High School Varsity: Ariel Sciammas

My name is Ariel Sciammas and I am in my tenth year in Washington State. Before living in Washington I attended Cornell College where I played basketball and football. I received my degree in Kinesiology and earned my Master’s in Teaching with a background in health and fitness and special education. I previously worked in the sports performance field running a youth athletic development program for Vice Athletics. I am now a high school special education teacher in the Northshore School District at North Creek High School. 

I have been coaching basketball for the past 10 years. I have coached all ages, both boys and girls. I have worked with many great coaches and fine-tuned my coaching philosophies over time. I have worked with players who have gone into play both collegiately and professionally. I currently coach in the NW Blazers PSA program and am so excited for my first year as the Mercer Island High School Varsity Girls’ Basketball Head Coach!  


 High School JV: Brandi White

I have played basketball for 13 years, including 3 years in college. I spent last season at Nathan Hale High School as the girls’ varsity assistant coach and the head JV coach. I currently coach AAU teams as well, where I work with young athletes to help develop their skills and passion for the game. I’m looking forward to bringing this experience to the Mercer Island High School program and supporting the team in reaching our goals. I’m excited to be a part of this program and dive into the opportunities this season brings!

 

 8th Grade:

 Hannah Franklin
I grew up on Mercer Island and now live here with my husband, Max, and our two kids—Mason (3) and Jordy (1). You may see them at games, cheering loudly! I played MIGB Select and later for Jamie Prescott on Varsity. I’m proudly part of the team that hung the first girls’ basketball banners in the gym, winning KingCo and placing 6th and 8th at State. I went on to play at Emory University (D3) in Atlanta, GA—my career is linked here.
I started coaching MIGB Select when the current sophomore class was in 6th grade and stayed with them through 8th grade. More recently, I’ve been coaching with the MIHS varsity team in their summer and/or fall leagues.

 Erin McCaslin 
I’m not a Mercer Island local but I’ve been coaching with MIGB since 2017. My first group of 5th graders just graduated this past June, and my second group started their freshman year at the high school. I grew up in Maple Valley and graduated from Tahoma High School. I went on to play at Roosevelt University (NAIA, now D2) in Chicago. Currently, I run the Youth Sports for the City of Bellevue (so I’m sorry for the later practices but I am running classes and leagues every night until 7) and previously worked for the Seattle Storm for several years. I been coaching 5th grade through HS Varsity for over 10 years, first with Tahoma and now with MIGB.

 

 

7th Grade Coach: Abel Lopez

I spent one season at Rainier Christian High School as the boys’ varsity assistant coach and then the past two years at Redmond High School, where I served as both a varsity assistant coach and the head coach for the JV team for the girls’ program. I’m eager to bring this experience to the Mercer Island program and contribute to the team’s success. I’m looking forward to building strong connections with the players, diving into the season, and making an impact. Go Islander!

 

 6th Grade Jake Carter 

Growing up in Indiana, I played basketball and baseball throughout high school, which ignited my love for athletics and teamwork. After high school, I attended Indiana University and received my degree in Exercise Science. My wife and I moved to Wichita, KS in 2015 where I started my coaching career in a local rec league. In 2020, we made our final move to Seattle. Upon arriving in Seattle, I worked as Athletic Director at Rotary Boys and Girls Club, where I had the privilege of organizing and coaching youth basketball leagues and tournaments year-round for grades K-8. Currently, I help organize and facilitate the youth and high school AAU teams at Rotary along with skill development and workouts for those athletes. When available, I continue to coach in their rec leagues as well. I try to emphasize teamwork, sportsmanship, toughness, and leadership with every player that I coach. I am looking forward to a great first year with Mercer Island Basketball!

 

 5th Grade: Tony Locascio

Tony started his coaching career while attending high school in Sandpoint, Idaho, coaching his younger brothers’ select teams. After attending Boise State, he jumped back into coaching when he moved to Bainbridge Island. He coached in the Bainbridge select program from 2013-2021. In addition to select, “Coach T” coached at Bainbridge High School for three years as a freshman and JV coach before getting a job on Mercer Island. Tony has coached Mercer Island youth select teams to multiple State Championships: 4th-grade boys in 2022, 5th-grade girls in 2023, and 6th-grade boys in 2024. He also has multiple ETL championships on his resume. He looks forward to continuing to be part of the youth basketball family on Mercer Island.