COACHES

Danny Torres

Manager

Chris Sandoval

Manager

Strength & Conditioning

Health & Rehabilitation

BIOGRAPHY

Brent Concolino​

Brent Concolino was born and raised in Orange County, CA. In 1999 Brent started at ROCK Institute for Sports Performance Training for Baseball, Football, Soccer and Lacrosse. Brent went on to Letter every year in all sports he played in high-school as well as becoming League MVP in Baseball and honored with all league selections. In Baseball, Brent had the fortunate opportunity to play for former professional pitcher Mark Langston, 3-time MLB league strikeout leader, who played 16 years in professional baseball with teams such as the Anaheim Angels, San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians. Langston considered Brent as “one of the best natural Athletes to come out of Orange County I have ever seen”.

In 2003 Brent was voted a top Southern California player of the year by California Coaches Association. After multiple Tommy John Surgerys from Dr. Lewis Yocum. Brent continued training and rehabbing and was able to make a comeback at UCLA in 2006 where he encountered another challenge during the year: still another “Tommy John” surgery occurred at the end of the 2006 year as well as a nerve Transplant. Brent Graduated from UCLA and continued to study Sports Medicine and the history of Sports Injuries and realized that too many athletes were being physically and mentally destroyed by the old school way of sports training at such a young age.
Brent Concolino was born and raised in Orange County, CA. In 1999 Brent started at ROCK Institute for Sports Performance Training for Baseball, Football, Soccer and Lacrosse. Brent went on to Letter every year in all sports he played in high-school as well as becoming League MVP in Baseball and honored with all league selections. In Baseball, Brent had the fortunate opportunity to play for former professional pitcher Mark Langston, 3-time MLB league strikeout leader, who played 16 years in professional baseball with teams such as the Anaheim Angels, San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians. Langston considered Brent as “one of the best natural Athletes to come out of Orange County I have ever seen”.
In 2003 Brent was voted a top Southern California player of the year by California Coaches Association. After multiple Tommy John Surgerys from Dr. Lewis Yocum. Brent continued training and rehabbing and was able to make a comeback at UCLA in 2006 where he encountered another challenge during the year: still another “Tommy John” surgery occurred at the end of the 2006 year as well as a nerve Transplant. Brent Graduated from UCLA and continued to study Sports Medicine and the history of Sports Injuries and realized that too many athletes were being physically and mentally destroyed by the old school way of sports training at such a young age.
In his 30 years as a surgeon, Dr. Lewis A. Yocum, the former medical director for the Los Angeles Angels, said he had performed only one Tommy John procedure on a pitcher as young as 16. He later begun to perform 80 to 100 of the operations each year.” Kids are even getting surgery upon entering high school due to over-training and/or poor techniques in training in their specific sport. Brent has now devoted himself to developing & guiding young athletes to compete at their highest level without over-training their bodies and minds. Brent has trained thousands of athletes from high school phenomenon’s to college All-Americans as well as Olympic Gold Medalist’s. Brent defines himself as “A Simply Average Person” (a.s.a.p.) who is able to get people from where they are (point A) to where they would like to be (point “B”, “C” and forward).
CA State Licenses & Certificates (Graduate of UCLA)
  • Sports Performance Specialist (S.P.S.)
  • American Fitness Training of Athletics (A.F.T.A)
  • Certified Tribal Technician Practitioner, (CTT) 201800105 by First Nation Medical Board 
  • Life Performance Consultant & Strategist (L.P.C.S.)
  • Corrective Therapy Specialist (C.T.S.) Level 6k
  • Corrective Exercise Therapy Specialist (C.E.T.S.)
Brent Concolino

Manager

BIOGRAPHY

Charles Amante

Charles has served as an Executive Board Member at South Sunrise Little League in Orange, California for over ten years with seven years as the league’s President. He led the league to 35% total growth in registration over seven years and oversaw several large scale projects, including fundraising for new bullpen construction, new scoreboard installation, batting cage renovation, and obtaining a $20,000 grant to renovate the league’s upper division fields, His primary goal as President was to not only grow the league’s registration numbers, but also improve the quality of the baseball product and experience for the 400+ players & families involved in the league.

Charles’ true passion is for coaching. For over ten years, he has managed and coached all levels of youth recreational and club baseball from 6u-14u, leading teams to Little League District regular season and all-star championships. In 2022, Charles’ Southies Select 12u team placed 18th out of 60+ teams at the Cooperstown All-Star Village international tournament in Cooperstown, New York.
 
Charles also works as VP of Finance & Accounting at an investment management firm in Aliso Viejo and holds an M.B.A. in Finance and B.S. in Business Management from Pepperdine University. He and his wife, Erica, have three children, James, Claire and Miles.
Charles Amante

Manager

BIOGRAPHY

Eric WHITMER

Eric has served on the executive board at South Sunrise Little League for 4 years and has been a coach or manager at the league for the past 4 years. In those 4 years being involved as a coach or manager Eric has coached 9 teams in recreation baseball, tournament and a travel teams. Eric grew up playing travel ice hockey for a nationally ranked team in Southern California. Competing at the State level and winning tournament championships across the US. After Eric’s ice hockey career ended he raced motocross and grand prix events in Southern California, racing against top pros and national champions.
 
Eric is currently a retail real estate broker working for larger corporations and expanding their real estate holdings and store counts across California. He currently lives in the City of Orange with his wife Rebecca, and son Hunter.
 
Eric Whitmer

Manager

BIOGRAPHY

COLIN GAWRONSKI

Colin Gawronski was born and raised in Orange County California. Colin has been involved in baseball for 42 years both as a player and coach. He played baseball at Mater Dei High School and Rancho Santiago Junior College.

After an athletic career ending injury, Colin coached at various OC High Schools including Mater Dei, Servite, and JSerra for 25 years. He guided all levels in multiple coaching roles from Varsity to Frosh and has 15 CIF appearances both as a player and a coach. He has worked with 50+ scholarship winners as well as many who have gone on to play professionally. He has had one former player win a World Series and has 3 former players who are current High School Head coaches.

Colin studied Human Kinesiology at CSUF with an emphasis in Education and Sports Psychology under Ken Ravizza. He is currently the Director of Physical Education and the Intramural/Athletic Director at Ball Junior High in Anaheim as well as working with his sons in multiple youth sports programs.
Colin Gawronski

Manager

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Mike Wright, DPT

Mike grew up in Tehachapi, CA where he was a 4 year athlete and captain of both his baseball and football teams. During his sophomore year in high school he sustained a rotator cuff injury and his rehab fueled his interest in physical therapy. He attended San Diego State University (SDSU) and majored in Kinesiology. After SDSU he was accepted in physical therapy school at Mount St. Mary’s in Los Angeles and graduated in 2013.
Mike grew up in Tehachapi, CA where he was a 4 year athlete and captain of both his baseball and football teams. During his sophomore year in high school he sustained a rotator cuff injury and his rehab fueled his interest in physical therapy. He attended San Diego State University (SDSU) and majored in Kinesiology. After SDSU he was accepted in physical therapy school at Mount St. Mary’s in Los Angeles and graduated in 2013.
Mike started his career in San Diego working in an orthopedic setting and was a clinical director. Early on in his career he saw how physical therapists often limited themselves by looking only at the specific problem as opposed to how the body works as a whole. This concern led Mike to get his certification in applied functional science (CAFS) through the Gray Institute and Mike has dedicated himself to treating with a holistic perspective.
While in San Diego Mike he had the opportunity to work with both college and professional athletes. He worked with multiple groups of collegiate players preparing for the NFL combine. Watching and being a part of their journey sparked his interest in the Rock Institute when he moved to Orange County.
Dr. Mike Wright, DPT

Health & Rehabilitation

BIOGRAPHY

CHAD CONCOLINO

Chad Concolino was born and raised in Orange County; CA. Chad played at the Varsity level at all three sports all 4 years of his high school career at Foothill. He then went on to play baseball at Saddleback College under the great Jack Hodges where he had a successful career and earned All-American honors and has now entered into Saddleback College Hall of fame (http://www.saddleback.edu/athletics/HallofFame.html) joining baseball athletes such as Mark Grace and Tim Wallach. Chad transferred to UCLA where he had the honor of playing Baseball under Legendary Coach Gary Adams.
Chad Concolino was born and raised in Orange County; CA. Chad was first was introduced to ROCK Institute while training for Baseball, football, and track. Chad went on to play at the Varsity level at all three sports all 4 years of his high school career at Foothill. He then went on to play baseball at Saddleback College under the great Jack Hodges where he had a successful career and earned All-American honors and has now entered into Saddleback College Hall of fame (http://www.saddleback.edu/athletics/HallofFame.html) joining baseball athletes such as Mark Grace and Tim Wallach. Chad transferred to UCLA where he had the honor of playing Baseball under Legendary Coach Gary Adams.
During his senior year at UCLA, he was honored to be the Team Captain of the bruin’s baseball team. Chad had the unfortunate experience at UCLA of shattering his ankle while running full speed into the outfield wall while going for a fly ball. Because of the unique and specialized treatment at ROCK Institute, Chad was able to make an unexpected return to complete his senior year at UCLA. He went on to be awarded the C.H.A.M.P.S. Inspirational Award his senior year, given annually to a male and female student-athlete who has overcome personal adversity, injury or illness while achieving athletic success. Chad contributes the hard work of Vic Rakshsani and ROCK Institute a major reason why he even had the opportunity to earn this award and play his final season.
Chad Concolino

Strength & Conditioning