“Some of those pictures, it feels like it was just last summer and it was like six years ago,” Greco said during the lunch break of her camp on Wednesday. “When you actually see the pictures on the wall and you see the campers who have been here, it feels like a long time.
“You see some of the campers who are now in high school when they used to be in our little young group, and it kind of makes you open your eyes and realize you’ve been here for a while.”
Current Falcons varsity starters Cassie Pappas and Stephanie Ziemann are alumni of Greco’s camps. In fact, Crescenta Valley boys’ assistant Joe Maniccia, who has been at Greco’s side throughout the 10-year run, estimated that most of the present girls’ squad has spent summers past learning the game from the Falcons’ all-time leading scorer.
Much like former Falcons boys’ Coach Jim Smiley’s camp, which extended its run to 17 years in July, Greco’s camp has come to feel like an annual tradition in the community.
“I think that a lot of the girls look forward to it during the summer and it’s one of those things where they can count on it,” Greco said. “We’re consistent with that and we want to keep it a tradition, because I personally think it’s a great thing.”
Greco’s statement would seem to be supported by her estimation that 90% of the 33 campers in attendance this year were repeat visitors.
That continuity is mirrored in the people that return year after year to staff the camp, a group that includes members of Greco’s family and coaches and teammates from her past such as Maniccia and former Bruin Marie Philman.
