ATHLETE ACADEMY LEADERSHIP
TOM ANASTOS, TRUSTEE
Tom Anastos is best known for creating impactful experiences to help athletes reach their fullest potential. Sports have been the centerpiece of his personal and professional life for the past 40 years, where he has been an industry-leader for a number of sports organizations.
His playing and coaching background were pivotal in developing his core focus of preparing athletes to win in sports and life. Tom played hockey at Michigan State University as well as the Montreal Canadiens organization. He also served as an assistant and head coach at his alma mater. His leadership experience includes 13 years as commissioner of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. During that time, Tom was a founding member of the Hockey Commissioner’s Association, where he served as its president for 11 years, as well as one of the original architects of College Hockey Inc., an organization focused on the promotion of NCAA hockey and its athletes. Tom has also been a part of several NCAA committees, including the chair of its Rules Committee and as a part of some of hockey’s largest NCAA events, including the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four at Ford Field (2010) and the historic outdoor games at Michigan State (The Cold War – 2001) and the University of Michigan (The Big Chill – 2010). Tom has been recognized several times on The Hockey News’ Top 100 People of Power and Influence.
Tom’s role with The Athlete Academy is to provide vision, develop curriculum, foster strategic relationships, and bring key resources to the academy’s student-athletes to ensure a powerful experience.
PHIL OSAER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Phil Osaer brings nearly two decades of high-level experience as a player, scout, and program leader. Most recently, he served as Head of Goaltending Scouting and Development for the Detroit Red Wings (2019-2025), where he was the driving force behind drafting HoneyBaked Hockey alum, Trey Augustine. He also worked with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a goaltending scout and spent three years as Manager of Goaltending for USA Hockey, where he created and directed national initiatives reaching over 20,000 youth goalies and managed a team of 40+ staff nationwide.
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Phil played his youth hockey in the Detroit area before moving on to his college career at Ferris State University under long-time coach Bob Daniels. He was drafted in the seventh round (203 overall) by the St. Louis Blues in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft and played five professional seasons in North America. He also played seven seasons in Europe.
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As a former professional goaltender with a 12-year career, his unique perspective and player-first approach will be instrumental in guiding the Athlete Academy's development model.
JEFF LERG, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETE MENTORSHIP
Jeff is a former Athletic and Academic All-American hockey player and finance major at Michigan State University. His goaltending helped lead the Spartans to the 2007 National Championship and earned him the “Male Athlete of the Year” award at MSU on two occasions. The NCAA awarded Jeff the prestigious Lowe’s Senior Class Award, given to “The Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete”, who excels in Competition, Classroom, Community, and Character.
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Hockey and other athletics have always been Jeff’s passion, which sparked him to start his goalie coaching business as a sophomore at Michigan State. Jeff built his Future Pro USA Goalie School while playing ten years of professional hockey at the minor league level in the U.S. and Europe.
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During this experience, he was exposed to different cultures and ideologies in athletic performance and continued to enhance his coaching ability. Consistent hard work, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence are at the core of all his endeavors; he has become a mentor and role model to many youth athletes.
Jeff oversees the day-to-day operations of The Athlete Academy and will serve as the primary point of contact. 
