Nike Basketball Camp Ballou High School

Camp Coaches

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  William Haith

  Director

  William “Roc” Haith, the principal of @ballou_dc, is a proud native of Ward 8 who has devoted his career to educating the students of the District of Columbia for 22 years. A distinguished DCPS graduate of Wilson High School (now Jackson-Reed), he began teaching and coaching there in 2003. While at Wilson, he coached varsity football and basketball, helping lead the football team to two Turkey Bowl appearances. As a teacher, he also designed curricula for the Alternative Social Studies Program for grades 9–12.

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  William Haith

  Director

  Principal Haith’s service as an administrator at Wilson High School and as Principal of Anacostia High School from 2018–2023 resulted in significant increases in in-seat attendance, 9th-grade promotion, and graduation rates, all while boosting student and parent satisfaction and elevating the Love Challenge Prepared index.

  Since becoming principal of Ballou High School, Principal Haith has continued to build a winning culture. Under his leadership, Ballou has seen growth in graduation rates and 9th-grade promotion, along with a steady rise in the number of students participating in sports and extracurricular activities. His commitment to providing students with opportunities both in the classroom and on the field has been integral to the success of Redesign initiatives, helping students discover their passions, build confidence, and stay engaged in school.

  Principal Haith holds a Doctorate and a master’s degree from Liberty University, an Executive Master’s degree in Leadership from Georgetown University, and a master’s degree from Virginia College. He is also an honored alumnus of the Mary Jane Patterson Fellowship. His innovative efforts have profoundly impacted his school communities and earned him an Emmy award and Two Standing Ovation awards for his outstanding contributions as a school leader for exceptional Leadership and the Whole Child Approach to education.

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  Sonia Chase

  Director

  Sonia Chase, former WNBA player, is the President and CEO of Chase Your Dreams, Inc. whose mission is to help players develop elite basketball skills and prepare for next level opportunities. Chase oversees general camp operations for the Nike Basketball Camps alongside her highly qualified staff of high school, collegiate and professional coaches.

  View Sonia's Bio
  

  Sonia Chase

  Director

  Ms. Chase began playing basketball at the age of seven in an all boy's league. Eventually, she started to play for a local neighborhood basketball organization called "The Liberty Road Girl's Basketball Team." She continued to play basketball in numerous leagues throughout the year including Baltimore Neighborhood Basketball League (BNBL) and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). While growing up, she attended many basketball camps such as Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), Blue Star, NIKE, Blue Chip and Chris Weller's University of Maryland Women's Basketball Camp.

  Ms. Chase attended McDonogh School, in Owings Mills, Maryland and became a four-year Varsity starter and two-time captain in high school. She was the first female athlete in school history to score over 3,000 points and also set records that currently still stand today for scoring, assists, rebounds and steals. As a senior in high school, Ms. Chase was selected as a Rollins-Leuktemeyer Scholar, honoring her as an all-around outstanding student-athlete.

  In 1994, Ms. Chase was awarded a four-year athletic scholarship to play for the University of Maryland at College Park. She graduated in December 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language and Literature and earned a certificate of academic honor in Women's Studies and Health. On April 29, 1998, she was drafted to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) where she ventured to Charlotte, North Carolina to play for the "Charlotte Sting.” In the WNBA off-seasons, Ms. Chase travelled to Europe to play professional basketball in over 10 different countries within the Federation International Basketball Association (also referred to as "FIBA") including Greece, Turkey, and China. The personal and professional knowledge, experience, and contacts accumulated during her tenure as a world-renowned professional athlete serves as a positive support network for Chase Your Dreams Incorporated.

  Following her professional basketball career, Ms. Chase realized the vital need to make a positive difference in society utilizing her natural talents and decided to embark upon the entrepreneurial side of life. In 2009, Ms. Chase founded Chase Your Dreams Academy, a non-profit organization, whose mission is to promote the advancement of youth in education, sports, health, fitness and nutrition. Ms. Chase has developed scholastic and success management programs that support all types of student-athletes in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. She was selected as Who’s Who in Black Washington, DC as an “Emerging Leader Women Under 40!” in 2010. In addition, since her retirement from professional sports, Ms. Chase has gained vast experience in corporate America working as a national sales manager in the pharmaceutical industry and has also been a basketball consultant to several companies and universities across the United States. She is a critical thinker and relationship-oriented negotiator who can apply extensive knowledge of industry regulations to rapid revenue and profit growth opportunities.

  Through Chase Your Dreams Incorporated, Ms. Chase markets and sells "Chase Your Dreams: BFIT" at company-wide events. This basketball training handbook is a complete system of how Ms. Chase maintained superior mental and physical conditioning throughout her career as a professional basketball player. She recommends using her handbook as a stepping stone to get that much closer to achieving and chasing personal goals within the sport of basketball. Most recently, Ms. Chase received her certification as a FIBA Coach to coach men’s and women’s professional basketball internationally.