Sports & Activity Directors
Our directors for all core sports have years of coaching experience - ensuring that staff truly know how to teach and help our campers develop skills and improve.
DIRECTOR OF SOCCER
Vinny Gill
Vinny is a favorite among our campers, inspiring quite a few to take up soccer who had never played before and helping to improve the skills of those that are already well entrenched. Vinny has 25 years of experience coaching and 40 years playing soccer. He is in his 16th season at Middle Georgia State University. Vinny currently coaches the women’s program, but he spent his first six years at MGSU as coach of both the men’s and women’s programs. He was the GCAA women’s Coach of the Year in 2007 and men’s Coach of the Year in 2010. Vinny was named the SSAC Coach of the Year for the 2020-2021 season and has led his team to back-to-back NAIA Opening Round selections in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Originally from Ireland, Vinny has spent time coaching in the NAIA and NJCAA with different schools and spent one year coaching professionally with the Jacksonville Cyclones.
CO-DIRECTOR OF BASKETBALL
Chris Pickens
Chris brings more than 20 years of experience coaching and training athletes of all levels, including high school, college, and professional players. He is the Varsity Basketball Assistant Coach for Staples Basketball in Westport, CT (where they reached the CIAC Division 2 finals for the first time since 1937). Previously, Chris worked with Xavier University and their alumni team as an Assistant Coach at the TBT Tournament. Prior to that, he spent seven years in the Chicago area as Assistant Varsity Coach for Lake Zurich High School and Mundelein High School. Chris has mentored and coached five All-State players, 10 All-Area plyers, ten All-Conference players, and a Two-Time Conference Player of the Year.
CO-DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL
Eric Jackson
Eric comes to Arrow Wood with an impressive 30+ year career coaching football – most recently working as the Senior Recruiting Advisor, Player Development for Lewis & Clark College. Previously, he was the defensive coordinator at Portland State, organizing one of the biggest turnarounds in FCS football. His career also includes time at Princeton (where his team won the Ivy League Championship), Ithaca College, Cornell University, and Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. He also spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions. When not coaching football, Eric is the College and Career Readiness Advisor at John Glenn High School in Westland, MI where he inspires and assists students as they prepare to pursue postsecondary education or embark upon a career.
DIRECTOR OF TENNIS
Dani Gil Serrano
Dani Gil joined Arrow Wood in 2024 as the Director of Tennis bringing incredible passion, experience, professionalism, and integrity to the further development of our tennis program and curriculum. Dani transitioned to teaching nearly 25 years ago after playing tennis competitively. He has a unique way of instructing and motivating his players – and we’re excited to bring that to Arrow Wood.
Dani was previously the Tennis Director at Camp Towanda in Honesdale, PA where he worked for 10 years. In the off season, Dani is the owner and director of Focus Academy in Valencia, Spain. He is considered one of the most import tennis coaches in Spain and has worked with organizations such as the Santa Ana Sport Complex, Torrent Tennis Club, GMT Tennis Academy, and Tenis 92. He also has a Master’s Degree in Development, Innovation and Performance in Tennis from Universidad Isabel I.