Winter Sports
Coach: Jason San Jose
Mr. San Jose started coaching at the age of 18, where he was a volunteer coach at Granada Hills park. He was then a Beyond the Bell coach for Pacoima middle school for 2 years. Additionally, he assisted in the founding of an AAU basketball program and worked as a basketball trainer. After coaching at Monroe High School, he came to VAAS to teach and coach Girls Basketball. He is excited to take on the Boys Basketball Program and take on the role of Assistant Athletic Director as well. Mr.San Jose went to community college and transferred to CSUN, where he obtained his B.S in Kinesiology. He is now on track to obtain his M.S in Coaching. Coach San Jose loves the VAAS culture and truly believes this was the school he was meant to coach at.
Assistant Coach: Andrew Praw
Andrew Praw is a former student who loved what the VAAS community did for him and so he wanted to give back. While this is only his second year coaching, he has already proven that his love of basketball, willingness to work hard, and his drive to push the players to succeed can take our team to new heights. He played a crucial part in the miraculous run to win the championship this past season and has returned this season with his sights set on helping the team do it again.
Coach: Tessondra Williams
Coach Williams joined the coaching profession as an assistant for Goodenbour at Cal State Dominguez Hills. A native of Chicago, Ill., she played her prep and collegiate career in Southern California, but brings with her a diverse basketball background, as a player at the collegiate and pro level, but also as a coach ranging from youth to the college ranks both domestically and internationally.
She also lived in Saudarkokur, Iceland from 2018-20 where she played professionally for U.M.F. Tindastoll in the Icelandic First Division. She helped guide her team to the playoffs in 2019-20 and was named the league MVP in 2019. She also served as a full-time head coach for the girls high school club team at U.M.F. Tindastoll. From 2017-18 she played for the Durham Palatinates in Durham, England. Before resuming her playing career in Europe, Williams spent two years as an assistant. Most recently at Pierce College from 2016-17. While at Pierce College she served as the team's offensive and defensive coordinator. She also oversaw player recruitment and scouting.
A two-time letter winner at Cal State L.A. for Coach Jones, she averaged nearly 20 points per game as a senior, while shooting 47 percent from the field and 45 percent from beyond the arc. She was named the CCAA Newcomer of the Year as a junior en route to earning a First Team All-CCAA nod, 2nd-team All-West honors and three CCAA Player of the Week accolades. As a senior, she established the CSULA records for minutes, free throws made / attempted and 3-point field goal percentage, also leading the CCAA in points, finishing third in 3-point field goal percentage and fourth in minutes.
Williams earned her BA in Liberal Arts in 2016 at Cal State L.A., she was named to the Dean's List in 2016. She earned an MA in Education from Durham University in 2018.
Assistant Coach: Marc Fernandez
Coach Marc began coaching at the age of 19 as a volunteer at Granada Hills Park. There, he met long time friend, Mr. San Jose, who coaches the VAAS boys basketball team. He then went on to coach three championship teams at the park, and was named Head Coach for the park's All-Star team at the Valley Regional Tournaments for four consecutive years. Soon after, he joined the VAAS Girls Basketball team as coach for the 2021-2022 season. In 2022, he was also elected to coach for Camp Lakers summer program. Coach Marc is a former AAU High School basketball athlete that feels he can bring his knowledge and experience to VAAS and looks forward to another year.
Coach: Cesar Herrera
Coach Herrera comes to VAAS with a wide variety of playing and coaching experience. A former NCAA D1 soccer player at Indiana State University, he has been coaching U11 to U18 Boys and Girls teams for decades. He holds the following coaching credentials: California E License; Speed & Agility Traine; AYSO Master Coach Trainer
A Widowed father of two, Christopher, 27, PhD Candidate at Michigan State University, Lauren, 21, Graduate Student at Northeastern University, Coach Herrera loves dogs just as much as he loves soccer.
His Favorite Quote: Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
Cheer
Coach: Taylor Peyton
Taylor Peyton has been coaching competitive cheer and teaching dance for LAUSD since 2003. Ms. Peyton began dance lessons at And All That Jazz in San Diego when she was 3 years old and cheered in high school. Ms. Peyton moved to Los Angeles to complete her undergraduate degree at UCLA and teaching credential at CSUN. In 2010 she moved to New York City for a joint master's degree program in Dance Education at NYU with the American Ballet Theater. In 2011 she returned to Los Angeles and joined the first faculty that opened VAAS. The VAAS Cheer Team has won 2 Los Angeles City Section titles in 2018 and 2021.