This fall, Camp Director Bill Powers will be entering his fourteenth season as head basketball coach at Division I Monte Vista High School, one of the powerhouses in the East Bay Athletic League.  Last season Coach Powers guided the Mustangs to the first North Coast Section Basketball Championship in school history.  In addition, the Mustangs won the league championship, for the second consecutive season.  Not only does Coach Powers win games—he develops basketball players. In his 13 seasons at Monte Vista, Powers has coached nine players who went on to compete at the collegiate level.

Powers, who has compiled an impressive 236-118 high school coaching record, has extensive experience not only coaching elite high school athletes, but basketball fanatics of all ages and skill levels. He has coached at all levels, from the 4th grade CYO teams through community college (Chabot College).

Coach Powers is passionate about teaching the game of basketball.  He also understands that basketball is not just a game—it is also a powerful mechanism for teaching youngsters life lessons. Coach Powers believes that the key to success—on and off the court—is two-fold.  First, the athlete must be willing to accept and embrace his weaknesses.  “It is only when a player embraces his weaknesses that true growth can begin,” explains Powers.  “The more willing a player is to risk making a mistake, the more willing he is to improve.” 

And once players understands their weaknesses, and are ready to accept coaching, their growth is rewarding—for both the player and the coach.  “When a player listens to instruction, and then as a coach I get to see them trying to apply what they learned, it’s a great feeling.”

 The second life lesson basketball imparts is the necessity and rewards of being a good teammate. “It doesn’t matter what offense of defense you run, or how talented your players are, unless the players truly want each other to succeed, a team will not be good,” he says. As Coach Powers recognizes, basketball is a thing of beauty when five players work together for a common goal.

Favorite Quote: Don’t mistake activity for achievement – John Wooden

Dave Shepard
Assistant Varsity Coach | Monte Vista High School
Coach Shepard brings 12 years of basketball coaching experience to Monte Vista basketball. His strength lies in his ability to relate to his players and gain the most of his abilities.  He has a knack for teaching on the basketball court and over the years has developed countless players.

Nick Jones
JV Head Coach | Monte Vista High School
A graduate of UC San Diego, Nick played for two years while attending UCSD.
Nick is a former Monte Vista student who played varsity basketball basketball for 3 years. His team was the first Monte Vista All-EBAL League Champions in 1998.