E-mail: coachweinstein@joyofthegame.com

  CEO, Michael H. Weinstein, is the founder and CEO of Joy of the Game, which is now the largest basketball team program in the Midwest. Weinstein's Rising Stars teams have earned a reputation amongst college coaches throughout the country for playing hard, together and with great discipline. His 17U teams have finished second in the prestigious Kentucky Hoopfest twice in the last four years. His teams have finish in the Final 4 of the State Championship for ten straight years. This success has translated into over 80 former Rising Stars players going on to play some level of college basketball in the last five years.

    Michael grew up in Highland Park and attended Highland Park High School where he was a two year starter for the varsity basketball team that won the 1988 Central Suburban League Conference. Michael went on to play basketball at the University of Missouri, where he was a practice player for the Varsity Division 1 team in the 1990-91 season for the defending Big Eight champion Missouri Tigers. Coach Weinstein earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology at Missouri and then went on to obtain his Master's in Psychology at National-Louis University.

    Coach Weinstein founded Joy of the Game in 1993 and has worked extensively in the North Shore with kids of all ages. He also was the top Assistant Coach at Barat College, an NAIA Division 1 program in Lake Forest. In his first year there, the team had its first wining season, 24-9 and led the country in scoring (101.1 pg). In his second year at Barat, the team reached the NAIA Final Four and finished with a record of 33-6, 4th in the Nation.

Brian Davis - DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

E-mail: coachdavis@joyofthegame.com
    Brian Davis, is now entering into his sixteenth year at Joy of the Game. Brian has been a driving force in helping Joy of the Game become the largest team basketball program in the Midwest. He handles the day-to-day operations of the Rising Stars teams while also serving as one of JG's top coaches. His teams have won six State AAU titles, been to ten State AAU Final Fours and has had teams finish in the top 20 in the nation 4 times. Brian is also one of JG's primary skill trainers and is lauded by players for his tough, intense workouts.

    Brian attended Highland Park High School, where he was a three year starter for the varsity basketball team that won the 1990 Central Suburban League Conference. He also was a two-year starter for the varsity football team that won the 1989-90 Central Suburban League Conference. After earning awards as an All-Conference Player for two years and an All-Area Player, Coach Davis went on to attend the University of Illinois as a four year varsity player.

    Coach Davis has had extensive experience in coaching basketball and working with young players. After high school, Brian started coaching in the summers as the Basketball Commissioner at Camp Menominee in Eagle River, WI. Coach Davis has also coached the Freshman and Sophomore programs at Highland Park High School.

Kurt Vahle - JG DIRECTOR

Email: coachvahle@joyofthegame.com
    Kurt Vahle is entering his second season as a full-time member of the Joy of the Game staff. Kurt started working at the Joy of the Game in the Spring of 2007, where he has had responsibilities as a boys and girls travel team coach, camp director, league coach and has now been a vital part of Joy of the Game's training programs. Kurt will be responsible for the growth of the guard class and he will be a coaching in Joy of the Game classes and camps for boys and girls from ages 4-17 years old.

    Kurt played four years of college basketball at Trinity International University in Deerfield, graduating with a degree in General Studies in 2008. Kurt has also run camps for the Chicago Bulls Training Academy throughout the Chicago land region since 2002

    Kurt is one of the top personal trainers here at Joy of The Game, along with personal training he also runs the Guard Camp, a camp that focuses on improving and advancing a players knowledge of the guard position. Kurt is one of the best young instructors in Chicago and will prove to be a great addition to the Joy of The Game Family.


Dana Leonard - DIRECTOR OF GIRLS BASKETBALL-3RD - 8TH GRADE

E-mail: coachLeonard@joyofthegame.com
    Dana Leonard has been a standout girls' basketball player and coach in the Chicago area for the last thirteen years. Leonard's success began in high school where she led Glenbrook South HS to a State Championship, and her AAU team to National Championships. She received a full athletic scholarship for basketball at Northwestern University. She is now running clinics and camps throughout Chicago in an effort to teach winning basketball to the next generation of female athletes. She will be heading all Joy of the Game and Rising Stars Girls basketball programs.
 

Michael Skinner - DIRECTOR IF GIRLS BASKETBALL-HIGH SCHOOL

E-mail: coachskinner@joyofthegame.com
    Coach Skinner is in his 8Th year at Rising Stars,he is the only JG coach to qualify for nationals for both H.S. girls and boys. Skinner played H.S. basketball at Sullivan H.S. in Chicago where he was a three year varsity starter and 3 time all area player,as a senior he was a starter for the famous city vs suburban all-star game.Coach Skinner played college ball at juco power Kennedy-King where he was an Honorable mention all-American,then received a full ride to Highpoint University in N.C.there he was two year all conference player.His professional basketball experience includes playing in Europe and for the Dakota Wizards in the cba for two seasons.Skinner then coach at Evans ton H.S. boys basketball freshman for three seasons(52-20) then went on to Mundelein H.S. to coach boys sophs(32-18)for two seasons, before being hired as the head coach at Antioch H.S. where he is in his 3rd season.

Barb Brust - ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Scott Lidskin - JG DIRECTOR