Greg Chertok, AASP-CC, M.Ed. Coach/Founder
is the founder of Peak Performance Coaching, LLC, a performance psychology consulting firm based in NY. He has held academic appointments with the Departments of Psychology at Dominican College in Orangeburg, NY, and Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ. He is a Certified Consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology as well as a Personal Fitness Trainer.
He received his B.A. in Psychology at Tufts University and his M.Ed. in Counseling specializing in Sport & Exercise Psychology at Boston University in 2007. While at Tufts, he captained the baseball team and finished his career as an ESPN The Magazine Academic Regional All-American and a New England College All-Star, playing his final game at Fenway Park for the All-Star team.
He has given seminars and workshops to coaches, parents, youth, professional athletes, Super Bowl champions, Stanley Cup participants, Junior Olympians, and Olympic athletes. He has presented at pre-NFL Combine training sessions, the USA Hockey Coaches Convention, sports medicine symposiums, and sport psychology conferences at the regional and national levels. He is a captain of the Psyching Team for the NYC Marathon. Greg has also been featured as a regular Sport & Exercise Psychology expert on National Public Radio (NPR) Morning Edition and SiriusXM’s “Doctor Radio”. Greg has been an expert media source for Reuters, ESPN.com, The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, Everlast, Outside, Runner’s World Magazine, Women’s Health Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, SportingKid Magazine, and Muscle & Fitness Magazine, among others. He is on the Editorial Board for the American College of Sports Medicine’s Fit Society Page, and has co-authored a book geared toward youth baseball coaches entitled The Baseball Starter: A Handbook For Coaching Children and Teens. He resides in New City, NY with his family.
John Bagatta, Coach/Founder
received his degree in Business Management at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL. He currently plays for the Palm Beach Waves of the National Amateur Baseball League (NABA), a highly competitive and nationally acclaimed wood bat league made up of former Major League, Minor League, Independent, and collegiate ballplayers, earning the prestigious MVP award during the 2005 NABA Championship game. With Coach Mann, Bagatta helped lead the American Legion Rockland Pirates to back-to-back state titles, a regional title, and a berth into the 2002 World Series in Danville, VA. Bagatta along with Mann, co-captained the 2002 Clarkstown North team to a state championship, and has been directing youth sports camps in the Rockland and Westchester areas for over 5 years. Presently, John resides in Florida where he works alongside top youth baseball coaches providing baseball training, running clinics, and giving one-on-one lessons.
Brandon Mann, Coach/Founder
Coach Brandon has 10 years of college coaching experience. After spending two years as 1st Assistant Coach and Pitching Coach at Division I Iona College, Brandon accepted the full-time graduate coaching position at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY in the fall of 2008. Although Brandon graduated from MVILLE in 2010 with his MA in Physical Education he continues to help out with the Valiant Baseball Program to this day. In Mann's first year, Manhattanville College won the regular season Freedom Conference Championship as the team went on to hit .356 with 23Hrs and average over 10 runs a game. They also led the nation in stolen bases with 162 in 41 games. Mann's second season with valiants proved to be a record setting year for the Manhattanville Valiants as the team went on to compete in the DIII Mid-Atlantic Regional after hitting .372 as a team and belting 34 Hrs. Before making the move into coaching, Coach Mann had a successful collegiate baseball career at Florida Atlantic University and Lynn University in Boca Raton. As a member of the 11th ranked 2003 A-Sun Champion FAU Owls Coach Mann competed in the regional at Coral Gables. He also played a big role in leading Lynn University to its first NCAA regional appearance. As a co-captain of the 2002 Clarkstown North state championship team, Coach Mann was named New York State Player and Athlete of the Year in 2002. Along with fellow owner John Bagatta, Coach Mann led the 2002 Rockland Pirates to the American Legion World Series in Danville, VA, finishing 5th in the country and losing to the eventual champions Mississippi. Coach Mann was elected to the Clarkstown North Hall of Fame in 2009 for his impressive baseball accomplishments. Coach Brandon also teaches Physical Education in the Bronx, owns and operates INDOOR365, and TBT Baseball in Congers, NY. Coach Brandon lives in new city with his wife Rachel, daughter Makenzie, and sons Dylan and Camden.