Buzzardball

Steve Buzzard is entering his 16th year as director of Buzzardball’s Summer Hoop Camp. In 1994, the camp was the camp was put together as a summer program that featured a total of 30 kids over a four-week period.

In the summer of 1996, the St. Michael’s campus went under major construction. With permission, he took over sole ownership of the camp and moved it over to Arden Church of the Nazarene on Arden Way. This is where Buzzardball started to grow.

The camp then returned to St. Michael’s in 2005 and has been ever since.

Buzzard, 42, is also a full-time teacher at St. Michael’s School. He has been there since 1994 teaching P.E., Computers, and Religion for students in Preschool through 4th Grade. Buzzard also runs the intramural program for the 5th-8th Graders.

Buzzard grew up in Sacramento and attended Christian Brothers High School. He went on to graduate from USC in 1991 with a degree in broadcast journalism. Buzzard did many things in the broadcast world including:

SACRAMENTO KINGS (9 years): Radio Post-Game Host and Public Address Announcer
UC DAVIS FOOTBALL (13 years): Radio Play-by-play
SACRAMENTO MONARCHS (5 years): Radio Pre and Post-Game Host, Play-by-play announcer for selected games
SACRAMENTO KINGS (5 years): Radio Play-by-play
SACRAMENTO CAPITALS (8 years): Public Address Announcer

His favorite part of Buzzardball are many, but here are a noted few:
1. His coaching staff!
2. All-Star Thursday and Friday
3. The hundreds of different characters that come through our doors each and every summer.
4. The headbands (there is a back story to this one)
5. The Picture Boards: they take time to do, but are always worth it when the coaches want to take a trip down memory lane.
 
 

Mitch Peterson has been coaching at Buzzardball since 2004, and is now a head assistant coach. His interest in the camp sparked as a camper in 2003. Peterson loved the basketball camp so much, that he asked to volunteer for a few years, before coming a Head Assistant Coach. Additionally, Coach Mitch helped out Steve as the a JR-NBA Commissioner for the Mini-NBA. Over the years, he has become a solid component of the Buzzardball program.

Mitch Peterson grew up in Sacramento, CA, attended Jesuit High School, and is now studying Business Economics at The University of California at Santa Barbara. He also plays for the UCSB club volleyball team, and enjoys producing videos, managing rapper PJ Simas, and developing websites.

His favorite part about Buzzardball is getting giddy with the campers throughout the week. He enjoys motivating his team every week to become successful in each and every competition.
 
 

 
Coach PJ is studying civil engineering at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. He has been coaching at Buzzardball for eight years.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tommy Peterson has been involved with Buzzardball since 2003. Starting in 7th grade, his first taste was big kids camp and from then on he could not get enough. In the two summers Tommy attended the camp, he remembers the infamous ‘Puckett vs. Scottie Yost’ dance off, visits to Dairy Queen on All-Star Friday and a devastating loss in the dunk contest. Tommy loved Buzzardball so much, that he became a coach in 2004. He has also played in the Jr. NBA, and has been a coach and commissioner for the Mini-NBA. Tommy has been part of the Buzzardball staff for eight years and enjoys every second.

Tommy Peterson grew up in Sacramento, CA attended Jesuit High School and is currently a Senior at the University of Oregon. He is majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. Tommy is also on the Men’s Club Volleyball Team at the University of Oregon and has been the House Manager of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity for two years. In his spare time, Tommy enjoys working out, playing sports and watching The Office.

His favorite part about Buzzardball is the energy the campers and coaches bring to the camp. He loves being a part of such a mint basketball camp.