Coaches

Coach BergyYannick Bergeron

Program Director and Head Coach

Yannick Bergeron has more than 15 years of coaching experience, in both individual development and leading teams. He has served as clinics coordinator and head instructor at Centre de balle Le Sandlot, offensive coordinator and head coach (18U) at the Canadian Baseball Academy (ABC), hitting coordinator and head coach (15U AAA) for the Patriotes de De Mortagne, and head coach within the Florida program of the Canada Reds organization.

His work as an instructor has left its mark on several of Québec's top prospects. Many of his former players have earned scholarships, both at Junior Colleges such as Weatherford, Wabash, and Cowley, and at Division 1 universities such as Maryland and Texas Tech, among others. Some of his former players have even reached the professional ranks.

A player before he was a coach, Bergeron came up through Charlesbourg's Midget AAA starting in 1996, then the Alouettes de Charlesbourg at the Junior Elite level from 1997 to 2002, winning 5 league championships and 2 Canadian championships, competing at the Canada Games, being named playoff MVP twice, and breaking 5 league records — while also taking part in a few training camps with the Capitales de Québec.

The Capitales de Québec helped him continue his path to the United States on a series of full scholarships: New Mexico Junior College, then Weatherford College (Texas), where he was named to his conference's first all-star team, then St. Edward's University. His senior season at St. Edward's stood out: he was named to the Heartland Conference's first all-star team, and the Canadian Baseball Network named him to its first All-Canadian college team that same year.

Yannick graduated with honors in accounting from St. Edward's University in 2007, while maintaining one of the top academic averages in college baseball — a rigor he now passes on to his players, on the field and off.

During his transition from player to coach, he balanced coaching with a career as an accounting analyst for Bombardier Aerospace, then as a controller for Thomas & Betts — two internationally-scaled companies.

Highlights

• 15+ years of coaching experience
• Former offensive coach, Canadian Baseball Academy (ABC)
• Former hitting coordinator, Patriotes de De Mortagne
• Head instructor, Centre de balle Le Sandlot
• 5 league championships and 2 Canadian championships with the Alouettes de Charlesbourg
• Canada Games participant
• Full scholarships: New Mexico JC, Weatherford College, St. Edward's University
• 2007 first All-Canadian college team (Canadian Baseball Network)
• Honors graduate in accounting, St. Edward's University (2007)
• Accounting analyst, Bombardier Aerospace
• Controller, Thomas & Betts

Sources

• Le Sandlot — Our Team
• Canadian Baseball Network — 2007 All-Canadian College Team
• RDS — Overview of Québec's baseball talent pipeline

Coach MaximMaxim Larrivée

Coach | Long-term athlete development | Performance planning and monitoring

A former high-level university athlete and a coach with several championships to his name, Maxim Larrivée has close to 30 years in competitive sport, as both a player and a coach. His career is built on long-term athlete development, training planning, and individualized guidance toward each athlete's full potential.

From 1996 to 2000, he played men's volleyball for Université Laval's Rouge et Or. In his final season, 1999-2000, he was named Québec's player of the year and selected to the Canadian first all-star team — two distinctions that mark his standing at the highest university level.

From 2005 to 2009, he served as head coach of the men's volleyball team at Algonquin College in Ottawa. Under his direction, the Thunder won their first provincial championship in 30 years in 2007 and took the first national medal in the program's history, a bronze at the Canadian championship. Two years later, the team won a second provincial title and finished fourth in the country.

Beyond the team results, Maxim stands out for building structured development programs and guiding athletes through their progression. His approach rests on rigorous planning, individualized follow-up, and a long-term view of performance. Over his career he has helped develop many players who went on to the university ranks, the national team, and European professional circuits.

For the past 12 years he has carried that experience into minor baseball and softball, coaching within the associations of Montréal's West Island. There he applies his high-performance background to the technical, physical, and mental development of young athletes, while accounting for each one's maturity, ambitions, and individual progression.

His coaching philosophy favours a whole-athlete approach to development, in which planning, continuous follow-up, accountability, and the enjoyment of the sport are the foundations of lasting progress. His aim is to create an environment where every player can develop their full potential while building the habits and skills needed to succeed at the levels above.

Highlights

• Close to 30 years in competitive sport, as player and coach
• Men's volleyball, Université Laval Rouge et Or (1996-2000)
• Québec's player of the year (1999-2000)
• Canadian university first all-star team (1999-2000)
• Head coach, men's volleyball, Algonquin College (2005-2009)
• The Thunder's first provincial championship in 30 years (2007)
• First national medal in the program's history — bronze at the Canadian championship (2007)
• Second provincial title and 4th in the country (2009)
• 12 years coaching minor baseball and softball, Montréal's West Island
• Players developed through to the university ranks, the national team, and European professional circuits

Coach RobRobert Kaymakcioglu

Assistant coach

Robert Kaymakcioglu brings a wide range of baseball knowledge to coaching and player development, with experience playing and coaching at the Canadian collegiate, municipal, and travel baseball levels.

He has 7 years of experience as a head coach, beginning with the Montreal Titans in 2019. Rob then helped start the LS Beasts summer baseball program, building it from the ground up into a program focused on player development, competition, and a strong baseball environment.

His playing background includes representing Concordia University and competing in a National Championship. He continues to play at a high level, and brings that experience to his work with young athletes.

As a coach and instructor, Rob has worked with individual players as a hitting, pitching, and defensive trainer, and has run private and municipal baseball clinics for both small and large groups. He has also coached teams competing in tournaments across Canada and the United States.

Rob believes player development should be at the heart of any successful baseball program. His goal is to help players build strong fundamentals, understand the game, gain confidence, and develop a lasting love for it.

Highlights

• 7 years of experience as a head coach
• Head coach, Montreal Titans (since 2019)
• Co-founder, LS Beasts summer baseball program
• Represented Concordia University; National Championship competitor
• Hitting, pitching, and defensive instructor
• Private and municipal baseball clinics, small groups to large
• Teams coached in tournaments across Canada and the United States