Our team
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Brian FriedmanCo-Director – BrooklynCoach Brian Friedman is a Brooklyn native that has been with Home Run Baseball Camp since it’s inception in New York City. A former collegiate pitcher, Coach Friedman has a passion for teaching the game to the experienced and the beginner alike.When not at camp, Coach Friedman is a physical education teacher, varsity baseball coach and athletic director at the John Jay Campus in Park Slope. He lives in Brooklyn with his beautiful wife Samantha and sons Harrison and Henry.Coach Friedman holds a B.S. in physical education from Queens College and a M.S. in sports management from Brooklyn College.
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Brian (BMAC) and Jasmine (JMAC) McCarthyCo-Director & Director of Admin - Brooklyn
Brian is a teacher’s teacher. He earned a degree from SUNY Oswego and a master’s degree in education from Fordham. A positive and upbeat instructor, Brian finds the good in people and brings energy and a positive mental attitude every day. He is a teacher at Millennium High School in Park Slope and also serves as head coach of the women’s basketball and softball teams. Jasmine, his wife, heads up our Brooklyn camp admin and comes to HRBC with 15+ years of administrative and teaching experience with children’s physical education programs in NYC. They live in Brooklyn with their twin Pomskies, Cash & Janet.
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Sam ThornerDirector - Capitol Hill
Sammy Thorner has been a player and coach with Home Run Baseball Camp for 28 years. A master teacher and grade A motivator, Sam blends technical instruction with clear expectations for all his players.
Sam earned a B.A. from New York University, where he was an Academic All American on the wrestling team. Sam also has master’s degree in education and is currently a teacher in the Montgomery County School system. He lives in Montgomery County with his wife and two children.
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Alexis GloverChief of Safety
Officer Glover spent 29 years on the force with the DC Police. He worked in many areas and was stationed in the Second District. Chief oversees all our child safety procedures and training. He is on site at our camps in Washington all summer. Chief is a people person and man of high character and deep understanding of the human condition. He is available to work with any parent or guardian about our camp’s safety and child safety approach any time on site. Chief grew up in Brewton, Alabama and attended Troy University in Troy, AL on a full men’s basketball scholarship. He earned a bachelor’s degree. Chief enjoys spending time with his family, good BBQ, long rides on his Harley Davidson and looking forward to for ways to help people who may be in danger around Washington. This is the man you want next to you in a time of crisis.
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Anttonio Montana BrownSenior Advisor to Coach Mac
One of HRBC’s most popular and charismatic coaches, Anttonio works closely with our staff across the board on two key areas: outreach to economically distressed neighborhoods and training young coaches to be enthusiastic and technically proficient. An outstanding coach, Anttonio has carte blanche to visit HRBC programs in Washington, Brooklyn or the Dominican Republic anytime to work with players and coaches. He is a humble, high character, energetic and technically skilled coach. A natural Ambassador with a genuine outgoing personality, Anttonio was one of Coach Mac’s mothers’ favorite ballplayers. You could often find them sitting and talking after camp.
Now in his 28th year as a player and coach with HRBC, Anttonio was the first four year old to attend a full summer of our camp. Anttonio and older brother Anthony attended HRBC all summer from age 4-12. He earned a bachelor’s degree on a full football scholarship from Virgina University of Lynchburg. He never missed a class and earned two Academic All American honors. He went on to earn a master’s degree as well. A lover of books, Anttonio is one of our most socially conscious and curious coaches. He played professional arena league football all over America for over a decade and was beloved by fans for his outstanding defensive instincts for open field hitting, team spirit and constant volunteering for community team events in whatever city he was playing ball in.
Around ten years ago Coach Mac nominated Anttonio to join the United States Department of State Sport Diplomacy program and he recently spent two weeks in Santiago, Chile, running baseball clinics for youngsters. He had a number of high school and college coaching offers upon retirement from pro football and accepted a position as a varsity football assistant at Archbishop Carroll here in Washington. He also works closely with Wake Forest University head baseball coach Tom Walter on a special outreach project to better foster understanding between high school students in America.
Anttonio is raising a young son and loves spending time with his family, reading, attending church, fitness, polishing his pickup truck and training his outstanding pit bull Remy.
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Julia HiemstraSpecial Assistant to Coach Mac
Now in her 12th year with HRBC, Julia is one of our most experienced team members and has worked in every division of our organization. She has strong self-discipline and learns new tasks well. Julia began as an enthusiastic, reliable and industrious 14-year-old in our Coach in Training program. She has outstanding social skills and blends positivity with grace naturally in working with all our families, coaches and ballplayers. She grew up a few blocks from Turtle Park.
She is a graduate of the University of Vermont and earned a Master’s from American University in public policy, with a specialization in international development. She has a particular interest in strengthening democracy abroad. She is currently working at St. Patrick’s school.
Julia spent a school year living in Consuelo working alongside our allies there, the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. She focused on teaching English classes and working with the sisters in their health clinic. Julia hosted our annual family trip with over 90 people in 2020. She speaks fluent Español.
Julia is currently helping with administration, customer service, and our tree and landscaping team and working closely with Coach Mac in support of the Grey Sisters’ medical efforts in Consuelo. Julia is considered one of our ambassadors and can visit any HRBC location and roll her sleeves up where she can be of help.Julia enjoys running, yoga, cooking and travel. She likes Nats home games but prefers an Estrellas game in San Pedro with a cold Presidente.
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Xavier EllsworthDirector AU ParkXavier works closely with Coach Mac to oversee the AU Park location.Xavier brings several decades of involvement with Home Run Baseball Camp to the field every day! He began as a hard hitting four year old rookie with outstanding energy and friendliness! After his camp days ended he joined our Coach in Training where he quickly excelled into a paid position. Xavier has a passion for justice and teaching and served a year after high school as a City Year DC Corps Member serving in Ward 8.Xavier earned a bachelors degree from Manhattanville College where he was a four year starter on the track and field team. His team set the school record in the 4×100 relay. He also excelled in the 400 meters.He went on to earn a Masters Degree in education and wanted to teach in the South Bronx where he was needed most. He was quickly hired at the Carl Icahn Charter School there where he is a respected and beloved school leader.Xavier and his wife Tytiona live in New York City and are moving to Washington in June. Xavier is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys long bike rides, running, spending time with his family and reading.Coach Mac on Xavier: “Xavier is an outstanding teacher and coach raised by incredible parents. He is a Man for Others who has impeccable character and judgment. You can count on Xavier. I urge my players to forge intellectual, physical and spiritual fitness. Xavier does just that and keeps reaching higher to serve those who need him most. Every time I speak with him he is upbeat and working on something meaningful. I have known him since his early days as a camper and am proud of the family man he has grown into. I just wish I could keep up with him on his long runs at a five minute mile pace!”
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Coach Tim HulseySpecial Advisor to Coach MacCoach Hulsey was asked to join our team as a senior advisor over ten years ago. A relentlessly positive and industrious person, Coach Hulsey is loved by our staff and players for his upbeat and solution oriented outlook. You can often find him as the first person to camp working on the fields and after camp throwing BP to some of our coaches who want to hone their hitting skills. Coach Hulsey makes appearances each summer in Brooklyn and Washington. A history buff, Coach rides his bike at night to Washington’s great monuments.Coach has spent over 5o years as a teacher and head coach at the high school and college level In Birmingham, Mobile and Enterprise Alabama. His final 29 years were as head coach at Enterprise Junior College in southeast region called the Wiregrass.Coach grew up in Birmingham from humble but proud roots and went on to play second base for Auburn under head coach Paul Nix. He later earned a masters degree and was an assistant coach for Eddie Stanky at the University of South Alabama.Known for recruiting and developing mentally and physically tough rural, blue collar country ballplayers- some straight off family farms-he earned a reputation for producing reliable, talented and disciplined student athletes for top tier four year college baseball programs throughout the south. Hundreds signed four year scholarships with some going on to reach the minor and major leagues.He was a straight shooting taskmaster who expected players to attend every class, show folks respect, graduate on time and had no tolerance for drug and alcohol use. He told players when they arrived if they couldn’t toe the line or, worse, displayed consistent selfishness, he would take their scholarship and roster spot. Players stuck with him because he treated them like men and worked long hours to improve their skills. And he stood by his players through success and failure.Many of his players went on to be successful head coaches.He was elected to the Alabama Baseball Coaching Hall of Fame in 2020.A family man to the core, Coach and his outstanding wife Candy raised three children and still live in Enterprise where they look after their grandkids and are active in the community.Coach Mac on Coach Hulsey:“Blessings in life often come when the river bends and roils while we demand it stay calm. Spending one season as a student athlete at Enterprise JC counts as a big one for me. Coach Hulsey began making demands the day he picked me up at the airport in his beat up pickup truck. We had never met. First thing I noticed was how gracious and direct he was. And his hands looked like he’d been looking after 100 acres for three decades. He was a farmer- but his crops were hard core country ballplayers who enjoyed breaking up double plays more than lining a double in the gap. You’d get a handshake for a home run but if you put the shortstop six feet back breaking up a double play teammates would meet you at the top step with hugs and high fives.I loved playing for Coach and understood exactly what he wanted- earn your degree, hustle, win ballgames and earn your opponents respect by the way you play the game. And take your hat off and leave a dollar tip on the road at restaurants.My parents had so much appreciation for Coach Hulsey’s impact on me. He changed the course of my life for the better and gets bigger as the years go by as I reflect on his lessons. Mentors and master teachers are hard to come by and you’re lucky to connect with one as you grow up. Coach Hulsey did that for me. We couldn’t ask for a better veteran coach to go to for counsel or to help find a solution.”