-Coaches

The Hero's coaching staffs are without rival in the world of club lacrosse. Each of our Hero's teams is guided by coaches with significant experience who are selected to best meet the needs of our athletes. Many of our staff memebers are former players who have attained high school and college All-American status and several have been elected to membership in area Halls of Fame.

Each of our coaches enjoy giving back to the sport, and all are active participants in the management of the club. Unlike some clubs where teams are passed from coach to coach, our coaching staffs remain with their team as they progress from middle school to college.

The Coaching Staffs

2011

Tommy Gentner is the head coach of the Hero's 2011 team. Tommy has coached youth athletics for over   12 years.  Tommy has coached lacrosse, basketball and soccer in both the boy's and girl's programs along with football for both Catonsville and Howard County.  Tommy was the defensive coordinator  for the Maryland U-13 All-Star Team that was undefeated at the U.S. Lacrosse National Festival at the University of Massachusetts in June of 2006.  He  served as offensive coordinator for the Maryland U-15 All Stars who were undefeated  at the U.S. Lacrosse National Youth Festival at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida in June of 2007.  A two-sport athlete in college, Tommy played both lacrosse and football at Washington and Lee University in the early 1980's.

Tommy is assisted by Joe Provance.  Joe has coached women's lacrosse at the rec, high school and club levels for 12 years.  He also coached mens lacrosse at the college and high school level. Joe was an All-American player at UMBC and played for two years on the U.S. men's team.  Joe was inducted into the UMBC Athletic Hall of Fame and is a member of the UMBC All-Time Lacrosse Team.  Joe is also a two-year club  All American with Maryland Lacrosse Club.

Noelle Hopper is also an assistant coach for the 2011 team. Noelle played on the Hero's 2003 tournament team during the summers of 2000, 2001, and 2002. Noelle graduated Mt. Hebron High School in 2003 and led Mt. Hebron to four state championships and to three national #1 rankings. Nicole went on to play Division I lacrosse at Boston University, where she started on low defense and led the team to three America East Championships and three NCAA appearances, including the Elite Eight in 2005, a year when the Terriers were ranked #3 in the nation. Noelle was a captain her senior year and established herself as one of the program's top defenders. She received All-Conference and IWLCA All-Region honors. Noelle helped the Terriers limit opposing offenses to 9.53 goals per game in 2007 and collected a team-high 43 ground balls her senior year as well as finishing third on the squad in caused turnovers. Nicole graduated from BU in 2007 with a degree in Communications. Noelle currently plays with the post-collegiate Hero's Women's Lacrosse Team as well as in other Summer leagues and tournaments.

2012

The Hero's 2012 team is coached by Kathy Black.  Kathy was the assistant coach of the highly successful Hero's 2008 team. She also was the coordinator and a coach for the Cobra girls' lacrosse program in Howard County for seven years. Kathy has been a girls' lacrosse and field hockey referee in Howard and Carroll Counties since 1987, and she played lacrosse at Franklin High School and James Madison University.

Tierney Ahearn is assisting Kathy with the Hero's 2012 team. Ahearn was a two-sport athlete at Hofstra University where she excelled in both field hockey and lacrosse. Between 1996 and 1997, she was honored with various lacrosse awards such as 1st Team All-American, 1st Team All-Conference, All-Tournament team, Academic All-American and Academic Honor Roll. In her senior year, she was named the 1997 Female Athlete of the Year for Hofstra University. Ahearn continued to contribute within the lacrosse community in which she has been the Director of the HEROS Summer League since 2003. She has been a selection committee member for the Tewaarton Foundation for 3 years and was recently named the Administrative Director for the Heros Tournament Lacrosse Club. Along with many years of varsity coaching experience, Ahearn coached for the National School Girls Mid-Atlantic Team from 2004-2008. Tierney was recently nominated as a board memeber for the Baltimore Chapter of US Lacrosse and was inducted in the Howard County Women's Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Kristy Black and Alayna Markwordt, both members of the Hero's 2008 team and of the Glenelg 2008 state championship lacrosse team, are the student assistant coaches. Alayna is a freshman lacrosse player at The Ohio State University. Kristy is a freshman at the Univeristy of Maryland, and plays lacrosse for the Terps. She played varsity lacrosse for four years at Glenelg High School, where she led the Gladiators to two state championships. While in high school, Kristy was an All-American, Howard County Player of the Year, a Toyota Girls' High School All Tewaaraton Team member, an Under Armour All American Team member, an Inside Lacrosse Top 50 Players to watch in the nation and an All Met player selected by the Washington Post, Baltimore Examiner and Baltimore Sun. Kristy currently holds the Glenelg Gladiators' career records for goals (172), assists (143), points (315) and draw controls (221). She also set a school and county record for the most assists in a game (11) along with the most points in a Maryland 2A State Championship game with 11 (5 goals and 6 assists). Kristy was also a standout field hockey player for Glenelg. She was a Scholar Athlete and member of the National Honor Society, and she participated in many volunteer activites while in high school.

2013

Marty Schwartz coaches the Hero's 2013 team.  Marty has been involved in athletics and coaching for the better part of 40 years. He has spent 30 seasons on the sidelines in baseball, basketball, soccer and lacrosse at the sandlot, high school and seven seasons in the collegiate ranks. He has most recently coached the past  three seasons in the girls' COBRA program.    Marty also served as the Associate Athletic Director at the Community College of Baltimore County (formerly Catonsville Community College) and UMBC.  He is currently the acting Director of the NCAA Man's Lacrosse Championships when hosted in Baltimore and President of Vehicles for Change, a non-profit organization.

Marty is assisted by Jill Carr. Jill graduated from Mt. Hebron High School where she played varsity basketball for four seasons and varsity lacrosse for three seasons. She helped lead the Vikings to two state championship titles and their first #1 national ranking in 1999. Jill played lacrosse at Dartmouth College, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Geography and English. She coached in the Blue Angels basketball program for ten years, achieving three consecutive undefeated seasons. While at Dartmouth, Jill participated in local clinics and acted as a personal trainer while coaching at Hanover High School. Upon graduation, Jill rejoined the Blue Angels basketball program and has coached basketball at Marriotts Ridge High School and Centennial High School.

2014

Kelly McGrath is the head coach of the Hero's 2014 team. Kelly graduated from Hofstra University, in Hempstead, NY, where she played four years of Division I lacrosse, starting as an attacker. She helped lead the Pride to a CAA Championship in 2007, giving them a berth to the NCCA tournament. While at Hofstra, Kelly assisted the Hero's 2007 team, ran many clinics and camps, serving as an offensive director and worked as an assistant director to the Hero's Summer lacrosse league. Kelly graduated with an Exercise Specialist degree and is currently beginning her career as a personal trainer. She attended Seton Keough High School in Baltimore, Maryland, where she lettered in both soccer and lacrosse all four years. She finished her high school career with two IAAM B Championships and an all-region recognition, and she served as a team captain for two seasons.

Leigh Anne Giraldi is assisting Kelly. Leigh Anne was a multi-sport high school athlete and has coached youth sports for 20 years. While in college, she began her coaching career as a life guard trainer and swim team coach. After that, she coached youth soccer, softball, field hockey and lacrosse. She has coached for the Howard County Stampede Field Hockey Program for the past five years and the Howard County Lacrosse and Cobra Lacrosse Programs for the past six years. She is currently on the board of directors for the Howard County Lacrosse Program and is the treasurer for HTLC.

2015

Jackie Milani is the head coach and Jeff Doughty is the assistant coach of the Hero's 2015 team.

2016

Noelle Hopper and Karen Long are the coaches of the Hero's 2016 team. Noelle played on the Hero's 2003 tournament team during the summers of 2000, 2001, and 2002. Noelle graduated Mt. Hebron High School in 2003 and led Mt. Hebron to four state championships and to three national #1 rankings. Nicole went on to play Division I lacrosse at Boston University, where she started on low defense and led the team to three America East Championships and three NCAA appearances, including the Elite Eight in 2005, a year when the Terriers were ranked #3 in the nation. Noelle was a captain her senior year and established herself as one of the program's top defenders. She received All-Conference and IWLCA All-Region honors. Noelle helped the Terriers limit opposing offenses to 9.53 goals per game in 2007 and collected a team-high 43 ground balls her senior year as well as finishing third on the squad in caused turnovers. Nicole graduated from BU in 2007 with a degree in Communications. Noelle currently plays with the post-collegiate Hero's Women's Lacrosse Team as well as in other Summer leagues and tournaments.