Psalm 100:4a - Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!

Firebirds Leadership

	Photo	Name	Position	Bio
Girls V12		Stephanie Breuker	Head Coach	Stephanie Breuker is new to Firebirds volleyball coaching this year. She has been homeschooling since 2009 and coached youth sports at her local YMCA. Stephanie grew up playing basketball, softball, and track/field through Middle School and then turned her attention to Varsity Swimming in High School where she earned a pool time record that stood for several years. After high school, Stephanie obtained a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering with honors from Trine University in Angola, IN in 2001. She met and married her spouse Kevin also in 2001 at Trine University. While not on the court with her girls, Stephanie enjoys being out on trails in the woods running or hiking as well as cooking with seasonal fresh produce.
Girls V14		Debi Wolf	Head Coach	Debi was born in Morgantown WV, and also lived in Goshen, IN, and Decatur, IL as a child. She played both basketball and volleyball in grade school, and played volleyball for three years in high school. She is very familiar with sitting on the bench for both sports. Debi attended the University of Dayton for undergraduate and University of Cincinnati for graduate school in chemistry. She met her husband Jim at University of Dayton and they have been married for over 20 years. They have seven children, many of whom play Firebirds sports. In her free time, Debi likes to read, knit, and play board games with her kids. She is a member of Mother of Divine Mercy parish in Detroit.
Girls V14		Sandra Valentine	Assistant Coach	Sandy grew up near Milwaukee, WI and currently lives in Milford, MI with her husband, Jason, and their 3 children, who all play Firebirds basketball. She played multiple sports in high school and began coaching middle school basketball while in high school, and has coached high school cross country and track and Upward basketball as well. Their whole family has found enjoyment playing, coaching, and being a part of Firebird nation because of the wonderful Christ-centered families that participate in the program.
Girls V16		Neil Jenks	Head Coach	Neil has been married to his wife Angela for 22 years. They met in college in 1996 at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford. At Pitt-Bradford Neil was an assistant coach for the women’s volleyball team in 1997. This was definitely an experience for him to help coach at the division III volleyball level. He has a love for the game of volleyball and teaching kids to play competitively. He has 4 children ages 9-14; his 2 girls play on the Firebirds volleyball teams.
Girls V18		Scott Stinson	Head Coach	Scott is married to Danielle and have 3 children; Kaleb, Chloe, and Carson. Scott grew up playing volleyball during the summers, and has played indoor and outdoor volleyball in advanced leagues for many years. Scott has a passion to help develop young people, and has coached gymnastics and baseball. He also volunteers on staff with the middle school ministry at Oak Pointe Church. By day he is an Engineering Supervisor at Ford Motor Company, and loves to mountain bike and play golf in his free time.
Girls V18		Julie Lietzau	Assistant Coach	Julie was born in Cleveland, OH, but grew up in Southfield, MI. She has been active in phyiscal fitness, since the age of 14, and believes that exercise and/or experience with team and individual sports is one of the keys to a healthy lifestyle. She has a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a ZA endorsement in Early Childhood Education from Wayne State University. She also has a Master's Degree in Childhood Develepment from Eastern Michigan Unisversity. Julie taught in for Walled Lake Schools. She and her husband Micah, of 21 years, have homeschooled their three children Emma, Eliana, and Matthew for 12 years. Both she and Micah desire to raise their children according to Micah 6:8, "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Julie has been the Director of a Classical Conversations Community for the past 9 years. Our family has been involved in Firebirds volleyball and basketball for the past 4 years. We are extremely thankful for this organization that supports families and encourages them to work hard, play hard, and glorfiy God in all we do. Last volleyball season Julie was the Assistant Coach to Head Coach Mark Brandel for the Firebirds Junior Varsity Team. As an assistant coach, it was her prayer that each player did their best, worked as a team, and always remembered WHO they were really playing for (1 Corinthians 10:31, Hebrews 12:1-2) In her spare time (ha, ha....), Julie loves to read, play games, cook and to be physically active, both, in the gym and on the trails around her home.
Girls V18		Erin Facione	Assistant Coach	Erin Facione was born in Springfield, MD, grew up in Westland and now lives in South Lyon with her husband (since 1997) and their 7 children. Erin came to know Jesus in 1998 and has been a member of NorthRidge Church in Plymouth since 2000. She enjoys homeschooling her children and has served in various leadership roles for Bible Study Fellowship, NorthRidge Church Homeschool Connection and Heritage Home Educator’s Co-op over the past 20 years. These roles include church Sunday School teacher, BSF children’s leader, Homeschool ministry founder and leader, co-op leadership team elementary coordinator, elementary astronomy and botany teacher and high school chemistry teacher. Coach Erin grew up playing softball, gymnastics, running track and cross country, playing sand volleyball, swimming and diving. In high school at Livonia Franklin, she was a Varsity athlete on the track/field, cross country and swim/dive teams. Erin attended Eastern Michigan University and graduated with a BS in Elementary Education with a general science major and early childhood minor. She taught 2nd grade and middle school science at a private Christian school and coached the middle school volleyball team. Erin has coached volleyball for the Firebirds since 2018.
Boys VB14		Jan Brandel	Head Coach	Jan began her coaching career at Plymouth Christian Academy in the early 1980\'s. She coached the varsity volleyball and softball teams for 3 years before starting a family. She took a break for several years while their family grew then returned to coaching the Fireballs homeschool team when her oldest daughter was old enough to play. She coached the Fireballs for 10 years going from a 0 win initial season to winning the Silver division at Nationals her final season of coaching. She took a hiatus for a few years so she could watch her daughters play college ball. Jan returned to coaching at Novi Christian Academy in 2016 where she coached 1 year of middle school volleyball and three years as head Varsity coach. She is enjoying her new role as Coach Mentor with the Firebirds. Jan and Mark have 8 adult children whom they homeschooled for 25 years. They also have 7 grandchildren (so far!)
Boys VB18		Carrie Rauhe	Head Coach	Carrie Rauhe was born in Humboldt, IA. She and her husband, Jason, have 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls. They reside in Novi, MI. She played volleyball for 2 years in junior high and 1 year in high school. Coach Carrie has a master’s degree in occupational therapy from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA, although she has never worked a single day. Before graduating, the Lord blessed them with a family, and it just kept growing.