A. from Hunter College. In his role with RYS, Andrew runs our Saturday morning Intramural program for U6 and U7 players. He also works closely with Chris Skelton to develop and monitor our curricula for our U6 and U7 players and coaches. Away from the field, Andrew is an AP Language Teacher and Department Coordinator at Manhattan Hunter Science HS. |
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Chris Skelton, Director of Coaching, Head of Boys' Travel
Teams: Boys 2014 Scorpions, Boys 2013 Liverpool, Boys 2013 Tottenham, Boys 2012 Dynamo, Boys 2011 Rampage, Girls 2012 Royals Chris is both a beloved coach and a mentor to RYS staff coaches. As Director of Curriculum, Chris is primarily focused on helping the staff coaches improve the quality of their training plans, curricula, and on-field coaching. Chris has developed a sterling reputation for his passionate, purposeful, and skills-based approach to coaching children. He uses his remarkable energy and passion to also lead the Winter Indoor Soccer Enrichment (WISE) programs. |
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Jared Small, Director of Operations
Teams: Boys 2014 Sharks Jared's primary role is to manage the club's intramural, pre-travel, travel, and enrichment and camp programs. Jared's passion for Rye Soccer and attention to detail helped him lead the Rye HS Boys' Varsity soccer team to four of its best seasons in over 35 years between 2018 and 2022--including a #1 state ranking and appearance in the NY State Final Four in 2019, an undefeated season in 2020, and a 15-win campaign in 2022. From 2016-2018 Jared served as a full-time assistant coach for the Harvard men's team and then between 2018-2022 as the part-time Director of Player Development for the 2019 Ivy League Champion Yale men's soccer team. Off the field, Jared serves as an educator and mentor to students in Rye, the Bronx, and communities around the world. |
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Erica Stewart, Head of Girls' Travel
Teams: Girls 2014 Blaze, Girls 2013 Cougars, Girls 2012 Dash, Girls 2011 Renegades, Girls 2010 United Erica is a longtime RYS coach with a rich history in the sport. Between 2005-2010, she spent time as an assistant coach at Rutgers University and Centenary University. As a player, she was a member of the training squad for New Jersey's Sky Blue FC in the Women's Professional Soccer League (WPS) for part of the 2011 season. Prior to that, she captained the Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues, a semi-pro team in the W-League, and also played for Jersey Sky Blue (W-League) in 2008-2009. Erica served as captain of the Villanova Wildcats during her four-year collegiate career. Prior to her college years, Erica played club soccer for PDA (NJ) and was a member of the National Team Pool in 1998. Off the field and on the big screen, she played the soccer body double role in the 2007 film Gracie. |
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Adriano Torriani, Staff Coach
Teams: Boys 2014 Tigers, Boys 2013 Arsenal, Girls 2014 Flames, Girls 2013 Wildcats, Adriano is a 20-year veteran of RYS and one of the most beloved youth coaches in the area. Adriano is widely regarded for his ability to teach the technical nuances of soccer in a fun, challenging, and engaging manner. Over the years, he has also coached for Coerver and for East Hudson Select. |
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Jon Tuttle, Staff Coach
Teams: Jon is a beloved elementary school physical education teacher and assistant boys’ varsity soccer coach for the Rye Garnets. Jon brings enthusiasm and expertise to his various roles with Rye soccer, and he was the architect behind the strength and conditioning program that helped lead the boys’ varsity team to its historic run to the State Final Four in 2019. In addition to coaching soccer, Jon also won a state championship in his first season as the varsity golf coach at Ursuline. |