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‘Boombaby,’ ‘Cinderella,’ and ‘Pinkie’ on the course By Chelsea Khakshouri “BoomBaby”, “Cinderella”, and “Pinkie” have enjoyed a winning record on the girls’ varsity golf team. The girls’ catchy nick names, dubbed by their coach, have helped the team bond over the season. “Putting a name to each girl is resolved differently. For the most part, the names come to mind after an initial meeting,” said Head Coach Linda Giaciolli who has given nicknames to friends, family, Melanie Borinstein ’11 and colleagues, her entire life. “Some I share with them on is nicknamed the spot or I wait for the right “Cinderella”. time and spring it on them and watch their reactions,” Giacolli said. “Something about them seems to stand out and then it just happens. The name walks into my head.” “Up until last week, I called her “Maddy” (Madeline Abrahams ’13) simply because the right nickname hadn’t come to me. However, as of yesterday I had it, ‘BoomBaby’. She’s one of our two youngest players but she’s athletic and strong. Look out is all I can say,” Giaciolli said. Abrahams was named “Boombaby” because of her powerful swing. Giacolli calls Amanda Aizuss ’13 “AA” because of “her undying passion and energy for golf ”. “I’m always energetic before, after, and during matches. It’s my personality; I jump around a lot,” Aizuss said. “I do like the name. It works out well because it’s my initials and Chelsea Khakshouri/chronicle
Girls Golf Inside it means something.” “Co-captain Emily Firestein ’11, aka “Firefly,” was easy. ‘Firefly’ is used in one of her emails but I think it’s perfect for her. She’s a formidable presence on the team and she’s a bright light on so Jessica many levels,” Gia- Wibawa ciolli said. ’13 is “What I enjoy known as most about it is “WeeBee.” that for the most Chelsea Khakshouri/chronicle part the names seem to evoke happiness and wonder at the same time,” Giaciolli said. “Why do you continue to give me Disney character names?” asked Melanie Borinstein ’11, and at that moment she had the biggest smile on her face,” Giaciolli said. Giaciolli calls Bornstein “Cinderella”. Giaciolli has nick-named Kallista Kusumanegara ’13 “Pinkie” “because she plays with a pink golf ball. I’m trying to get her to change to pink golf shoes as well. It’s perfectly fitting for Kallista,” Giaciolli said. “I’m the only person on the team who uses a pink-colored golf ball. Trying to find white on the course is a little frustrating for me,” Kusumanegara said. Jessica Wibawa ’10, who Giaciolli calls “WeeBee” as a take on her last name, recalls when her coach initially nicknamed her. “She was just like, ‘I come up with a nickname for everybody. I’m going to call you ‘WeeBee’,” Wibawa said. Captains Emily Firestein ’11 and Borinstein have led a team which is otherwise made up of just sophomores and freshman. “The entire team is evolving personally and game-wise, Giaciolli said. “It’s so interesting to watch the growth of each of them.”
Girls Tennis A Taste of Tennis By David Kolin Most teams warm up by hitting from the baseline, practicing volleys, or serving, but the girls’ tennis team does not follow the standard approach. Instead, they do dynamic stretches. Dynamic stretches are a variety of different stretches that improve coordination and forward movement patterns. They include forward and backward movements, shuffling in the alleys and partner ball toss drills where players must run and catch the ball that their partner throws. “No one warms up like we warm up,” Alanna Klein ‘11 said. The team also has a nutritional ritual. They usually have the same snack for each match. Most times, the players have pita bread with a variety of flavors of hummus. They also have al-
mond butter, not peanut butter, with bananas. Citrus and carrots are strictly forbidden by the coaches for nutritional reasons. “Citrus and raw vegetables can only increase the amount of lactic acid buildup, making you prone to cramping,” Head Coach Chris Simpson said. The team also holds annual California Pizza Kitchen dinners after the Palos Verdes match each year. During earlier seasons, players had a variety of hand motions and movements that even the coaches participated in, but this year the team has diverged from simple hand motions. They have a new fascination, a squirrel. This year, the team happily feeds the “team squirrel” who appears at most home matches. He watches tennis matches while sitting inside players’ tennis bags.
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Boys’ player Roy Murdock ’11 got bitten by a squirrel at the home courts at Studio City Golf and Tennis, but the team realized that the squirrel that bit him was not the actual “team squirrel.” The team already has a few rituals, but it does not have the exact same rituals every year. “I’m sure more rituals will develop over the course of the season,” Klein said.
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