NEK Basketball
About
NEK Nighthawk Basketball offers a competitive homeschool basketball league for both girls and boys ranging from 6th to 12th grade. The season commences from the end of October and concludes in March. Our schedule includes games and tournaments with other area homeschool organizations as well as private and public schools. Our program goes beyond the fundamentals of basketball skills and focuses on character development as well. We aim to instill values of honesty, respect, and sportsmanship through devotions and life lessons in athletics. Our mission is to provide a well-rounded opportunity to help athletes flourish, both physically and spiritually. We take pride in helping our athletes become the best version of themselves, on and off the court.
Whatever you do, do it from the HEART, as something done for the Lord and not for people.
Colossians 3:23
Our Coaches
Marley Baum
Head High School Girls Basketball Coach
Marley Baum has been coaching youth sports for the past 10 years. Prior to coaching at NEK, Marley coached competitive basketball and volleyball teams for several years. Currently, she serves as the NEK Varsity Women’s Volleyball and Varsity Women’s Basketball head coach. Marley enjoys developing players to be the best versions of themselves both on and off the court. Marley is a nurse at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka and she and her husband Steve have 2 children whom they have homeschooled for over 9 years.
Ryan Lawson
head Jr High Girls Basketball coach
Ryan and his family joined NEK in 2021 and right away got involved in serving our athletes. Ryan began helping the Junior High Boys basketball team and started coaching the Jr High Girls basketball team in the 2022-23 season. Ryan fell in love with the game of basketball in middle school and played competitively throughout high school and has coached girls/boys youth basketball for approximately 9 years. Coach Ryan focuses on teaching the girls about Godly character, teamwork, sportsmanship, and hard work. At the same time, he always encourages the players to strive for excellence in both practices and games. Ryan and his wife Christina have lived in Topeka since 2015 and have four children, two of which participate in NEK basketball.
Steve Meier
Head High School Boys Basketball Coach
Brad Gentry
head Jr High Boys Basketball coach
Alyee Birtell
HS Girls Assistant Coach
Laurel Schwensen
HS Girls Assistant Coach
Shawn Schwensen
HS Girls Assistant Coach
Valerie Tolin
JH/HS Girls Assistant Coach
Doug Longstaff
HS Boys Assistant Coach
Jason Murray-Brent
HS Boys Assistant Coach
Rob Romesburg
JH Boys Assistant Coach
Zach Frank
JH Boys Assistant Coach
Derek Wise
JH Boys Assistant Coach