A PLAYER FOR ALL SEASONS : Ty Leatherman Starred in 3 Sports at Campbell Hall and Set High Standards in All

Ty Leatherman, the most talented athlete in Campbell Hall High’s brief athletic history, won 10 varsity letters in four years and set 29 school records--but he never competed in his best sport.

Leatherman set 13 records in football and eight each in volleyball and basketball at the private school in North Hollywood, which added a boys’ athletic program to the formerly all-girls school six years ago. Campbell Hall has an enrollment of 275 students and competes in the Delphic League in the lower divisions of the Southern Section.

The Vikings added football two years ago and Leatherman was installed at quarterback, passing for 52 touchdowns and more than 5,000 yards at the eight-man level. By the time he began his high school football career, he already had won four varsity letters, having started as a freshman and sophomore on the basketball and volleyball teams.

As a 5-foot-11 point guard, he led the Viking basketball team in scoring his last two years. He averaged 21 points a game as a junior and 19 as a senior. He also averaged five assists as a senior and earned all-league recognition.

But it was in volleyball that Leatherman and the Vikings enjoyed their greatest success. Leatherman was an All-Southern Section selection as a senior and was an all-league selection three times. As a four-year starter at setter he led the Vikings to a 58-17 record, including a 20-3 mark in 1989 when Campbell Hall advanced to the semifinals of the 2-A Division playoffs, losing to Royal in a five-set match.

“He’s the glue that holds this team together,” Campbell Hall Coach Kris Ragland said. “In volleyball, he is so smart that he’ll know what a circumstance dictates and then adjust what he’s doing to fit the situation. Every coach prays for that in an athlete. Campbell Hall had it in Ty Leatherman.

“And the amazing thing,” she said, “is that he isn’t even participating in his best sport.”

Leatherman achieved early athletic success on the soccer field. In 1984 he started at halfback for a Junior Olympic team and also competed on a junior national team that played in West Germany.

But he never played soccer for the Vikings because the season conflicted with basketball.

“I was committed to basketball,” he said. “I couldn’t go back on my promise to play.”

Leatherman was prepared to attend Alemany when Phil Bruder, Campbell Hall’s basketball coach at the time, convinced him that small-time athletics and the school’s rigorous academic program were the way to go.

“I thought it out and decided that Campbell Hall was the best thing for me,” Leatherman said. “I know now I made the right decision.”

His interest in basketball peaked when he met Michael Cooper of the Lakers.

“The Lakers were filming a video at Campbell Hall and Coop gave me his jersey,” Leatherman said. “That’s not something everybody has and I was pretty happy to get it.”

Although he occasionally thinks about his aborted soccer career and wonders how good he might have become, Leatherman insists that he has no regrets about playing at a small school that struggled for attention among the local media.

“I do get attention but it’s nothing out of the ordinary,” Leatherman said. “I’m sure I’d have gotten more press if I went to a bigger school but coming to Campbell Hall was the best thing for me.”

Leatherman is currently in the midst of another school decision. He has been offered a basketball scholarship to Redlands but doubts that he will pursue a collegiate basketball career. He also has ruled out football despite offers from Colorado College and Whittier.

“I didn’t want to get beat up for four years,” he said.

Instead, he will attempt a volleyball career at Pepperdine, even though he will have to play for the Waves as a walk-on. His 3.2 grade-point average at Campbell Hall has gained him academic acceptance at the Malibu university.

Soccer might have brought him his first success and basketball was his first love, but volleyball owns his attention now, and his interest in the sport was fanned by his experience at Campbell Hall.

Ragland runs a spirited program, encouraging a sense of belonging among the players. And playing for a woman coach never bothered Leatherman. In fact, it had its advantages.

“The men coaches I’ve had always got angry and yelled a lot,” he said. “Most of the things that came out of her mouth were positive. She controlled the team and raised her voice sometimes, but she was softer.

“The great thing about our team is that it’s like a little group, a family. We can have fun and (Ragland) makes it a fun experience.”

Leatherman will carry those memories to Pepperdine knowing that his place in Campbell Hall athletics is secure.

Said Ragland: “Ty is simply the best athlete Campbell Hall has ever had.”