Meet Joe Maizonet

Founder and

Director of Operations

  • Joe Maizonet, the visionary CEO and Founder of Athletes Academy, is deeply committed to the transformative power of sports as a foundation for resilience, integrity, and growth—shaped by decades of playing competitive sports, including leadership roles as a team captain. With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Joe has helped customers restore their lives after catastrophes, a role that has shaped his understanding of resilience and the importance of community. Over the past five years, he has focused on learning and development, excelling as a corporate trainer and instructional designer, skills that he seamlessly applies in his leadership of Athletes Academy.

    Joe’s dedication to youth development is rooted in over 25 years of volunteer experience as a youth sports coach, where he taught young athletes not just the fundamentals of their sport, but also the life lessons that come from sportsmanship, discipline, and mental resilience. He also spent several years as a certified game official as a youth sports umpire and referee. This unique combination of professional experience and passion for coaching led him to create Athletes Academy, a platform designed to equip young athletes with the skills and mindset necessary to excel both on and off the field.

    For Joe, sports are more than just games; they are gateways to life’s most important lessons, teaching resilience, character, and essential life skills. His vision for Athletes Academy was born from his personal commitment as a father to allow his children to discover their passions and build resilience naturally. As he witnessed their enthusiasm for sports, he embraced the responsibility of teaching not only game strategies but also emotional strength and leadership.

  • Joe brings a strategic, values-driven approach to his role at Athletes Academy. His leadership is deeply rooted in the principles of respect, discipline, and adaptability—values he was raised with and continues to embody. Joe’s operational expertise allows him to design systems that maximize efficiency and team cohesion, always placing the collective needs of the organization above individual pursuits. His coaching style balances firmness with understanding, meeting players at their level and adapting his guidance to each athlete’s goals. Joe believes the bond between a coach and player is sacred, recognizing the profound role coaches play as mentors. To him, leadership means shaping individuals as whole people, supporting their athletic talent and character alike, and building a foundation for success both on and off the field.

  • Joe’s ambitions for Athletes Academy extend far beyond athletic development. His vision is to create a multi-team organization that intertwines community outreach, volunteering, and peer mentorship. Joe is committed to fostering not only skilled athletes but also responsible citizens who contribute positively to society. Inspired by his experience serving on his community’s board of directors, he integrates civic responsibility into Athletes Academy, equipping young athletes with the tools to balance their ambitions with a commitment to giving back.Description text goes here

  • Born in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and now based in North Carolina, Joe’s journey is marked by a blend of intellectual and hands-on work, giving him a flexible, grounded approach to leadership. Known for his ability to adapt, lead, and inspire, Joe enriches Athletes Academy’s mission with values of integrity, community, and continuous growth. Under his guidance, Athletes Academy is positioned not only to develop the next generation of athletes but also to shape future leaders who carry forward a legacy of resilience, empathy, and service.

Meet Marline Maizonet

Co-Founder and

Administrative & Finance Director

  • Born in New York, raised in Florida, and having spent time in Illinois before making North Carolina her home, Marline has been committed to community service and helping others achieve their potential from a young age. Her dedication to service began early: in middle school, she read to young children, volunteered at hospitals and soup kitchens in high school, and later became a Big Sister mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami-Dade County. This commitment has consistently focused on assisting underserved youth to succeed academically and experience life beyond their immediate surroundings. Marline’s dedication to community and personal growth has been a foundation throughout her life and continues to drive her contributions to others' lives and communities.

  • As a dedicated student-athlete, Marline exemplified both athletic and academic excellence, leading her high school track team to district championships throughout all four years. She set a school record in the 400 meters and qualified for the state championships in both her junior and senior years, demonstrating a balance of discipline, teamwork, and leadership. Her dedication extended beyond the track, where she actively participated in the honor society and other student organizations, carrying this commitment to leadership and excellence into her college career. Marline graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in Business Administration, focusing on Human Resources, Marketing, and Economics, and later earned an MBA, solidifying a strong academic and professional foundation that she brings into every endeavor.

  • Marline’s career spans leadership roles in both Fortune 100 companies and civic-focused organizations, emphasizing a passion for the “people experience” and the value of unique individual strengths in team success. Her professional journey reflects her commitment to supporting those in need, from aiding storm survivors as a catastrophe adjuster to recruiting and developing compassionate professionals. Now in a senior leadership position, she is focused on fostering an inclusive work environment that enhances employee engagement, growth, and well-being. Marline aligns people strategies with organizational values to improve accessibility and user experience for government services, illustrating her belief in the power of leadership to impact society positively.

    This same spirit fuels her work with Athletes Academy, which Marline helped establish to empower young athletes in both sport and life. Through Athletes Academy, she strives to nurture the next generation of athletes and community leaders, fostering qualities of integrity, empathy, and purpose. At her core, Marline is a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and neighbor, committed to creating positive change within her community.

Meet Mark Brown, Jr.

Head Coach and

Director of Team Development

  • Mark Brown, Jr. grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, where his love for sports began. A standout at Hickory Grove Christian School, he played as the starting shortstop on the 2005 Baseball State Championship team, earning All-Conference honors. Additionally, he excelled on the varsity basketball team, helping secure a Conference Championship. Mark later attended the University of South Carolina at Aiken with a double partial scholarship for both baseball and basketball. Choosing to focus on basketball, he contributed to a Conference Championship win in 2010, his senior year. After college, he briefly pursued a professional athletic career overseas before returning home to embark on a new journey in firefighting.

  • Mark’s dedication to serving his community led him to join the Charlotte Fire Department in 2012. Over the next decade, he advanced from Firefighter I & II to Firefighter Engineer, safely managing on-scene logistics and leading Station #3 with the city’s first tower ladder truck for high-risk rescues. In 2023, Mark transitioned to the role of Fire Inspector, applying his skills to improve fire and life safety in center city buildings. His commitment to leadership and service has been evident throughout his career in public safety.

  • Outside his firefighting career, Mark has dedicated himself to mentoring young athletes through public speaking and community involvement. From 2014 to 2024, he also played quarterback for the Charlotte Cobras Football Team in the National Public Safety Football League, winning championships in 2015 and 2024. The team’s mission includes supporting charitable causes like Cops for Cure and the Barium Springs Home for Children. Mark now hopes to instill on-field skills and off-field resilience in young athletes, guided by integrity and community-minded values. At the heart of his aspirations are his wife, Brittany, and their daughters, Taylor and Teagan.

Meet Brittany Brown

Wellness Support and

Community Outreach Director

  • A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Brittany Brown has always had a love for sports and the outdoors. Her passion for competitive physical activity was evident during her time as a student-athlete in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County school system, where she excelled in volleyball and track-and-field.

    A standout moment was her role in leading her high school’s 4x400m relay team to the State Championship as a freshman. Brittany continued her athletic journey at Winston-Salem State University, where she earned an athletic scholarship in track-and-field while studying Exercise Science and Rehabilitation Studies.

  • Brittany’s dedication to helping others inspired her to further her studies at Howard University, where she explored Occupational Therapy. Now an Occupational Therapist, Brittany draws on her athletic background to help patients regain functional independence and improve their quality of life.

    Her focus on holistic well-being and medical autonomy aligns with the principles she brings to Athletes Academy, where she is dedicated to supporting athletes’ personal growth and athletic development.

  • As Team Wellness Support and Community Outreach Director, Brittany is committed to cultivating an environment of accountability, adaptability, and transferable life skills for athletes.

    She shares this mission with her husband, Head Coach Mark Brown, Jr., with whom she collaborates closely to build a unique team culture focused on health, wellness, and continuous growth.

    Inspired by her family—her husband and their two daughters—Brittany aims to foster resilience and positive change in everyone she connects with.