Rising Stars: Meet Michael Albanese of Sandy Springs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Albanese.

Hi Michael, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Atlanta on the border of Buckhead and Sandy Springs, so I have always been a part of the city. I grew up playing sports at NYO and always wanted to be a coach. I started as an assistant football coach on the first varsity staff at Pace Academy in 2008 while I was still trying to finish college. I loved it immediately and continued on as an assistant basketball and baseball coach as well. I have continued to coach all three sports while I got a full-time job, with a little help from the Chaplain (my mom), as an assistant teacher at St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Brookhaven. I have coached three sports at Pace, St. Martin’s, Sandy Springs Youth Sports, and Marist over the last 18 years, all while being an assistant in a kindergarten classroom. Being busy with all the sports and work, I am still 30 or so hours short of my degree and may never finish.

In 2015 I was connected with Sandy Springs Youth Sports through a family friend, and while I did not get the job I applied for as the Park Coordinator, I started getting involved in the one area I knew I could impress: coaching. I started coaching a summer all-star team while I continued to work and coach at St. Martin’s and developed a lot of great relationships.

I was ready for a change, so I started talking to SSYS about the opportunity to make a full-time Director role here at SSYS to run the program as a whole and help follow the mission of a true youth sports program. I officially started in the Park Director role on August 1st, 2025.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I started coaching while still trying to finish college and working full time in a kindergarten classroom, which meant long days and a lot of juggling. I’m still about thirty hours short of my degree, and for a while I worried that would hold me back.

I also interviewed with Sandy Springs Youth Sports years ago and didn’t get the job at the time. Looking back, that setback pushed me to grow as a coach and leader. When I officially stepped into the Park Director role on August 1st, 2025, it was after years of building experience, learning from great mentors, and staying committed to the mission of youth sports.

There have been plenty of hurdles, but every one of them strengthened my belief in what youth sports can do for a community. Those challenges shaped how I lead today and why I care so much about creating a place where families feel supported.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I serve as the Park Director at Sandy Springs Youth Sports where I oversee all of our baseball, softball, flag football and cheer programs. My work includes operations, scheduling, sponsorships, coach support and facility management. Each part of the job helps create a great experience for our athletes and their families.

I specialize in building community and creating an environment where kids feel supported and families feel welcome. That sense of connection is what people consistently associate with SSYS and it is what I am most proud of.

What sets me apart is that I have worked in almost every role in youth sports over the last two decades. I have been a coach, an administrator, a teacher and now a park director, and that experience helps me understand how everything fits together. I also have a rare ability to connect with both kids and parents. Building trust and forming strong relationships comes naturally to me and it shapes the way I lead and support our community.

These strengths guide my work every day and help create the positive environment we want families to experience at SSYS.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I have never viewed myself as a big risk taker, but I do believe in trusting your instincts when something feels meaningful. The biggest risk I have taken was leaving a stable job of eighteen years to take on a completely new role at Sandy Springs Youth Sports. I had real doubts about whether I could step into a position of that size, but I also knew how passionate I was about youth sports and the impact they can have on a community.

For me, risk is not about chasing something dramatic. It is about being willing to leave what is comfortable when you feel called to do something that matters. Taking that chance has pushed me to grow, and it has become one of the best decisions of my career.

Pricing:

• Spring Softball starts at $250
• Spring Baseball starts at $325

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sandyspringsyouthsports.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandy_springs_youth_sports

Image Credits
Rajer Vaswani, Howard Berzack