Mateos Kekatos- former BDG instructor, OUA Cy Young winner, and 90MPH club member- is returning after a two year stint of instructing and managing various high-performance baseball programs. Mateos brings a passion for coaching alongside an illustrious playing career to our staff and hopes to promote the ideologies that we use in-house to push BDG to the forefront of baseball development in Canada.

Mateos has collected an impressive set of accolades throughout his playing career:

– Two time member of the Canadian Futures Showcase and a participant in the Canada Cup.

– Represented Ontario on three separate occasions in nationals (winning it twice).

– Won an OUA championship with the University of Toronto.

– Won an OUA Cy Young (33IP, 4 CG, 4 shutouts, 37Ks, 3 BBs, 4ER, 1.09ERA, 0.64WHIP).

– Reached 94MPH off the mound

After playing three years with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Intercounty Baseball League, Mateos signed a contract with the Ottawa Titans of the frontier league. He then transitioned to a coaching role post-Covid. He has also coached teams in North York, Leaside, and East York on top of his work at BDG.

While growing up in Sudbury, Ontario, Ryan was an avid athlete on all fronts, trying various sports whenever he had the chance. He eventually found his way into baseball as a pitcher. From a small town to college baseball in California and British Columbia, Ryan’s baseball career took him to many places. Unfortunately, in 2016, after dealing with chronic shoulder injuries, he had to hang up his cleats.

Ryan always wondered what he could have done to prevent this. How could he have increased his longevity as a pitcher and athlete?

Over the last 8 years, he has been coaching baseball players of all ages, filling roles such as Director of Performance/Pitching coach at The Baseball Academy and strength & conditioning coordinator at the Baseball Development Group. Throughout this time, Ryan earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in Kinesiology from Laurentian University and Doctor of Chiropractic. He also completed certifications as a Functional Mobility Specialist, Arm Care Specialist, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).

Ryan is passionate about training the next generation of athletes to optimize their short window of opportunity to get to the next level and increase longevity by being proactive in injury prevention.

Patrick is entering his 2nd year as a strength coach at BDG. His passion for athletic development stems from his time as an athlete himself. Growing up, Patrick played many sports but Hockey quickly became his main area of focus. During his last few years of playing, Patrick saw the discipline and work ethic it took to play at a higher level and was consumed with the idea of athletic development. His focus quickly shifted to coaching and helping other athletes reach their goals. 

Graduating from the Fitness & Health Promotion program at Niagara College in June 2022, Patrick was hired at a private training facility in Vaughan as a Personal Trainer and Athletic Development coach, where he currently trains elite level athletes in lacrosse, hockey, soccer and softball. 

Complementing that role, Patrick joined the team at BDG in the winter of 2022 and has been working with our youth, futures and high performance programs since. 

One of the original athletes of the High Performance Program, Noah has stepped into a bigger role as part of the BDG coaching staff.

As a younger ball player, Noah had the opportunity to play with a variety of Rep baseball teams, such as the Richmond Hill Phoenix, Newmarket Hawks, Thornhill Reds, and Leaside Leafs. In the 18U division, Noah played for the Team Ontario Astros and travelled to the United States, where he participated in prestigious tournaments in the U.S., such as Perfect Game and the NABF.

Competing against teams in the U.S. was a reality check for Noah, sparking his motivation to focus more on off-season development. After a season of constant arm injuries, Noah was recommended to Stephen Osterer, the founder of BDG, where he would eventually be a part of the first group of athletes to ever train in the High Performance Program at BDG.

After training at BDG for an offseason, Noah was fortunate enough to play for the Walsh University Cavaliers, a division 2 university in North Canton, Ohio. After attending Walsh University for three semesters, Noah realized that a change in environment and priorities was necessary to improve as a pitcher. He returned to Canada and transferred to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) where he is currently a member of the TMU Bold Baseball Team and also played for the Hamilton Cardinals in the Intercounty Baseball League in the summer of 2022. Noah resumed in-house training at BDG in the winter of 2020, when he also began coaching Youth High Performance.

Through the guidance of Stephen Osterer, Lennon Richards, Tyler Dobos, and other coaching and academic experiences, Noah has become an effective coach who uses data-driven and innovative coaching methods. He is a strong communicator who is proficient at implementing new, cutting-edge baseball technologies. Noah’s current role is Pitching Coordinator for Youth High Performance (8-12)
and Futures High Performance (12-15). In this role, Noah helps facilitate the planning and execution of throwing programs and drills, and helps athletes with any questions they have about their training.

Noah’s mission is to help build a strong foundation for young athletes, educate them about baseball culture in both the U.S. and Canada, and develop these youth athletes to be the future of High Performance at BDG.

Greg will be working as both a hitting instructor and a strength & conditioning coach. He has playing experience in the Intercounty Baseball League and with the Roswell Invaders of the Pecos League. Greg has also earned a Masters in Sport & Performance Psychology with a Concentration in Positive Coaching.

Rhys serves as both a pitching and strength coach at BDG. Growing up in Ancaster Ontario, Rhys began his baseball career at the age of twelve. Playing for the Ontario Nationals in high school, Rhys was able to get noticed by several collegiate teams. Soon after, he accepted a scholarship offer from St. Clair County CC. After injuring his ankle, he transferred to Brock University to continue his education and baseball career. Rhys continued on to win an OUA championship with Brock in 2014 and later won Brock Pitcher of the Year in 2016. He also played semi-pro baseball for the Hamilton Cardinals for two years at the back end of his career. 

Rhys broke into the coaching world in 2021 with the 15U Ontario Royals. He then began taking on a larger clientele for private strength and conditioning lessons. Primarily working with elite athletes, Rhys leveraged his experience into a job at BDG. He has since worked with BDG athletes of all experience levels, ranging from youth to professional.

J’mi Worthen is currently pursuing a PhD in Sport and Performance Psychology at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Her research focuses on the dynamics of perfectionism within sports, the impact of perfectionistic environments in post-secondary sports settings, and the implementation of Safe Sports practices. J’mi has earned a Master’s degree in Mental Health and Wellness Counseling from Northwestern University, alongside a Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. John’s University.

With extensive experience in sports psychology, J’mi has worked with athletes across various levels of competition, including amateur, varsity, and national stages. Her expertise in applied sports psychology has been instrumental in her contributions to the University of Toronto’s baseball team, aiding in their championship victory during the fall 2023 season. As a devoted baseball fan, J’mi combines her professional knowledge and personal passion to enhance the performance and well-being of athletes.