Derek Amalbert
Owner/Director
Born and raised in NYC, he has an extensive background in basketball, playing from CYO to semi-pro in Puerto Rico. He played high school ball at Power Memorial and McClancy HS, followed by a successful college career at Springfield College. His coaching experience includes high school and AAU teams, with many players moving on to college and one reaching the WNBA.
He also has two daughters who played in college, giving him valuable shared experiences as a parent navigating the AAU circuit and the recruiting process.
He is grateful to his predecessors and is excited to continue building on the legacy of the Empire program, founded by Coach Nick Volchok in 2015. Coach Nick worked tirelessly to establish Empire’s presence in the Rockland/Westchester area. After Nick transitioned to the college level, Coach Kelly elevated the program even further over the past three years, leading many players to advance to college basketball.
Coach Derek is committed to upholding the high standards of excellence through two words – Heart & Hustle!!
Go Empire!
Maria Nardulli
Director of Youth Program
Nardulli, a key member of the Empire State Blue Flames AAU program, has been coaching with Empire since 2017. She passionately shares her love and expertise for the sport with the young athletes in our program. Nardulli played at Division II Mercy College, where she was part of the women’s basketball team for four years, finishing her career ranked fifth in three-point attempts and sixth in three-pointers made. In addition to basketball, she was a three-sport athlete at Mercy, competing in lacrosse and cross country.
Maria is entering her third season as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Transportation at the University of Mount Saint Vincent. Last season, she guided the Dolphins to a Skyline Conference Championship and secured a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament for only the second time in the program’s history. Nardulli also received the Skyline Conference Coach of the Year Award.
Nardulli’s path to Riverdale followed a four-year tenure as the first assistant at Division II Concordia College. While with the Clippers, she focused on recruiting, player development, and fundraising, helping the team reach its first Division II East Regional Tournament in 2021. She also contributed to the coaching staff at both Division III John Jay College (2016-17) and Division III Monroe College (2015-16). Her coaching career began at her alma mater, Division II Mercy College, where she served as a volunteer assistant during the 2014-15 season.
Coach Nardulli is excited to continue her role with Empire, developing our youth program and fostering growth!
James Mooney
Director of Boys Program / Coach
James Mooney brings over 15 years of coaching, player development, and leadership experience to the Empire State Blue Flames. A former professional player and standout at UMSV, Mooney is the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,793 points and still holds multiple school records.
Since 2017, he has served as the head men’s basketball coach at UMSV, earning Skyline Conference Coach of the Year honors in his first season. Under his leadership, the program has seen consistent growth, reaching the Skyline Conference semi-finals twice and producing multiple All-Conference players. Mooney has also helped several student-athletes continue their careers overseas, including one who signed a professional contract in Italy.
Off the court, Mooney has emphasized academic success, with his teams earning national academic honors and maintaining a strong team GPA throughout his tenure. He also serves as Senior Associate Athletic Director at UMSV, focusing on fundraising and program development.
Mooney’s coaching background includes experience at the high school, college, and professional levels. He has coached at Iona Prep, Rye Neck High School, and worked as a player developer at House of Sports. He has helped develop Division I talent and two current NBA players.
His passion for player development, leadership, and mentorship will play a vital role in shaping the future of our athletes. Mooney’s ability to build a positive, structured, and competitive environment will be a major asset to the Blue Flames community.
Charlton Clark Jr.
Head of Player Development/Coach
Charlton Clarke Jr., also known as Coach CC, has trained and mentored athletes in basketball and education for over 15 years.
He is an alumnus of St. Raymond’s High School for Boys, a national powerhouse high school in the Bronx, and a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMASS), where he earned a degree in Sports Management and Business of Science. Charlton led UMASS to its only Final Four appearance, under the coaching of John Calipari, who is currently the head coach at the University of Arkansas.
After leaving UMASS, Charlton was signed as an undrafted free agent by the expansion team Vancouver Grizzlies. He then played overseas for five years in Barcelona, Spain. Upon returning to the United States, he worked as one of the lead trainers for Pro Hoops Inc. in NYC, an organization dedicated to training athletes to excel in basketball.
The basketball community has shaped Charlton into the person he is today. In response, he established S.I.I.C LLC (Skills – Intuition – IQ – Confidence) to empower the youth to achieve their full potential and ensure they will strive in anything they put their mind to.
Charlton has previously coached several basketball organizations within the tri-state and New Jersey areas. He currently works as the Dean of Students and Assistant Principal at a charter school in Brooklyn. He continues to inspire and teach the core values and skills of basketball through his work with the Empire State Blue Flames Girls AAU organization.
Anthony Hodges
Player Development/Coach
Anthony Hodges is the co-founder and head trainer at Patient Grind Training. With over a decade of experience, he is a dedicated basketball coach and trainer committed to developing athletes of all levels. At Patient Grind Training in Rockland County, Anthony focuses on guiding individuals to unlock their full potential through coaching and personalized training.
Throughout his career, Anthony has had the privilege of working with both professional and collegiate athletes across NCAA Division I, II, and III programs. His own playing career began at Cayuga Community College, where he earned recognition as the team’s most valuable player during his freshman year, an honorable mention for 1st team all-conference, and ranked second in assists in the MSAC (NJCAA) conference. He later transferred to Queens College (DII), where he averaged 11.3 points per game and tied for third in school history for most three-point field goals made in a single game.
Following his collegiate success, Anthony played professionally in Italy, competing for Basket Messina and Nova Basket Capo D’Orlando. There, he showcased his scoring ability with averages of 13.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.
Anthony is excited to bring his extensive knowledge, passion for teaching, and love for the game to Empire and beyond, inspiring athletes to elevate their skills and achieve their goals.
Jaayden Lafontant
Youth Coach
Jaayden grew up in Rockland County, where she began playing basketball in the 2nd grade for a church in New City. As she began to develop a love for basketball, she joined CYO with her father and uncle as her coach at St. Peters in Haverstraw. During her time playing for her dad, they had a successful career for St. Peters, winning the state and county championships for four consecutive years. She then played varsity at Saddle River Day High School, where she was a 3x North Jersey County Champion and had 1 appearance in the State Tournament of Champions in 2019. She also received the NJ Sportsmanship Athlete her senior year. In high school she was ranked in the top 100 for North Jersey. During her high school career, she suffered from 2 major knee injuries that put a pause for her through the recruitment process but she did not let that deter her from accomplishing her goal of playing college basketball.
After suffering her 2nd knee injury during her junior year of high school, she joined the Empire family and was coached by Nick Volchok. With all the hard work she had done and the amazing help from Nick, she was able to receive scholarship offers, where she decided to formally commit to D2 Concordia College. In Jaayden’s freshman year, she led the CACC conference in rebounds. She finished her freshman year with setting the new record of being the 5th in program history to have the most offensive rebounds in a season. Due to the unforeseen circumstances of COVID-19, Concordia College ceased all operations and caused her to enter the transfer Portal. She was then able to complete the rest of her collegiate career at the University of Bridgeport, where she averaged 6 ppg and 8 rebounds per game.
She graduated from the University of Bridgeport in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science. She is now completing her 2nd degree in Nursing at Dominican University, with the hope of becoming a Pediatric or Labor and Delivery nurse.
With this being Jaayden’s 3rd season with us, she is hoping to develop the younger girls by providing them with insight into what it takes to get to the next level. She is eager to work with the youth girls to develop their basketball skills and become the best athlete they can be!
Zoë Amalbert
Director of Basketball Operations
Zoë grew up in the city before her family moved to Rockland County, where she discovered basketball through CYO. She quickly fell in love with the game, with her dad serving as her mentor and coach. At Section 1, Nanuet High School, she became a 1,000-point scorer and earned accolades including All-Section, All-League, and Team MVP.
During her junior AAU season, she joined Empire, where she was coached by Nick Volchok, formed lasting friendships, and received several scholarship offers. In 2018, she began her collegiate career at New York Institute of Technology, leading her team to their first-ever ECC Championship and NCAA Tournament bid. However, in 2020, NYIT shut down all sports programs due to Covid-19 and financial issues, prompting her to enter the transfer portal. She then transferred to Southern Connecticut State University, where she completed her last two years of collegiate eligibility and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
At Southern Connecticut, she led the NE-10 conference in assists per game (6.7) during the 2021-22 season, became a 1,000-point scorer, and received All Conference Second-Team, and Academic All-Conference honors in her final season (2022-23). She graduated in May 2024 with her BSN and is now starting her career as a Cardiopulmonary Nurse.
Zoë looks forward to offering insight, helping develop players, and building connections within the program where she once competed!