Personal Statement
My name is Zach Gillan. I am a Senior at Pomona High School (class 5A) in Arvada, CO. Ranked 2nd in my class, I currently hold a weighted GPA of 4.167. At 6’1”, 170 lbs., I am a quick-thinking, focused, athletic young man with a passion for basketball. I have yet to reach my potential, and as such, I am looking for the opportunity to continue my basketball career in college. I am flexible with a school’s location, size and population. However, as one who excels both in the classroom as well as on the court, I am very interested in schools that excel academically, especially those that rank among the top in the engineering, math, & science fields.
Team Leader is not a position that one can just be handed; it must be earned. As a player, I pride myself on defense and hard work, or as some call it: the dirty work. I have earned the respect of both coaches and players alike through my ability to lead by example, through my skills and work ethic combined with my ability to work with teammates both on and off the court. It is they who have decided to put their faith behind me as the leader of our team. I look forward to fulfilling this role once again this year.
I play with a high IQ as well as a mental and physical toughness that allows me to outperform my competitors in the duration of a game. As a sophomore, I received Honorable Mention All-Conference my first year as a varsity starter. As a junior, I led the Pomona High School basketball team to the Sweet 16 after clinching the fourth seed in our state tournament—the second time in school history—and also clinching 2nd in league. I averaged over 30 minutes per game in a 32 minute game. More so, I kept the team composed, set up our offense, set the tone for defense, and was the key player in communications—talking on and off the court—and the bridge between the coach-player gap. My hard work has not gone unnoticed; I have been invited to attend each of Colorado’s premier showcases, each made up of the best players in the state. This fall I will be attending the premier invitation only Rocky Mountain Showcase, which invites only the top 20 players of each grade level in the state.
Understanding that training is an ongoing process and one’s skills can always be improved, I continue to work with specialized coaches that can assist in raising my level of play. Currently, I am working with Matt Barnett of Hoops4You, Marty Clark of Next Level Basketball, and Ferron Morgan of Triple Threat Player Development. My high school coach also frequently brings in guest coaches, many of which coach or have coached at the college level and all of whom have been very helpful.
This past summer I played for the Colorado Chaos, coached by Chad Seibert. Our team played in the Double Pump Spring Tournament, Great American Shootout, Fab48, and the Coach Tree Invitational. Prior to Colorado Chaos, I played with the Shining Stars Basketball Club, coached by Scott Waters and Sonny Scarlet.
Though I have many successes on the court, my skills and work ethic have carried me far off the court as well. Coming from a family with a tradition of succeeding both athletically and professionally, I have learned that working hard and doing your best is the best formula for success. I received 1st Team All-State Academics as a junior and am currently ranked second in my class. I have been a member of the National Honors Society and have been elected to Student Council the last two years. Participating in organizations and serving others outside of athletics has been very rewarding and provided opportunities to reinforce and strengthen my leadership skills.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you for your time. I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you and meet with you in person.
Zach Gillan, Class 2012
