Team
MEET THE BOARD
A public school history teacher with over 20 years experience in the classroom and over 30 years playing, building and managing both youth and adult soccer Robert spearheaded SV Yellow Hook with his desire to give back to the community he has grown to love. Robert graduated from Hofstra University, where he founded the successful intramural side City FC and studied both History and Print Journalism. He was born in Brooklyn and raised on Staten Island where he played at Msgr. Farrell High School, CJSL Selects and his club Silver Lake SC all the way from under-16 though over-30s. Robert was also one of the founding members of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League’s Second Division Side Empire FC in 2005 and Brooklyn City FC Men where he served as general manager from 2018-2021, lead the team to a 9 aside title in Metro Soccer’s Brooklyn Bridge Park league and then lead the team to their best ever CSL season, finishing in first place in Division 3 losing only one game in the process. He also has playing experience as part of Richmond County FC in the CSL’s First Division. Married with two children, Robert has his roots solidly planted in the ground here in Bay Ridge and also helps run the non-profit Borbone Brigante as its President, with his wife Courtney. Robert is a massive Manchester City supporter who has been through it all with his beloved blues, from Division Two through Champions League Finals.
Currently Courtney teaches Art in the NYC Public School system and has done for 20 years where she teaches Kindergarteners all the way up through 8th graders. Courtney interned at the Juilliard before becoming a teacher in 2001. Born in Edison, New Jersey, Courtney moved to New York City in 2002 and has been living in Bay Ridge since then. Courtney also serves as the chairperson of the non-profit Borbone Brigante and has overseen almost $200,000 in donations since its inception. As the mother of two children Courtney is always looking for ways to make this world a better place for ALL children and sees this project as one worth working for.
Paul was born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn - he is an avid sports enthusiast and community organizer, in addition to being a web consultant and musician.
After graduating Regis High School in Manhattan and attending Boston University, Paul returned to his hockey roots and came out of retirement to captainthe Brooklyn Chiefs to his first championship title at Fort Hamilton Roller Hockey League in 2010.
Since then, in addition to launching his own web development and IT business, Paul has been involved with other non-profits - most notably Borbone Brigante, and Musicians for Musicians as a founding board member.
While football may be a new venture for Paul, his creative passion for artistic expression and profound desire to help his local community will allow him to fulfill a multi-faceted role with SV Yellow Hook.
Lloyd is a Miami native who has made Brooklyn his home for more than a decade. He is a lifelong Chelsea supporter, all the way back to the Gianfranco Zola days, and played youth soccer at Homestead United and Boca Juniors in South Florida. He began playing for Brooklyn Bound SC in 2014 and after taking over as coach in 2021, led the team to promotion to the third division. Lloyd recently joined forces with SV Yellowhook, after being drawn to the mission of removing the barriers of “pay to play” and giving back to the community.
Our favourite Englishman Chris Davitt. is currently living in Bedstuy, Brooklyn.
Chris grew up in Suffolk, UK and is boyhood Ipswich Town fan (for his sins) where he was lucky enough to be a season ticket holder for 12 years, including a few in the @premierleague and @uefa_official UEFA Cup.
He spent 10 years living in both London and Amsterdam before moving to America in July 2020 (yep, peak pandemic immigration is fun).
He was drawn to the project to be part of a community that’s looking to help bridge the gap for people who might not necessarily be able to play the game for a number of reasons. He’s super passionate about how the club is driving inclusiveness across multiple communities.
Leonard studied in a Spanish school since he was six years old, in his home town in Caracas, Venezuela. Futbol was in his DNA from early life, but it wasn’t until the World Cup Spain 82’, when he was nine years old, that he started to play organized futbol. By his twelfth birthday, he had decided to become a profesional futbol player. He made the national team when he was thirteen years old but four years later his pro career was abruptly finished by a meniscus injury. He came back to futbol playing intramural at his University.
He moved to New York City in 2002 and in 2004 he was signed by the Blue Steels, a team that played on the McCarren Park Recreational League. In 2009 he founded the New Amsterdam Soccer League, an 11 aside recreational Co-Ed League, that ran for five years at Randall’s Island where he managed the New Babylon FC. In 2014 he arrived in Brooklyn and joined Sunrise FC, an international community of early riser futbol players that meet three times a week at Parade Grounds, in Prospect Park. That game is still on.
Maradona made him fan of Barcelona, Michael Owen made him fan of Liverpool, Platini of Juve and Klopp of Dortmund.
When he’s not chasing a ball, he’s making films or working on any social innovation idea through Starfruit, his Social Innovation Lab.
His latest film, Translucido, can be watched on Prime.
Last in our behind the badge series is one of the most vital pieces to our puzzle. With so much experience, @jjdevaney will be able to provide our younger players with an example of what it means to be an athlete that would be second to none. His experience in the game goes back decades and his knowledge is deeper than anyone we have on board. His commitment to the community runs just as deep and we’re so grateful he’s a Night Owl!
Hailing from beautiful County Sligo in the northwest corner of Ireland, JJ works in the media as a broadcaster for ESPN’s weekly soccer podcast Caught Offside. @caughtoffsideespn
Now living in Brooklyn, JJ has thrown himself into Gaelic football with the legendary Brooklyn Shamrocks GFC and the equally legendary SC Gjoa. He is still attempting to complete some passes after all these years!
The vision and idea of SV Yellow Hook is something he believes in and he is looking forward to helping it blossom.
Team registration is currently open. Please register here!