Coach Aimee, or Amanda Lorenzo, is in her first year as Head Coach of the DHHS Volleyball Teams. This is her second year working with the Cougar players, and in that time she has developed a strong rapport with the athletes who make up the Varsity and JV teams.

“She’s a great coach,” says Michelle Tawney, a member of the JV squad. “She makes everything fun, but at the same time she pushes us to be a better team.”

And while she is passionate about coaching Cougar volleyball, Coach Aimee also has a number of other interests and goals. She currently is studying at PIMA Institute to become an EMT/MediVac professional, and eventually would like to work as a geriatric specialist.

Coach Aimee is not only a volleyball fan, but a follower of football and baseball, as well – and in particular, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Dallas Cowboys. She’s also enjoys watching a sad movie now and then, and counts as her favorites “Titanic,” “The Blind Side” and “The Notebook.”

Her favorite place is Hawaii – she lived there for several years – and someday she would like to travel to Greece, as well as attend a game in Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Above all, she is devoted to her volleyball players, and wants them to learn as much as they can from the game while still having a great experience.

Football tryouts are ongoing, with the Cougars’ first game scheduled for Friday, Aug. 27. A Cougar Pep Rally will be held the day before on campus.

Cheerleading tryouts are slated for Tuesday and Thursday, Aug. 17 and 19, at the Gilbert Boys and Girls Club.

Volleyball tryouts and practices are ongoing until August 19 at Freestone Recreation Center. Games begin on August 27.

As an ambassador for the sport of rodeo, Ashley, 18, can be found each weekend at any one of a number of events across the Southwest. And she’s been involved since before she was in middle school.

Last summer, Ashley was selected as Arizona’s High School Rodeo Queen, and in July she competed for the national high school rodeo title in New Mexico, scoring a top 10 designation and furthering the career that she began at about the age of 10.

“I’ve always been involved in all sorts of rodeo events,” Ashley says. “It’s just something I’ve always done, and loved to do.”

As Arizona’s Rodeo Queen, Ashley travels to schools throughout the state, speaking to students about the excitement of rodeo. In addition to competing at weekly events and making public appearances, the hard-working student trains horses and participates in the Desert Hills High School FFA program. “It all keeps me pretty busy,” she says.

Ashley was recently awarded a full rodeo-related scholarship to Central Arizona College, and is a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association ( PRCA), a national group dedicated to the sport.

For more information on Desert Hills’ FFA program, contact the school at 480-813-1151.