In 2017, the first year of Brilla College Prep Middle School, John Lane, the then Director of El Camino, started a scrappy but extremely excited basketball team of fifth-grade boys. John figured the students would learn to score out on the court, but more importantly, he hoped playing basketball would be an opportunity for these young men to score big in virtue.
Decked out in new jerseys, the boys were elated to be on a basketball team. Since then, the team has existed on and off in different forms and different leagues. This year, the boys started in the Charter School League and have been one of the best teams in the league. Made up of around eight sixth to eighth-grade boys, this team has had a fantastic season, inspiring the El Camino program to add a girls’ volleyball team in the fall. Staying consistently among the top teams in the league and losing very few games, this new team ended the regular season ranked fourth in the league.
“Basketball has been a really good setting where the boys can practice the virtues they learn about in practice and in the game,” says David Mata, current Director of El Camino and frequent basketball coach. “We communicated with the principal that if behavior or attendance is off, then students would be sitting out. Kids wanted to test that, and so they sat out. Then they straightened up, and they’ve had really good attendance during the season.”
Not only have students improved in school behavior and attendance, but being part of a team has also helped the boys to see that their actions affect others.
“They’re aware of when their actions hurt their teammates. Let’s say they’re disrespectful to their teacher during the day, then they can’t play. They see their teammates needing a sub, and they can’t help,” explains David. “I think it gives them something to be responsible for.”
Ana Vasquez, Director of the Middle School El Camino, agrees that the team has given the boys a lot of accountability. “They mess up, and there’s a consequence. They learn, ‘My part is important, I matter, I need to do my work to make sure my team is good.’”
David is always trying to teach the boys life lessons during the game. For example, if they foul or mess up during the game, he reminds them “not to worry about the past, but look to the future and make it better.” In addition to David and Ana, the team is supported by the hard work of many players and coaches.
“Elijah is amazing; he’s a sixth grader, probably the highest scorer in the league. He puts in a lot of work, even outside of El Camino, practicing with his dad,” David says of one of the star players. Elijah commutes all the way from New Jersey because his family recognizes the unique care that Brilla and El Camino provide its students, each of whom is treated as a unique individual with inherent dignity.
The coaching inspires the boys both on and off the court. “I’m most impressed with their motivation and dedication to doing really well. They’ve all been putting in the work. It’s not easy. The space we have isn’t the best, and they’ve been making it work. Mata’s coaching has been awesome. Coach J has a passion for coaching and has been really excited to learn about what it means to coach, so he’s also been learning alongside Mata,” says Ana. In addition to Coach Mata, Coach Campos and Coach J motivate the team as well.
David also loves working with his fellow coaches: “Coach Campos is the gym teacher at Brilla; he helps out with El Camino after school, and Coach J is in his first year of college. He’s from New York, loves basketball, and has a younger cousin at Brilla. He gets all the kids really excited by having lots of energy and hope.”
El Camino, Brilla’s optional after-school faith formation program, also affects the way the team plays on the court. As the only Catholic-affiliated team in the league, this identity sets them apart. The team prays before every game and uses the same virtue language that they hear during El Camino. Fans even notice how the team seems to hold itself to a higher standard of virtue than other teams in the league.
This focus on virtue has helped the boys to mature throughout the season.
“I think the attitude of the boys has changed. In the first game of the season, they were talking about points, rebounds, and assists, and that’s changed. Now they’re worried less about individual statistics and more about the success of the team. This has been a really cool transformation to see,” says David. “Attendance and behavior have gotten better and they’ve become less selfish individuals as the year’s gone on.”
Ana agrees that it has been rewarding to watch the boys grow in ways that build on previous years of character formation.
“It’s been really great to see them grow, and I’ve had them since they were in fifth or sixth grade. This year they’ve been growing in their sportsmanship and responsibilities. We’re trying to teach them what you need to be on a team even after they leave Brilla,” Ana says. “We want the boys to understand that their growth doesn’t end here and that we want to prepare them for high school.”
Despite its scrappy roots, the El Camino basketball team continues to be a highlight of the year for its players. It provides the perfect place for them to practice on the court the virtues they learn in the classroom. Ultimately, the coaches and teachers who’ve had the privilege of mentoring these boys all hope to see this growth in sportsmanship, responsibility, and virtue continue as they leave the El Camino court and head to high school, college, and beyond.
