Varsity Coaches
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Brad Willis Head Coach and Program Director
As the 2019 fall season begins, Coach Willis looks to build upon his first four years as girls varsity head coach after four years of coaching in the boys program, and 19 years of coaching overall. He comes from a devoted basketball family, beginning play at age 6 with the Rivera Wolfpack traveling team under Coaches Ken and Darin Elisaldez. Willis earned a starting role on the 1994 CIF SS runner-up team at St. Paul High School under the tutelage of Randy Castillo and the previous athletic director at Villa Park, Tom Fox. In 1996, Willis was named an All-CIF player in Division 4AA and led his team to the CIF quarterfinals. After high school, Willis played one year at Whittier College, an NCAA Division 3 institution. After his playing career, Willis tutored young men in basketball at various levels, including freshman, JV, as a varsity assistant coach at Warren High School in Downey, as a head coach at Pioneer High School in Whittier, and then assuming various roles with the Villa Park boys program. In addition to leading the girls basketball program at VP, Willis teaches three sections of AP World History and two sections of College Prep World History. Coach Willis’ family is his foundation, with his wife Luz and two children, Crystal and Brian. Crystal attends CSUF and Brian attends Sacramento State. Willis credits his father Joe for his basketball knowledge and his mother Susan for his passion for the game. |
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Alyssa Simons Assistant Coach
Alyssa Simons was a four-year starter and team captain at Spirit Christian Academy. She set school records in career assists, 3 point and free throw shooting percentages. In her senior season, she reached career highs when she averaged 18.4 points per game with a 41.2% 3-point average. Simons was named Second-Team All-American at the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships in Missouri in 2010 and 2011. After high school, Simons played two years at Irvine Valley College under Coach Julie Hanks. She was a second year starter helping her team make it to the third round of playoffs and was given the Character Award in 2013 by the coach for an outstanding season and character on and off the court. Simons then began coaching as the Varsity assistant coach and JV head coach at her alma mater in 2015 where she led the JV team to a State Championship. Finding a passion for coaching, she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in sport psychology and leadership from Long Beach State and graduated in May 2018. |
Junior Varsity Coaches
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Carl Johnson, Jr. JV Head Coach
Coach CJ has been coaching for over 12 years at the AAU and high school basketball levels. Coach CJ started off his coaching career at his alma mater Warren High School in Downey, CA at the freshman level. During his time at Warren he helped coach and develop a local AAU travel basketball team called the Downey Ballhogs/Ladyhogs. He eventually took on the daily operations of the organization. Next Coach CJ was hired at South Gate High School as the Head Freshman Coach where he led the team to 4 straight league titles. He finally ended up as the Assistant Varsity Girls Basketball Coach at Dominguez High School in Compton, CA where he helped turn a program around through coaching and training. Coach CJ has worked with travel basketball organizations throughout the west coast and has coached at the national level. Coach CJ also worked with the National Basketball Academy (LA Clipper Division as a marketing coordinator and trainer under the teaching of now first Assistant Coach Chris Acker of Boise State University and Phil Scott Assistant coach at San Diego Community College). |
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Sydney To Summer Head Coach
Sydney To graduated from Villa Park High School in 2018 and was a three-year varsity player for the Lady Spartans. She was co-team captain for the junior varsity team her freshman year and co-team captain for the varsity team her senior year. To was a four-year scholar athlete and also represented Villa Park in the Orange Coast Optimist 12th grade All-Star game. She was honored to receive the Kathy Stephens Award of Desire, Discipline, and Dedication for the 2017-2018 season. She is thankful for the lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories she made with her teammates and coaches and is grateful of what her peers and mentors taught her along this journey.After representing the girls basketball program for four years, Sydney is excited to come back and continue her coaching career at her alma mater. She began her coaching career in the Summer of 2018 with former teammate and buddy, Bailey Maresh. Although she decided not to pursue basketball at the collegiate level, she is passionate about helping others and believes that the smallest changes can make the biggest impacts. She is very lucky to be working alongside a special group of individuals and is determined to help them become better basketball players, but more importantly, better individuals.To is currently attending UCLA, majoring in physiological science and minoring in global health with aspirations of becoming a physical therapist. Despite being a newly established Bruin, she will forever be a Spartan and is optimistic about the future of the program. |
Booster Board
President
Alex Wu |
1st Vice President
Tara Garcia |
2nd Vice President
Lara Cruz |
Treasurer
Karen Santangelo |
Secretary
Jeanne Duncan |
Team Moms
JV Team Mom
Kat Schroeder |
Varsity Team Mom
Susan Somerndike |
Villa Park Girls Basketball Boosters is a non-profit organization. All donations to the program are tax deductible.
Tax ID 54-2195587
Tax ID 54-2195587
