Sam (he/him) is the Managing Director of Mindful Sports. Sam grew up in Manhattan, playing baseball for Stuyvesant High School. He played college baseball for Swarthmore and professionally in Europe and Australia from 2007-2010. Sam holds a PhD (2022) in Psychology. His research explores how mindfulness training affects stress perception in preadolescent children playing sports. He has run youth sports programs and summer camps professionally for fifteen years. Sam is an avid Knicks and Yankees fan, loves Korean food, and has been thrilled at Jon Stewart’s return to the Daily Show!

Gwen (they/them) is the Program Manager at Mindful Sports. Gwen grew up thinking that sports weren’t for them, but has discovered tremendous joy in mindful movement as an adult. Now they’re passionate about creating welcoming, accessible environments where they can help young people discover that same joy! Gwen has more than a decade of experience as an educator and administrator working in after-school programs, summer camps, and NYC public schools. They also hold a masters degree in applied theatre from the CUNY school of professional studies, where they learned to bring theatre techniques into non-traditional spaces to enrich education of all kinds. In their free time, they enjoy swimming, reading, crafting, hanging out with their tiny orange cat, and cheerleading for the local roller derby league. 

Daniel (he/him) is the Program Coordinator at Mindful Sports. Daniel grew up in Manhattan and won a NY state baseball championship playing for Trinity High School. He went on to play rugby at the University of South Carolina where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Sports and Entertainment Management. Daniel has worked with youth sports programs on and off since high school and enjoys playing, watching, and teaching a wide array of sports. Daniel enjoys baseball, football, golf, cooking, and soul music!

Jas (she/her) is the Associate Program Coordinator at Mindful Sports. Jasmine, preferably known as Jas, was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She loves writing and playing sports, especially football and soccer. She played soccer for four years in high school and was awarded the New Era Pinstripe Bowl 2019 MVP Scholar Athlete before continuing to play in college. After graduating with her B.A. in Psychology, her main goal was to inspire kids and teach them how to be emotionally intelligent through the art of creativity. As Jas believes herself to be a kid at heart, she puts herself in the shoes of each and every child in order to become the best role model possible. In her free time, she can usually be found making music, writing poetry, drawing, or eating.