Executive Team
Steve SclafaniChief Executive Officer/Founder
Executive Team
Steve Sclafani
Chief Executive Officer/Founder
Over the past 24 years, Steve has led Factory Athletics to the top of the youth player development and college recruiting landscape. Starting in 1994 with Baseball Factory, and since then expanding to add Softball Factory, Volleyball Factory and Football Factory, Factory Athletics has helped more than 75,000 players earn more than $1 Billion in scholarships.
Steve’s vision began through his own personal experience as a college athlete at University of Pennsylvania (’93), where he played Second Base for the Quakers. It was there he met his then-teammate and now business partner Rob Naddelman (’95) and the dream of Baseball Factory began. At just 23 years of age, Steve launched the Baseball Factory in 1994 in Columbia, MD. Steve’s ability to create new opportunities for athletes nationwide revolutionized the player development process and transformed the college recruiting landscape.
Under the leadership of Steve and Rob, the company has grown to over 70 full-time and 2,000 part-time employees holding more than 1,000 events across the country for athletes ranging from 11-to-18 years old. The Factory has attracted such prestigious partners and sponsors as Under Armour, Easton, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gatorade, Little League Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, PONY Baseball and Softball, American Legion Baseball, ASA/USA Softball and many more.
In a continuing effort to revolutionize the player development industry and help more kids reach their full potential, Steve recently worked with the renowned Dr. James Driskell to research and author “Stressors in Youth Batting Performance” and “Game Time Pressure Training Handbook.” Both publications have been ground breaking in showing not only how stress and pressure affect performance, but ways players can train to overcome these stressors and be more successful. In addition, Sclafani and Driskell authored “Reducing the Effects of Game Day Pressures through Stress Training” published in the Journal of Sport Psychology in Action.
Throughout his career, Steve has received numerous honors for his leadership and business success, including the Baltimore Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, honoring the 40 top executives under 40 years of age making a name for their business. Steve also earned a 2012 SmartCEO/Clifton Gunderson Future 50 award, which recognizes the Greater Baltimore area’s 50 fastest-growing companies based on employee and revenue growth over the past three years. In addition, he has been featured nationally in Business Week and CNNFN as well as locally in the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post. Steve has also been a featured speaker at the Ivy Sports Symposium at Harvard University and is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Sports Industry Management program.
Rob NaddelmanPresident
Executive Team
Rob Naddelman
President
In 1995, Rob joined forces with his former college teammate and founder Steve Sclafani to expand and build The Baseball Factory. Under Rob’s direction, The Baseball Factory has grown by over 1000% in the past 10 years. Rob is currently a member of the prestigious Young Presidents Organization (YPO) – Baltimore/Washington DC Chapter, a member of the National Registry of Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals, and was written up in Business Week with Steve Sclafani as successful business leaders on a national scale. Rob is also the Executive Director of The Baseball Factory’s Foundation which helps at risk youth excel in the classroom by using baseball as an incentive. Rob is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he was a two time All-Ivy League selection, an inductee into the Penn Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1995 Ivy Championship Team, and competed in the 1995 NCAA Division I College World Series Midwest Regional.
Steve BernhardtChief Baseball Officer
Executive Team
Steve Bernhardt
Chief Baseball Officer
Steve joined Baseball Factory in 1998 after a five-year playing career in the Colorado Rockies organization. As Chief Baseball Officer, he oversees all Baseball Factory events and instruction. Steve previously served as an Associate Scout with the Colorado Rockies. He received his B.S. from the University of Richmond where he was an All-Conference player. Steve is Chairman of the Baseball Factory All-America Game selection committee.
Dan ForesterSenior Vice President of Player Development
Executive Team
Dan Forester
Senior Vice President of Player Development
Dan joined Baseball Factory in 2001 as a Player Development Coordinator and now the Factory’s VP of Player Development. Dan oversees and manages our Player Development Coordinators across the United States. He has worked with high school athletes since 1993. Dan has been instrumental in moving players thru our program and helping them get to the next level. Dan attended Ithaca College, where he played lacrosse.
States Represented: United States
Jim GemlerChief Program Officer
Executive Team
Jim Gemler
Chief Program Officer
As the Director of On-field Sessions, Gemler schedules, organizes and executes all Under Armour Tryouts and Signature College Recruiting (SCR) sessions throughout the country. Jim will work to secure top-notch former college coaches, professional scouts and former professional players to work at each event. Gemler’s coaching experience includes stints at the University of Akron and most recently at Pennsylvania State Behrend. Jim’s playing career included a stop at the University of North Carolina – Asheville before he transferred to the University of Akron. He received numerous accolades while at Akron including Preseason All Mid-American Conference candidate, Collegiate Baseball “Top Prospect,” Mid-American Conference All Academic Team and Akron’s Defensive Player of the Year. He earned a B.S. in Finance from Akron and recently earned a Master’s in Business Administration (M.B.A) from Penn State in Spring 2006.
Dave PackerExecutive Player Development Coordinator, VP of Business Development
Executive Team
Dave Packer
Executive Player Development Coordinator, VP of Business Development
Dave has been with the Baseball Factory since 2001, first serving as a Signature College Recruiting Program Representative. In 2002, he became director of the Signature College Recruiting Program. Since 2006, Dave has served as a Regional Player Development Coordinator for the east coast and most recently, was named Executive Player Development Coordinator for Baseball Factory. Dave will now have a major focus on building our Exclusive College Recruiting Program and FDI Programs.
He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2002, with a double major in Marketing and Logistics.
States Represented: AL, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, PR, SC, TN, VA, WV
Justin RoswellVice President, Tournament Division
Executive Team
Justin Roswell
Vice President, Tournament Division
Justin joined the Baseball Factory in 2001 serving in the scouting, event coordination, and player development departments. In 2007, he became the Director for Team One Baseball, which is the showcase division of Baseball Factory. As Senior Director he heads up the player identification process for all Team One Regional Showcases. Justin also manages the day-to-day operations of Team One including the website. In addition to directing Team One Baseball, Justin also heads up the Under Armour Tournament Division. Justin graduated from California State University – Fullerton, where he received his degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis on management.
- Michael LardieriVice President, Finance