OUR TEAM
Josh Erickson, MBA
Co-Founder, Program Director
Josh co-founded Beyond and is the Program Director and Basketball Director. He's held several head coach positions in Costa Rica including the Men's National Team, Women's National Team, and a Premier Division Professional Team. Before Beyond, he worked for PeacePlayers International, a non-profit organization that uses basketball to bridge social divides around the world and was an Assistant Basketball Coach at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Josh has won a Costa Rican National Championship in Costa Rica's top professional division and a gold medal in the Women's Central American Games.
Tim Whittle
Director of International Sports Tours
Tim is our Director of International Sports Tours. He oversees business development for athletic team trips (college, high school, and club) and high school individual tours. He operates a youth basketball academy (3 & D Hoops) in Portland, Oregon and is a high school basketball coach. In addition, Tim coached men's college basketball for 17 years, including stops at Macalester College, Washington University in St. Louis (three Final Fours and back-to-back National Championships), and the University of the South. Before coaching, Tim held numerous positions in corporate finance including Manager of Finance with the Florida Marlins in MLB. His wife, Beth, is a 23-year college swimming and diving coach and they have two children ages 11 and 12.
Annika Wachtman
Director of Marketing and Recruitment
Annika oversees marketing and program recruitment. She is a former collegiate basketball player from Capital University, where she served as a three-year leadership council member for the basketball program. Prior to working for Beyond, Annika worked in the Capital University Admission Office overseeing a team of 70+ student ambassadors. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Annika lived in Costa Rica for almost two years while helping build the foundation for our high school leadership program––the Girls Leadership Academy for Service & Sport (GLASS).
Megan Theiller
Director of Operations and Student Enrollment
Megan oversees our behind-the-scenes processes from student deposit to departure date. She is a co-founder of and former mentor for our high school leadership program––the Girls Leadership Academy for Service & Sport (GLASS). Originally from New York, she has been living in Costa Rica for the last four years. Megan received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Fairfield University, where she also made an impressive legacy as a three-year captain of the women’s volleyball team. Megan was a decorated scholar-athlete; she won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Female-Student Athlete of the Year and was the MAAC’s NCAA Woman of the Year nominee in her senior year.
Silvia Betancourt
Costa Rica Director, Soccer Director
Silvia is Beyond's Costa Rica Director. She is one of Central America's most outstanding athletes having represented Costa Rica on both the National Basketball and Soccer Teams. She played D-I soccer in the United States at Liberty University where she earned 1st team All-Big South Honors. Silvia was equally impressive in the classroom earning Presidential Honor Roll 4 straight years. Silvia continues to play for The Women's National Basketball Team while developing CR's future athletes as a Junior National Team and high school coach.
Nawaal Weitz
South Africa Director
Nawaal was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa and has traveled the world representing her country on South Africa's National Softball Team. She studied Sports and Recreation Management at the University of Western Cape and joined our team from the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation where she worked with dozens of non-profits that use sports as a tool to create social change.
.jpg)
Kris Brackmann
Spain Director
Kris is our Spain Director. The former Seattle Times Athlete of the Year graduated from Claremont McKenna College where she led her basketball team to four SCIAC league championships and four NCAA DIII appearances. With a passion to live abroad and discover more of this beautiful world she moved to Spain in 2017 and keeps in shape by competing in her other favorite sport, beach volleyball. Kris loves being able to stay connected to student-athletes and introducing them to new cultures.
.jpg)
Ashlee Benavides
Tour Coordinator
Ashlee is a Tour Coordinator and has led various sports tours and team trips to Costa Rica, Italy, Greece, and Spain. She is a former GLASS Mentor for Beyond Sports and lived in Costa Rica from 2019-2020. While in Costa Rica, she also played professional basketball for San Ramon ARBA. She is a former student-athlete and assistant coach at California State University Northridge. While at CSUN, she earned MVP honors after leading her team to consecutive Big West Championships.
Molly Devilbiss
Tour Coordinator; High School Lacrosse Tour Coach
Molly is a Tour Coordinator and the current head women’s lacrosse coach at Simmons University in Boston, MA. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Messiah University where she was a four-year lacrosse player making multiple NCAA tournament appearances and was named Mid-Atlantic Conference Lacrosse Female Student-Athlete of the Year. After college, Molly was the top assistant at Frostburg State University for three years while earning her Master’s in School Counseling in 2017. She has served as head lacrosse coach at Simmons for the past five years.