High Mountain Hoops, LLC is a basketball instruction organization. The company was founded on the premise that helping to develop character in young athletes is a worthwhile endeavor. We aim to do this while enriching the culture of basketball instruction in Central Oregon. Our goal is to help youth to develop both on and off the court. While giving young athletes the tools and skills necessary to excel at the sport of basektball, we will help them to develop a good understanding of the importance of integrity, communication, and dedication while working within a team.
Our core program consists of team camps, group clinics, individual lessons, competitive off-season teams, and instruction clinics for coaches.
We believe that we will have a positive impact on the developing basketball player. Proper instruction is critical to success. Our owners and staff have nearly three decades of combined coaching experience, and have played at the high school and collegiate levels. We have worked with hundreds, if not thousands of athletes ranging from elementary to college age. We have worked with athletes that have played professionally, as well as coached alongside individuals who have progressed to play and even coach at the professional level.
Most importantly, we are passionate about basketball, and passionate about helping kids develop character.
Ryan Cruz is in his 9th year as a high school basketball coach. Before moving to Central Oregon he coached at Portland's Westside Christian High School for three years. In his first season as the Varsity coach, the Lady Eagles won the West Valley League and Cruz was named Coach of the Year in his conference. Following that season he led them to a 6th place finish at the state tournament, the school's first girls basketball state trophy. In the spring of 2009 Cruz accepted a teaching and Varsity coaching position at Summit High School in Bend. In his first season with the Storm, his team recorded a school high 20 wins, won the IMC title, placed 6th at state, and he was selected as IMC's Coach of the Year. He has worked several camps throughout the northwest and is a partner in High Mountain Hoops. Cruz is an accomplished athlete, and played basketball, tennis, and football in college. He is married to Stacia and they have a 3 year old son, Aiden.
Shaun Kent has been coaching both high school girls and boys basketball since 1997. As a coach, Shaun has worked with, and alongside players and coaches that have excelled to the NCAA Division I collegiate level, as well as the professional level. Shaun has nearly ten years of experience with running basketball skills clinics, camps, and traveling all-star teams.
Shaun has two kids, ages 7 and 5, who are both excited about learning the sport of basketball from their dad and mom.
Cheryl Kent has coached all-star teams, directed summer basketball camps, run basketball clinics for kids, and have offered countless private lessons over the last fifteen years. Cheryl played basketball at Lake Oswego High School, where in 1993 she was a member of the Varsity State Championship team. She graduated in 1994, and went on to play basketball at Western Oregon University. Cheryl and her husband, Shaun, began coaching basketball together in 1997 at Stayton High school. In 1998, and 1999, they coached at Dallas and Lake Oswego High schools. Shaun and Cheryl then relocated to Medford where they resided for 5 years. During that period, they coached in both the girls and boys basketball programs at South Medford High School. Cheryl spent a year as an assistant womens basketball coach at Southern Oregon University. Cheryl served as a camp director for a Womens NBA basketball academy in 2000. The academy was that of WNBA star Katy Steding.
Coach Phil Whitehead has extensive experience in coaching athletics at the collegiate, high school and youth levels over the last two decades. Coach Whitehead has served as a Basketball, Soccer, and Tennis coach collegiately, with experience both at Linfield College and Willlamette University. As the Varsity Girls Basketball coach at Yamhill Carlton High School he saw great success, and had the opportunity to coach his now-grown daughters. In 2004, he took over the Yamhill-Carlton program that had gone 0-22, and lead them to the State tournament, just two years later. He has served as a director of player development at Newberg High School, and an AAU director in the Chehalem School District. You are SURE to become a better basketball player under his tutelage.
Jake and his wife Ronni have two children: Corbyn,12 and Alyce, 9. Jake was born and raised on the West Side of Portland and graduated from Tigard High School in 1990. Soon after graduating, he relocated to Bend Oregon, Attended COCC where he met his wife, Ronni.
Jake is a local businessman and currently owns and operates Corbynite Printing & Design, www.corbyniteprinting.com
Jake has chosen our internship program as he would like to become a better coach and teacher. He recognizes his natural ability to relate, teach and motivate kids and wants to learn more. He aspires to not only coach for High Mountain Hoops in the near future but to possibly assist on one of the local middle or high school level teams.
