Olivia DiCamilli

Bryce Alderton

One trip and Olivia DiCamilli knew.

The 26-year-old former Costa Mesa High girls basketball sensation

took a trip with her father, Jim DiCamilli, the owner of the Lil’

Pickle sandwich shop in Costa Mesa, in the spring of 2000 to Tulsa,

Okla. to RHEMA Bible Training Center, a two-year school with a

Bible-based curriculum, which about 1,500 students attend.

“I knew I was going to go to that school,” said DiCamilli after

the RHEMA Eagles women’s basketball team she now coaches won its

third game Thursday night. “I felt a call of God on my life and I

just prayed in my heart to go to a Bible school. Soon, I started

asking around and one thing led to another and here I am. I’m having

an awesome experience.”

DiCamilli the four-time All-CIF selection, the leading scorer in

Newport-Mesa District history (2,220 points) and the CIF Southern

Section Division III Player of the Year for 1992-93, helping lead the

Mustangs (29-5) to the state title game, is in her first year of

coaching the Lady Eagles after assisting at RHEMA last season.

The San Diego State graduate and former Aztec basketball player is

in her third year of a pastoral ministry program at RHEMA, attending

school three hours a day Monday through Friday before hitting the

hardwood in the afternoon.

DiCamilli was undecided when asked what she wanted to do after

completing the program. One thing she knows for sure is she wants to

continue coaching for as long as possible.

“You have to be sensitive to the girls and know what an important

person you can be in their lives on and off the court,” DiCamilli

said. “Beth Burns (DiCamilli’s coach at San Diego State) had such an

impact on my life. I realized how important a person I can be.”

DiCamilli helped lead Mesa to the CIF Southern Section Division

III-A title in 1993, the second time a Costa Mesa team won a CIF

section title during her four years there.

After graduating from Costa Mesa in 1993, she obtained both her

bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications from SDSU before

finding RHEMA.

DiCamilli finished her basketball career at SDSU eighth all-time

in free throws and ninth in rebounds in addition to earning

scholar-athlete honors with a 3.5 grade point average at the school,

getting her master’s in 2000. The Aztecs won three Western Athletic

Conference championships and made three NCAA Tournament appearances

during DiCamilli’s career.

A change in scenery has been good for DiCamilli, who is single.

Her parents, Jim and Margie, still live in Costa Mesa. DiCamilli has

a 33-year old sister, Sheila.

“I couldn’t have picked a place that’s more of a polar opposite

(than Oklahoma is to California),” said DiCamilli, who now resides in

Broken Arrow. “Right now, it’s icy and snowy and in the summertime it

is 110 degrees and humid. The people are unbelievable, very

family-oriented. It’s opened up my eyes to a new perspective.

(Living) in Oklahoma made me sensitive to other cultures and other

lifestyles.”

From “obnoxious and crazy” days in high school, DiCamilli said

most of her high school friends would probably be surprised at where

she is in her life.

“My friends’ jaws would drop,” DiCamilli said. “I was the loud

mouth in high school. Toward the end of my masters program, my faith

became important to me. I knew I wanted to be involved in some sort

of ministry. My life changed around in seeing what God has for me

right now.”

For a 30-minute session each week, DiCamilli conducts a Bible

study with her team and she taught speech classes to college freshmen

when she was studying for her masters.

“I consider working with these 15 girls a classroom,” DiCamilli

said. “I’m a teacher at heart and coaching is teaching. To do the

things and win on the floor is the ultimate reward.”

DiCamilli looked at coaching a bit differently in high school.

“I thought, ‘Why would anyone want to coach?’ ” DiCamilli said.

“Then I came out and volunteered with (RHEMA) and realized how much I

have to give back to the girls. (Coaches) poured so much into me and

I wanted to give that back and teach people the things I learned and

to see them get it.”