COACH AND BROADCASTERS

Head Coach, John Duffy
?Serving as assistant baseball coach and pitching coach at LaSalle University in 2007, John had a nine-year career as a minor league pitcher. After signing with the Boston Red Sox in 1996, John played with the Lowell Spinners. He continued to play professionally for the Atlantic City Surf, Somerset Patriots, Sioux City Explorers, and the Fargo Moorehead Redhawks.

John was selected to pitch for Team USA in 2000 and participated in the Cobe Pan-Am Cup in Panama City, Panama, where he picked up a win against Brazil. He was selected as a Northern League All-Star in 2001. He also served as a pitching coach for the Can-Am Grays in the Canadian American Independent League in 2005 and assistant coach and pitching coach at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, from 2000-2003.

John graduated from the University of Richmond in finance and economics and is nearing completion of an MBA at LaSalle University. While he was at Richmond, John was named a Colonial Athletic Association Scholar for maintaining a 3.0 GPA throughout his four years. He was also voted the top Scholar Athlete of the Business School in 1996.

Broadcaster: Neal Lavon
Neal Lavon has been a radio and television news broadcaster since he graduated from the University of Florida in 1969. He has worked in broadcasting as well as written for newspapers in Florida, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Currently, he is Chief of the Worldwide English Division of the Voice of America, the U.S. Government’s overseas radio, television, and Internet service. Neal oversees worldwide English radio broadcasts, internet pages, and custom television news shows for a satellite cable network in India.

Last year, Neal served as one of the Thunderbolts’ broadcast announcer. This is his third year associated with the team. He and his family live in Takoma Park, Maryland.

Broadcaster: Sandor Roberts
Sandor Roberts joins the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts broadcasting team this summer, coming from the Towson Tigers hockey team, where he has been the radio voice for the past two seasons. Roberts has extensive sports experience, having worked previously for the Baltimore Bandits, the Baltimore Pride, the Pelham Prowlers, UMass Hockey, the Washington Power, and at the 1996 WJC.

Roberts's main responsibility with the Thunderbolts will be play-by-play.

The Ellicott City, Maryland resident graduated from UMass with a degree in Sport Management.