ABOUT US
As an athlete growing up on Kent Island in the 90’s - 2000’s, Robert Woolley (founder and owner) realized that of his many peers and teammates who were gifted athletes, very few of them were further pursuing their talents and passion at the collegiate level. His mission became to build an environment that would foster the growth of local student athletes, helping them create opportunities for themselves past the high school playing level. Of that idea, The Edge Training Academy was born, opening its very first location in 2013. The initial goal of sending just one athlete each year to college to pursue their sport at the NCAA level was quickly exceeded. Since then, we have realized that the theme of people dismissing their desire to be their best due to a lack of resources, opportunity, and support was more widespread than just student athletes. We have expanded our location to hold a full gym open to all, and with that our initiative to help not only student athletes, but people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential, whatever that means to them.
In 2016, the opportunity to convert a 25,000 ft² building into a sports arena presented itself, becoming The Edge Arena. Over the years, we have hosted a variety of events, including youth & adult leagues, tournaments, team practices, open plays, fitness classes, birthday parties, proms, church services, community gatherings, and much more. Our youth leagues in particular have become regionally renowned, pulling players from all throughout the state. We take pride in providing a space for people to come together and enjoy themselves.
Behind the scenes, our non-profit Giving The Edge Foundation has been a driving force in keeping us grounded to the community. Kickstarted by a generous, anonymous donation in 2013, the foundation is all about empowering the next generation of our community. We do this by offering fitness, character development, and fun activities, funding positive behavior incentives in local schools, showing the importance of giving back through community service opportunities, making all of our programs financially accessible and offering financial support, and more. We believe that by providing kids with the opportunities and support to grow will lead them to become successful, caring, responsible, and productive adults who will carry on our mission of giving back and helping others.
The Edge is proud to be a family owned and operated organization that prioritizes putting community first!
MEET THE TEAM
ROBERT WOOLLEY
Owner
Robert grew up on Kent Island and spent his time playing in youth leagues, establishing a lifelong passion for sports. He matured into a leader, often earning him the title of team captain as a high school athlete. He went on to Salisbury University where he earned his Bachelors of Science with Honors in Exercise Science and Business. Throughout college and beyond, Woolley has always made time for coaching at his alma mater Kent Island High School. Over a collective 30+ seasons of coaching, his most memorable experiences include winning Maryland Lacrosse State Championships in 2014, 2015, 2022, and 2023. With great pride for the community he calls home, Robert uses his spare time to participate in many charity events through his non-profit foundation. Bringing together his passion for fitness, coaching, and community, The Edge was born in 2013, starting as a place where student athletes can work to better themselves both on and off the field of play. As a result, hundreds of trainees have successfully advanced to pursue their dreams of playing at collegiate level and beyond. Robert lives by the motto, “Win the Day” measuring his wins in the way of creating the necessary resources for others to grow and succeed. His doors are always open to provide opportunity for the people of the community in which he lives and serves.
SARAH SEELING
General Manager
Sarah is an Eastern Shore native with roots right here on Kent Island. After graduating from Salisbury University with a degree in Psychology, Sarah found herself diving head first into the customer service field. With a strong passion for ensuring client satisfaction, navigating both day to day operations as well as more complex challenges with a positive attitude has become a key asset in past positions held. As a team member at The Edge, Sarah is most looking forward to helping make the client experience the best it can be and also ensuring that client’s needs are met from a programming standpoint. In her spare time, she enjoys boating, reading, and spending quality time with her family. Now with a family of her own, Sarah loves raising her children in the same place she grew up, and looks forward to seeing them one day utilize The Edge to grow their passion for sports and activities.
DONASJA COOPER
Training Coordinator & Coach
Donasja grew up in Easton, Maryland, always having a love and passion for sports. Her passion quickly grew into her purpose, leading to earning her Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology at Wesley College, then her Master’s of Science in Sport Human Performance and Nutrition at Liberty University. After college, Donasja completed multiple internships and coached at Delaware State University as a Division 1 Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach. She is also 2x Maryland State Champion for High School Softball, where she returned as the Easton High School Assistant Softball Coach in 2019. Donasja believes that her mission as a Certified Personal Trainer and Strength & Conditioning Coach is to be a leader for all ages of life to reach their full potential; not only in fitness, but also in personal development and growth. Clients who train with Donasja will not only build and define their bodies, they will also look inward and focus on ways to better their self-awareness, self-esteem, increase skills, fulfill their aspirations. Donasja lives by the quote “I Can, I Will, I Must Win The Race!” The mind will want to stop the body during any given obstacle, but we must become an overcomer and bring our A-game by making a commitment to be the best version of ourselves! She is not only a leader at The Edge Training Academy but also in the community, church, and to her four younger siblings.
PAUL MAREK
Head of Lacrosse Operations
Paul grew up in Arnold, Maryland and started playing youth sports at 4 years old. Graduating from Broadneck Sr. High in 1996, he was a three-sport athlete and two-time state champion in lacrosse. Sports had always been a major part of his life. Becoming a father at 19, he quickly shifted gears from playing to coaching, first in Edgewater, then moving to Centreville, and finally to Kent Island. 24 years of coaching 4 different youth sports and creating Marek Skills Lacrosse Development, he has quickly earned respect as one of the top player development coaches in Maryland. Over 50 years collectively of coaching youth sports, Paul has found a way to motivate and get the most out of every one of his athletes. He finds his success lies in instilling an understanding that in order to achieve greatness, you must out-work your opposition. You will hear him telling his players “Give me 100%, 100% of the time” and he truly will make sure his athletes respect that. Paul has earned a reputation in the area as an honest, hardworking, demanding, and fair coach. Your athlete will become more confident the moment they start to work with Coach Paul as he prides himself on helping all players, no matter what helmet they are wearing.
BLAIR GOODRICH
Lacrosse Coach
Blair is from Kent Island, MD where she played for KIHS from 2016 to 2020. She was a three-sport athlete while at KI, playing soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. For the lacrosse team, she scored over 100 goals and tallied 80 draw controls. She was named a UA Lacrosse All-American in 2019 and was an All-Conference selection each season (2016 - 2019). In 2020 she was named a Team Captain for KI Lax before her Senior season was cut off due to Covid. Outside of Kl, she played club lacrosse for Maryland United. While at MDU, Blair earned a scholarship to continue her career playing Division 1 lacrosse at Towson University. She earned play time each of her 4 years with the Tigers and was named to the 2023 CAA All-Tournament Team. In 2024, Blair was named a team captain. She led the Tigers in ground balls with 40, which ranked 3rd in conference. She added a career high of 33 draw controls. Over the course of her 4 years, she totaled 74 Caused turnovers & 96 ground balls. Blair is excited to share her experience and skills with the next generation of players!
ALEC PUPSHIS
Lacrosse Coach
As a recent college lacrosse player for the University of Lynchburg, Alec brings knowledge and excitement to all athletes looking to take their game to the next level. After graduating college in 2021, he is now ready to bring his passion into coaching and growing the game, Success in the weight room and on the field has led him to numerous accolades during his playing days, and he looks to instill those skills in all athletes he trains. As well as coaching at The Edge, Alec also works with the Kent Island High School boys lacrosse program as they continue to grow their winning culture. Alec is ready to coach all skill levels and improve any player's game.
JUSTIN MESSERSMITH
Lacrosse Coach
Justin Messersmith was born and raised on Kent island. From the age of 5 years old, lacrosse, football and wrestling were played year round, which carried over at Kent Island High School where he played all three sports year round. Justin is a back-to-back 2x State Champion in lacrosse and a 1x State Champion in wrestling. After high school, Justin continued to play lacrosse at Anne Arundel Community College for 2 years where he became an All-American. He received a scholarship to play at Newberry College Division 2 lacrosse program in South Carolina where he played for 4 years, earning first and second team awards in the South Atlantic Conference. Justin also holds multiple school records as a faceoff specialist and a 2 way midfielder. He graduated in 2021 with his bachelors degree in communications and minor in speech. Justin is currently a teacher at Grasonville Elementary School and a lacrosse coach at Broadneck High School. Justin is passionate about shaping future star athletes on and off the field, empowering athletes to reach their full potential through passion, commitment and desire to win each day.
"Life is momentum; we stack small wins to build larger wins."
DANNY SLOAN
Coach
Danny is an enthusiastic and outgoing coach with a personal and professional track record of success in overall fitness. He is a lifelong athlete, and a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer as well as NASM Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist since 2018. Danny believes that each of us are capable of reaching levels of health & wellness that we once thought were impossible. He strives to teach clients as much as possible, so that they may “graduate” from personal training with a solid foundation for their lifelong wellness journey. Danny has personally experienced a transformation in his own health & fitness and strives to help others dig deep and find their “Inner Beast”. He will push you, he will take you to your limit, and he will make sure if you put in the time — you’ll reap the rewards. From teens to SWAT teams, Danny has trained them all and is ready to help you achieve your goals and reach the level of fitness you’re striving for.
“I’d rather be exhausted from the hard times which breed success, than well rested from achieving nothing”
COLLEEN WILLIAMS
Giving The Edge Foundation Director
Colleen is a native to Kent Island and has recently moved back with her family, where she and her husband plan to raise their girls. Colleen joins our team with a B.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism with a concentration in Recreation Therapy, Outdoor Recreation, Tourism Management, and Special Events from Radford University and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University. Over the years Colleen has had the opportunity to work in a variety of educational and recreational settings across multiple states. She’s excited to bring her knowledge and past experiences to create program opportunities, not just for her family but for the families and youth within the community.