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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

SPORTS

Vikings qualify for Central Coast Section playoffs BY PRIYANKA ANAND

irls and boys varsity basketball teams, in addition to �ive individuals on the wrestling team, represented Lynbrook at the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs, an annual county-wide, high school sports championship, which began on Feb. 21. The girls basketball and wrestling teams carried their momentum from the previous year and quali�ied for CCS again, while the boys basketball quali�ied for the �irst time in two years. Over the past school year, these teams and players maintained outstanding records that led them to qualify and play with the best teams in the county. Although the teams’ journeys at CCS were short-lived, their perseverance and success throughout the season has made Lynbrook proud.

Varsity Wrestling

USED WITH PERMISSION OF PRANAV CHITTHARANJAN

Junior and CCS-qualiﬁer David Heydinger takes down his opponent at the SCVAL ﬁnals.

Freshman and CCS-qualiﬁer Yechan Li ties up with his opponent at the SCVAL ﬁnals.

he 2019-20 season was the �irst time freshman Yechan Li; juniors Pranav Chittaranjan, David Heydinger and Isaac Yoon; and senior Guhner McCleve played in the upper division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League’s (SCVAL). Nevertheless, these �ive varsity wrestlers quali�ied for CCS, with Li, Yoon and McCleve qualifying for the �irst time. “I looked forward to competing again and a shot at redemption,” Chittaranjan said. “I was also looking forward to seeing my teammates compete.” Although wrestling is largely an individual sport, the impact of the �ive wrestlers can be seen in the entire Lynbrook wrestling team. “They are all elite athletes,” said coach Steve Weng. “The culture that they develop in the room is a very loving, caring, nurturing one, and it’s a family atmosphere. It’s heartwarming to watch these kids come together the way they do.” As the �ive wrestlers competed at CCS, the coaches and the rest of the team are looking forward to the future of wrestling at Lynbrook. Since freshman Faith Wang is the only girl on the wrestling team, �inding more female students to participate is a major goal for the sport, as the coaches desire to create an all-girls wrestling team in the future.

Girls Varsity Basketball

USED WITH PERMISSION OF JESSICA ATMADJA

Junior Lydian Li attempts a layup in a home victory against American High School on Dec. 10

Junior Sarah Ho performs a in a home victory against American High School on Dec. 10

he girls varsity basketball team was ranked �irst in both the SCVAL De Anza Division and CCS Division II. Their exemplary records of 11-1 and 21-3 in these leagues, respectively, resulted from many factors that came into play this season. “Our team has players that can make layups that don’t even seem humanly possible,” said co-captain Jessica Atmadja. “It's honestly ridiculous, and every time they do it, we still can’t wrap our heads around it.” Their four-month-long season enabled the individuals’ talents to effectively create a wellrounded team that played in CCS’s Open Division, the highest division in the tournament. Although the team lost their �irst game at CCS, playing in Open Division also quali�ied the team for the California Interscholastic Federation State Basketball Championship Regionals. In preparation for CCS, the team had to cope with dif�iculties, such as having two injured starters and a shorter average height than other teams in the league. “All the teams never expected anything from us because obviously we’re not the most intimidating,” said co-captain Lydian Li. “But, when we actually play, and they realize that we’re actually better, it’s really fun.”

Boys Varsity Basketball

ANUSHA KOTHARI — EPIC

Junior Arjun Gupta shoots free throws in a game against Wilcox High School on Feb. 19

Senior Ryan Kawamura attemps a layup in a game against Wilcox High School on Feb. 19

t the beginning of the season, the boys varsity basketball team set many goals to improve from the previous season, where they had only won three games. The major goal was to qualify for CCS. With a 11-15 overall record at the end of the season, the team was able to achieve their goal. However, they had to overcome some signi�icant challenges to do so, such as suffering multiple marginal losses during the season. “It was heartbreaking to work hard and play well for most of the game for it to fall apart in the �inal stretch, much less have it happen on multiple occasions,” said senior Aaron Tai. “However, we always moved on from those losses and grew closer as a team because we treated each one of those losses as learning opportunities.” The team looked forward to seeking redemption at CCS and strategized in preparation. Since the team is primarily made of seniors, there was an added layer to their excitement. “We’ve treated this season as one last chance to prove ourselves and enjoy the competition while we can,” Tai said. “In many ways, we’re passing on the torch for our three underclassmen to bear as they learn and adjust to varsity basketball.”

Insight into the coach hiring process at Lynbrook BY KAYLIN LI

s of Feb. 24, Lynbrook has seven job openings listed on EdJoin, and all of them are as coaches or assistants of sports teams. This lack of coaches has become most visible in recent years. The shortage has had a great impact on student sports because coaches play an in�luential role in the development and success of a team. Consequently, how coaches are hired also plays an important role in shaping a sports team, as well as the entire Lynbrook Athletic Department. At Lynbrook, applicants for coach positions must pass three steps: a written application, an interview and clearance. Applicants must �irst apply through a website called EdJoin, which asks for basic identifying information, the sports they are interested in coaching, employment experience and other relevant information. Candidates are then interviewed, typically by Athletic Director Jennifer Grif�in and Activities Assistant Principal Brooke Chan. Principal Maria Jackson makes the �inal decision of whether to hire or pass. After being hired, the new coach must meet further requirements, which include First Aid and CPR Certi�ication, a recent tuberculosis test and �ingerprint clearance. Only after this lengthy process

1) Application, interview, and authorization from Athletic Director

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS BY SPORTS SECTION

can they step into their role as a coach. In recent years, Lynbrook has had trouble �inding sports coaches, with a low number of applicants but a high number of open positions available. Sports such as volleyball, swimming and �ield hockey have been particularly impacted. “During the time [without a coach], everyone was really worried because tryouts were scheduled very soon, and no one knew how teams would be picked,” said volleyball player Michael Ma. “During that limbo period, everyone was super nervous about how the season would play out.” There are a few factors that Grif�in believes could be in�luencing the recent trend of fewer job applicants, such as the steadily rising cost of living and the prominence of club sports teams that can give higher coaching salaries. “We lost two coaches because they just couldn't afford to live here," Grif�in said. "So we have to look at those factors as well [when hiring because] when somebody coaches, they're not coaching for the money. You're coaching because you love the sport, and you love working with student athletes.” One way the Athletic Department has been recruiting more coaches through is social connections. In times when there aren’t enough coaches, students and parents reach out to people they know who might be interested in coaching at

2) Concussion Training and First Aid and CPR Certiﬁcation

tournaments or sports clubs. While both administration and students hope to �ind a solution to the coach shortage, some Lynbrook students are concerned about transparency in the hiring process. “My main issue with the evaluation process for coaches is transparency,” Ma said. “I understand it is logistically impossible for us to be part of that process and select a coach that �its the team, but a simple action such as proactively reaching out to the players to inform them how �inding a coach is going can go a long way.” Many students want to be able to voice their opinions, but also understand that it would be dif�icult for them to truly have control over any part of the hiring process. “While we may want one coach, some decisions are based off of things that we don't know,” said swimmer Lucas Lin said. “So while we can have an effective voice which can in�luence the decision [to some degree], I don't think we need to control parts of the process itself.” To preserve a healthy, well-functioning Athletic Department, it is imperative that teams have coaches to support the growth of their team. Despite declining numbers in job applicants, the Lynbrook administration hopes to preserve both the quantity and quality of their sports coaches.

Compliance with the Athletic Code of Ethical Conduct