MEET MARCH ALUM OF THE MONTH: PHIL HOBAN ’13

  • AMHS

Shannon Reese

Mar 5 2019 8:34 AM

After graduating from AMHS in 2013, Phil Hoban attended Santa Clara University where he received his degree in Economics and Entrepreneurship. He returned to Washington after college and is currently working for a mixed-use real estate developer focused on revamping suburban downtown cores. He lives in Woodinville and in his free time enjoys playing Settlers of Catan and binge-watching Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones, and Basics with Babish.

Meet March Alum of the Month: Phil Hoban ’13

After graduating from AMHS in 2013, attended Santa Clara University where he received his degree in Economics and Entrepreneurship. He returned to Washington after college and is currently working for a mixed-use real estate developer focused on revamping suburban downtown cores. He lives in Woodinville and in his free time enjoys playing Settlers of Catan and binge-watching Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones, and Basics with Babish.

How did Philz Skillz get started and what is it all about?

Philz Skillz is a youth basketball camp aimed at teaching kids the fundamentals of the game. We focus on 5 tools: triple threat position, creating space, defensive position, help defense, and rebounding. In my eyes, if a player is able to develop these skills at a young age, they are able to create a strong foundation from which to grow their talent.

The camp was started as a way to fulfill the service hours requirement at AMHS and came about largely thanks to my parents, aunt, and uncle. It’s pretty remarkable that something that started 8 years ago is still making an impact today.

Can you tell us more about how you’ve had the opportunity to continue the program and grow it within CYO and the Archdiocese?

We originally started the camp at my K-8 school, Immaculate Conception, as a way to give back to the school and help strengthen the CYO program there. Initially, we created flyers to market it and developed a practice plan for how it would work. Once I was able to recruit some of my friends and teammates from my basketball team at Murphy, we were able to get the camp going. The first year over 40 kids showed up and it only grew from there.

Once it caught legs at Immaculate, it spread to the local Boys and Girls club in Everett and various other parishes in the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese noticed its popularity and expressed interest in hearing how we could expand it even further. After meeting with the director of CYO this past summer, we were able to integrate it into the Archdiocese of Seattle’s CYO “curriculum”. This was exciting for us because we were now able to reach over 500 kids with the skills we initially had planned on implementing at one school.

Can you tell us about the biggest hurdle you’ve faced during this experience? What about the greatest joy?

I was watching a Cleveland Cavaliers game a couple of years ago and after the game, a reporter asked Lebron James what it was he loved most about the game of basketball. He responded with, “I just like being in the gym.” Though this was an extremely simple phrase, it really stuck with me because of its truth. It’s hard to find something in life that matches the energy of being in a gym with friends playing the game you love. If I was to explain the best thing to come from this camp, I would say it is being able to spread that simple joy.

The biggest hurdle came this past fall when I was putting on the camp at St. John’s in Seattle to a group of 4th-grade girls. I had them all sit in a circle and started the camp by asking them who their favorite basketball player was. The only response I got was, “I don’t know, but who is your favorite Kardashian?”. Sometimes basketball doesn’t stick with everyone…

What are your future plans for Philz Skillz?

As noted above, we recently presented the camp and its structure to the Archdiocese and was able to present it to over 150 coaches in the Seattle area. The intent at this time is to watch over the camp and ensure it can continue to spread the knowledge and joy it has over these past 8 years.

What has been your proudest moment since high school?

Maintaining my friendships with my buddies from Murphy. Those are some of the strongest friendships you can find in life. I feel pretty blessed to be able to have been given the opportunity to meet those guys.

What experience has changed your life and/or helped you grow?

For me, it has been a constant reminder to find a balance between attempting to reach goals in life while being realistic with expectations. It is good to be driven and motivated, but oftentimes if you lean this way you can be your own worst enemy. Learn to trust yourself at all times but also take time to enjoy life.

What advice do you have for graduating alums?

Enjoy the moment you are living in now because those will be some of the best memories of your life.