Meet Our Coaches
Our YMCA coaches are not just experts in the game, but also mentors who instill a love for the sport along with invaluable life skills in every player. Whether it's perfecting techniques, honing teamwork, or building self-confidence, McGaw YMCA coaches are here to guide and inspire.
Leadership
Francisco Morales
About Coach Francisco: Francisco serves as the McGaw YMCA Sports and Courts Manager, captaining the team in furthering his lifelong passion for sports. Francisco is a firm believer in the power of sports to shape and save lives. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Francisco’s resume extends over 25 years as a player and coach. He played basketball into college until a kidney disease and transplant diverted his track to giving back to the sport through coaching. Francisco was named as the first-ever director of the Puerto Rican Professional Athletes Movement, a non-profit serving schools with free sports clinics and motivational speeches. From this success, he became the youngest Director of Recreation and Sports for the Puerto Rican government. Upon relocating to the Chicagoland area, he helped run local Little Leagues and basketball leagues. Francisco is excited to re-commit his career full-time to his greatest passion of serving youth through fun, fundamental sports programming.
Coaching style/philosophy: My coaching style emphasizes lifelong learning through sports. I focus on teamwork, leadership and progressive skill development to help youth become better players, but most importantly, stronger and more confident leaders in their personal lives and aspirations.
“My passion for basketball stems from…” Basketball has been my comfort zone since age 5. Having chronic kidney disease at a young age, enduring 15 surgeries and developing a speech impediment, I was constantly bullied. My doctor recommended to my parents that I play a sport. Basketball became my best friend in the worst moments of my life. Thanks to basketball, I have accomplished everything I have today!
Why I choose the Y? I serve as a YMCA leader in order to give back to the organization that was a safe place for me when I was younger. It is my goal to be a mentor and leader to the community youth that we serve in the same way the Y was for me when I was a youth.
Favorite player: Vince Carter
Favorite team: Puerto Rican National Team
Hobbies: spending time with family, video games, DC comics, watching sports and going to the movies
Fun fact: My biography is in a history book.
Basketball
Alex Blagaich
About Coach Alex: Born and raised in Wheaton, IL, sports has always been a huge part of Alex’s life. While he regularly attended professional sports games in Chicago, it was basketball that stole his heart. Alex played basketball until he did not make his high school team, when he then found another love in wrestling. Basketball, however, was still calling him, so he rekindled his passion through coaching. He has continued playing basketball recreationally through adulthood and attributes sports to shaping the person he is today.
Coaching style/philosophy: I focus most on three things: teamwork, leadership and skill development. My hope is that by teaching these life lessons to youth, they not only have fun and become better at sports but continue to develop and shine as leaders and athletes on and off the field.
“My passion for basketball stems from…” Shooting hoops on my driveway and going to my first ever Chicago Bulls home game.
Why I choose the Y? I work for the YMCA because I love the community aspect and how well everyone is treated here. The moment I walk through the doors, I am greeted by fellow employees with smiles on their faces. I was very excited to join this team, and I look forward to whatever I can do to give back and mold the youth into passionate athletes.
Favorite player: Derrick Rose
Favorite team: Chicago Bulls
Hobbies: basketball, spending time with family and friends, watching movies, mini golf, WWE, and fantasy football
Fun fact: Every time I have been to Soldier Field, the home team has always won – whether that be the Chicago Bears or Chicago Fire.
Stephanie Blagaich
About Coach Stephanie: Stephanie excelled at basketball through her high school years and now connects with the game through coaching. She has coached girls basketball at Senn High School and Sullivan High School.
Coaching style/philosophy: "Play Hard, Smart, and Have Fun." This was the style/philosophy I grew up playing around and something I want to replicate with my players.
“My passion for basketball stems from…” My family and my experience on every team I have been on. I am very grateful that basketball gave me some of my favorite memories and taught me lessons in commitment, teamwork and hard work.
Why I choose the Y? I work for the Y because of the Y’s commitment to empowering youth through sports. I would not be who I am today if it was not for basketball, and I am humbled to be a small part in providing transformative experiences to other young athletes.
Favorite player: Candace Parker
Favorite team: Chicago Sky and Chicago Bulls
Hobbies: basketball, volleyball and running
Fun fact: I was one of five coaches chosen to coach at the inaugural junior high all-state volleyball games.
Steve Bollinger
About Coach Steve: Sports have always been a major part of my life. Having an older brother, I was always the smallest kid playing with the bigger kids. We played baseball, football, and basketball depending on the season. I also played golf through high school and college and currently play competitively across the Midwest. I went to college at Eastern Illinois University and then attended the University of Chicago, where I received my master’s degree in social work. Currently, I work as a supervisor of a grant program at the Community Counseling Center of Chicago, focusing on youth mental health. I am very excited to engage kids in this great game and increase their skills, but more importantly, create an environment where kids build confidence and have fun together.
Coaching style/philosophy: A coach has a responsibility to teach in a manner that creates a positive impact on each individual that is a part of the team. This is done by creating a team environment where everyone feels they have a role regardless of their direct impact on the game. This is to say that no individual is bigger than the team.
“My passion for basketball stems from…” Having a rim in my backyard where everyone in the neighborhood gathered and competed.
Why I choose the Y? The YMCA in any community represents a safe place for all. Coming from a social work background and working with families in difficult environments, the YMCA is always a positive resource for families. I am very excited to be a part of the YMCA team and cannot wait to get started.
Favorite player: Steph Curry (current), Michael Jordan (all-time)
Favorite team: Chicago Bulls
Hobbies: golf, basketball, staying fit
Fun fact: As a kid, I played for a program called Junior Pros, where we performed basketball skills and fun tricks during halftime at college arenas.
Keith Oliver
About Coach Keith: Keith has a lifelong love for basketball, playing from his elementary though high school years. He has coached in a variety of diverse settings and communities, engaging with students and leading through police athletic leagues. He looks forward to sharing his passion for the game with his young son when those playing days arise!
Coaching style/philosophy: My coaching philosophy is that anybody can play defense: it is just a matter of effort. Some people say that you cannot coach effort, but I do not believe that; instead, I believe it starts with building confidence and self-belief, and people will do anything once you have provided them with that gift.
“My passion for basketball stems from…” The fact that there were people around my height who were able to have long careers in the NBA and the fact that I have always been an effort person, so I can play basketball.
Why I choose the Y? I work for the Y for two reasons: 1) I love the family aspect and I am Christian; and 2) I enjoy helping youth build confidence.
Favorite player: Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson
Favorite team: Miami Heat
Hobbies: Basketball, binge watching entire TV series
Fun fact: I have two degrees in theatre.
Vachel White
About Coach V: I was always an athlete, whether it was playing in 3on3 basketball tournaments outside or traveling the state to play in softball tournaments. My love and commitment to basketball allowed me to earn a basketball scholarship to college. Since college, I have had lots of opportunities to work with kids on their basketball skills through Jr NBA, AAU, and at the IHSA levels.
Coaching style/philosophy: My coaching philosophy is to teach each player the importance of positive attitude and confidence, as well as to ensure each player’s basketball skills are developed while we have fun.
“My passion for basketball stems from…” My passion for basketball stems from my past abilities to play basketball, but now I enjoy being in the gym with kids teaching them the basics of the game.
Why I choose the Y? I work for the YMCA, because for years, they have helped families.
Favorite player: Steph Curry
Favorite team: Chicago Bulls
Hobbies: hiking, playing softball and anything related to basketball
Fun fact: I am committed to early childhood car seat/transportation safety.
Cheer
Marlena Davis
About Coach Marlena: Marlena started her cheerleading journey at age 10 at Haven Middle School in Evanston. She grew to cheer with the Chicago High Ridge Chargers at age 12 before captaining the ETHS Cheerleading team her freshman year. She fell in love with the sport and continued her journey at the college level. While in college, she knew she wanted to be a Cheer Coach one day, so she prepared by taking coaching courses. Life went on, and she gave birth to her son (insert big smile). The opportunity to be a coach presented itself in 2007, and Marlena knew immediately that her goal was accomplished. She poured back into her community by volunteering as a High Ridge Charger Head Cheer Coach, laying the foundation of cheer in the lives of young children ages 5-10 during an impressive legacy from 2007-2023.
Coaching style/philosophy: Throughout my years of coaching, I have pulled from the many coaches I had growing up, allowing me to fashion my style after them with my personal twist. I provide the basics in cheer technique, voice, confident, mental toughness and a bit of history to build self-esteem. In addition, I introduce team building exercises that strengthen team camaraderie, encourage empowerment and grow leadership skills but most importantly...fun!
“My passion for cheerleading stems from…” my older cousin introducing it to me. I wanted to be just like her while growing up. She was so smart and made the honor roll (all the time). Also, she was one of Haven Middle School's first cheerleaders (I believe). Who knew that I would fall in love with the sport?!
Why I choose the Y? I work for the Y because the opportunity was open for me to continue doing what I love...community service and cheer!
Favorite player: Marshawn Lynch
Favorite team: Chicago Bears
Hobbies: Listening to music, watching comedy, reading
Fun fact: I love animals. Bet you cannot guess my favorite!
Pickleball
Liette Brisebois-Kinsella
About Coach Liette: Born, raised and educated in Montreal, Liette grew up loving sports. With her father’s career as a celebrated sportscaster and journalist, sports was a family passion, particularly hockey and football. Her family watched, listened to, attended, analyzed and participated in sports. Liette favored swimming from a young age and even enjoyed some success later in life as a Wild Catfish Master Swimmer in Evanston. During married life with her late husband Bill Kinsella, Liette stayed active through bicycling, tennis, golf, dancing, running and more. They would give any new activity a try!
Coaching style/philosophy: Let’s have fun! We are playing and learning. I believe that learning is fun and moving is a pleasure. I believe that playing pickleball is a blast. At every opportunity, we bring our open hearts and minds to the courts. Naturally, as we progress, we may wish to perfect our game and shift our focus. That is good, too! However, as long as we are in a recreational setting, my focus in on enjoyment and embracing the best practices that make the game of pickleball satisfying and rewarding for all participants.
“My passion for sports stems from…” I love pickleball. It changed my life, nothing less. After my husband passed, I was lost. The pandemic isolated me. When our Y offered an Introduction to Pickleball clinic, I signed up immediately without know what it was. The first time, we were three participants – funny! I fell in love with the game immediately. Through pickleball at the Y, I met amazing people, created new friendships, discovered new strengths, new aptitudes and attitudes. Pickleball gave me joy. The joy of movement. The joy of meeting folks. The joy of belonging to a community. The joy of play.
Why I choose the Y? It is a privilege to be involved with the McGaw Y, not only as a long-time member, but now as a facilitator on the pickleball court, too. I enjoy welcoming new and old members to a game we are growing into and are practicing with a positive attitude.
Favorite athlete: Carlos Alcaraz
Favorite team: Montreal Canadiens (with some space in my heart for Da Bears)
Hobbies: Spending time with my grandson Felix
Fun fact: Recently, I have been volunteering at UrbanRivers.org as a River Ranger. I like the title. In reality, this means that I pick up trash on the Chicago River on a kayak. The project is full of passion and love for the river and the city. There is a lot of love and beauty in Chicago and Evanston.
Mike Fleming
About Coach Mike: Mike boasts more than 20 years of swim coaching experience with youth and adults. He began playing pickleball after the pandemic, inspired by all of our YMCA members playing in the gym. After months of hearing the clanking of the ball from his office, Mike finally decided to join and was addicted almost instantly. Soon after, he began competing in tournaments around the Midwest.
Coaching style/philosophy: I strive to make things as simple as possible for our participants so that they have the best chance for success when they go back out and play with others.
“My passion for sports stems from…” My joy of racquet sports as well as the community that it builds. The low barrier to entry as well as the quickness of games almost ensures that there are social interactions with the players, and I believe everyone is in some way searching for community.
Why I choose the Y? My main role here at the YMCA is running the competitive swim team. I much prefer the way that YMCA swimming leads their competitive swim programs in that we truly promote a team atmosphere and help to make an individual sport like swimming feel like a team sport.
Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan – I have a giant tattoo of him, so I feel like I cannot go with anyone else.
Favorite team: Whoever is playing the Chiefs
Hobbies: When I am not running around after my two young sons, I enjoy playing chess on my phone when I have time to myself.
Fun fact: I am the greatest 8 & Under breaststroke swimmer in McGaw YMCA history.
David Kirby
About Coach David: As a lifelong athlete, David excelled at Division III soccer and lacrosse at Wittenberg University before graduating from DePaul. He continued to play lacrosse in Chicago for nine years before transitioning to a youth soccer and lacrosse coach in Wilmette. David has played racquetball, squash, tennis and paddle tennis at a competitive level, too, and is now climbing the ranks in his pickleball game for the past four years.
Coaching style/philosophy: I believe in teaching the fundamentals and building from there. Being positive and having fun is core to success!
“My passion for sports stems from…” The mental challenge of the game, plus the exercise.
Why I choose the Y? I originally came out of retirement to work for the Y for the awesome title of Pickleball Ambassador. I keep coming back to the community. The players and staff are great to be around day in and day out. Meeting people that I would have otherwise not met has been great for me as well. I love coaching and helping people achieve their goal of becoming a better pickleball player.
Favorite athlete: Ernie Banks – I met him once and had a long chat. He was a great man.
Favorite team: Cubs, Hawks, Bears
Hobbies: Hiking – preferably on the side of some mountain. Vegetable garden, bee keeping, cooking, golf, and of course, pickleball!
Fun fact: I was a Docent at the Lincoln Park Zoo for seven years. I presently volunteer at the Fernwood Botanic Garden in Niles, Michigan.
Ellen Magrini
About Coach Ellen: Ellen is a standout athlete, having played competitive tennis and paddle tennis while travelling nationally for paddle tennis. Over the years, she has taught tennis and paddle tennis as well as youth flag football, soccer, volleyball, basketball and baseball.
Coaching style/philosophy: I believe that playing any sport should be fun. You should want to come back and play more (…and more!).
“My passion for sports stems from…” playing racquet sports my entire life.
Why I choose the Y? I believe that everybody should be able to participate in healthy activities at all levels and reach their full potential. My favorite thing about the Y is that it is an inclusive community.
Favorite athlete: My son
Favorite team: My son's team
Hobbies: Golf and art
Fun fact: I love to paint!
Wen Yu
About Coach Wen: Wen has been a fan of sports all her life, playing various sports such as soccer, ping-pong, tai chi, swimming, basketball and skating, etc. Wen was trained as a physician at Shanghai Medical University and worked in drug development after graduate studies at CU Boulder. For the past 10 years, she has been an avid tennis player before picking up pickleball. Blessed with friends and fascination, Wen’s practice has allowed her to rapidly progress in her skills, inspired by many good players. She is excited to share her learning with all picklers who want to stay engaged and improve their game.
Coaching style/philosophy: I value the development of good habits and fundamentals, problem solving, and understanding the importance of never giving up. Each player starts with unique arrays of strengths and weaknesses. I assess players from where they are, prioritizing what is most important to break through their immediate barriers and providing instant feedback. Most of my players experience rapid progress on the court. This progress incentivizes them to play more, giving them the toolkit to find happiness and camaraderie for a lifetime. I also keep up with the latest and best practices in pickleball to help my players stay ahead of the curve.
“My passion for sports stems from…” the fact that it is a growing sport that is fun for all ages, quickly evolving, and easy to learn but hard to master. I am always curious where it is going next.
Why I choose the Y? The Y is a fun and uplifting place with many inspiring people. It allows me to give back to the community and bring the joy I feel playing sports to others.
Favorite athlete: Ashleigh Barty
Favorite team: Fedal
Hobbies: Playing sports, reading, music, exploration, relaxing
Fun fact: In junior high, I taught myself how to swim from a pamphlet.
Volleyball
Whitney Carson
About Coach Whitney: An accomplished athlete in volleyball, basketball and track, Whitney is an Iowa native who studied political science and Spanish at the University of Iowa, while also participating in the Dance Marathon, student government, a sorority and working on President Obama's campaign team. Whitney was inspired to join Teach For America and moved to East St. Louis to teach high school Spanish and coach volleyball and basketball. While there, Whitney fell in love with teaching and coaching and achieved her master's degree in secondary education from University of Missouri-St. Louis. Whitney moved to Chicago and began working as a Spanish and ESL teacher for a Noble Charter School before growing to Dean of Instruction. She has continued coaching both girls' and boys' volleyball teams at the high school and middle school levels to spread the love of the game.
Coaching style/philosophy: I want my players to believe in themselves and understand that failure is part of growth. Winning is great, but sometimes you learn even more from your losses. I also want them to understand the importance and impact of being part of a team. It means the decisions you make on and off the court, the effort you put into practices and games, your attitude, and the way you show up for others impact more than just you. Being on a team is bigger than you! You always play an important role on a team, no matter how much playing time you receive.
“My passion for sports stems from…” My passion for sports stems from the way they have shaped my life, both when I was a student-athlete and currently as a coach. Playing sports has taught me time-management skills, how to be a team player, and what it means to fully commit to something. Being a coach has taught me patience, resiliency, and it has strengthened my communication skills. All of these things have shaped me into the person I am today.
Why I choose the Y? I am so excited to be part of a new community and work with the youth. I love that the Y's holistic approach to health is core to their mission- "healthy spirit, mind and body for all."
Favorite player: Caitlin Clark and Derrick Rose
Favorite team: The University of Iowa Women's Basketball Team
Hobbies: Biking, yoga, live music, journaling, traveling, and spending time with family and friends
Fun fact: I play the alto saxophone and was the section leader of my high school marching band!
Sara Wheeler
About Coach Sara: Sara has been passionate about volleyball since middle school and played in high school as well (where Coach Whitney Carson was her coach, too!). Sara graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, minoring in Sociology. It was during this time that she understood how passionate she is about working with children and the importance of showing up as an empathetic leader during their developmental years. Sara now works in District 65 with children diagnosed with ASD and will continue to pursue her education. In the meantime, she will continue to be “Barbie” and wear many hats within her profession, including coaching this amazing group of kids with Coach Whitney, which has been an amazing full circle moment!
Coaching style/philosophy: I am huge on synergy and believe that we are only strong as long as we are one! I believe that there are great lessons that come with playing on a team, and it extends further than just “playing volleyball”. It is about learning and harnessing strengths, being open to criticism, accepting failure, and above all just having fun– which are all life lessons that will better shape our athletes for the real world. Everyone deserves their flowers, but it is always great when there is a garden to flourish in!
“My passion for sports stems from…” being humbled and loving every moment of it. You go from being a big fish in a small pond to a tiny guppy in an ocean, and it pushes you to not only do better, but to be better overall.
Why I choose the Y? I work for the Y because they inspired me to actually prioritize my health as a member first. It was a no-brainer that I wanted to be a part of the staff that was always so warm and welcoming every time I would sign in and throughout my workouts. As I mentioned before, I am big on synergy, and the staff radiates that as soon as you open those double doors!
Favorite player: Nyjah Huston
Favorite team: Anyone who wins haha
Hobbies: Meditation, music, reading, skateboarding, and minding my business
Fun fact: I love music and I am currently learning how to play the electric guitar!