Shooting Stars Academy Is Dream Come True

Sounds of sneakers squeaking and balls bouncing reverberated off the walls of the gym on Saturday afternoon–familiar noises during basketball season, but not in the spring. At least until now.

Palihi girls' varsity basketball coaches and tipped off their Shooting Stars Academy–a free clinic for children ages 6 and above–and they hope to hold one every week from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on campus.

"Little kids always want to be able to play with the older kids–well, here they can," Johnson said. "We won't turn anyone away who wants to learn. As long as they're old enough to play, they can play."

Ever since her decorated playing career ended, Estavan's ambition has been to start her own youth clinic, so her energy and enthusiasm were at an all-time high Saturday.

"I thought of the name 'Shooting Stars' because when you're a kid you wish upon a star for your dream to come true," she said. "Well, this is my dream come true and this is where their dreams can come true, too."

Estavan joined Torino's coaching staff this winter and her presence was key to Palisades' own dream season, in which the Dolphins won the . She knows all about winning, having been the point guard and City Player of the Year in 1999 when Palisades won its first city title and reached the state finals. Estavan went on to a successful collegiate career at Oregon State, graduating as the school's career leader in points and assists.

Now, she's glad to back at her alma mater where she can set an example both on and off the court.

"It's good for [high school] programs to offer things like this to kids who want to play but might not have the money to go to camp," said Estavan, who commutes to campus from Palmdale. "They can try it out and see if it's something they want to do at no cost."

Helping out the coaches were Palihi varsity players , , , , , and . Also showing up to lend a hand and sharpen her skills was Dolphins alumnus Dominique Scott, now a sophomore center at Pasadena City College. Scott was recently selected Most Valuable Player in the South Coast Conference after averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds per game. 

"I'm just here to learn and get in shape," joked Scott, who is considering scholarship offers from Fresno State and Albany and plans to make a decision next week. "But it's great to be back here and be a positive role model for the kids and show them that no matter what level you play at, you still have to work hard and practice the fundamentals."

Saturday's two-hour clinic covered the basics–from dribbling and passing to shooting and defense. It ended with an inspiring message from Estavan, who encouraged everyone to come back and huddled them together for one last "Shooting Stars!" cheer. 

Santa Monica High freshman Nicole Lemberg said she enjoyed the clinic and "learned a lot" as did eighth-graders Ariana Haghani, Bianca King and Rita Herbstman.

Brothers Conner and Rory Asawa came hoping to hone their games for the league. Connor is a third-grader and Rory is a second-grader at .

"The dad of one of the players on my [Minors division] Suns team told my dad about it [the clinic], so that's how we found out and that's why we're here," Conner said. "There's a lot of different things they tell us to do." 

"I like the shooting drills best and that it's really long so you get lots of practice," Rory added when asked to name his favorite part of the clinic. 

Two of the most promising young players at Saturday's first session were Estavan's 7-year-old daughter Simone, who made three consecutive jump shots in a shooting drill, and Simone's 8-year-old cousin Taliya Harris, who faked out a playful Bruner for a layup. 

"Watch out for her in 10 years–that girl's gonna be unstoppable," said Bruner, Palisades' starting point guard and a first team All-Western League pick. "It's fun to help out the coaches and get a workout in at the same time."

Parents interested in signing up children for future Shooting Stars clinics or who simply want to learn more about the academy should e-mail Johnson at tjohnson@palihigh.org or Estavan at getbuckets10@gmail.com.