Our Team of Passionate Leaders

We are proud to have strong leadership from all of the Long Island youth football leagues, as well as many public and private high schools and colleges. Over the years we have also partnered with the medical community and organizations like Northwell, Winthrop, and HSS to ensure that safety is paramount. We believe strongly in collaboration and bringing people together. It is this operating philosophy that pools resources and knowledge, and ultimately provides children with the best experience. Our overwhelming success is because we value people and relationships over everything else, even football.

Gerald Filardi

Gerald Filardi

CEO & Co-Founder

Gerald Filardi has ignited youth football on Long Island and made a profound impact. He is the head coach of Hills West High School, Founder of the Long Island Spartans, Regional Director of Football University, co-founder of The Liberty Challenge, New York City Elite Football, LIYFA, and he re-established the Half Hollow Hills youth football program after its demise. Filardi has lead the charge to raise the level of football in Long Island since 2012. He has never been afraid to break tradition...Read More

Benjamin J. Carey

Benjamin J. Carey

President & Co-Founder

Benjamin Carey is the torchbearer for youth football in Long Island. You would be hard pressed to find a kids football activity on Long Island that he is not somehow connected to. His exhaustive efforts to raise the level of football in the region and increase opportunities for young players has created an exciting new movement. After 10 years the Long Island Elite Football National Team Program has produced a record number of players with Division I offers and/or commitments, many to Power 5 sc...Read More

Joe Cappellino

Joe Cappellino

Operations Manager

For more than 10 years Joe has been the friendly face supplying youth and adult sports teams across Long Island with equipment, uniforms, and apparel. Football, baseball, wrestling, cheerleading, community organizations; you name it he does every sport any project, and he does it well. Like all of the volunteers at LIE495 Joe is a great human being, a family man with uncompromising values, someone you can always rely on. He has a wealth of experience running some of the biggest sports leagues, a...Read More

Keith Maurino

Keith Maurino

COACH, OPERATIONS

A former Stonybrook University Quarterback, Coach Maurino is an X's and O's technician who shares an unbridled passion for raising the level of Long Island football. His integrity, his core values and beliefs in competitive football even at the youngest age groups and his unwavering attention to detail make him an asset not just to the organization, but to our region as a whole. He is a man of few words but his achievements both as a coach and leader speak for themselves. His strict all-business...Read More

Eddie Lobo

Eddie Lobo

COACH, OPERATIONS

Coach Lobo believes in teaching competitive football at the youngest ages like the the football hotbeds in the country. He is a man who is about the kids and the kids only. As a leader and administrator he despises the local politics and nepotism that have historically hurt Long Island's football development, and he advocates for principles that have helped the region gain national recognition. As a coach he brings out the hidden potential in all of his ball players. He is one of the winningest ...Read More

Kahmal Roy

Kahmal Roy

Coaching

Kahmal Roy is the head coach at Holy Trinity high school where he has quickly made a profound impact on the program. He quickly achieved winning seasons, has produced Division I athletes, and was awarded coach of the year. Roy is also the founder of Position Specific Sports Training PSTNYC, a sports training company that helps athletes excel on and off the field. He played football at Hofstra University on a full ride where he broke numerous school records and was named to multiple NCAA All-Amer...Read More

Christine Rubinstein

Christine Rubinstein

General Counsel

Christine Thea Rubinstein Esq. has helped Long Island Elite Football grow from a start-up to a multi-team non-profit organization with hundreds of players, coaches, volunteers, and families. She is a major advocate for football and a thorough expert in ensuring the integrity of the program. She is a specialist in Business Planning and Business Succession Planning. Christine has also been the lead counsel for an international commercial mortgage hedge fund called HPC. Christine had helped the hed...Read More

Rob Taiani

Rob Taiani

COACH, OPERATIONS

Rob Taiani has been with our organization in one capacity or another since 2015. He has given countless hours of his time to families, players, leagues and coaches all across Long Island. He is a major football asset to our region and a role model for our boys. A lifelong resident of Long Island, Taiani is known from the east end to NYC in and out of football circles. He's been on the local board of education for over a decade and was an 18-year PAPD veteran with 13 years as a member of the elit...Read More

Tim Asbel

Tim Asbel

COACH, OPERATIONS

Tim Asbel is another "football purist" who supports the game at the highest level and with the most competitive core principles. He is involved in many organizations in the region and is a proponent of programs that focus on X's and O's, not the political distractions that have historically hurt Long Island football. Asbel was a standout offensive lineman at Spaulding High School in New Hampshire, played a year of prep-ball at Bridgton Academy, and later played at LIU. He went on to play profess...Read More

Rocco Dionisio

Rocco Dionisio

Operations Manager

Rocco Dionisio is one of the original organizers of the LI Elite national teams and is involved in all aspects of the program. He is a dedicated volunteer who has committed many hours and resources for the benefits of the children. Rocco has been a board member of the prestigious Massapequa Mustangs organization for the past 28 years. The Mustangs are the oldest youth football organization on LI and referenced frequently as the gold standard of youth football programs.

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Stella Genova

Stella Genova

Operations Manager & Chairwoman, The Liberty Challenge

Stella Genova started out as a team mom on her son's local football team when he was 5 years old like many moms do, but somewhere along the way found herself deeply involved with a bunch of different teams and broad range of responsibilities. She holds a degree in Business Merchandising and worked in the fashion industry for over 18 years. As a Production Manager for Warnaco and Chaps Ralph Lauren she traveled overseas to negotiate multi-million dollar contracts, and she also ran Design & Op...Read More

Suzanne Maurino

Suzanne Maurino

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Suzanne is a guidance counselor by day, and her expertise translates amazingly into helping the kids and parents of the Long Island Elite National team program. She wears numerous hats for the organization and knocks off each project with ease and humility. It is easy to find "parent volunteers" who age out with their child. It is hard to find exceptional help, loyalty, and someone who is in it to raise the level of Long Island football overall, not just there for their son. Suzanne is kind, gen...Read More

Nick Raio, Medical Director
Chris Raio, Medical Director
Ray Nelson, Medical & Athletic Training Liaison

 

Advisory Board

Suzanne Marino, Northport
Keith Maurino, Northport
Mark Menghi, Smithtown

Angie Taylor, Huntington
Cheryl Greene, Longwood

Jay Fiedler, Oceanside (NY Jets, Miami Dolphins)
Linda Koppelman, Hauppauge
Trevor Coston, Elwood (Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears)
Billy Cardello, Massapequa
Conte Cuttino, Uniondale (Stonybrook University)

Dominick Fraioli, Lindenhurst
Lou Bonnanzio, VP National Football Foundation
Joe Bouffard, National Recruiter
Todd Borke, Smithtown HS
Andrew Cohen, National Recruiter
Dominick Zappia, Long Island Lutheran HS
Chuck Menzer, Saint Anthony’s HS
Jason Horowitz, East Rockaway
Jose Torres, Under Armour Under the Lights
Will Thomas, Huntington
Matt Sherman, Merrick
Will Platt, William & Mary College
Jonathan Risbrook, Uniondale