BA Issue 96, Feb. 2015

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February 2015

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J

anuary is supposed to be the quiet before the storm when it comes to high school sports.

Most of us don’t get out of our holiday coma until the middle of the month —usually in time for the Martin Luther King Day basketball events — and then it’s sort of a slog until mid-February when the winter postseason begins and spring sports start to percolate.

But this January didn’t go quietly. At least not on the governing side of things.

There were a couple of hot-button issues which transpired over the first month of 2015. The Central Coast Section handed down multiple sanctions on Serra-San Mateo and its football program for its voluntary forfeiture of the Open Division Consolation Championship game in December. Also, approximately a week later, the California Interscholastic Federation’s Federated Council voted 71-64 in favor of expanding the CIF State Bowl football championship games from five to 13 games.

We have writers speaking more at length on each issue later in the magazine, but I wanted to offer up some quick thoughts as well.

Let’s first start with the CCS vs. Serra Football rumble. Our columnist Clay Kallam fires shots at both entities in a commentary on page 12, which I encourage you to read. His stance is that both are right and both are wrong. Walsh, who used concern over player safety and his team’s growing number of injuries as the catalyst for his decision to forfeit, deserves the skepticism that he would not have done the same thing had his team been preparing for the championship game rather than the consolation final. But it’s my opinion that the CCS comes out looking far worse.

Demand financial restitution for the approximate expected gate and concessions fees for the game that never happened. Fine. Put the team’s football program on probation. Fine. Force Walsh to complete a course on CIF and CCS bylaws. Fair. However, a twoyear postseason ban is an over-reach which punishes kids who had no influence in Walsh’s decision to forfeit.

And it’s especially tough to watch the CCS defend its errant

decision to create consolation football games anyway — extending a season which is already too long (in an era where concern over football safety is at an apex) for games which hold little to no meaning. Walsh certainly factored into his decision that the fastest way to an injured football player is to take his will and drive out of the game. Execution gets sloppy and attention wanes. Not a good combination in a collision sport.

The CCS Open Division consolation bracket was drawn up due to the possibility of the CIF expanding its state football bowl games and leading to possible at-large berths for non-section championships. The theory being that the Open Division is full of the section’s top teams and a consolation bracket would help first-round losers continue to build their resumé for an at-large berth. But there was no need for a trial run.

And the CCS should’ve realized that, or at least acknowledged it in the wake of the Serra fiasco.

Meanwhile, we of course DID see the CIF expand the bowl games and we’re not super impressed with that either. Once again, this now lengthens the football season (to as many as 15 or 16 games) for at least 33 more teams across the state. That’s a 183 percent increase. We get that the CIF is trying to give every section champ a shot at playing itself into the CIF Bowls. You know what’s a great system for that? I think it’s called a playoff.

Our suggestion? Reduce the size of section playoff brackets to a maximum of eight teams insuring they take no longer than three weeks to complete and that the top teams are competing (i.e. no first-round section matchups with a 10-0 team facing a 3-7 team.)

Then you have a four-team regional bracket for each division, which allows for some at-large berths to certain deserving section runner-ups, and then you have a championship. It would take the same amount of weeks and feel much more cohesive. Are there some logistics that we’re glossing over? Obviously. But if this change had been restructured as a state playoff system, would it have met as much opposition? We don’t think so.

Now, please return to your enjoyment of high school sports.

Almost playoff time, baby! ✪

join our team PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 Editorial Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace Bryson • Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Staff Writer Jim McCue • JimMcCue16@gmail.com Contributors Bill Kolb, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Ben Enos, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Trevor Horn Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, James K. Leash, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Dean Coppola, Berry Evans, III Marketing/Events Ryan Arter Editorial Intern Mike Young Creative Department Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco • MikeD@SportStarsOnline.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com Advertising Sales@SportStarsOnline.com, 925.566.8500 Account Executives Camps & Clinics: Ryan Arter • Camps@SportStarsOnline.com Alameda County: Berry Evans • Berry@foto-pros.com Central Valley, World Events: Anthony Grigsby • Area Director anthony.grigsby@worldeventssports.com Darin Wissner • dwissner@wordeventssports.com Reader Resources/Administration Subscription, Calendar, Credit Services Angela Paradise • Info@SportStarsOnline.com Distribution/Delivery Phillip Walton • Mags@SportStarsOnline.com Information technology John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsOnline.com community SportStars™ Magazine A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA 94521 • info@SportStarsOnline.com www.SportStarsOnline.com

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Austin Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland - Basketball - Senior With his team short-handed in a Jan. 21 game at Piedmont, the Boise State-bound guard took advantage of some special circumstances to set a school scoring record that had stood for 25 years. With the Dragons’ McDonald’s All-American big man Ivan Rabb playing point guard for a night (he would have 14 assists and just three turnovers), Austin moved to shooting guard and delivered an epic shooting peformance. He sank 12 3-pointers and scored 43 points in a 108-77 victory. The previous record of 41 points was set by Jasen Powell in 1990. Rabb’s career-high is 40 points. Bishop O’Dowd begins February with a record of 14-3 and is No. 17 in MaxPreps. com’s Xcellent 25 national rankings.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I came out with a really hot hand,” Austin said of his record night. “I made the first four 3’s that I took and that was in the first two or three minutes of the game. ...

Even when I missed, I still felt like the next one was going in.”

honorable mention Hailey Pascoe: Clayton Valley Charter’s senior hoops star scored a season-high 37 points (including 15 free throws) in a 70-62 win over Castro Valley on Jan. 24. Pascoe is committed to Lehigh University.

Jake Foscalina: The Livermore senior soccer standout scored both of the Cowboys goals in a 2-1 win over De La Salle on Jan. 27. Foscalina has 25 goals through Livermore’s first 19 games.

Jahny Anderson: The Archbishop Mitty junior dropped 27 points (6-for8 shooting on 3-pointers) with five rebounds and four assists as the Monarchs basketball team topped Valley Christian-San Jose on Jan. 23.

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Rapid Fire

milan moses Dublin Basketball & Soccer

Nick Bonniksen El Dorado Football & Baseball

Valentine's day: good or bad Good

Trending What’s hot this week in the world of stuff that’s hot Katy Perry played the Super Bowl halftime show. For the record, Katy: Bam Bam Bigelow wore it better.

Kanye West featured in a selfie two fans took at the Super Bowl and subsequently went viral. His lifeless, sad, uncomprehending stare is better known as ‘The Kardashian.’

The Patriots are the Super Bowl champs. People who root for the Patriots are the same people who wanted to see Billy Zabka get the girl. We’ll wait while you Google that.

A deputy sheriff in Wyoming decided to resign instead of adapt to the new dress code that forbids cowboy boots and cowboy hats. You can’t uphold the law unless you’re a cowboy. Everybody knows this.

Good

who performs at super bowl 50 halftime Usher Miley Cyrus if you won an oscar, what would it be for

Acting

Acting

song you can lip sync best Firework, Katy Perry

Love Story, Taylor Swift

more exciting: NCAA Hoops tourney or baseball returns NCAA Hoops

Baseball

The Super Bowl set records as the most-watched program of all time. When asked why, viewers reportedly were hoping both teams would lose. Alas.

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top five suggestions for new nfl controversies Well. The so-called “Super” Bowl is behind us, and with it the swirling cloud of recrimination, denial and ridiculousness known as Deflate-Gate. But you know how the NFL is. Even when the season is over, the season isn’t over. Nothing is ever over. Which got us thinking about some other stories worth revisiting. Here are our top five gate-worthy (real and imagined) topics from the NFL. 1. Debate-gate. Can we stick Marshawn Lynch and Bill Bellichick in a room together and let them wax rhapsodic on the broader nature of life, the universe and everything? We wonder if Al Michaels can do play-by-play on a staring contest.

2. Incarcerate-gate. Was it just us, or did the National Felons League realize a significant uptick in truly reprehensible behavior this year? And that’s just Roger Goodell’s press conferences…

3. Officiate-gate. So, Anthony Hitchens got flagged for pass interference, and then he didn’t, and the Cowboys beat Detroit. Then Dez Bryant caught the ball, and then he didn’t, and the Packers beat the Cowboys.

Anybody miss the replacement refs?

4. Still-Irate-gate. Speaking of refs, is it too late to go back and check the air pressure on the ball that Tom Brady didn’t fumble when the Raiders didn’t get screwed out of a trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2001? Here’s guessing it was well within the league-defined acceptable range. Just sayin.

5. Kate-gate. Katy Perry. Super Bowl Halftime Show. Nothing scandalous.

Really? There has to be some missing footage. We want those tapes!

—Woodward & Bernstein Kolb

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count 'em

Number of matches without a loss for the Davis High girls soccer program from 1998-2000 — a NorCal record according to Cal-Hi Sports. The Blue Devils went 55-0-2 during that stretch. The current Monte Vista-Danville team entered February with an unbeaten streak of 40 matches (38-0-2).

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Bigger&Faster Thoughts on the CIF’s massive expansion of its football bowl games, plus a look at a new speed camp coming later this month While many are glad that the CIF commissioners will no longer be voting for which teams will play in regional bowl games — and that every CIF section champion will now be playing beyond its section final — the inner workings of the projected new bowl lineups suggest it may be difficult for Northern California schools to beat their southern counterparts in many of the new divisions.

Yes, De La Salle-Concord has won the Open Division five of the last six seasons and Folsom won this year’s Division I state bowl game 68-7, but the new bowl games outside of the Open Division and the other top two or three divisions will be more about the depth of larger, stronger and bigger schools in the South compared to the North. That’s not a knock against the North, but reflects the reality that about two-thirds of the state’s large enrollment schools are in the South.

In mock-up lineups from this year’s section champions and last years, there are many examples of SoCal schools pushing enrollments of 3,000 being in the same divisions as NorCal schools well below 1,000. One of the mock-ups from 2012, in fact, had San Fernando in the south (nearly 3,000) in the same division as LeGrand in the north (less than 400).

These inequalities will exist because the CIF is going to use competitive equity to determine divisions, with the north and south continuing to be split. In essence, the top section champions in the north will be seeded from first to last with the top section champions in the south done the same way. And when you get down to the eighth or ninth best section champion in the north compared to the south, historically the teams in the south are just much bigger and better.

It’s the same problem the NorCal schools face in the Open Division for boys and girls basketball. Too many top NorCal teams get pulled up into the Open Division, which sets it up for SoCal teams to win easily in some of the other divisions.

NEED FOR SPEED

The first Cal-Hi Sports/Gold Medal Excellence Northern California All-Sports Speed Camp coming up on Feb. 28 at Stagg High in Stockton has the benefit of being held one month after the first one was held at Palisades High in Southern California.

A perfect example of the speed camp’s philosophy was on display at Palisades on Jan. 31. Justin Johnson, who just completed his sophomore season at Calabasas, came to the event and was clocked at 4.97 and 5.04 in the 40-yard dash to begin his day.

Johnson then underwent more than two hours of learning from camp director Chris Asher and other coaches how to start properly, how to drive with his legs properly and how to position every part of his body during a sprint.

Before he left the camp, Johnson was timed again. His 40 had dropped to 4.82. Not all of the campers had the same experience because the second timing is done after a long day, but according to Asher all of them would see improvement if they continue to practice what was learned.

Athletes from any sport can benefit with this type of coaching, but it’s especially good for football players getting ready for camps and combines, and for track athletes and baseball players getting ready to start their seasons.

For information about this camp, please visit CalHiSports.com today. ✪ Mark Tennis is the co-founder of Cal-Hi Sports, and publisher of CalHiSports.com. Contact him at markjtennis@ gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @CalHiSports.

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girls basketball Rankings Previous ranking in parentheses; through Jan. 31

1. (1) — Mater Dei-Santa Ana 21-1 Looking like the nation’s No. 1 team will be No. 1 seed in CIF Southern Section Open Div. playoffs.

2. (2) — St. Mary’s-Stockton 21-1 Cal-Hi Sports doesn’t count forfeits in win streaks, so Rams are at 192 league wins and counting.

3. (3) — Long Beach Poly 20-2 Held off No. 17 Alemany 58-54 on Jan. 31 to hold on to state’s No. 3 ranking.

4. (4) — Chaminade-West Hills 18-2 Before Southern Section playoffs, Eagles aim for Mission League title over Alemany.

5. (5) — St. Ignatius-S.F. 16-3 Wildcats entered February looking to avenge a loss to Sacred Heart Cathedral

6. (6) — Miramonte-Orinda 19-2 Mats are just trying to stay healthy for the upcoming NCS and NorCal playoffs

7. (7) — Pinewood-Los Altos Hills 15-2 NorCal Open Div. looms for Panthers, but they’ll be in the CCS Open Div. first.

8. (8) — Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth 16-4 Trailblazers got a well needed rest last week after NorCal trip for MLK showcase.

9. (9) — Oaks Christian-Westlake Village 16-5 Lions continue to hold down a Top 10 spot after two easy Marmonte League wins.

10. (10) — Vanden-Fairfield 19-2 Vikings will be eligible for the NorCal Open Div.; Top 10 ranking seals that deal.

11. (11) — Carondelet-Concord 17-2 The Cougars don’t have much competition this year in the EBAL.

12. (12) — Archbishop Mitty-San Jose 15-3 A 61-58 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral keeps Mitty in thick of the WCAL race.

13. (13) — Salesian-Richmond 21-2 Defeated St. Mary’s-Berkeley 53-42 after only beating Panthers by 3 earlier in year.

14. (14) — Garces-Bakersfield 19-1 Like Vanden in the North, it’s too bad they are eligible for the SoCal Open Div.

15. (17) ▲ Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland 13-7 Young group seems to be getting better and better with postseason approaching.

16. (18) ▲ Brea Olinda-Brea 19-2 Ladycats aren’t in same class as county rival Mater Dei. In one more year? Maybe.

17. (16) ▼ Bishop Alemany-Mission Hills 17-5 Only a one-spot drop for Alemany after a close loss to Long Beach Poly.

18. (19) ▲ Narbonne-Harbor City 16-4* The Gauchos looked good in their two wins in Stockton during MLK weekend.

19. (20) ▲ Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F. 10-9 Latest loss was to Mitty by three with St. Ignatius coming up this week.

20. (NR) ▲ Vista Murrieta-Murrieta 17-6 Tough call for the last spot this week, but strength of schedule is difference. *Forfeit loss not included.

Dropped Out: No. 15 Redondo Union-Redondo Beach.

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boys basketball Rankings Previous ranking in parentheses; through Jan. 31

1. (1) — Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland 15-3 It will be a surprise if the Dragons get much of a test the rest of the regular season.

2. (3) ▲ Mater Dei-Santa Ana 19-3 Monarchs play No. 3 Fairfax in huge game Feb. 7 in their own Nike Extravaganza.

3. (4) ▲ Bishop Montgomery-Torrance 23-1 Stephen Thompson Jr. rained down 37 points in win over Loyola-Los Angeles.

4. (5) ▲ Fairfax-Los Angeles 23-0 Some have Lions among top 5 in nation; trending up after win over former No. 2 Sierra Canyon.

5. (2) ▼ Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth 16-2 Trailblazers drop three spots after their 64-47 loss to unbeaten Fairfax.

6. (7) ▲ Centennial-Corona 16-4 Huskies have overcome a loss to Redondo Union by one point; other loss to Fairfax.

7. (10) ▲ Damien-La Verne 20-2 Spartans could end up with two league wins over both Chino Hills and Etiwanda.

8. (8) — Cathedral-Los Angeles 17-4 No drop for a loss this week because it came vs. one of the top teams in Chicago.

9. (9) — Long Beach Poly 18-3 Not a ton of competition this year for the Jackrabbits in the Moore League.

10. (6) ▼ Redondo Union-Redondo Beach 17-5 Team still adjusting to life without national recruit Billy Preston (transferred out of state).

11. (11) — Price-Los Angeles 19-4 The Knights seem headed for the CIFSS Open Division playoffs.

12. (12) — Chino Hills 16-4* Lonzo and LiAngelo Ball can make it close no matter the opponent.

13. (13) — Moreau Catholic-Hayward 15-5 Frank Knight’s club has played a tough schedule compared to rest of state.

14. (14) — Etiwanda 16-6 Eagles edged Gahr-Cerritos (63-62) in a showcase game at Azusa Pacific.

15. (15) — Campolindo-Moraga 18-2 May end up with a higher overall state rank than Campo’s Div.III state football champs.

16. (17) ▲ Orange Lutheran-Orange 19-3 Lancers have emerged as a solid No. 2 team in the Trinity League behind Mater Dei.

17. (19) ▲ Monte Vista-Danville 18-2 Defending Div. I state champs entered Top 20 after win over De La Salle.

18. (20) ▲ Folsom 20-3 Bulldogs still will likely go up to the NorCal Open Division this season.

19. (NR) ▲ Sacramento 18-4 One of Dragons’ losses was to King-Milwaukee; other three all to CA teams ranked higher.

20. (NR) ▲ De La Salle-Concord 18-2 Only suffered two close losses to Bishop Montgomery and Monte Vista so far. *Forfeit loss not included.

Dropped Out: No. 16 Drake-San Anselmo and No. 18 St. Francis-Mountain View

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Serra, CCS both to blame in consolation calamity

I

n some quarters, Serra football coach Patrick Walsh is being hailed as a hero for refusing to have his team play a meaningless consolation game in the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs — a decision that recently resulted in stiff sanctions against the school and program, including a two-year playoff ban.

Walsh claimed the reason he took the forfeit — and the resulting CCS sanctions — was his concern for the safety of his players.

One question: If Serra had been in the championship game, would Walsh have taken the forfeit? Would the safety of his players have trumped the chance to win a title and maybe play in a state championship game? And if Serra had indeed gone on to play yet another game for a California title, would Walsh have forfeited because of his concern for player safety?

I have no particular background with Walsh, though I saw him play for De La Salle, and he was a gritty warrior who every coach would love to have on his team. His coaching resume is exceptional and he’s turned Serra into a regional power.

But the level of hypocrisy displayed in his supposedly moral stance is simply off the charts. This is not about player safety; this is about winning. And winning held little value in a consolation final — so now player safety is the most important thing? Please …

On the other hand, the blatant greed of the California Interscholastic Federation and CCS is simply disgusting. The CIF is now going to play 73 state championship football games, or some such number, just to fill its coffers, and why anyone in CCS thought consolation football games in a season that’s already way

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too long were a good idea can only be explained by a laserlike focus on the bottom line at the expense of the health and academics of the players it is supposed to protect.

What makes the actions of these administrators even worse is the growing mountain of evidence that the physical price of playing football is simply too high. With the increased emphasis on weight training and speed training, and the increasing size of the players, the force of the many collisions in every game and practice have jumped dramatically — and that jump simply means more knee injuries, more shoulder injuries and of course, more head injuries.

So at one level, Walsh was right. There are too many games, and CIF and CCS are putting profit over the health and safety of teenagers, who just happen to be the people those agencies are supposed to protect.

But on the other hand, Walsh’s hypocrisy undercuts his supposedly moral stance. If indeed he thought the schedule was too long, he should have taken his stand prior to the season. If he were sincere, he would have said in July that his team simply would not participate in the playoffs at all because of the health and safety of his players, and the discussion would have taken place when there was time to make a change.

But to decide that player safety was first and foremost after his team had lost — and there is no one who believes he would have forfeited the championship game — is quitting, plain and simple.

In the end, then, there are no winners in this sorry scenario. The greed of CIF and CCS is reprehensible; the hypocrisy of Walsh is not far behind — and the only heroes are the young athletes who risk their long-term health so adults can reap the rewards. ✪

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Clay Kallam’s “Behind the Clipboard” feature will return in March.

Instead, he uses his space this week to write an opinion piece on a hot-button controversy which has recently unfolded in the Central Coast Section.

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Campolindo is back on top thanks to the stand out performances of it’s football team (and Max Flower, at right in photo) and Kelley Wirth and the volleyball team.

1. Campolindo......................4,150 2. De La Salle.......................2,700 3. Piedmont.........................2,550 4. Monte Vista.....................2,150 5. Dougherty Valley............ 1,850 6. Las Lomas.......................1,700 7. Bishop O'Dowd.................1,450 8. Clayton Valley Charter.......1,350 9. Northgate........................1,200 10. James Logan.................1,150 11. Mission San Jose..................... 1,100 12. Heritage.................................... 1,050 13. Granada.................................... 1,000 14. (tie) St. Joseph Notre Dame....... 950 San Ramon Valley........................ 950 16. Miramonte.................................... 650 17. Berkeley....................................... 600 18. Kennedy-Fremont....................... 550 19. (tie) Alameda............................... 500 Salesian........................................ 500 21. (tie) Liberty................................... 400 St. Mary’s-Berkeley...................... 400 23. (tie) Arroyo................................... 350 California....................................... 350

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25. Albany.......................................... 300 26. (tie) Amador Valley...................... 200 College Park................................. 200 Deer Valley................................... 200 Encinal.......................................... 200 Foothill........................................... 200 Head-Royce.................................. 200 Hercules........................................ 200 John Swett.................................... 200 Pittsburg........................................ 200 San Leandro................................. 200 Stellar Prep................................... 200

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The SportStars Cup competition is back for its fourth year, and three-time winner Campolindo is showing no signs of relinquishing its stronghold as the most dominant athletics program in the East Bay. As a quick reminder, the competition runs the length of the school year and culminates in mid-June with the crowning of the East Bay’s most successful high school athletic program.

Schools can accumulate points through a variety of ways. They are as follows: 100 — Have an athlete named SportStars of the Year (Fall, Winter or Spring) 200 — Win a team league title 250 — Have an athlete be named All-State (First-team overall only) 300 — Win a section championship (team or individual) 350 — Win a scholastic section championship for highest team GPA 400 — Win an individual NorCal title 500 — Win a team NorCal title 700 — Win an individual state title 1,000 — Win a team state title These are the point standings through nearly all of the Fall season.

With all the fall championships tabulated, Campolindo holds a near-1,500 point advantage of constant-pursuer De La Salle. Campolindo’s football team accounted for nearly half of its point total for the fall after the Cougars won their first CIF State Bowl championship in dramatic fashion. De La Salle also swept the football categories, and will likely pick up a few more points in the coming week as Cal-Hi Sports releases the remainder of its All-State Football selections.

A quick glance at the rest of the top five brings might raise a few eyebrows.

Piedmont had an exceptional fall season with three league titles, three section titles and three scholastic titles. The Highlanders’ fall total of 2,550 points is already 600 more than their full year’s total for 2013-14. Monte Vista, which had five section titles — the most of any school during the fall, is comfortably in fourth and looks set up for its best Cup performance yet. Dougherty Valley, thanks to its golf program and three scholastic titles, begins 2014-15 right where it closed last year, in fifth.

The winter playoffs are just weeks away and we’ll do it all over again. Stay tuned. ✪ — Chace Bryson

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That’s Dublin girls basketball on the other side of the door to the championship party — and the Gaels are ready to burst on through Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

A

s the clock wound down in the third quarter of Dublin High’s 81-65 loss to Miramonte on Jan. 23 in Orinda, the Gaels had a hard time holding back their frustration.

Despite 37 points from senior guard Milan Moses (a season high), Dublin’s girls were unable to stay with the fast-paced Matadors, led by highly-recruited guard Sabrina Ionescu — ranked 5th in the national class of 2016

by ESPN — and her triple-double of 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals.

“We did everything you can do to prepare for a game like this,” said Dublin coach Trisha Campbell following the loss.

“It just comes down to your mental toughness. I’m a big proponent of not letting yourself get down on (officiating) calls or things you can’t control.”

During a stretch in the second half where Dublin’s shooting went cold, Miramonte amped up its half-court trapping defense, and the Gaels fell behind. “Miramonte, I think, kept a very level head. We want it so bad, and I think sometimes we can be our own biggest enemies,” said Campbell.

Dublin’s frustration during the game, though, might be symptomatic of something else: pride, and a bolstered sense of self-confidence.

Despite the loss on Friday, the Gaels record was an impressive 16-2, with the only other slip-up coming early in the season against Fairfax-Los Angeles. Dublin’s girls were mad at themselves simply because they know they’re good enough to beat the Matadors, an annual staple within NorCal basketball’s upper echelon.

Story by Nick Hastings | Photos by Phil Walton

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“We had so many people doubting us, and no one knew who we were. So we have to prove to people we actually belong.”

— Milan Moses “We had so many people doubting us, and no one knew who we were,” recalls Moses, Dublin’s leading scorer. “So we have to prove to people that we actually belong, that we’re a good team, and that we can reach the next level.”

The ‘next level’ that Milan referred to? A North Coast Section championship. Possibly even a CIF state title. At the very least, though, they’d like a win their next matchup with Miramonte on Feb. 12 in Dublin.

“In the past, (Miramonte) always slaughtered us,” Moses remembers. “It was such a good feeling to show that we can keep up with them.”

It’s not just Milan who feels ready to rise up and take down the Matadors. Coach Campbell herself is a Dublin graduate, and remembers facing Miramonte in her playing days.

“I was probably more nervous than the girls,” Campbell said with a laugh. “It’s always a great game (against Miramonte). I know that in order to be a great team and really get to that next level, this is our competition. And it’s really a test for us.”

Added senior forward Julyana Amante, “That night there was a lot of tension. It was really important for us to win that game, but in the big picture, we just want to get them next time.”

As bad as Dublin would like to vanquish its Miramonte demons, the Matadors won’t be standing in their path come March when the Gaels look to win the program’s first NCS title since hanging its first and only section banner in 1988. Miramonte will be attempting to repeat as Division III champions while Dublin will be in the Division II bracket hoping to unseat three-time defending champs Carondelet.

The Gaels may appear to have come out of nowhere as contenders, but their evolution happened gradually, through familiarity and continuity. Moses, Amante and senior post JoJuan Carrington are all four-year varsity players and have come together through thick and thin.

“I’m really close with Milan and Julyana,” Carrington said. “The amount of time we’ve spent

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together really forged a strong bond. We can talk to each other honestly, without judgment.”

Adds Amante, “We’ve really grown to know each other on the court and off the court. The way we hang out impacts the way we play together.”

Although the Gaels lean on their three lettermen for oncourt production and vocal leadership, the players maintain that the team isn’t over-reliant on any one person in particular. “We don’t have set leaders,” said Carrington. “Everyone’s a

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leader. The younger players look up to the seniors, but we all try to support each other. Everyone has a voice.”

The all-for-one attitude extends past the players, too.

Campbell exhibits a laid-back attitude, allowing her players the freedom to lead themselves to success — and failure.

“I try to let my players pick themselves back up after a turnover or a bad call, to help them grow. The girls feed off me (during games) so I need to stay calm and composed because I expect them to stay calm and composed and play smart.”

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The players appreciate the freedom Campbell affords them.

“She’s is really good,” Moses said. “She’s really different from (previous coach Mark Wainwright, who stepped down in 2013). She won’t be up off the bench as much during games.

She lets us dictate our own flow.”

Amante agreed. “It’s a different perspective (from Wainwright), coaching-wise. She gives us a little more freedom to run what we want to run because she knows that we have experience. She’s a good coach, and she knows how we play.”

And how do the Dublin girls play, exactly? Fast and furious.

Of Moses’ 37 points against Miramonte, nearly 20 came off fast-break layups. The Gaels rely on their stifling zone defense and rebounding from Carrington and Amante to spring Moses open for outlet passes and fast-break buckets.

Dublin’s dream scenario began to play out in the first quarter against Miramonte, as Moses scored the first 14 points for the Gaels on a dizzying array of layups, floaters and rainbow 3-pointers.

The Matadors pushed back, though, tightening their grip defensively with Ionescu flying through the passing Julyana Amante lanes, stealing everything in sight.

“We just got a little sloppy,” recalls Carrington. “When a team is coming back on you, you can’t let up. You have to go even harder to keep your lead. I don’t think we did that very well.”

Moses’ scoring barrage slowed down some, as the Gaels’ offense began to turn the ball over more. “I was so frustrated.

My dad said ‘keep your composure, stay calm’, and I just tried to avoid getting a (technical foul).”

Although the Gaels entered (and left) the Miramonte game as an underdog, they’re quickly shedding their cocoon and emerging as one of the best teams in the Bay Area. “There’s definitely a lot of pressure that comes with being successful,” Amante admits. “But it’s also very rewarding. We worked very hard to get to where we are today, and it should raise expectations.”

Carrington says she, too, feels the target on Dublin’s back.

“Other teams think we’re the team to beat and they’re going to come after us hard,” she said. “We have to play with the same intensity every night. To me, I feel like I have a lot left to prove. I don’t give in to the pressure. You have to take it game by game, and you have to work. Nothing is given.”

The Gaels’ success this season isn’t surprising anyone within the program, and Campbell’s “mental toughness” mantra has been infectious.

“Things aren’t always going to go your way,” Amante said.

“You just have to stay strong, and if things turn out your way, great. If not, move on and keep your head up.”

Campbell knows that the best is yet to come from her team.

“When you’re tired and have to dig deep to find that second wind, that second gear… That’s when great things happen.”

When asked about the team’s goals for the remainder of the season, Carrington laughed. “Don’t let up. Don’t let any rankings or the politics of basketball get into your head. Leave it all on the floor. Be ourselves.”

Not surprisingly, that’s how they got here in the first place. ✪ Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Mastery

MUSTANG

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Ranked No. 1 in the nation, Monte Vista girls soccer is on a roll that could bring it its third NCS title in four years

S

omewhere between the final months of 2011 and January 2012, Monte Vista girls soccer coach Brett LeQuesne certainly must have come to the realization that he had hit the jackpot.

Coaches who stay in the profession long enough always have at least one special class that transforms a program. When he kept eight freshman on his 2011-12 team, LeQuesne had to be pretty certain he’d found his.

“From the start of their freshman year, the work ethic of these girls has just been phenomenal,” the coach said.

All eight of those freshman still suit up for the Mustangs as seniors now. And while the Monte Vista program was no slouch before their arrival — it did claim five NCS championships from 1992 to 2005 — it’s never been better than it is right now.

With a 3-0 win against visiting California on Jan. 29, the Mustangs improved to 15-0 on the season and extended a near two-year unbeaten streak to 40 games.

Monte Vista hasn’t lost a match since losing the North Coast Section Division I final 1-0 to arch rival San Ramon Valley on Feb. 23, 2013. Since then, the Mustangs went 23-0-2 a season ago and finished the year atop StudentSports.com’s Fab 50 national rankings after avenging that championship loss to San Ramon Valley with a 2-1 victory.

With the 15-0 start, the Mustangs begin February as the No. 1 team in the nation according to the much-respected Top Drawer Soccer rankings.

“What makes them so special is that they have some really good athletes, good kids and they play together on clubs and that translates well when they get out there (for Monte Vista),” said San Ramon Valley coach Mark Jones, who from 2012 to 2014 coached his program to a 46-match unbeaten streak that included 11 draws and ended with a loss to Monte Vista. “They just play well as a team. You have to give them credit. They’re playing in the toughest girls soccer league in the section and they’re finding ways to score goals.”

They’re also finding ways to prevent them.

Monte Vista’s back row and the senior goalkeeping tandem of Leah Emerson and Taylor Winters have posted 13 shutouts and allowed just two goals over the team’s first 15 games. Emerson and Winters weren’t part of that octet of freshman from the 2011-12 team which became the youngest to ever win an NCS title, but plenty of this season’s scoring punch comes from that group.

With Lindsay Rood (nine goals) and Mallory Hromatko (eight) leading the way, the four-year seniors have accounted

for 26 of the team’s first 34 goals.

“We’ve been with each other for four years now,” Hromatko said of her fellow classmates. “We’ve gone through a lot together by winning NCS as freshmen and also losing our sophomore year. We’re at our closest right now. We just want to go out with a bang.”

Hromatko is a co-captain and the unquestioned catalyst for the Mustangs.

The UC Santa Barbara-bound forward had 13 goals and 15 assists as a junior, but her role during the unbeaten streak has gone beyond stats.

“She’s kind of like our sparkplug,” LeQuesne said. “She’s like an Energizer Bunny. She’s non-stop. She just keeps going and going and going. From her freshman year and right up to now, she’s always been consistent.”

Then there’s Rood, who just might be the purest athlete on the team. Perhaps even the purest in a school full of talented female athletes.

Consider that this isn’t the only Monte Vista team she’s been a four-year starter for, and that soccer isn’t even her No. 1 sport.

Rood signed a letter of intent in November to play softball at Cal. A talented shortstop, Rood lead the middle-of-the-road Mustangs in every conceivable offensive category in 2014. She hit .400 with 14 RBI, 19 runs, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs and 19 stolen bases.

“For a softballer she makes a pretty good soccer player,” LeQuesne said with a chuckle. “I think she has come along as well (since her freshman season). When we click, she’s the one who is sort of driving us.”

But to focus on just a few players is an injustice to what the Mustangs soccer team is doing as a whole. After a Jan. 27 win

Story by Chace Bryson | Photos by Phillip Walton Monte Vista has built its success around stars such as Mallory Hromatko (top left), Madeline Gibson (bottom left), Lindsay Rood (bottom right) and Nicole Rivas (top), Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

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Monte Vista has built its success around stars such as Mallory Hromatko (top left), Madeline Gibson (bottom left), Lindsay Rood (bottom right) and Nicole Rivas (top),

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Monte Vista’s Marissa Savoldi

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at Granada, LeQuesne used an NBA analogy by pointing out that it would be similar to putting all of the Golden State Warriors’ current success on AllStars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

“On the way over today, we were talking about the similarities between us and the Warriors right now,” the coach said. “You look at the Warriors and every one has a role, Bogut is key because of his defense and Draymond Green is the heart … And I think that’s the same with all of us. Each girl brings something so dynamic that it’s sort of hard to pinpoint one kid in what they’re all doing.”

Among the other four-year starters, Madeline Gibson and Arianna Zamora have four goals each. Chelsea Barry, the team’s other captain, has five assists. Marissa Savoldi is an integral part of the defensive unit.

But it’s not all seniors, either. Junior forward Amanda Outcalt ranks third on the team with six goals and has three assists as well. Sophomore Nicole Rivas was mentioned by Hromatko as a player who has really surprised her.

“We can have players out and not miss a beat,” LeQuesne said. “That’s really really helpful for us. But it’s also tough for me because we have so much talent on the bench, and trying to get them all in is really tough.”

Yet at the same time, all that talent peacefully co-exists and is all pulling on the same end of the rope. Much of which can be attributed to the leadership and unselfishness of that same group of seniors.

“Honestly, out of the four years I’ve been playing, this is the year where we’re actually a family,” Hromatko said. “We don’t really separate grades and we’re all intermixed with each other. We pick each other up on the field, and at both games and practices we’re all giving 100 percent together.”

LeQuesne can smile through it all. He and his coaching staff know they’ll have talented teams in the future, but this is the ride they’ll recount in coaching circles for years to come.

It’s also a ride the seniors don’t plan on ending without a third NCS crown.

If it does, it won’t be due to complacency.

“I don’t think we’ve played our best yet,” Hromatko said. “We have so much potential to be even better than we’re playing right now.”

Prospective NCS Division I playoff teams shudder at the thought. ✪

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Boys Soccer Notes

Berry Evans III photos

Luis Mendoza readies to fire in a goal for Richmond against Albany.

Richmond’s Time Stars finally aligned for the Oilers to win first NCS title since ‘94

A collective groan resonated throughout the East Bay boys soccer Division II landscape when it was revealed Richmond would be in that very bracket come playoff time.

The Oilers, a perennial Division I power, saw their school’s enrollment drop 200 below the threshold. And after petitioning up to Div. I a year ago, it made sense to remain in Div. II this season.

Though the Oilers immediately became heavy favorites, don’t crown them champions just yet.

There are some very good teams (Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland and Pinole Valley to name a couple), and besides, Richmond is not thinking that far ahead.

“We were careful not to focus on NCS early on,” Richmond coach Rene Siles said. “As the league ends, and things become real, we’re starting to talk about NCS playoffs very carefully, focusing on our next game.

Regardless, I think it’s on everybody’s mind.

“They know what they want, and it’s not the league title.”

The Oilers, led by senior Addison Escobar and junior Luis Mendoza, wrapped up the Tri-Counties Athletic League’s Rock Division title with a win over Albany on Jan. 28. However, the goal is to win the program’s first NCS title since 1994. To do so would mean a great deal for a school in which the top sport is boys soccer, and by a wide margin.

“Soccer means a lot to our community. It’s part of its Richmond’s Jimmy Guerra culture,” Siles said. “Just go to one of the big games at Richmond to have an idea of what that means. Generations of Oilers have had this dream. It’s time to make it real.”

PILOTS TAKE FLIGHT

Since the NCS boys soccer playoff format expanded to two divisions in 2001, St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda has not reached the postseason. This year, that could change.

The Pilots reached 10 wins in their first 16 matches and will be eligible when the NCS selection committee meets in mid-February to determine the at-large berths and set the playoff brackets.

“This group is thrilled to be fighting for a bid,” St. Joseph coach Seth Feldman said. “The juniors, seniors and coaching staff have been part of those rebuilding years where we lost games 10, 12 and 18 to nothing. Now we know that we can play with those teams and we relish the chance to be part of the tournament.”

CCS GLANCE

After winning the Central Coast Section Division I title a year ago, Watsonville is at it again. The Wildcatz are ranked No. 4 in the state by Top Drawer Soccer and have allowed just seven goals over their first 14 games — all wins. They won’t be alone in the race for the title as Mt. PleasantSan Jose (20), Alisal (21) and Bellarmine Prep-San Jose are all ranked in Top Drawer’s top 25. ✪ — Matt Smith

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The Future is Fragile

Next Level Knowledge By Scott Mayo

Several things factor into the recruiting process, but there’s one guiding principle you should follow I recently spoke with a former Division-I college lacrosse player named Matt. Matt was lightly recruited and received a partial scholarship at Towson University in Maryland. His younger brother, who also played lacrosse, was one year behind Matt in school. The younger brother became the No. 1 recruit in the country with full-ride offers from Duke, Johns Hopkins, Virginia and many other great lacrosse schools.

During the younger brother’s recruiting process, an Ivy League head coach arrived for an in-home visit. Upon hearing both kids played, the coach told two rather proud parents, “I have roster spots for both your boys.” Matt transferred and the two brothers began what appeared to be a dream come true.

Unfortunately, that athletic dream came to a screeching halt.

Midway through his second season, Matt developfed persistent hairline fractures in both legs. Unable to run, his college lacrosse career ended abruptly. To make matters worse for the family, that same season, the younger brother suffered a career-ending concussion when he was accidentally kneed in the back of the head.

While athletics did not work out for either boy, they both ended up with degrees from a top tier school. Near the end of our conversation I asked Matt if he had any words of advice. He replied, “Plan like you’re

gonna break your leg tomorrow.”

His words hit very close to home.

After his junior season of football, our oldest son, Mitchell, was getting preliminary contacts from some great schools.

Always motivated to succeed, Mitchell spent many, many hours on the field, in the gym and at the library preparing for his senior year. With only two weeks left in the summer, and with football’s dreaded double days just around the corner, I was sitting downstairs as Mitchell made his way out the door.

“I’m going to the park to play pickup soccer,” he said.

Two hours later, the phone rang. “Dad?” Mitchell said, “I sprained my ankle pretty bad. Can you have a bucket of ice ready? Justin is bringing me home now.” My heart sank. Mitchell would be out for ten weeks with a broken leg and college football disappeared from his future.

At some point, your sport will end, so be sure to do well in the classroom. Also… “Plan like you’re gonna break your leg tomorrow.” ✪ Scott Mayo and his wife Jennifer are the founders of Next Level College Advisors, a consultation and support service for aspiring college athletes and their families. The Mayos have gone through the recruiting process with all three of their children. To learn more about NCLA, visit NextLevelCollegeAdvisors.com

Did you sign a letter of intent during the NCAA Late Signing Period? Let SportStars know by emailing us at editor@sportstarsonline.com. We hope to publish a full list of NorCal athletes by Feb. 11.

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W

hen the Liberty High football team roared back to life this fall, Jesse Gregerson had a front-row seat as the Lions community embraced the most successful team in program history.

The senior linebacker certainly played a big role. Recording 90 tackles from his linebacker position, Gregerson found himself in the middle of the action more often than not. While he helped revive a football program long dormant, Gregerson’s true talents lie on the mat. There, in the Liberty wrestling room, the senior doesn’t need to lead any sort of epic turnaround. Instead, his role as one of the few upperclassmen on a young team is the polar opposite.

Now, his focus is centered on continuing a tradition of excellence.

Gregerson knows the history because he grew up in it. A product of the Delta Wrestling Club program that has produced so many state-caliber wrestlers, he competes for a coach in Greg Chappel that ranks among the most respected in the nation. As he tries to put his final stamp on the Liberty program, the weight of what lies before him hasn’t escaped Liberty’s 160-pounder. “It’s been an honor wrestling for Chappel and being part of the program. He’s been my mentor since I was young,” Gregerson said. “We are (known) around this area for good wrestling and I’m glad to keep that going.”

Always an intense figure in the room, Gregerson has at times found it hard to find a consistent training partner. With a unique style that relies on his physical nature, Chappel said assistant coach Jake Edwards has played the role of workout partner most frequently.

“He’s been doing a good job. He’s lost a couple matches but it’s been when I’ve had him up wrestling against bigger guys,” Chappel said. “That’s my whole idea, to keep him wrestling the tougher people and, when state comes along and he’s at his weight class, he’ll be a little more physical.”

Gregerson cruised along early in the season as one of the favorites to top the podium at the North Coast Section individual tournament later this month. He placed first at 170 pounds at the Lou Bronzan Invitational, went 7-0 at the Moanalua Holiday Duals in Hawaii and placed third at the Joe Rios Invitational in Chico.

That brought Gregerson to the Tim Brown Memorial in Sacramento and, wrestling at the 160 pounds that he’ll carry into the postseason, Liberty’s senior leader let his guard Phillip Walton photos down and lost the championship match by pinfall to Windsor’s Beau Colombini. While that resulted in Colombini being ranked two spots higher (No. 12 to No. 14) in the most recent state rankings released by TheCaliforniaWrestler.com, Gregerson now knows the game plan should the two meet again.

“I feel like I need to get my mind right before the match, be focused and have a game plan, not just go in there and see whatever happens,” Gregerson said. “I beat him the last two years, so I kind of underestimated him and got caught.”

In the meantime, Liberty’s quest for another Bay Valley Athletic League title seems in good shape. A 55-15 win over Freedom on Jan. 28 saw Gregerson stick Falcons standout Stephen Carter in just 40 seconds and the Lions win 11 of 14 matches.

“That was a huge deal,” Gregerson said. “We thought it was going to be a close one. We went in there and did our thing.”

Though the focus will turn primarily toward individual accomplishments once the middle of February rolls around, Gregerson is still very much invested in the development of his younger teammates. League titles still mean quite a bit in wrestling, which means the Lions definitely have their sights set on the BVAL Championships that take place Feb. 20 at Liberty.

To add yet another crown to an already crowded trophy case, work continues for the Lions. Senior Grant Ferris has been a key team leader alongside Gregerson. Sophomore Sergio Napoles won the 120-pound title at the Lou Bronzan Invitational while junior Bryar Edwards had to default out of the Bronzan, but placed second at the Joe Rios Invitational at 120 pounds. Junior Justin Hansz has had a strong start to the season with runner-up finishes at both the Bronzan and Joe Rios and a fifth-place showing at the Tim Brown and Chappel mentioned Cole Zanarini as one underclassman who has taken also taken a big step forward.

“We have a very young squad,” Gregerson said. “I didn’t really know what we were going to be like because a lot of people graduated. We went to Hawaii and wrestled our butts off. The young guys showed they were the real deal and showed they can keep the tradition going.”

wrestling NOTES

›› As one of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s top meets every year, the Tim Brown Memorial routinely attracts some of the state’s best to the Sacramento area. Held this year at Jackson Sports Academy in McClellan Park, fans got a chance to see a host of state-ranked grapplers including the state No. 1 at 126 pounds, Israel Saavedra of Modesto.

But, even though there was plenty of talent on display, it was the one match that didn’t happen that could have been the star attraction. Woodcreek’s Dominic Balmer and Casa Roble’s Jake Minshew, ranked No. 2 and 3 respectively at 285 pounds, were set for a showdown in the final that would have been the first meeting of the year for the two Sac-Joaquin Section standouts. The match never got off the ground, as Balmer defaulted out with a rib injury sustained earlier in the tournament.

The two heavyweights remain prohibitive favorites to battle for not only the SJS but also a high place at the state tournament in March. ›› The postseason unofficially begins Feb. 7-8 for several state powers when the Mission San Jose Invitational kicks off for the 40th time. Defending California Interscholastic Federation state champion Clovis returns to try and defend its 2014 MSJ crown, while Central Coast Section champion Gilroy, NCS powers De La Salle and James Logan and a host of other strong teams are confirmed to compete at one of Northern California’s premier tournaments. ›› Speaking of Gilroy, one of Northern California’s greatest active wrestlers at the collegiate level is back on the mat. Mustangs legend Jesse Delgado returned to the University of Illinois lineup on Jan. 30 after being out of action since an injury at the Illini Quad on Nov. 9 sidelined him. Delgado, who placed in the top four at the CIF state championships all four years and won the 2009 state title, is the two-time defending NCAA champion at 125 pounds. ✪ — SportStars Staff

es n i l d a e h n o s r e eg r G e s s e J r e l t s ter s o r Senior wre y t r e b i L g un o y g n i s i m o r p a Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

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National Spotlight Jesuit Rugby begins its quest for another U.S. title while seven NorCal players earn All-America Team invites

T

he 2015 high school rugby season officially started with the 31st An- with Jesuit players during the stay. nual Kick-Off Tournament (KOT) at Cordova High School, and the “It’s very special to play and host touring teams, which we have done for seven-time national champion Jesuit Marauders were present Satur- 18 years,” Shorey said. day to begin their quest for an eighth national title.

“It is a great exchange of cultures and rugby.”

Jesuit came as close as they could get without winning number eight last year, falling 27-26 to Washington D.C.’s Gonzaga College High School. But USA Rugby just recently announced its Boys High School All-America head coach John Shorey is hopeful that the Marauders can find the extra team, which will be competing in the 2015 Las Vegas Invitational in early points at the end of what he calls a “reload and rebuild year” in 2015.

“We are not as deep as last year, but we have a lot of talented players, in- February. Twenty-eight players will be competing for the team when play cluding some that won the Tier 2 National Championship last year,” Shorey begins on Feb. 10.

The competition will start alongside the USA Sevens, the fifth leg of the said.

“We probably have a better team across the board, but we don’t have that 2014-15 World Rugby HSBC Sevens World Series. The HSBC Sevens World Series is an annual elite-level series where top professional rugby players home run threat that we have had in the past.”

A trio of returning seniors bring plenty of leadership and talent to the compete against each other throughout the year for the World Series Chamlatest championship quest. Robert Paylor, a 6-foot-5, 240-pounder who also pionship. National teams compete for the title by accumulating points based played defensive end and offensive tackle for Jesuit’s football team, is a team on their finishing position in each of the nine series tournaments. The fifth captain and is committed to play rugby at Cal next year rather than pursue “leg” is being held in Las Vegas February 13-14.

Leading up to this Sevens World Series is the Las Vegas Invitational which football further.

Luke Bagley had a strong opening tournament and will be relied upon includes competition amongst many different ages and levels from middle school-aged players to the top men’s and to lead the Marauders’ strong forward pack, women’s club teams in the country. This is according to Shorey. Wing Joe Deterding is where the Boys High School All-American a solid scoring threat who also looked sharp team will be competing in the High School at the KOT. The Sacramento Eagles, a multi-school team that Elite Division against other teams from the “We will rely on returning seniors and includes players primarily from El Camino and Rio U.S and Canada. will be leaning on their experience and Americano High Schools, also kicked off their season at Picked to the BHSAA team were seven physical gifts as we move forward,” Shorey the KOT. student athletes from Northern California, The young program has seen a shift in its roster from added. mostly El Camino athletes to a Rio majority this year for including Chase Bixby and Matthew Rogers Jesuit will spend most of February and the first time. Coach Mark Fuller attributes the growth of of Granite Bay, Erik Cortinas and Leki Fotu March facing local and regional singlethe Rio Americano contingent to the acceptance of the of Peninsula Green Rugby Club, Christian school teams, including Dixon and Granite Raiders’ football coaches allowing and encouraging playDyer of Jesuit, Kyle Makaiwi of Danville Bay, before hosting international foes in late ers to try rugby in football’s offseason.

Oaks Rugby Club and Nathaniel Short of March as a mid-season tune-up for the 2015 “The Rio football coaches are completely on board, Dixon Rugby Club.

Boys High School Rugby National Chamfrom the freshmen to the varsity program,” Fuller said.

“I have been attending the winter camps pionship in May. The national tournament, “Getting the football players before they are seniors helps in Arizona since my sophomore year and did which features single-school and multipleto elevate their rugby skill set and can be great in the not get the call. But this year, my senior year, school club team competitions, has been developmental years for both football and rugby.”

I was chosen,” Short said. “I am truly honheld in Elkhart, Indiana, each of the last two Senior captain Nick Hyrekewicz is a former football ored. This is my seventh year overall playing years, but organizers are still finalizing a loplayer whose focus on rugby has led him to Saint Mary’s rugby and I just love the game.” cation for the event.

College where he’ll compete collegiately. John Maves, Short looks to advance his rugby playing Many rugby observers and experts are a senior OT/DE for the Raiders, is in his fourth year days at Arizona State next year while majorbetting on an East Coast location for the with the Sac Eagles. Juniors Jonah Cartwright and Ben ing in Kinesiology & Sports Medicine. Short May 14-16 tourney.

Maves have both played football and rugby for three will be manning the scrum-half or fly-half At the end of March, the Marauders will years now and have developed into strong players for the positions. Both positions are akin to being host two teams from New Zealand, and will Eagles. Junior Logan Lathrop played inside linebacker for the quarterback of the team and often the play them as well as an all-star team from Rio Americano and joined the rugby team this year where lead decision-maker. ✪ England over a nearly two-week span. The Fuller says he could develop into a star on the pitch.

— Jim McCue & Darin Wissner student-athletes from New Zealand will live

NORCAL REPRESENT

EAGLES GET GRIDIRON BOOST

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Records are through Jan. 31 1. (1)

— St. Mary’s-Stockton

21-1

2. (3)

▲

Miramonte-Orinda

19-2

3. (2)

▼

St. Ignatius-S.F.

16-3

4. (5)

▲

Pinewood-Los Altos Hills

15-2

5. (6)

▲

Vanden-Fairfield

19-2

6. (7)

▲

Carondelet-Concord

17-2

7. (9)

▲

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

15-3

8. (12)

▲

Salesian-Richmond

19-2

9. (11)

▲

Eastside Prep-Palo Alto

15-3

10. (10) — Dublin

18-2

11. (NR) ▲

Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland

13-7

12. (4)

St. Mary’s-Berkeley

17-7

13. (14) ▲

Scotts Valley

17-2

14. (13) ▼

Berkeley

14-7

15. (8)

▼

Brookside Christian-Stockton

18-2

16. (NR) ▲

Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F.

10-9

17. (16) ▼

Antelope

18-1

18. (17) ▼

Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills

19-3

19. (18) ▼

James Logan-Union City

17-3

20. (19) ▼

Modesto Christian

17-4

▼

Las Lomas’ Rob Prince

DROPPED OUT Dennis Lee photos

No. 15 Sacramento and No. 20 Inderkum-Sacramento

BIGGEST MOVER Because of some logistical issues, this is the first set of girls basketball rankings we’ve run since Jan. 11, so of course there was going to be some heavy shuffling. The big mover was Bishop O’Dowd, which began the season No. 4 in these rankings but dropped out after a 5-7 start.

Since then, the Dragons have gone 8-0 and re-enter at No. 11 after big wins over Berkeley, Sacred Heart Cathedral (also returning to the rankings) and La Jolla Country Day. Sacred Heart jumps back in the rankings after a big WCAL win over then-No. 2 St. Ignatius and a nonleague win over Vista Murrieta-Murietta on MLK Day.

TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 17 32

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February 2015

On the surface, it was just another Diablo Foothill Athletic League game on a Friday night at Las Lomas High in Walnut Creek.

But after 26 minutes of game action on Jan. 23, it became something else to the host Knights. Las Lomas was facing a 53-49 deficit to Dougherty Valley-San Ramon with 6:35 left in the game. The team was reeling from back-to-back tough defeats at Dublin (on a buzzer-beater that made SportsCenter) and at home against state-ranked Campolindo. A third straight loss had the potential to derail the season for a young, promising Knights squad.

Coach Sol Henik put all three of his freshmen on the floor. It

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was going to be a sink-or-swim moment.

And the Knights responded.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by freshmen Jason Holman and Devin Payne effectively iced the game with a little more than a minute to go. Las Lomas scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and Holman, Payne and freshman point guard Rob Prince combined to account for 13 of them in a 68-63 win.

“Since I’ve been here I’ve never had a freshman on the varsity, and now I have three in one season,” said Henik, now in his third year running the varsity program. “You get a lot of talk from the public, and they don’t know what goes on. Everyone knows that

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“I can’t say enough about Rob Prince. He’s just doing an unbelievable job under pressure. ... When he came to me in the summer I was just about to cut him. But he’s so coachable and works so hard.”

— Las Lomas coach Sol Henik these three freshman deserve to be on varsity and get playing time.”

After winning that game, the Knights reeled off three more wins to close out January with a 15-6 record on the season. They will travel to Campolindo for a rematch against the league’s top dog on Feb. 6. The first meeting ended in an 80-73 win for the Cougars, but Las Lomas kept the score close throughout. The Knights trailed by just fiveafter three quarters.

Though they all finished the game on the floor, Prince was the only one of the three youngsters to start the game against Dougherty Valley. He finished with 10 points, five assists and three steals.

“I can’t say enough about Rob Prince,” Henik gushed. “He’s just doing an unbelievable job under pressure. ... When he came to me in the summer I was just about to cut him. But he’s so coachable and works so hard.”

Meanwhile, Holman finished as the second-leading scorer for the Knights in the pivotal win against Dougherty Valley. He scored 12 on four 3-pointers.

“For being 5-foot-7, 117 pounds, I know what he can bring,” Henik said of Holman. “He’s the most fundamentally sound player in the entire program, and he’s also the best 3-point shooter in the entire program. ... He’s got the green light. I always let him know, ‘Man, just let it rip.’”

As much as the freshmen have played a role in Las Lomas’ strong start, the Knights wouldn’t be where they’re at without the leadership of senior co-captains Ben Wood and Andrew King.

Wood was especially dynamic in the win over Dougherty Valley, posting team-highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds to go with three blocked shots.

“He’s a workhorse,” Henik said. “I rely on Ben to do everything. ... I can demand things and he’s like ‘Yes, Coach. I’ll do more.

What else can I do?’ He’s a rare breed and he’s the most valuable player on our team.”

Beyond the stats, the greatest value Wood and King have been able to provide is stability and camaraderie amongst the roster.

That’s not always easy when there’s such a gap between ages on a roster. Other than Henik and his coaching staff, the biggest supporters of the freshmen are their upperclassmen teammates.

“The entire team trusts all three of them,” Henik said.

Las Lomas enters the final month in great shape to grab a Top 5 seed in Division II and give itself the potential of hosting at least one North Coast Section playoff game. The Knights are 2-2 in the postseason under Henik. They’ve been eliminated in the quarterfinals each of the past two seasons, including a tough 70-62 overtime loss to Concord a year ago.

The program’s last NCS title came in 2008 and its last trip to the finals was in 2011 when the Knights lost to Montgomery-Santa Rosa 58-51. This year’s Division II bracket is sure to include both Montgomery and Concord among the top seeds, as well as NorCal-power El Cerrito. The Gauchos, a Division III finalist a year ago before being pulled into the CIF Open Division for the state playoffs, has petitioned up a division for 2014-15.

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Las Lomas’ Ben Wood

Henik and the young Knights aren’t concerning themselves with any of that just yet.

“It’s always one game at a time,” he said with a grin.

Should Las Lomas find a way into the NCS semifinals, thereby guaranteeing a trip to the state playoffs, Henik might very well look back to that Jan. 23 game when his team made the choice that it wanted to swim, not sink.

NOTES: On Jan. 28, Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland’s Ivan Rabb was named to the West roster for the McDonald’s All-American Game on April 1 in Chicago. Rabb’s selection marks the fourth straight year that a Bay Area native has earned the prestigious honor. Last year three East Bay girls (Mariya Moore, Mikayla Cowling and Gabby Green) were selected. Three boys (Jabari Bird, Marcus Lee and Aaron Gordon) and one girl (Oderah Chidom) got the call in 2013. And in 2012, Brandon Ashley was selected to the boys roster. We count him because he was born in Oakland and played three years at Bishop O’Dowd before spending his senior season at Findlay Prep-Henderson (NV.). ...

St. Mary’s-Stockton girls, riding a 16-game win streak through Feb. 2, remain at No. 2 in the Cal-Hi Sports state rankings. The Sac-Joaquin Section actually has two Top 10 teams as VandenFairfield is ranked No. 10. ✪ — Chace Bryson

Records are through Jan. 31 1. (1)

— Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland

15-3

2. (2)

— Moreau Catholic-Hayward

15-5

3. (3)

— Monte Vista-Danville

18-2

4. (4)

— De La Salle-Concord

18-2

5. (5)

— Folsom

20-3

6. (7)

▲

Campolindo-Moraga

18-2

7. (8)

▲

Sacramento

18-4

8. (10)

▲

El Cerrito

20-3

9. (11)

▲

Modesto Christian

17-3

10. (13) ▲

Woodcreek-Roseville

17-4

11. (18) ▲

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

11-7

12. (9)

▼

St. Francis-Mountain View

16-2

13. (6)

▼

Drake-San Anselmo

19-3

14. (15) ▲

Half Moon Bay

21-0

15. (14) ▼

Serra-San Mateo

14-4

16. (12) ▼

Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove

16-5

17. (19) ▲

Sheldon-Sacramento

12-5

18. (17) ▼

San Ramon Valley-Danville

16-4

19. (20) ▲

Salesian-Richmond

15-7

20. (NR) ▲ Archbishop Riordan-S.F.

13-5

DROPPED OUT No. 16 St. Patrick-St. Vincent-Vallejo

BIGGEST MOVER The biggest mover was definitely Archbishop Mitty, which spent the first half of January nestled in our No. 3 spot before it lost four out of five and dropped all the way down to No. 18. The Monarchs rebounded over the last week of the month, beating then-No. 9 St. Francis by 19 points and then schooling St. Ignatius by more than twice that number.

That week, coupled with their full season resume, paved the way for a big jump back to No. 11. Riordan is the fourth West Catholic Athletic League team to crack the rankings by debuting at No. 20 this week. The Crusaders have won four straight, including a 53-40 victory over Mitty.

TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 13

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February 2015

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33

Sweet Golden Snitches

It’s Quidditch!

As the days warm up and get a little longer, the Placer Valley region will be playing host to several sporting events.

Each year, Placer Valley welcomes some of the biggest title events in youth, amateur and professional sports in the West. State-of-the-art sports facilities, teamfriendly hotels, awards banquet space, professional tournament organizers and convenient access off Interstate 80 make Placer Valley Northern California’s sports destination.

One of the first events of 2015 is the sixth annual West Regional Quidditch Championship. Teams will descend upon the soccer fields of Maidu Regional Park in Roseville on Feb. 14-15 to represent clubs and schools from all over the Western United States for two action-packed days of excitement and magic!

Teams from Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah will compete for the opportunity to attend USQ’s national championship, the World Cup. After consecutive wins by teams from Los Angeles, will another LA team take the crown, or will a team from Northern California or another steal the title?

With nearly two dozen teams competing over the course of two days, this is surely an event that is not to be missed!

This event is free for all ages and magical backgrounds

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accio quidditch teams Here’s a list of teams which are expected to attend.

Some of the team names are sure to please the Harry Potter geeks of your household. Of course, everyone knows that House Gryffindor would’ve schooled all of these clubs, right? (We’ve said too much.)

Anteater Quidditch

Santa Barbara Blacktips

Arizona Quidditch Club

Silicon Valley Skrewts

ASU Sun Devil Quidditch

Silicon Valley Skyfighters

Cal Quidditch

SJSU Spartans

California Dobbys

Stanford Quidditch

Crimson Elite

The Lost Boys

LA Gambits

UCLA Quidditch

Long Beach Funky Quaffles

University of Arizona

Mission Blues Quidditch

University of Southern California

NAU Narwhals

Utah State Quidditch Club

Riverside Quidditch

Wizards of Westwood

and will include live entertainment between games.

Chase your luck and see how you fare on a broom between games while enjoying food and beverages.

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James K. Leash/file photo

Rugby Wraps At Cherry Island

On April 17-18 the best of the best in Northern California high school rugby will descend upon Cherry Island Soccer Complex in Antelope for the sports season-ending Northern California Invitational Tournament and High School Championships.

The 2014 NCIT saw just shy of 50 teams compete to determine titles over 12 different divisions. Multiple champions are crowned in both boys and girls competition, and for varsity and JV levels.

Some winners of this tournament can advance to the next level of competition and carry it all the way to Nationals. Jesuit, last year’s Single School Varsity Boys champion reached the National Championship final and lost by a single point. It would’ve been the eighth national title in the history of the school’s storied rugby program.

high school CHAMPIONSHIPS

Single School Varsity Boys — Jesuit Single School JV Boys — Jesuit Boys Varsity Gold — Hayward Boys JV Gold — Pleasanton Boys Varsity Silver — Davis Boys JV Silver — Napa Girls Varsity Gold — Amazons Girls Varsity Silver — Dixon

NCIT

Boys Varsity Gold — Sacramento Eagles Boys JV Gold — Sierra Boys Varsity Silver — Lancers Girls Varsity Bronze — Sierra Foothills

Think your son or daughter’s team may be competing in the event this season? Placer Valley Tourism provides access to over 20 hotels within 15 miles of Cherry Island Soccer Complex. To learn more about the NCIT, visit ncyrugby.org. And for more on Placer Valley events and accommodations, see placertourism.com.

Placer Valley Tourism photos

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35

Overuse Overload

Sports participation promotes well-being, but too much can lead to injury

Repetitive injuries: hunter green In recent years, we’ve started seeing a noticeable increase in overuse injuries in kids. While sports participation is a great way to stay active and promote a lifelong habit of exercise, too much activity can lead to injury.

Overuse injuries occur gradually over time. These injuries often happen when a child specializes in just one sport throughout the year, continually using the same muscle groups and applying stress to the same parts of the body.

Below are three of the most common overuse injuries in youth.

SEVER’S DISEASE: Sever’s disease is a common causes of heel pain in children, and often occurs during adolescence.

It is a painful bone disorder resulting from inflammation in the growth plate (an area of growing tissue at the end of a developing bone) in the heel. Running, jumping and being active lead to repetitive stress on the growth plate as the foot strikes the ground.

The primary treatment for Sever’s disease is to rest the foot until the pain goes away. Additional treatments may include heel pad inserts in sports shoes to help absorb the impact, stretching exercises for the Achilles tendon, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication.

It’s not uncommon for Sever’s to recur during adolescence, typically when a child increases sports activities. Wearing shoes that provide good support to the foot and heel may help prevent recurrence.

OSGOOD-SCHLATTER DISEASE: Osgood-Schlatter disease is very similar to Sever’s disease, but occurs at the knee joint rather than the heel. Patients experience pain at the front of the knee due to inflammation at the upper end of the tibia (shinbone). This growth plate is a bump near the top of the tibia where the tendon from the kneecap (patellar tendon) attaches to the bone.

When a child is active, the quadriceps muscles of the upper leg pull on the patellar tendon, which in turn, pulls on the knee. Sometimes, this repetitive traction on the growth plate leads to inflammation, swelling and tenderness with a visible bump just below the knee joint. Running, jumping and other activities can bring on painful symptoms.

Similar to Sever’s, limiting activity until the pain subsides is the focus of treatment for OsgoodSchlatter disease. In addition, stretching and strengthening the quadriceps and hamstring muscles may help relieve pain and prevent the problem from returning. Anti-inflammatory medication is also helpful.

JUMPER’S KNEE: When an athlete has jumper’s knee, he or she will experience pain in the lower portion of the kneecap (patella). Repetitive contraction of the quadriceps muscles in the thigh can stress the patellar tendon where it attaches to the kneecap, causing pain and tissue damage.

In growing children, the patellar tendon attaches to the growth plate of the kneecap, and repetitive stress on the tendon can irritate and injure the growth plate. Although these conditions in the kneecap most often occur in youth who are active in sports that involve jumping, such as basketball and volleyball, they can be seen in almost any sport.

In addition to rest, it may be helpful to apply an ice pack to the knee every two to three hours for a few days until the pain begins to go away. Anti-inflammatory medications may also help to relieve painful symptoms.

With all of these injuries, adequate rest is vital to preventing more serious problems, such as fractures.

One of the best pieces of advice I can give to parents and young athletes to prevent overuse injuries is to do multiple activities. It’s much healthier to participate in different sports and activities throughout the year to avoid burnout and injury. We all need to remember that the number one reason kids play sports is to have fun. ✪ Hunter Greene, M.D., is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with Summit Orthopedic Specialists in Carmichael. He specializes in adult and pediatric sports medicine.

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Power Step

A look at common ankle and foot injuries and how they often occur health watch: michelle cappello Increased competition can lead dedicated young athletes to push themselves to their limits, causing more foot and ankle injuries than ever.

According to the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 25 percent of athletic injuries are foot and ankle related. These injuries result in athletes being sidelined from competition in order to rehabilitate. The foot/ankle serves as the shock absorber and propulsion engine for the athlete. For the foot to sustain enormous pressures (several tons over the course of a one-mile run), it requires coordinated use of its numerous muscles and bones.

During running sports, the body must be able to absorb tremendous ground reaction forces, upwards of 2-8 times the body weight. On average, the foot strikes the ground 1,750 – 2000 times per mile. This means an average high school soccer player will need to have the foot/ankle strength, along with optimal form, to control 250 pounds of force 3,000 times during the course of one soccer game.

If you hit the ground with good form, good strength and endurance, you will be able to avoid the pitfalls of an injury into other joints throughout the body.

Here are the top foot/ankle injuries we see in the sports medicine clinic. Read how to recognize the risky habits during these sport

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skills that can predispose you to injury and limit your sports performance: Ankle Sprain: Most commonly sprains are to the outside ligaments of the ankle during decelerating (quick change of directions, or landing from a jump). During high-speed agility movements, if you land on the outside of your foot (the pinky side) versus the big toe side, your ankle is at risk to roll over to the outside (ankle sprain), and create compression of the bones on the outer part of your foot (metatarsal stress fractures).

Achilles tendonitis and calcaneal apophysitis (heel pain): With this, you feel pain with running and sprinting. If you push off your foot with your toes pointing more to the outside, rather than the direction you are sprinting, it can place an excessive strain on the arch of your foot and your Achilles tendon (calf muscle tendon).

Turf Toe: This injury involves pain at the joint typically known as the ball of the foot. Usually caused by too much pushing off the big toe and not enough push off with the back of the ankle. You will need to stretch and strengthen the calf to take pressure off the ball of the foot. ✪ Michelle Cappello is a physical therapist and clinical director for Sports Medicine For Young Athletes, a division of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland with a facility also located in Walnut Creek.

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February 2015

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39

HARDCORE

Charting a sure path toward core stability starts with functional movements training time: tim rudd for iyca One of the most common flaws I see with athletes is lack of core stability when performing dynamic (performed under sub-maximal velocities) and ballistic movements (exhibit maximum velocities).

Many are surprised that they lack core stability. But if an athlete just performs long duration planks and hundreds of crunches and sit-ups, it is no surprise that they don’t have much of a functional carry-over to his or her sport.

In all sporting environments the core must be able to resist the ballistic movements demanded by the sport, such as extension, flexion and rotation when throwing, hitting, swimming and accelerating.

These movements create ballistic extension, flexion and rotational forces through a stable spine, transferring forces from the ground up through the feet, ankles, legs and hips.

A core that is ill-prepared, results in inefficient movement, greatly affecting the athlete’s ability to reach his or her full potential.

Athletes need to train their core to resist extension, flexion and rotation through all three planes of motion:

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›› Sagittal plane: Resist Forward Flexion / Backward Extension ›› Frontal plane: Resist Lateral Flexion ›› Transverse (rotational) plane: Resist Spinal Rotation.

Athletes also need to make sure they progress from staticto-dynamic-to-integrated-to- ballistic by building a foundation from the ground, to their knees and eventually to their feet.

Here is an example: Static Anti-Rotation: Tall kneel to half-kneeling to standing band press-out holds Dynamic Anti-Rotation: Tall kneel to half-kneeling to standing band or cable chops Integrated Anti-Rotation: Offset kettle-bell squats Ballistic Anti-Rotation: Medicine ball side tosses to lateral shuffle side tosses.

The goal when training athletes is to choose exercises that will give them maximum transfer to their chosen sport, while minimizing the chance of injury. They need to train the core to resist explosive movements in short burst intervals throughout a game for optimizing their performance. ✪

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Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore.

For video examples of the exercises described above visit the following URL: http://vimeo. com/117641022

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powered by Trucks: anthony trucks

There’s a difference between training to perform and training just so you can look good Like many others, this year I made it a point to kick up my physical training.

In fact, I dug out my original training program from Oregon when I used to play football for the Ducks. In the back of my head, I recall how hard the workouts were, but my body hasn’t been a fan of the memory lately. Why? Because I’m training to perform, not just to look good with my shirt off as I have been.

The massive difference between the training I have done over the last six years — since leaving the NFL — and the training I’m getting back into, is the sheer focus on power development: strength and bar speed combined. Since I stopped playing, I haven’t had to focus on the physical attributes it takes to perform on the field of play. The change has been a shock to my system and made me think about all the other athletes out there who may be wasting time in the weight room.

The worst thing an athlete can do is use the weight room as a place to improve his or her reflection in the mirror. If your goal is to lose weight, shred, tone, etc., then you are kidding yourself if you think its going to translate to you being the most powerful athlete in the game.

Because power is the name of the game, and those who have it harness the speed, agility and vertical jump necessary to dominate their competition. Moral of the story: don’t train for show, train for go. ✪ Anthony Trucks is an IYCA-certified trainer who covers weight training for SportStars.

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41

Commitment

CRUNCH Being recruited brings tons of pressure; committing early won’t help you sidestep it get mental: erika Carlson

A growing trend in youth sports, especially female youth sports, is early commitment to college.

In 2014, the New York Times ran a story about Haley Berg a 14-year-old 8th grader who, just a few weeks before her first day of high school, accepted an offer from the University of Texas to play soccer — in four years.

While it might seem like an unusual scenario, in today’s hyper-competitive sports world, it’s not as unusual as you might guess. So what’s wrong with making a decision early if you can? Why not accept the offer and play without the pressure of being recruited?

At a first glance that’s exactly how it looks — the work of recruiting is complete. No more evaluations; no more official and unofficial visits; no more emailing and discussions about possible options. And of course there’s the status and “glory” that comes along with being an early recruit, “I’m going to Texas to play college soccer!” Sounds cool, right?

Not entirely. When one looks a little closer, there are many unintended consequences that come along with early commitment. Being “that kid” who committed to college at 14 leaves a lot to live up to. Even with tremendous talent, teens are going to have some tough games. Playing with those expectations every weekend will wear on someone and make him or her fearful of mistakes and not meeting expectations.

Successful athletes will tell you that being at the top of one’s game is never easy. It comes with a lot of pressure, and that pressure can turn to fear very quickly.

Then there are other factors like injury. Will the commitment still be honored if the athlete is injured?

And, what exactly does a verbal commitment really mean? Is it binding? What if the coach the athlete committed to leaves the school? What are the options? It can get complicated very quickly.

Academic concerns and whether a school is the right fit for the athlete is a concern too. Most of us are different students as seniors than we were as freshmen.

Committing early may also create tremendous fear and anxiety about what the future actually holds. Almost every concern listed above (others expectations, injury, whether or not the school keeps up its end of the commitment) is out of the athlete’s control. So, what’s in your control?

Your grades — the most important piece of the puzzle. Yes, you MUST meet the schools academic requirements to get accepted. The better your grades, the more “recruitable” you are.

Bottom line, despite the early commitment, there are many factors that still have to fall into place for an athlete to actually attend the school. And while you wait it out, will you miss another, more promising opportunity?

So what’s the solution? Patience and due diligence. Being a college athlete can be one of the best experiences of your life. It opens a door to becoming a member of a very elite club. Sadly, parents and athletes alike can get sucked into feeling like they have to make a decision as soon as possible. Kids need parents to be patient, present and ready to help guide them through the decision-making process. Remember, the process itself is an excellent teaching opportunity on how to carefully consider and make big decisions.

Mental toughness skill No. 1 is “control the controllables.” In recruiting, that means working hard on your grades, being patient, doing your recruiting “homework” and taking the time to carefully weigh your options. ✪ Erika Carlson is a certified mental trainer and owner of Excellence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.

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training: keith power for kpa elite

Achieving Elite

Maximizing a child’s performance potential could boil down to fostering six skill sets

Having been involved with elite-level youth sports for 25 years, it is clear the expectations today for our young athletes have never been higher. Parents and kids alike feel the pressure to navigate this hyper-competitive, pressure-filled, makeit-or-break-it world of youth sport. As parents, we often ask ourselves, “Am I doing enough?” “Am I doing too much?”

As parents we need to take a couple of steps back and ask two key questions. Do I understand student-athlete performance, and do I know where my child’s performance strengths and areas for development actually are?

Over the past 25 years, KPA Elite Performance has studied and worked with hundreds of elite performers in student athletics, sport, business, the military, performing arts and show business. This led us to develop The KPA Elite Performance Model™ below, which is a simple, yet powerful way of understanding performance and how to execute at the elite level. It can be applied to any performance environment — not least for parents and student athletes.

The KPA Elite Performance Model™ Talent and hard work alone are not the secret of your child’s long-term success. The basis of our model is that your child’s performance as an athlete, a student and individual is made up of six key skills or “cogs”. Success is ensuring that every one of

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those six skills is nurtured, developed and implemented. ›› Performance Culture — This is the day-to-day environment, which is created for your child. It’s the bedrock of performance, because it can have such an enormous positive or negative impact on your child’s academic performance, sports performance and behavior. ›› Physical Skills — These are the physical requirements of your child’s sport(s) or position(s). This includes speed, power, strength, endurance, agility and mobility. It’s important to note that these areas develop at different rates. ›› Mental Skills — This is the mental toughness and winning mind-set required by your child to excel in your sport, at academics and in life. This includes resilience, focus, confidence, the ability to perform under pressure and motivation driven by passion and a “love of the game.” ›› Technical Skills — These are general and sport-specific motor skills, or techniques that need to be developed by your child (e.g. passing, running, jumping, catching and throwing). ›› Tactical Skills — Understanding the X’s and O’s of your role, event or sport. In team sports such as basketball, baseball, football, softball, lacrosse and water polo players need to learn offensive and defensive formations. ›› Lifestyle Skills — This is your child’s ability to achieve

balance and to manage the challenges of academics, life and sport. It’s the “off the field” stuff. This includes their ability to manage themselves, their workload, social media and sleep.

These six cogs are all skills because they can be learned and are not set in stone. Typically, young performers and parents tend to over emphasize the importance of the technical, tactical and physical skills — especially after the formative years. Parents need to ensure they work on developing an “elite” performance culture and their kids cultivate excellent mental and lifestyle skills.

These six skills do not live in a vacuum and each cog affects another. For example, we know from research that regardless of how physically, technically and tactically talented your child is, if the performance culture you provide is too challenging or not challenging enough they will stop playing or studying hard.

Every child is different. Where do you think your child’s performance strengths and development needs really lie? For a more comprehensive explanation of this model head over to KPA Elite Online. ✪ Keith Power is founder of KPA Elite Performance. He has competed, coached, led and consulted at the very highest level in sport and business, as well as working for 25 years in elite youth sports as a coach. Previously High Performance Director at Cal. He is also a Professor of Sport Psychology at JFK University.

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43

SNO-PARKs:

Where To Have Your Winter Fun

T

here’s no shortage of winter recreation opportunities in Northern California, but among the most inexpensive is the state’s SNOPARK program.

Distinctive brown highway signs located along highways identify the SNO-PARKs. The program is coordinated and administered by the OHMVR Division of California State Parks, in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Transportation, the California Highway Patrol and various community organizations. Through this collaborative effort, winter recreation opportunities are provided at 18 SNO-PARK sites along the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

Each SNO-PARK provides visitors access to snow-cleared parking lots and sanitation facilities. The sites can accommodate self-guided activities such as snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and general snow play.

The Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) Program program supports 30 trailheads and 26 groomed trail systems, providing more than 1,700 miles of motorized opportunity on 11 National Forests. These trails are used each year by an estimated 159,000 OSVs bringing upwards of 200,000 visitors to the trail systems.

The OSV Program benefits not only motorized recreation, but also non-motorized recreational pursuits such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and even dog sledding.

Snow conditions determine accessibility and opportunities available at each site.

SEASON & PERMITS: SNO-PARKs are open seasonally between Nov. 1 and May 30.

A SNO-PARK permit is required for each vehicle parked at a SNO-PARK site during that period. Permits are sold as Day Permits or Seasonal Permits by vendors throughout Northern California. Day permits are sold for $5 and are valid for one single day. Season permits are sold for $25 and are valid for the entire six-month span. You can purchase permits online at www.snowparkpermits.com or from various vendors that can be located using the same website.

The SNO-PARK permit must be displayed on the left side of the vehicle dashboard where it can be seen clearly from outside the vehicle. All permits sold are non-refundable.

PARKING & RESTRICTIONS: Parking is on a first-come, first-served basis at all SNO-PARK sites. No refunds are issued if your favorite SNOPARK is full. Park and drive carefully within SNO-PARK sites. Watch for pedestrians. Overnight parking, including in-vehicle camping is allowed except where noted or signed at SNO-PARK sites. Tent camping or sleeping outside a vehicle in the parking area is prohibited at all SNO-PARK sites. Do not build campfires on paved areas. Do not litter SNO-PARK sites. Trash containers may not be provided, pack out your own refuse.

Carry a shovel and tire chains. Vehicles parked overnight need to be staked at all 4 corners with 1x2-inch thick 8-foot poles to prevent accidental damage by snow removal equipment. Lock your vehicle and do not leave items of value in sight. Winter recreation activities may be hazardous. Your common sense, skill level, use of proper clothing, respect for the terrain and weather will combine to affect your safety.

For details, you can call the SNO-PARKs hotline at (916) 324-1222. ✪ — Natalie Lohi for SVRA

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