Staff + Leadership
MEET THE TEAM
Sam Angelotta
Executive Director
An Ohio native and former club lacrosse player at Indiana University, Sam first began to understand the intersection of sport and education through his work as a Local Development Officer with English Lacrosse Association (Manchester, England).
Angelotta started OWLS in 2011 after he returned to the U.S. and earned his Master’s in Education from DePaul University. During his research, he developed a passion for sports-based youth development and the emerging field of trauma-informed coaching. Soon enough the first OWLS site was identified in St. Malachy School (Near West Side), where Sam eventually became a full-time teacher and the school’s first Athletic Director, running OWLS programming after school and on Saturdays. In 2016, Angelotta began working full-time for OWLS in order to expand school partnerships, and improve educational and social outcomes for our participants.
Bryce Woodson
Chief Program Officer
A Hampton Roads, Virginia, native, Bryce first began playing lacrosse in the first grade. As a four-time letter winner at The Ohio State University, he graduated with a bachelor of science in education, while earning the role of captain for the 2011 men’s lacrosse team.
Bryce’s professional career began as a physical educator, and in the years since has coached at the youth, high school, and club levels throughout the country. He joined OWLS from the governing body of the sport, USA Lacrosse, where he was the Midwest Regional Manager. At USAL, Bryce led the delivery and implementation of lacrosse programs and services throughout the region’s massive chapter network.
Maeve Williams
Director of Education
Maeve Williams brings nearly a decade of experience supporting students and families through some of the most important moments in their educational journeys. Most recently, she served as a Senior Educational Counselor with the Schuler Scholar Program, helping students navigate high school, prepare for college, and pursue scholarship opportunities. Earlier in her career, she worked with student-athletes through the Beyond Sports Foundation, providing academic support, tutoring, and college guidance. She is a graduate of Union College, where she earned a B.A. in Sociology, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
As Director of Education, Maeve helps strengthen the academic pathway, working alongside students, families, schools, and our program team to support academic progress.
Tony Karam
Program Manager
Tony Karam is a dedicated sports-based youth development professional with a strong background in lacrosse, coaching, education, health and wellness, and youth mentoring. He joined us from MetroSquash, where he was Fitness Coordinator, managing school partnerships and overseeing programming logistics.
As a Program Manager at OWLS Lacrosse, Tony leads youth programming, builds relationships with school partners, and supports student-athletes through mentorship, coaching, and educational initiatives. His role focuses on fostering a positive, development-centered environment where young athletes can grow both on and off the field. An experienced lacrosse coach and upstate New York native, Tony played collegiately at SUNY Geneseo and Herkimer Community College, where he served as team captain.
Aziz Tahir
Outreach Coordinator
Aziz Tahir serves as Outreach Coordinator at OWLS, where he works directly with students, families, and school partners to deliver engaging outreach programming. He supports student engagement, program operations, and school partnerships while helping create positive experiences that empower young people on and off the field.
Prior to joining OWLS, Aziz led community-based youth programming at Urban Initiatives and managed operations for Northwestern University's men's soccer program. He earned his bachelor's degree in Marketing and master's degree in Sport Management from Western Illinois University and is an active coach with Chicago Fire FC and the U.S. Soccer Federation. Aziz brings a passion for mentorship, teamwork, and youth development to the OWLS community.
Our Executive Board
Angelo Calvello
President
C79 Consulting
Kenard Gibbs
Vice President
KEG Partners
Lon Chow
Secretary
Andrew David
Treasurer
Ret., Daniel Murphy Sch. Fund
Kevin Benages
Naperville Orange Crush Lacrosse Club Founder
Team Illinois Lacrosse Director
Maggie Mendenhall Casey
City of Chicago
Sean Conroy
Grosvenor Capital Management
Kevin Corrigan
University of Notre Dame Men’s Lacrosse
Christopher Deutsch
Lofty Ventures
Doug Freedman
Michael Geller
GEM Realty Capital
David Mann
Lakewest Inc.
Liam O’Connor
Onni Group
Whitney Schmidt
Seyfarth Shaw LLP