About Us
Our team of experts provide a personalized, one-on-one approach that involves working with the player and family to educate, collaborate, evaluate, and promote him or her to the school that best aligns with their goals and our assessment of their strengths and potential.
David Znaty
Founder & CEO
Sahar Rotem
Owner & CFO
USA team
Jordan Carver
VP of Recruitment & Placement
Jordan is a former NJCAA national champion soccer coach with Iowa Western Community College (2013) and Salt Lake Community College (2020). His impactful journey through the realm of college and youth soccer coaching and soccer consultancy has left an indelible mark on each institution, program, and student-athlete he has worked with. As the VP of R&P, Jordan will overlook the overall global recruiting organization and build pathways and open doors of opportunity for each USTARS Group's student - athlete.
Gregory Irwin
Placement Manager
Gregory brings extensive experience in the U.S. soccer market to USTARS Group. A product of Players Development Academy (PDA) and a graduate of Seton Hall Prep, Gregory began his collegiate career at Rutgers University before transferring to Brandeis University, a top-tier D3 academic institution near Boston, MA. During his time at Brandeis, Gregory achieved significant milestones, including reaching the D3 Final Four, competing in USL2 (formerly PDL), playing in the Israeli 3rd division while studying abroad at Tel Aviv University, and excelling as a student-athlete. After graduation, he joined the Israeli Premier League before stepping away from professional soccer. Post-playing career, Gregory has built a successful career in New York City’s financial sector while also serving as General Manager for NPSL and USL2 side FC Motown. Speaking about his new role with USTARS Group, Gregory said: “I joined USTARS Group to make an impact in young players’ lives, helping them through the recruitment process and offering insights based on my own experiences. I look forward to guiding these young individuals and sharing the lessons I learned when I was in their shoes.
Ryan Adeleye
Recruiting Manager
Ryan brings a unique combination of professional athletic experience and psychological insight to his role as Recruiting Manager at USTAR Group. As a former player at UNC Chapel Hill, in the Israeli Premier League, and with the New York Cosmos, Ryan developed a deep understanding of leadership, mentorship, and personal development—skills that now shape his approach to recruiting.
His athletic background instilled in him a strong sense of discipline, resilience, teamwork, and mental toughness. Combined with his academic foundation in psychology, Ryan has a keen ability to assess both the technical capabilities and personal qualities of each candidate, ensuring a strong fit for every client.
Ryan is passionate about building high-performing, cohesive teams and fostering a recruiting experience that is as strategic as it is personal. His unique perspective helps organizations find talent that is not only qualified, but ready to thrive in dynamic, team-oriented environments.
Zac Newton
Recruiting Manager
Zac joins USTARS Group with a wide array of experience. From coaching NAIA and Junior College to playing junior college and NCAA D1 soccer as a student-athlete.
Zac got his start in college coaching with his alma mater, Peninsula College, before leaving for Iowa to start the Southeastern Community College men and women soccer programs in 2018. In the space of three years, he was able to grow both programs and turn the men’s soccer program into a NJCAA D2 national power while also winning a NJCAA D2 National title in 2021.
As head of recruitment, Zac will be recruiting our student athletes world wide.
David Abidor
Recruiting Manager
David has 16 years experience as a soccer player, playing at various levels of the game. David grew up in Chicago playing for Chicago Sockers and Chicago Magic, two of the top academies in the Chicagoland area. He finished his last two years of high school, playing for the prestigious Shattuck St. Mary's High School in Faribault, Minnesota.
From there, he went on to attend and play soccer at two top Division1 programs - University of Dayton (2011-2013) and Creighton University (2014), where he graduated with a BS in Leadership.
After college, he went on to play professionally in the United States, Sweden, Finland, and Israel for various clubs. David is currently USSF "C" licensed coach for the Chicago Fire Youth Soccer Club. He will represent USTARS in the Chicago area.
Israeli team
Ido Keren
Winning Team - Official Partner
Ido Keren is the CEO of "Winning Team" a leading player agency in the north, located in Kiryat Motzkin.
The agency specializes in locating and promoting players, at all ages. It is also known as an agency that provides solutions and tools for football players by leading professionals in their fields, such as: a player representation, mental coaching, clinical dietitian, media and content management, data analysis, legal counseling, fitness and personal training.
In fact, the agency is considered a One-Stop Shop in the field of football and offers a complete toolbox for the success of its players.
Gal Revivo
Mental Coach
Gal Revivo is a certified mental coach and physical education teacher with over 14 years of experience working with elite athletes. He has guided numerous professional athletes across Israel, Europe, and the U.S., focusing on mental performance enhancement, and coping with competitive challenges. Gal has served as a mental consultant in the Premier League youth divisions, leading individual and group processes with players in the Israeli Basketball premier League and top clubs.
Maxim Kikos
Sports Nutrition Specialist
A former professional basketball player with extensive experience in guiding athletes to enhance performance while maintaining their physical and mental health.
Maxim is also a registered dietitian (RD) and a weight management expert. Throughout his career as a former basketball player, he realized just how crucial nutrition is to an athlete’s development – whether it’s fast recovery during back-to-back games, injury prevention and rehabilitation, or meeting the nutritional demands for muscle gain and peak performance on the field. Maxim's mission is to share this powerful world of nutrition, along with the knowledge he gained through his academic studies and athletic experience with as many competitive athletes, striving to become the best version of themselves.
Yarden Lazarovich
Performance Analyst
Yarden is a professional football performance analyst with over 7 years of experience, working in some of the top Israeli clubs, such as: Maccabi Haifa FC youth academy for 3 years, Maccabi Petah Tikva FC as head of analytics for 1 year, and currently serving as the head of analytics in Maccabi Bnei Reinhe FC for the last 3 years.
Yarden also functions as a personal analyst for footballers, both professional and youth players, with a main goal of providing insights that help improve the players' technical, tactical, physical and psychological development by using video footage and data.
Amir Cohen
Head of Academic Division
Amir is a talented individual with a diverse background. Originally from Tel Aviv, Israel, Amir spent 15 years playing soccer and made notable contributions to Bney Yehuda Tel Aviv academy, as well as the professional soccer scene in Israel's 1st and 2nd divisions. His journey took him to the United States, where he joined Temple University on a full scholarship to play for the men's soccer team while pursuing a degree in Finance. Amir's dedication to academics earned him a spot on the dean's list at the Fox School of Business. Following his undergraduate studies, he moved to Miami to pursue his master's degree in Information Systems at Florida International University, showcasing his passion for both sports and technology.
Omer Cohen
Sports Psychologist
Omer has 20 years experience in professional football as a college Division1 athlete and prior to that in both Israeli Premier Leagues.
After finishing his bachelor degree in Israel, Omer went to pursue his masters degree in sports psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he finished with honors. At the moment he's a PhD student in sports psychology.
Omer works with our clients and helps them prepare for their college journey as students and athletes.
Bar Hazut
Academic & Athletic Consultant
Before moving to the United States as a student-athlete, Bar played in the U20 premier league in Israel and was summoned to play with the national team numerous times. From there, he went on to play D1 soccer at the University of Illinois – Chicago, earning recognition as national player of the week, offensive player of the year, and first team for the north region of the U.S.
Upon completing his bachelor’s in finance with honors, Bar enrolled in the MBA program at the prestigious Santa Clara University, specializing in Data Science. There, he worked with Fortune 500 companies and won another D1, horizon league championship with the Men’s Soccer. Over the past few years, Bar assisted many players and students in transitioning to the United States athletic and academic landscape.
Adir Danin
Head Of Scouting
Adir has over twenty five years’ experience as a football player. Grew up in the youth system of Beitar Tubruk-Netanya and Hapoel Ra’anana. As an active player he experienced playing professionally for some top Israeli clubs such as: Hapoel Ramat-Gan, Hapoel Ra’anana, Hapoel Hashkelon and others. A certified instructor, and now also a respectable coach, his extensive experience and connections gained over the years will help Adir find the right players for our company.
Canada Team
Kirk Ricketts
Head of Recruitment
Kirk is a passionate soccer coach with a strong desire to become a Head Coach of a professional team. With years of experience on the field and coaching youth players, Kirk has developed expertise in seasonal planning, gameplay techniques, athlete engagement, and player evaluation. He holds certifications in National B and Provincial B coaching, and has worked with various teams, including Whitecaps Academy, Scottish FC, and Millwoods Selects FC. Kirk's dedication to the sport and commitment to improving individual performance make him a valuable asset to our organization.
Kirk will represent USTARS Group in Canada.
Hungary team
Gabor Takacs
Head Of Recruitment
Gabor is an ambitious youth football coach who has experienced coaching different football cultures, while educating and supporting his players to achieve their goals.
Gabor has more than 15 years experience in football coaching from different levels and more than 5 years recruiting experience from different countries (England, Spain, Italy, Canada, Ghana and Central & Eastern Europe).
He holds certifications in UEFA B (Hungary) & Smartfootball Level 2 (Spain) coaching, and FA Talent ID Level 2 (England) in scouting.
Since 2012, Gabor has been organising one of the biggest junior leagues (U8-U11) in Hungary, while training and mentoring some of the top young talents in his country. Gabor will use his vast experience and reputation in the soccer community as he represents USTARS Group in Hungary.
french team
Simon Lefebvre
Head of Recruitment
Simon joined Girondins de Bordeaux academy in 2010, where he played until 2016. After His experience at Bordeaux, Simon joined Temple University to study and play college soccer. He graduated in December 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Adult and Organizational Development.
In 2019, Simon was named All-AAC Second Team. In January 2020, he was drafted as the 21st overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft by DC united and then signed with DC United’s USL Championship affiliate side Loudoun United. After a season spent with Loudoun United, Simon signed with Louisville City FC.
italian team
Romeo Paparesta
Recruitment & Media support
Romeo moved to the United States a year ago at the age of 19 after getting a scholarship to continue his academic and athletic journey at an American University. He's currently pursuing a 4-year major in International Business Administration, which will lead him to have a complete education in Business, essential management skills, and excellent English language skills. At the same time, he continues to play as a goalkeeper for his university, which could create another avenue for his future should he want to continue playing soccer.
Romeo will join the USTARS Group team in Italy and will be responsible for recruiting and social media aspects.
Our Services
USTARS GROUP provides a wide-array of services all related to the college admission and placement process.
University Placement Consulting
Based on our vast knowledge and experience, our experts will educate on different universities and athletic programs and then advise on the best possible fit for you from an athletic, academic and financial standpoint.
SAT / TOEFL Preparation
As part of our holistic approach & service, we also put our focus on the preparation process for admission to US universities (TOEFL/ IELTS/ Duolingo). We work with the most professional teachers in this field & provide an online platform that will ensure our clients will meet their academic goals.
University / College application
Our experts will assist you throughout the entire application process at the university of your choice. Make sure you understand all the necessary requirements and that you do everything correctly and on time. We'll also advise in regards to visa applications, insurances and other aspects.
Resume and Cover Letter Building
Our experts will help illustrate your experience and advantages over other prospects. So decision makers in college admission and coaches understand what you're all about.
Video Profile / Marketing
We provide a unique marketing platform (UPRO) that offers young athletes the opportunity to be noticed and presented in the right way. We will take your footage and put together a professional video profile that will showcase and highlight your talent.
The College Experience
