Summer Starts with a Gym Full of Basketball and Volleyball Players
Getting your game on has always been easy to achieve at Overlake with sports camps that start right after school lets out for the summer. Overlake’s hoop camp has been a long-held tradition that Justin Prohn has been a big part of a majority of that time.
“Going into the 17th year, it’s been here longer than the official summer program,” says Prohn. “It has a good program that allows the campers to come back and pick up where they might have left off at their last hoop camp. However, the biggest reason I think it’s so popular is the fact that the current high school players help work and coach the camp. Most of them were hoop campers, and I think the culture of the basketball program is an inviting opportunity for so many Overlake students.”
And the camps don’t just attract Overlake students. Many student athletes from the area look for opportunities to practice their skills, or learn the game, whether that be basketball or volleyball. “Participants in volleyball camp do not need any prior experience and only need to show up with an interest to learn,” explains Neal Iezzi. “The nice thing about volleyball is that you can become a decent player in a short amount of time.”
Iezzi is wrapping up his Overlake experience by heading up the volleyball camp. “I have been running the MS volleyball camp for almost ten years,” reflects Iezzi. “I can’t think of a better way to end my time at Overlake. I have great memories from this camp and I feel like running the camp this one last time, puts closure on my time here.”
Iezzi, who’s worked at Overlake in the Physical Education department for 16 years, will be starting a new chapter in his life. “My plan after Overlake is to find balance in my life which will include learning, traveling, and volunteering. The learning part includes taking classes through Bellevue College in their continuing education program. I have always been a traveler, so I am in the process of planning my next adventure. I think everyone at some point should give back, so I am looking to volunteer in the future.”
For the near future, Iezzi and Prohn are gearing up for some fun-filled few weeks in Overlake’s Gym and Fieldhouse with lots of energized summer campers. “Have fun, play hard, get better, enjoy the experience, and play a lot of basketball,” sums up Prohn’s goal.
Hoop camp is an all-day co-ed camp running June 11-14 for students entering 5-9th grades. Volleyball camp is for girls entering 5th -8th grades. It runs from June 17-21 in the morning. There is also an Upper School cross country camp that is from June 10-14