About Us
Our Vision:
Next Play Prep offers kids a safe, inspiring environment where they can work on their habits everyday. A place where education, energy and hope intertwines.
A place where leaders, mentors and educators are vulnerable, authentic and lead with an inner passion that words can’t describe. Our vision is to be able to offer this to kids across the country and eventually around the globe. The foundation of Next Play Prep is becoming who you needed when you were growing up. Our value in personal development runs as deep as our value in player development for all athletes.
Cameron Hoo
Founder & Director of Next Play Prep & Next Play Performance
Growing up I found basketball later than my friends. It wasn’t till about eighth grade until I realized my passion for the sport. My father was very academic-based, so it was up to me.
All I had was the Internet and the park next to my house. And in that journey of catching up to my friends and being named a captain my Senior year of high school, I realized how much I loved to work hard, train, and push myself to improve. When I decided to go to community college after high school, I needed something to do, so I started training kids.
I immediately surrounded myself with some of the best trainers in the world, like Micah Lancaster, Bobby Whyte and DJ Sackmann. While all three were fantastic they were all trying to separate themselves from each other. So instead, I always wanted to create a place where all of their perspectives were blended with a touch of my own spices. That’s what Next Play Prep is.
There I started to train more college players including Nick DeAngelis, little did I know that Nick would someday have a passion for training kids like I do. I ended up going to school to get my 4 year degree in psychology from the University of New Hampshire where I graduated with my Bachelors.
When I got back, I formed the business and worked my way to having my first gym and here we are! I’m now one of the most sought out trainers in the state! I’m known for my ability to actually TEACH and impact kids no matter the effort needed. Whether I’m changing personalities, motivational approaches or teaching techniques, my presence alone is a powerful, inspiring force around young kids.
Competition and individual growth continue to be my strongest passions. As a kid I played multiple sports, but it wasn’t until high school that I realized my true love and commitment to basketball.
My senior year of HS I started skills training, where my thirst for knowledge and ability increased rapidly. Prior to this, I had very minimal exposure to these types of in depth training methods. Fortunately, after my senior year I was able to venture off to play collegiate basketball at SUNY Plattsburgh, where I had an amazing 4-year career.
I created life long relationships, incredible memories and was able to learn from great coaches. When I was home for the summer going into my Junior year, I met Cameron Hoo running one of Bobby Whytes workouts. I immediately noticed Cam’s passion and attention to detail when we were both just developing 20 year olds.
Fast forward after graduating college in 2020 I landed a marketing job, but after about 3 years I realized that my passion still resided in basketball. I reached out to Cam hoping he was still in the training business and by the grace of God and the amicable spirit of Cam, he allowed me to start coming to the gym every day to learn from him.
This is merely the beginning of my journey as a rising trainer, and for Next Play Prep becoming a superpower in the basketball world…
Nick DeAngelis
Skills Trainer
Basketball has always been a huge part of my life. I started playing when I was just five years old. Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by it. I fell in love with the game of basketball and I have stuck with it for the past 14 years. I played a variety of sports, but basketball is the one I truly wanted to pursue. I played basketball in high school at Immaculate Heart Academy. I was a four-year varsity athlete and a three-year starter. I currently play the game at the next level. I am on the women’s basketball team at the University of Scranton. I started training with Cam my sophomore year of high school. I was immediately inspired by the way he ran the workouts and connected with athletes. My goal was to become a trainer and help athletes elevate their game while enjoying the process. Cam was able to make my dream a reality. This is now my second summer working for Next Play Prep and it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences.
Selena Cieszko
Skills Trainer | Summer Season
I have a particular knack for connecting with athletes about strength and conditioning and making it a fun and memorable experience. Not only can I offer answers regarding any problem you would have in any weight room, I could also help you program alternatives for exercises to keep moving you in the direction of a higher vertical jump. Making athletes stronger and helping them jump higher is one of the few strong interest that I have in life. I’m looking forward to being helpful in the strength-sphere for a long time.
Alex Esposito
Strength Coach
My passion for strength and conditioning was born the day I realized I wasn’t the strongest player on the court anymore. That moment came on my first day at Montclair State University, where I had committed to play basketball in the highly competitive New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). To keep up at that level, I knew I had to level up in the weight room.
Before college, I had little to no exposure to strength training. That quickly changed thanks to my first strength coaches, Nick Magnum and Courtney Roselle—two incredible mentors who not only introduced me to the fundamentals of training but also recognized my natural enthusiasm for it. They helped shape my perspective and planted the seeds for what would become a career.
By my junior year, due to scheduling conflicts with our coaching staff, I was entrusted with leading our team’s off-season lifts twice a week. That responsibility confirmed what I had started to suspect—I wanted to become a strength coach.
Soon after, Montclair State brought on Jhovanny Olivares as the school’s first full-time strength and conditioning coach. I was honored to become MSU’s first-ever strength and conditioning intern, gaining hands-on experience in programming, leading warm-ups, and maintaining a safe and motivating environment in the weight room.
Joining the Next Play family is the next exciting chapter in my journey. Seeing athletes smile, grow, and enjoy the process in the weight room is still one of the most rewarding parts of what I do—and I’m just getting started.