Coach Boodah Gregory | 6U HC
We would like to welcome Coach Boodah as our 2023 Head coach of the Preds 6U Flag team Even though he is starting his first year with the East Orlando Preds, this is his fourth year coaching youth football overall. He is currently studying nursing at Keiser University. Throughout his coaching career, Coach Boodah has focused on building knowledgeable offensive players and specializes in quarterback development. He believes in building up each player that constructs the team, establishing fundamental intelligence of football, and ingraining life skills into our youth.
Coach Antonio Estes | 8U HC & Player Development Director
Coach Antonio Estes, will be our Head Coach for 8U and Player Development Director. He is a former Wide Receiver at The University of Kentucky. Coach Antonio started his coaching career with The Preds in 2013 working with the 6U flag level as Assistant Head Coach under Coach Troy. He has coached at every level from 6U to 14U and specializes in the development of Wide Receivers and Defensive Backs. As an Assistant Coach, he has a combined four championships; winning the FYFCL 12U Super Bowl in 2018 and helping our 2021 14U team win FYFCL Super Bowl, Florida AAU State Championship and AAU National Championship!
For the past 2 seasons, Coach Antonio has led our 6U flag team as head coach and brought home The Pred’s first FYFCL Super Bowl title in 2021 while finishing 4th in the nation! In 2022 he led another high-powered 6U team leading the league in scoring and finishing runner-up in the 2022 FYFCL Super Bowl game.
Coach Antonio has a passion for kids and knows his calling has always been to work with the youth. He enjoys working out, helping others in need, and enjoying time with his family. His motto in life is “Always Stand for Something So You Don’t Fall For Anything!”
Coach Christian Lucca | 10u HC & Football Director
Coach Lucca will lead our 10u tackle team as Head coach along with being the 2023 East Orlando Preds Football Director. Coach Lucca started coaching for the Preds in 2018 as an Assistant Coach on 6U Flag and only missed the playoffs by 1 game! The next year he became Head Coach of 6U Flag in 2019 & came back with a vengeance & finished the season as the FYFCL Super Bowl Runner Up.
In 2020 Coach Lucca became Head Coach of 8U Tackle where they finished the season not only Undefeated but as FYFCL Super Bowl Champs, State Runner-Up, and made an appearance in the National Tournament. In 2021, he took a year off due to covid. But once again Coach Lucca stayed with the Preds as the Head Coach of the 8u Tackle team in 2022. He led the team to another Undefeated Season & Super Bowl Champs for the 2nd Year in a row, second place at the State Championship game, and finished the 2022 season as Elite 8 at the National tournament.
Coach Mike Pence | 11U HC
Coach Mike has been coaching youth sports for the past 8 years, including football, soccer, and
basketball. His primary focus as a head coach has been football for the past 4 years, both flag and tackle, concentrating on player development across all experience levels. He guides players who have never played the sport before by instilling fundamentals first and a core understanding of the game. He challenges experienced players with more complex offensive and defensive theories, as well as encourages them to become mentors to less experienced players. Focus, Discipline, Effort is the mantra of every team he coaches.
Mike’s career background is in operations, management, and leadership. He translates these skills into his coaching style in numerous ways. He requires accountability from every player he coaches to themselves and the team as a whole. He approaches every practice and game with total commitment to improvement and demands the same of his players, always focusing on every opportunity for positive reinforcement. He uses his role as a mentor to his players to encourage them to develop their abilities as leaders.
An accomplished football player and multi-sport athlete in his younger days, Coach Mike enjoy every opportunity to live his passion for football while giving back to the community by guiding the next generation of student-athletes.
Coach Alex Diaz | 12U HC
Coach Alex Diaz will be joining the Preds this 2023 season as the Head Coach of our 12u tackle team with an impressive football resume. He has 16 years of coaching experience along with holding multiple titles within youth football organizations across Central Florida.
From 2005-2016 Coach Alex was a head coach & the President of the Pop Warner Azalea Park Panthers & brought home a Central Florida Championship. From 2014-2016, he brought home a Central Florida Championship as a head coach & President of the FSYFl Orlando Panthers.
In 2017-2022, Coach Alex was the Area Director & a Head Coach with the CFYFC East Orlando Giants, where he had 3 undefeated seasons, 3 Central FL Championships, and 2 appearances at the Regional & National tournaments.
In 2022, Coach Alex took his talents to the High School level & coached at Colonial HS as the Head Coach of the JV team ending the season with a 6-2 record.
Coach Sheldon Lovelace | 14U HC
We are excited to announce that Coach Lovelace will be joining the Preds once again, this time as our 2023, 14U Head Coach! He started his coaching career as an i9 flag football OC for 2 years.
Coach Lovelace started his tackle coaching career as the 10U RB coach with the Preds in 2018. After that, he transitioned into the Preds 10U OC for 2 years making appearances at the Super Bowl each year. Now he’s back to give 14U a year they will never forget.
Coach Brock Pasteur | Co-Football Director
We welcome Coach Brock to the Preds this season as our Co-Football Director. He is a former American football player who played offensive linemen for the University of Nebraska and Stephen F. Austin University football teams. He was a standout player during his college career and earned All-American and All-Conference honors for his outstanding performance on the field. Brock was recognized by ESPN on their “Weight Room Freaks” list of the top 10 strongest college football players in the NCAA.
Coach Brock went on to play for the Tennessee Titans and the Minnesota Vikings. Although his professional career was relatively brief, his success as a college player and his leadership in youth football demonstrate his enduring passion for the sport and his commitment to developing the next generation of athletes.
In addition to his football career, Coach Brock launched Avalon Elite Youth Football & Cheerleading club last year. In the first season of this youth football organization, three out of four teams made it to the championship, with one team going undefeated. This early success highlights Pasteur’s leadership and dedication to developing young athletes.
Pasteur believes in four pillars of success: football, family, school, and community. This holistic approach to athletics and personal development is reflected in his work with Avalon Elite and his commitment to fostering well-rounded athletes prepared for success both on and off the field.
Coach Troy Gabay | Football Commissioner
Coach Troy Gabay is an East Orlando Preds legacy coach. He has been with the Preds since the beginning, for 11 seasons now & we are honored to have him as our Preds Football Commissioner for the 2023 season.
Coach Troy’s knowledge & expertise for the game is complemented by being the most decorated coach we have had in the program. Coach Troy has been Head Coach at every level from 6U Flag to 14U throughout the years he’s been committed to the Preds.
Coach Troy has a coaching winning percentage of .914 (91%). Some of his accomplishments are 5 AAU Super Bowl appearances, with Super Bowl championships at 10u, 12u, and 14u, a State championship, and a National Championship title at 14U.