At Lake Highland Prep, we take great pride in our outstanding athletic programs. Because we are a pre kindergarten to 12th grade school we have the unique advantage of being able to identify and begin to train our athletes at a young age. No where is that more evident than in our boys basketball program. From our outstanding summer camp programs to our middle school development programs and our high school teams, each athlete that comes through LHP learns the skills and concepts necessary to compete as a Highlander basketball player. As the young player makes the transition to high school competition in the 9th grade, he will have already developed the basic fundamental skills to compete at the higher level. We invite you to read further for a more detailed look into our program from our summer camps to each grade level.

Summer Camps

Lower School Camp

Elementary age boys, grades 2 – 5, are invited to participate in our lower school camp. This camp offers players of all abilities the chance to learn the basic fundamentals of the game in a fun and competitive atmosphere. Under the direction of Associate Varsity Head Coach, Jason Vallery, LHP varsity basketball players serve as counselors and coaches for the lower school campers. We like this set up for two reasons. First, young campers benefit from watching and learning from the varsity players who are playing at the level the young players aspire to play. Second, the varsity players learn valuable leadership skills and begin to understand their responsibility to be examples for our younger students.

Middle School Camp

This camp is designed fro rising 6th to 8th grade players to work on individual skills and begin to learn the drills and terminology used in the LHP basketball porgram. Players will be taught man to man defensive principles and  basic offensive sets and movements used throughout the program. This is a great opportunity for the middle and high school coaches to get to know and work with the boys prior to team tryouts in the fall.

High School Camp

This camp is for those young men, grades 9-12, that wish to partcipate on either the freshmen, JV, or varsity basketball teams the following year. It is a high intensity and competitive camp enviroment. The basketball staff will use this time to teach, evaluate, and prepare athletes for summer team camps and to give them a preview of what is expected in order to be ready for fall practices.

Middle School Program

The purpose of the LHP middle school basketball program is to develop and teach young players the skills and knowledge necessary to compete at the varsity level if they have the ability to do so. The following is an outline of what each parent and potential athlete can expect of our program at each grade level.

6th Grade Team

 Our focus at this level is on development of the player and not as much on winning and losing. A great deal of time will be spent on ball handling, passing, shooting, and moving with and without the ball. We understand that at this age players bring different abilities to the gym. We further understand that players develop at different speeds. The 6th grade team will practice at least 2 times per week with one game in the Greater Orlando Athletic Conference. The make up of the team will be determined by Middle School Basketball Director, Coach Paul Driscoll, and his staff based on evaluations from the 5th/6th grade fall intrmural league.

7th Grade Team

The 7th grade is the first time players are faced with a true tryout scenario. 7th grade boys will go through 3 days of tryouts under the direction of Paul Driscoll and the 7th grade coach to put together the best possible group at this level. Players will begin to learn the basic man to man defensive principles taught by Coach Turner and his staff at the varsity level. Players will continue developing individual offensive fundamentals as well as begin to learn the offensive system and terminology used at the higher levels. The 7th grade team will play in the very competitive Greater Orlando Athletic Conference with other area private schools.

8th Grade Team

At the 8th grade level we expect players to have a firm grasp of the basic fundamentals. Players will be expected to be proficient with both hand when handling the ball and shooting lay-ups. Offensively and defensively, the 8th grade team will begin running the basic sets and defenses used at the high school level. Coach Paul Driscoll will be in charge of selecting and coaching this very competitive team.

High School Program

As mentioned earlier, the vision of Lake Highland basketball is to develop a championship program. Our focus at this level is to identify those young men who possess the ability and the desire to be a part of building and keeping our program at a high level. We compete at the 3A level of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).

Freshmen Team

The jump from middle school to high school is often times a difficult transition for many players. The speed with which the game is played is the biggest adjustment for most. The freshmen team has been set up for those incoming 9th graders who are not ready to compete at the junior varsity level. Freshmen team players will, at times, practice with the varsity and JV in order to experience the faster pace and pressure.

Junior Varsity Team

The purpose of the JV team is to give 10th grade and younger players, who have been projected by our staff as having the ability to play at the varsity level, an opportunity to play and develop their skills. Under the direction of Head Coach Max Hanson, the JV team will learn and run the same offenses and defenses as the varsity. Players will spend a lot of time working on and refining necessary skills to play at the varsity level.

Varsity Team

Being a member of the Lake Highland varsity basketball team is not a right but a privilege. Our goal each year will be to win a district title and compete for a state championship. To achieve these lofty goals will require a commitment to attend practices and summer camps and to put team above self. It is our belief that being a part of a successful team teaches young men some of life’s most valuable lessons; working together for a common goal, leadership and follower skills, and dealing with the ups and downs of success and adversity that happen over the course of the season. As a coaching staff, we are committed to building competitive teams and teaching these important life skills.

Vision Statement

The vision of Lake Highland Basketball is to become a championship program where student athletes earn the respect and honor that comes from the relentless pursuit of excellence both individually and collectively.