Next Level Development Academy Staff
Meet the Team
Our team shares a passion for sports and community. Our staff members come to us with years of experience helping people become athletes and helping athletes become champions. Whether your goals are to play at the collegiate level, play for a specific team, or play professionally, we’ll make sure to provide you with the best resources to achieve your goals.
Jonathan Firmino
Trainer & Owner
Jonathan Firmino is a Union native. Graduated from Union High School in 2016. Grew up playing travel soccer for Union SC before making a move to NJSA Academy. After High School he received a scholarship to study and play for Georgian Court University (Division 2), where he won several athletic awards in the CACC. Completing three years of school, Jonathan decided to take his skills to Portugal, where his signed his first professional contract for Vitoria Setubal in the 1st division. After his first season with Vitoria Setubal, he signed for two other clubs in Portugal before making his way back to the states, where he is currently playing for Michigan Stars FC in the NISA (3rd Division Pro).
Positions: Center Back & Center Defensive Mid
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Portuguese
Daniel Vicente
Trainer & Owner
Daniel is a Kearny native who grew up playing for his home town club before attending Kearny High School. After three years of Varsity soccer, his last year he decided to play academy for Blau Weiss Gotchee. After high school, he received a scholarship to study and play at Georgian Court University ( Division 2 ). With both individual and collective success, he then received an offer to sign a contract to play professionally after college. Daniel was a regular starter all three years of his career in several positions. After playing his first two years for New Amsterdam Football Club he then received an offer to move to the west coast to play for Albion San Diego (Both in NISA, the third tier in the US professional ladder). Throughout his entire playing career, he coached along the way. First coaching for local youth clubs in Tom’s River, NJ. He then had the opportunity to coach the academy teams for both New Amsterdam FC and Albion San Diego (MLS. Next). Daniel brings both experience and wisdom to ensure that you better yourself on and off the pitch.
Tiffany Firmino
Conditioning/Injury Prevention Coach
Tiffany is an experienced athletic trainer to athletes at the high school and college level. She is readily available to help our athletes throughout their experience with us.
Stewart Flaherty
Sports Psychologist
A native of Middlesbrough, England, and a 2004 graduate of Loughborough University with a master's degree in sport psychology, Flaherty has accumulated extensive experience with player development and recruitment in the US. In addition to serving six seasons as head coach of Bates College, Flaherty also served as assistant coach with the Portland Phoenix senior team in the Premier Development League (PDL).