Meet your Coach

Hey, I'm Coach Jon!

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Cocoa Beach and Florida Institute of Technology alumni.

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Youth FIRST Athletics was born from a simple idea: give the kids of Brevard County the same opportunities that shaped my life. Brevard legend, Steve Roper and his family, as well as the Cape Pirates High School Rugby coaching staff and teammates all blessed me with a life changing opportunity to gain lifelong connections and to play NCAA Rugby at Lindenwood, a goal of playing college rugby I thought was unobtainable. 10 years after graduating high school, its time for me to return the favor to the community!

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I was born and raised in Brevard (living in MI, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Rockledge, Titusville, Melbourne, and Palm Bay) and through sports I learned discipline, resilience, leadership, and confidence that have stayed with me far beyond the field. After playing for the Cape Pirates, competing at the NCAA level with Lindenwood University, a short 3 month rugby tour in New Zealand, coaching at the Florida Institute of Technology for 3 years and with the Cape Pirates intermittently, winning multiple state championships, and continuing to compete at the Division II and III (with Brevard Red Eyes and Orlando Griffins) and Florida Elite 7s level while serving as an Officer in the Florida Army National Guard, I realized there was still one thing missing: a dedicated pathway for young athletes to develop both elite athleticism and rugby skills right here at home. The purpose is to provide supplemental training to the athlete's particular sport, not replace their team's trainings.
 

That's why I created Youth FIRST Athletics. My goal isn't just to coach better athletes; it's to build better people and create a lasting legacy for the next generation of Brevard County athletes. Every certification I've earned from USA Rugby coaching and player safety to CPR/AED/First Aid, concussion management, safeguarding, injury prevention, and risk management as well as many future certifications to continually grow my toolkit reflects my commitment to providing a safe, professional, and high-quality environment.

I would honored to help your youth warrior unlock their full athletic potential!