MEET THE TEAM

YEDA wouldn't be possible without the coaches, tutors, mentors and teachers who have graciously given their time, energy and expertise to the organization and enrolled youth.

Each member and all volunteers are required to undergo vigorous background screening to ensure a safe, positive environment for all.

While we regularly have more people involved than you see, below you'll find the core team that makes YEDA a success in our community.

Core Team

Greg Ellison

Coach Greg Ellison is the founder of our non-profit Y.E.D.A. His vision to enrich the lives of the youth in the Chicago Southland has been the driving force behind the success of our programs, events and outreach.

Donell Ausley

Coach Donell Ausley of Courtology brings years of experience working with the youth in developing the basketball skills needed to take them to the next level.

Donovan

Coach Donovan has been coaching for 10 years. His basketball experience, love for the game, and love for the youth ignites his passion to train and develop the next generation of student athletes.

Andre Hogan

Coach Andre comes to us with a passion for restoring the communities he serves. Equipped with a set of old-school values and the desire to reach back and teach others, Andre enjoys spending time coaching, mentoring and tutoring the youth.

Coach Rivers

Coach Rivers has 10+ years of experience coaching youth and he is certified in sports performance. Coach Rivers is currently the varsity assistant coach at T.F. South High School, and his coaching values and techniques focus on getting the student to appreciate hard work, patience, teamwork, while also building the players basketball IQ. Coach Rivers is also the director of IHustle Basketball Academy.

Candyce Herron

Miss Candyce provides parents/guardians and students, with prolific science rigor through our tutoring program, and will strongly encourage her students to see that with the collective; we can change the world. Candyce has a background in high school education, as well as biological engineering, pre-med and physics.

Brenda Riley Richardson

Miss Brenda is a retired principal and teacher with a B.A. in Accounting and Business Administration, M.Ed. in Education and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. As an educator who has taught both at-risk and accelerated students, she firmly believes that ALL students can learn, provided they are fully engaged mentally, physically and emotionally.

Bob Ferguson

Bob Ferguson, Klicsports Direct of Futsal & Soccer, is one of the most experienced and dedicated coach and personal trainers, currently affiliated with PAKS, CEBA, USA.., and formerly of Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL) N.Y. He has been coaching since 1999 and currently possess a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) National License. Coach Bob’s experience, extraordinary communication skills and ability to motivate players, gives him the winning edge.

Warren Foster

Coach Warren, managing partner and program director of Klicsports, is one of the most committed and passionate coaches with experience in coaching both boys and girls in Futsal and soccer. He currently holds the title as head coach at Ceba United F.C. & IFS Middle School Boys Soccer.

Marquice

Coach Marquice comes to us with a background in personal training, athletic performance, strength and conditioning, calisthenics and nutritional enhancement. He is passionate about sports, athletics and fitness and seeks to pass on the knowledge he's learned throughout his years to today's youth. Marquice has been a certified personal trainer and nutritionist since 2018.