Update from our AD

“We are very excited about the upcoming seasons,” said JJ Santa Cruz, Copper Mountain College's Athletic Director. “Our women’s teams continue to grow and compete at a higher level than ever before, and our men’s basketball program has a strong core of returning players. The 2025-26 seasons are going to be a lot of fun.”

Santa Cruz noted that there are still a handful of openings on the women’s volleyball team for those students interested in trying out for the team this fall. Sports at Copper Mountain College begin with Fighting Cacti Women’s Volleyball, followed by Men’s and Women’s Basketball. Not only is Santa Cruz hopeful for the Fighting Cacti to do well this season, but he’s pleased with the increased involvement of the coaching staff and student athletes with the community.

“I am especially excited about the outreach we have done with the community,” Santa Cruz said. “We just finished our second year of summer basketball camps for our local youth. These camps have allowed the department to interact with the local community on a more personal level. We have also reached out to the local youth Boys & Girls club and held one day camps at their facility.

“Being able to bring our athletes to the kids and teach them the game of basketball is important,” he emphasized, noting that the Fighting Cacti have been involved with basketball camps with the Town of Yucca Valley, the Boys & Girls Club camp, and hosted two basketball camps in the Bell Center on the CMC campus in Joshua Tree. “We are looking to do more camps and adding volleyball camps in the near future.”

Santa Cruz added that while the search for a Cross Country coach has delayed the start of the program at CMC, “We are re-running our search for a cross country coach and hope to have the position filled by the end of the semester.”

“Athletics at the community college level serves as a powerful pathway for students to access higher education,” Santa Cruz said. “For many, it provides the opportunity, motivation, and support needed to attend college, succeed academically, and grow personally. It also builds a strong connection between the college and the local community.”