Staff
Jordon Haitsma
Vice President of Operations
Jordon Haitsma joined 8 Gradys Performance Center in October of 2021 as the new Vice President of Operations. Prior to 8 Gradys, Jordon spent 10 years with the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department where he most recently served as the Event Management and Olympic Facility Program Director for the past three years. His role involved coordinating all game day management for Olympic home sporting events and all event management aspects for special events held in the athletic facilities. Primarily focused on Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball, Fencing, Women’s Tennis, and Baseball, Jordon coordinated visiting team travel, practices, and was the main contact while in South Bend.
Estevan Lucero
General Manager of 8 Gradys Performance
Estevan Lucero is a native New Mexican born and raised in Albuquerque. Prior to becoming a strength coach, he played collegiate football at New Mexico Military Institute and Fort Lewis college, and is a graduate of Valley High School. Post college Estevan played three years of professional indoor football, while simultaneously earning two masters degrees (Sports Administration & Marketing) and coaching at the high school level. Currently, Estevan is a Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM), Certified Functional Strength Coach (MBSC), and Athletics Coach from the New Mexico Activities Association. His aim is to create an avenue for athletes around the state to become not only capable in their sport but to develop as young men and women.
Football Academy Coaches
MONICA L. SANDOVAL
Facility Coordinator
Monica grew up in Albuquerque and is a proud graduate of Cibola High School. She then graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a BS in Nutrition and Dietetics, where she played four years of Division 1 soccer. Her love for nutrition began in college while studying and playing collegiate soccer, she was able to provide herself and her teammates with appropriate meal plans to stay in shape and healthy.
Now, Monica wants to share that love of nutrition with others. Her goal is to help clients achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle through nutrition, exercise, and determination.
Performance Coaches
ERIKA FOUTZ
Academic Trainer
Erika grew up in Gallup, NM where she played 3 sports in high school: volleyball, basketball, and tennis. She was in the top 15% of my graduating class. After high school. She went to the University of New Mexico and earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in May 2006. Erika soon began teaching in Albuquerque Public Schools in 2006. In the fall of 2007 she began my Master’s program at the University of New Mexico in May 2010. She received a Masters in Arts in Special Education. She also worked my way through the dossier process and is now a Level 3 Teacher. She taught for 12 at Roosevelt Middle School. The last 2 years, Erika has been working at Sequoyah Adolescent Treatment Center that has 7-12 graders attending.
Erika has also coached multiple sports throughout her teaching career. She coached middle school volleyball, basketball, and track. She also coached volleyball at Eldorado High school for 4 years. She has also been tutoring for the past 6 years in a variety of subjects for high school students.
8 Gradys Golf Coaching Instructors
Gerome Espinoza, PGA
Head Golf Coach / Instructor
A lifelong teacher / coach in New Mexico, Gerome has taught numerous golfers including having some of the biggest and most successful PGA Junior League teams in the Sun Country. He has coached both golf and basketball at the varsity level in Albuquerque for over 15 years. He is a competitive golfer in the Sun Country PGA and enjoys playing in tournaments, winning the Pro-Pro three times as well as the Assistants Championship in 2020.
His love for golf and teaching the game is obvious in his passionate teaching style. He has high expectations for his students and expects their best effort in every session. Gerome believes that golfers need to play the game, not be beautiful swingers of the golf club.
Robby Pernell, PGA Golf Coach / Instructor
Robby was born in Wichita, KS and raised in San Antonio, TX where he picked up golf at the age of 10. He started playing competitively at 13 and still competes in tournaments to this day. Robby attended Sam Houston State University and graduated in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration along with his Class A PGA status. He learned the love for teaching the game of golf early in his career and has had a successful teaching business for the past 4 years.