Girls Basketball Coaches
Matt Truding
847-477-4021
mtruding@fullpackagesports.com
Matt is the co-owner and president of the Full Package Girls Basketball program, and has coached many of our teams to top 20 national rankings. Matt is also regarded as one of the best girls basketball instructors in Illinois. He has coached at various high schools in the area and played at Brandeis University. During the day, Matt is a 7th and 8th grade Social Studies teacher at Deer Path Middle School in Lake Forest.
Steve Pratt
224-805-1399
spratt@fullpackagesports.com
Co-founder of Full Package Athletics, Steve is regarded as one of the finest basketball teachers in the nation. He has trained thousands of athletes, including professional athletes Elton Brand, Brad Miller, Thabo Sefolosha, Brian Cook and Ruth Riley among many others. Every summer Steve prepares college players for the NBA Draft.
Korie Hlede
Korie graduated from Duquesne University where she was a two-time Kodak All-American. She was the 4th overall pick in the inaugural season of the WNBA. Korie played for the Detroit Shock, Utah Starzz and the New York Liberty. Among her WNBA accomplishments include: finishing 2nd in the rookie of the year nomination and leading the WNBA in three point shooting percentage on two separate occasions. Korie also played Professionally in Spain, Turkey, Hungary, Coratia and Brazil.
Korie has coached at the professional and college level. Korie was an assistant coach with the Detroit Shock during their 2003 WNBA championship and was the assistant coach during the 2004 WNBA All-Star Game. Korie has left her recent position as the assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island to pursue her passion of coaching youth basketball. Korie’s coaching ability and great personality will fit in well with the Full Package philosophy and culture.
Rick Kolsky
847-269-3682
r-kolsky@kellogg.northwestern.edu
A former Division I basketball player at Brown University, Rick Kolsky has been coaching youth sports on the North Shore for the past 22 years. By day, Rick is a business consultant and lecturer at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Rick's philosophy is, "Develop leadership, teamwork, and skills. Victory and a lifelong love of the game will follow." Since 2003, Rick has coached our 6th and 7th grade girls elite teams, including a final-8 finish at the 2004 AAU Nationals.
Elliot Whitefield
847-609-6091
ewhitefield@fullpackagesports.com
Elliot has coached many Full Package high school teams. Elliot is completing his twentieth year as a teacher at Niles West High School. He has coached both boys and girls at the high school level. Currently, Elliot is the varsity girls' assistant coach at Evanston High School. Elliot has owned and helped run basketball camps in the Midwest.
Kahleaf Russell
240 354-3594
dcproduct2@yahoo.com
Kahleaf played basketball in college for the University of Miami before transferring to Florida Atlantic University. He began coaching for Full Package in the summer of 2009 and has been a fixture at Full Package's camps, leagues and travel teams ever since. Russell's easy going personality and ability to teach any age, from 4th graders to college athletes, has made him an incredible asset for Full Package. Kahleaf is helping coach the 7th and 8th grade Full Package fall and winter travel teams during the 2009 and 2010 season.
Sunshine Voelker
Sunshine played high school basketball and womens' club basketball at Northwestern University. Sunshine has been coaching players from 5-80 years old, for the past 14 years. She currently coaches two womens' senior olympics basketball teams and actively recruits and develops players for that arena. She also supports the womens' basketball community with her website, www.ChicagoAreaWomensBasketball.com.
Mike is a tremendous youth basketball coach who has been with Full Package for over three years. He has also coached and directed for the Lake Forest feeder league.
Arick played basketball at Knox College. He has coached various middle school and feeder teams for the past 12 years. Arick has coached Full Package at the junior high and high school level for 6 years. He spends his days teaching second grade at Lake Bluff Elementary School.
Kirsten Peterson
607-972-7143
Kirstenpeterson11@yahoo.com
Kirsten played basketball at the University at Albany (Albany, NY) 2005-2008. After redshirting freshman year, received Most Improved Player in 2006. She was a 5th year transfer to #25 nationally ranked Anderson University (Anderson, SC) 2008-2009, led team to conference championship and NCAA Tournament. She led league in blocks and rebounds, top 20 in scoring. Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team, Team MVP. Kirsten has been coaching Full Package Camps and Travel teams since the fall of 2009.
Jenny Eckhart
Jenny has been a part of Full Package since she was in 7th grade. She has grown up in the Full Package family. Jenny was a 4 year All-Conference player and All-State player at Carmel High School. Jenny went on to play her freshman year at Syracuse University before transferring to Northwestern to play her sophomore through senior years. Jenny has coached youth basketball while at Carmel coaching successful teams and while in college helping out at numerous basketball clinics. Jenny's ability to engage kids in their development is so beneficial to her and our players' successes.
Dan Nykaza
Dan has coached for Full Package for the last 5 years both in our girls and boys program. He has coached our travel teams and in our Fall Leagues. Dan's love for the game really shows in the relationships that he develops with the kids and their desire to play for him. Dan has coached at Regina High School with the Sophomore girls teams for 3 years and has also coached the boys 7th and 8th grade teams at St. Francis in Wilmette. Dan has about 20 years of coaching experience.
Tom Higgins
Julie Bielowski
Julie grew up in Rogers, Arkansas and has been playing basketball
competitively since she was 13. Julie was an All-State/All-Conference
player in high school in Arkansas before committing to Northwestern University, During college, Julie battled several injuries and
underwent a couple of surgeries which hindered her playing ability.
Julie has been coaching since she was in high school and is
the head JV/ Asst. Varsity coach at North Shore Country Day School in
Winnetka, IL.
Christina Swangim
Christina played at Chetek High School in Chetek Wisconsin and is currently playing at Trinity International University. Christina coached the Chetek 6th Grade girls for 2009 Cameron Summer League and has assisted at several local youth camps and clinics.