Our Staff is the “Heart of our Programs” and are personally handpicked for their knowledge,
enthusiasm and passion for teaching. They all have a strong background in sports and more
importantly a love for kids! We look for an ability to connect with kids in an encouraging
and inspiring way. All camp coaches and staff must complete and pass our training programs
and background check prior to working with your kids. Our directors and your children
evaluate and grade our coaches every week!
Nick joined our team back in 2001 as a seasonal camp coach. Moving up the ranks he was able to learn enough about our company to take the reins in 2010. While his passion lies in developing youth and sports both of those are out paced by his enthusiasm for personal growth in our campers, team and himself. He comes to us as a college basketball player at University of California at Santa Cruz who went on to earn his Masters in Sport Management at University of San Francisco.
Nick Owen
President
Nick joined our team back in 2001 as a seasonal camp coach....
Marissa started with Legarza back in the summer of 2009 with a strong teaching, coaching and playing background. As a Division I basketball player at New Mexico State she studied child development. After graduating she spent some time teaching in the classroom before finding her home at Legarza. She is passionate about running high quality programs for youth that includes a quality education both on and off the field of play.
Marissa Dean-Maffei
Director of Operations
Marissa started with Legarza back in the summer of 2009...
Michelle joined our team in April 2022. She comes from a corporate background, working for 20+ years in Property Management. She has deep knowledge and experience in managing people and business operations. When not at work, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family and following her favorite sports teams.
Michelle Coler
Director of Personnel and Business Operations
Michelle joined our team in April 2022. She comes from a...
Missy started at Legarza Basketball Camp when she was 9 years old as a camper! She returned to volunteer at 14 years old, going on to become a seasonal coach once she turned 16. After getting her MS Credential and teaching in San Mateo Foster City School District, she decided to return to her favorite company to help develop students all across the Bay Area!
Missy Morinishi
Director of Programs
Missy started at Legarza Basketball Camp when she was 9...
India joined us in June 2021 to introduce S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) Camps and Toyology: Science Through Toys After School Enrichment Classes to our Legarza families. India’s lifelong love of learning and teaching, along with her educational background in Wildlife Science and Natural Resources Recreation, has reached children for over a decade both inside and outside the classroom. Her goal is to make science education not only accessible to children, but unforgettable! India lives in San Francisco where she enjoys caring for a growing collection of house plants and working outside in her building’s flower garden.
India Akers
Program Director
India joined us in June 2021 to introduce S.T.E.A.M....
Ashley has been part of the Legarza team since 2018. She grew up in the bay area where she attended Aragon High School in San Mateo. Ashley has played soccer since she was 5 years old and was lucky enough to play Division II soccer at Dominican University of California. Ashley has continued her love of soccer by coaching a variety of levels starting with youth players at San Carlos United Soccer Club. She has also coached at Borel Middle School and varsity soccer at Aragon High School. When Ashley is not coaching she enjoys spending time with her family and finding new hikes with her dog, Finn.
Ashley Lentz
Program Manager
Ashley has been part of the Legarza team since 2018. She...
Luke started with Legarza in 2014 as a summer coach and quickly grew into a fan favorite! Luke’s outgoing nature and ability to relate to all kids allowed him to quickly make a home on our full time staff. Coach Luke excelled at Northland International University as a Collegiate Athlete Regional Champion in basketball. Luke personifies Legarza’s philosophy of developing winners for life. His positive attitude and love for teaching is truly contagious.
Luke Valenzuela
Program Manager
Luke started with Legarza in 2014 as a summer coach and...
Patrick has been a part of the Legarza team since 2019. Prior to working at Legarza, Patrick was an assistant men’s basketball coach at the College of Marin for two seasons. While coaching college basketball, Patrick helped his players earn scholarships to play at four year colleges, some even earning Division 1 scholarships. Patrick finds his joy in his passion, coaching basketball. His educational background is a bachelor degree in Kinesiology from Sonoma State University. When he’s not coaching basketball Patrick enjoys playing guitar, exercising, eating good food, and playing video games
Patrick Schmitz
Program Manager
Patrick has been a part of the Legarza team since 2019....
Will has been a member of the Legarza team since 2015. As a lifelong fan of basketball, Will earned a Division 1 scholarship to San Jose State University. It is the love of the sport that brought Will to Legarza but the connections he gets to make with both his colleagues and students that have lead to his longevity with our organization. We are lucky to have such a caring, knowledgeable, and fun coach on our team!
Will Scales
Program Manager
Will has been a member of the Legarza team since 2015. As a...
Charlie joined Legarza in 2019. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Charlie was a four year player for their D1A rugby team. Charlie loves all sports and has worked in fan experience and marketing for multiple Bay Area teams including the Oakland Athletics, San Jose Sharks, and San Jose Earthquakes. Charlie loves living in San Francisco and running our basketball camps there in the summer and enjoying all the city has to offer on the weekends.
Charlie Haley
Regional Director
Charlie joined Legarza in 2019. A graduate of Santa Clara...
A graduate from Cal State Fullerton, Justin has 10 years of experience working with various after school programs, summer camps, and collegiate departments. His passion to develop youth through sport, led him to pursue a graduate degree in sports administration at Fresno State. Justin brings an ability to creatively connect life lessons to physical education. On his free time Justin enjoys watching his favorite sports teams; Oakland Athletics, Notre Dame Football, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Dolphins.
Justin Lourenco
Regional Director
A graduate from Cal State Fullerton, Justin has 10 years of...
Aidan joined the Legarza team in the summer of 2021. He earned a scholarship to San Jose State University for Track and Field in 2018 where he was recognized at the Mountain West All-Conference Honors in 2018 and 2020. With Aidan’s experience and passion for every sport, he brings a great attitude to help us continue to develop the lives of youth every day!
Aidan Jardon
Regional Manager
Aidan joined the Legarza team in the summer of 2021. He...
Marquis grew up in Millbrae, California where he was a three sport athlete at Mills High School before continuing his education at San Diego State University. During his time there, he was a practice assistant for the women’s basketball team. With his degree in Marketing and International business, Marquis returned to Mills High School to continue his passion for sports as an Assistant Coach for the varsity basketball team. Joining us in 2021, Marquis continues to learn and grow daily as a part of the Legarza team!
Marquis Adkins
Regional Manager
Marquis grew up in Millbrae, California where he was a...
Matthew joins us from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is a Wisconsin sports superfan. He loves everything surrounding the Brewers, Bucks, Packers, and Badgers. Matthew is passionate about developing youth through sport along with continuous learning throughout life.
Matthew Bach
Regional Manager
Matthew joins us from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is a...
Tessa graduated from California State University, Chico with a major in Child Development and minor in Special Education. With 7 years of experience working/running summer camps she also used to coach Special Olympics of Butte County’s Track and Field Team. During the school year, Tessa was to be a Preschool Teacher, working at an inclusive Preschool that integrated general education students with special education students. Tessa love running and finding new restaurants and hiking trails to try!
Tessa Nicklas
Regional Manager
Tessa graduated from California State University, Chico...
Kristina is a San Carlos native and a graduate of the Art Institute in San Francisco. She spent over 10 years with Williams Sonoma Inc learning the ins and outs of the creative world. An avid soccer player she combines her love of sports and art to oversee all things creative within the Legarza brand.
Kristina Owen
Creative Director
Kristina is a San Carlos native and a graduate of the Art...
Ashley is our resident Texan of the team. She is an experienced customer service leader with years of experience marketing and sales from her time at George P. Johnson. Driven by the fact she wants everyone to feel the Legarza WoW, she takes great pride in leading a team to providing the best customer/camper experience from end to end. With her work knowledge and collegiate basketball experience, her goal is to grow and share Legarza programs in California, Texas and beyond!
Ashley Obando
Communications Manager
Ashley is our resident Texan of the team. She is an...
Tenley has worked with us as our commercial photographer since 2019 and joined our team full-time in 2022 as our Marketing Director. As a photographer she specialized in creative content for brands and working with kids (and was a nanny for a decade prior). She has had several magazine and book covers and was named a Sony Alpha Female and one of the Top 100 Female Photographers to Watch by Click Community in 2019. When not working she likes to spend her time doing fun crafts, playing dress-up and amusement park hopping with her kids who also love Legarza! She’s a Type 9 enneagram, Disney fanatic, and Hufflepuff who drinks way too much coffee a day.
Tenley Clark
Marketing Director
Tenley has worked with us as our commercial photographer...
David joined the Legarza team in 2002, bringing a diverse business and sports background to the team. Mr. Warner was a Regional Manager for Ritz Camera during the company's golden years. Prior to that David was a competitive collegiate hockey player at Boston University winning a National Championship while there.
David Warner
Controller
David joined the Legarza team in 2002, bringing a diverse...
Joshua has an amazingly results-oriented background when it comes to technological innovation and building Brands for scale / M&A. Josh loves designing and building innovative product offerings and brings a track-record of success, results and experience to Legarza Sports. <br/><br/>Joshua also carries with him time-tested ability and passion to scale businesses, mentor technologists and beyond, breathing life into new ideas with second-to-none architectural approaches. Joshua is no stranger to high-traffic, demanding initiatives as well as ever-changing products and technologies.<br/><br/>Look out for upcoming initiatives and updates!
Joshua Feldman
Director of Technology
Joshua has an amazingly results-oriented background when it...
A Bay Area native, Eli began as a seasonal coach in 2014. He joins Legarza with over eight years of experience in teaching and coaching children which led him to an Early Childhood Development and Education major. He enjoys music, dancing, and teaching the fundamentals of all sports to a wide range of ages. Eli is determined to create fun environments where kids are free to be themselves and have the best sports experience. <br/>
Eli Paz
Program Coordinator
A Bay Area native, Eli began as a seasonal coach in 2014....
Josh, a Sonoma State University graduate, came back to the Bay Area after living in New York City for the past three years. He received his degree in Criminal Justice, but during his time with the 49er EDU Program he realized that his true passion is working with children. Josh is looking forward to growing with Legarza and continuing to develop youth through sport.
Josh Montoya
Regional Coordinator
Josh, a Sonoma State University graduate, came back to the...
Evan, a former Legarza camper, grew up playing multiple sports throughout his childhood in the Bay Area. He went on to become a successful collegiate athlete soccer player for Menlo College. During his time at Menlo College, Evan first joined Legarza as a Summer Intern and is excited to join back after graduating with a degree in Sports Management. Evan has a passion for helping shape the next generation through coaching and mentorship. He looks to make every day a great one for each child he works with!
Evan Snodgrass
Site Coordinator
Evan, a former Legarza camper, grew up playing multiple...
Jacob, a Bay Area native, grew up in Woodside, California. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Health and Wellness after splitting time between the University of Washington and Purdue University. On the weekend, Jacob enjoys playing sports, hiking, cycling, spikeball, and just about anything that involves spending time with friends and family. He thrives on his desire to teach today’s youth about sports and loves seeing their development progress.
Jacob Campbell
Site Coordinator
Jacob, a Bay Area native, grew up in Woodside, California....
Jawuan, a Chicago native, joins Legarza with experience working with the Chicago Sky and Southern Illinois University Men’s Basketball Team. This December, he will receive his Masters degree in Sports Leadership from Concordia University - Chicago. Jawuan strives daily to leave a positive impact on every child’s life as he believes that children will always remember even the smallest actions that help make their day. <br/>
Jawuan Monroe
Site Coordinator
Jawuan, a Chicago native, joins Legarza with experience...
Justin is a San Carlos native and has been around the game of basketball his whole life. Justin won the basketball State Championship in 2016 with Serra High School, and went on to be a part of the Oregon State Women’s Practice Squad where he practiced against some of the top women players in the country and future WNBA players. Justin has been coaching basketball since 2014 and is currently the Associate Head Coach for Mills Girls Varsity Basketball. He loves getting to impact kids lives in a positive way by teaching something new or seeing the growth in them through sports.
Justin Matsu
Site Coordinator
Justin is a San Carlos native and has been around the game...
After graduating from San Jose State University, Justin joined the Legarza team in the Summer of 2021. He brings experience in a plethora of sports including basketball, tennis, and water polo. Justin enjoys working with children and is very excited about inspiring and influencing future generations of athletes.
Justin Palisoc
Site Coordinator
After graduating from San Jose State University, Justin...
Sean, in his second full year working with children, is no stranger to developing youth through sport. Sean played baseball at the collegiate and professional level, so he knows what it takes to work well as a team while still having the most fun possible. He is from Pacifica, California, where he grew up loving: basketball, baseball, going on new adventures, and hanging out with family and friends.
Sean Watkins
Site Coordinator
Sean, in his second full year working with children, is no...
Our Programs
We offer a variety of Basketball Camps - Shooting Camps, Fundamental Camps, Ball Handling Camps, Games Camps, and ELITE Camps with professionally certified coaches with college and professional experience. In addition to Basketball Camps, we offer: Volleyball Camps, All Sports Camps, S.T.E.A.M. Camps, Basketball Leagues and Skills Trainings, AAU, Basketball After School Classes, All Sports After School Classes, S.T.E.A.M. After School Classes, After School Childcare, Physical Education & Middle School Athletics Services, Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P), Community Fundraisers, School Events, School Fundraisers, Festivals & Fairs.