Andy graduated from Northwestern in 1998. He was named All Big-Ten 3 years, Team Captain 3 years, all-time assist record holder and NSCAA All Midwest Region. While playing seven seasons of professional soccer in Germany, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Charlotte, Andy trained in the martial arts, earning his Third-Degree Black Belt and was the head instructor of a tae kwon do school. After 9/11, he served on the Tactical Response Unit of the Phoenix Police Department for 9 years. Besides tac ops and pro-active community policing, he also served as a certified translator in Spanish and in French, a Peer Counselor for PTSD/Trauma, and Subject Matter Expert and Physical Training Instructor for all Arizona Law Enforcement Agencies. While there, he competed in the World Police and Fire Games and in 2012 won the Gold Medal at the National Championships in the event called Toughest Competitor Alive. He became known as a Sports Performance and Fitness Expert- with over 100 published articles and videos for national media including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, and USA Today. His training/nutrition content on YouTube has been viewed by 4.5 million people. He was discovered as an actor when he was cast in a movie with Will Ferrell called Everything Must Go. In 2012, he moved to LA and has appeared in over 40 Films and TV shows and many more commercials and photo campaigns. Andy relocated to the San Francisco area in 2017 when he was recruited to create and lead a $50MM Sports Technology and Entertainment startup called COPA Soccer Training Center. There, Andy also served as Director of Coaching for Solano United Soccer Club where he was responsible for the development of roughly 1500 student-athletes, four of whom were his two sons and two daughters. He has been coaching soccer at all levels for 25 years, and in 2019/2020 passed a year-long exam process to earn US Soccer’s National A-Youth License; the highest youth coaching badge in the country. In 2020, Andy also consulted on several sports training facilities, specializing in design and business development.

He and his wife Julie were married in Chicago in 1999, and along with their four kids and bulldog George Best, they returned to the Chicago area in Fall of 2020 after 20 years of adventures to create and lead Intentional Sports.

Email: andy@intentionalsports.org

Austin Carr is the President of Intentional Sports, where he leads the vision to transform youth
and communities through Sports-Based Youth Development. Having relied on sports as a source
of stability and direction during a challenging childhood, Austin now works to ensure that every
child can experience the same transformative power of play. Since before the organization’s
launch in 2023, he has guided Intentional Sports from being a bold idea to a nationally
recognized model of impact that now serves more than 2,500 youth each week in Chicago’s
North Austin neighborhood.
Before joining Intentional Sports, Austin played four seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver for
the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots. Unanimously chosen by his Saints teammates
as their NFL Players Association representative, Austin served during 2020— ‘the most unique
season in NFL history’—which followed a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and unfolded
amid the unprecedented challenges of Covid. This role sharpened his skills in leadership,
governance, and negotiation, preparing him to navigate complex challenges and build consensus
under pressure.
Austin earned his B.A. in Philosophy (with a Business minor) from Northwestern University and
his M.S. from the Kellogg School of Management. As a student-athlete, he captained the
Northwestern football team and was named the 2016 Big Ten Receiver of the Year, among other
honors.
Today, Austin brings the same discipline, teamwork, and passion that defined his playing career
to his work at Intentional Sports—where kids grow healthier, neighborhoods grow safer, and
communities grow stronger. He and his wife Erica call Chicago home where they are raising
three sons.

Email: carr@intentionalsports.org

My name is Estie Cardos, and I have the privilege of serving as the Senior Director of Programs at Intentional Sports in Chicago. My journey into this role was fueled by a deep belief that sports are more than competition—they are life-changing experiences that teach discipline, teamwork, and resilience. What inspires me most is the opportunity to see young people thrive. I’ve witnessed how the right environment can give kids not only the skills to succeed on the field but also the confidence to succeed in life. Every day, I work to create programs that open doors for youth, strengthen families, and bring our community together through the power of sports. For me, Intentional Sports isn’t just a job—it’s a mission. I am committed to making this a place where every child feels safe, supported, and motivated to dream bigger.

Email: cardos@intentionalsports.org

Jason Heyward (‘J-Hey’) was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 1st round of the 2007 MLB Draft. He has spent time with the Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. During his time with the Cubs, he led the club to its first World Series championship in over 100 years. Husband to Vedrana and father to Messi, Jason has partnered with Intentional Sports to host the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy on site where youth of all ages will be able to learn, train and have fun in the sport of baseball.

Email: info@intentionalsports.org

After four years of playing basketball at Northwestern, where Tre was named a team captain and selected to the All-Big Ten team his junior and senior season, he went on to play four years professionally in Europe. While in Europe, Tre was top 5 in points and minutes in three of the four seasons he played abroad. In October of 2021, Tre retired from playing professionally following a hip injury and began working as a broadcaster and now serves as a color analyst for NBC and CBS Sports. Tre has a passion for serving and developing the youth through comprehensive basketball training and is excited to serve as the Basketball Director of Intentional Sports.

Email: demps@intentionalsports.org

Born and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina. Earned a Bachelor Degree from Belmont Abbey College in Sport Management. Earned a Master of Business Administration from King University. Four-year collegiate soccer player at Belmont Abbey College, former Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach at King University, former Club Head Coach and Director of Grassroots at Tri-Cities United, holds a USSF D License.

Email: butorovich@intentionalsports.org

Gabe Garcia, a Wheeling IL native, has dedicated the past 10 years of his life to the youth soccer space. Currently, he holds his USSF B License and is Head Men’s Soccer Coach at College of Lake County. Gabe is excited to lead soccer operations at Intentional Sports. Fun Fact about Gabe: he is a Chicago Fire Fan and has attended 3 World Cups.

Email: garcia@intentionalsports.org

BK was born in Tehran, Iran, raised in Northern VA, and recently graduated with his Bachelor’s in Learning & Organizational Change and Master’s in Sports Administration from Northwestern University while captaining the Men’s Soccer team, racking up over 5,000 minutes of game time and 27 goal contributions. Throughout his time at Northwestern, he served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, received Academic All-American honors, and was named as a Big Ten Medal of Honor finalist. A former US Youth Soccer National Champion & Golden Ball Winner, and current semiprofessional player here in Chicago, he has always been passionate about using sport as a vehicle for change through his affiliation with Charity Ball and the several youth teams he coaches on top of his Sporting Director duties at Intentional Sports. Fun facts about BK: he grew his first mustache in fourth grade and has yet to meet someone who can beat him at Mario Kart.

Email: kimiavi@intentionalsports.org

Nelson Schneider was born in Berlin Germany. He is an accomplished game designer, specializing in systems, mechanics, and art. A driven and enthusiastic individual, his passion for Game Design originated in his childhood, inspired by the talented individuals responsible for creating the positive gaming experiences he enjoyed. This ignited his determination to pursue a career in Game Design, collaborating with exceptional teams to develop groundbreaking games that captivate players worldwide.
Nelson’s journey into the competitive gaming world began in high school, where he actively engaged in eSports, focusing particularly on Super Smash Bros. This passion for competitive gaming continued as he pursued higher education in college, where he not only honed his Game Design skills but also continued to play eSports, contributing to his well-rounded experience in the gaming industry.
Nelson embarked on an educational journey to refine his Game Design skills, culminating in a degree from DePaul University. During his studies, he gained practical experience working with leading engines such as Unreal Engine, Unity, and Game Maker, participating in numerous projects that provided valuable exposure to the industry. Since then, he has continued to develop his skills and stay up to date with the latest gaming trends, with a particular focus on Unreal Engine 5.
Beyond his passion for Game Design, Nelson enjoys creating digital illustrations. During his time in school, he joined clubs that afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with professionals and contribute to the creation of breathtaking murals across Chicago.

Email: schneider@intentionalsports.org

Hi my name is Victor Calito and im 26 years old. I bring a lifelong passion for athletics and over a decade of experience in sports performance. I started my athletic journey at 8 years old. I’ve competed in volleyball, basketball, and football before transitioning to coaching and training. For the past four years I’ve coached varsity football and led summer training camps designed to advance athletes performance on and off the field. My coaching philosophy is a mixture of hard work, dedication, and creating a supportive environment where my athletes can thrive and grow. I am currently NASM certified and IHSA coach certified. 

Email: varilla@intentionalsports.org

From marketing to content creation, social media promotion, commercials, or documentary work, Drake is here to use his Marketing Degree from University of Illinois to help bring the Intentional Sport’s vision to life from behind the camera. When he’s not creating digital content, Chicago-native Drake like’s to go for long runs, try new foods, spend time with family, and discover new music artists.

Email: white@intentionalsports.org

Stephanie Gomez is a recent college graduate from DePaul University, of hispanic descent, who majored in Animation. She is outstandingly crafty at making flyers and has an eye for design! She works Front Desk and is a Coach for Esports. Ask her what her latest art project is the next time you see her.

Email: media@intentionalsports.org

Luke is a 16 year old soccer and tennis player from Phoenix Arizona. He is currently taking classes at Harper college and enjoys playing chess and watching live sports.

Tommy Christian is one of the top sports performance coaches in the country. He started his sports performance career at Northwestern University as the Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning (2000-2002). His role expanded to take over all the speed development duties for the football program and under his first season in this role, the team saw an average decrease in 40 yd times of .15 seconds. Tommy broke off from NU to begin the process of growing TCBOOST in 2002, although he has continued to aid as a contract coach and/or consultant for NU ever since. Over the past 20 years, Tommy has trained more than 600 Division 1 athletes, 150 players for the NFL Draft, 4 NFL Pro-Bowl players and over 40 other professional athletes ranging from the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and Rugby Union. Tommy is the former starting inside linebacker for the Wildcats under Coach Gary Barnett (1992). During his playing career at Northwestern, he was the top Iron Cat point winner for his combination of speed, strength, explosiveness, and stamina.  Pairing an extensive athletic background and coaching experience with a degree in engineering, Tommy has a unique analytical approach to developing performance in athletes of all ages.

Email: info@intentionalsports.org