sports
brief
From Our New Athletic Director After a summer of moving and settling in a new area, it’s exciting to finally see young athletes training and competing. Harker athletes are among the hardest working I have ever witnessed. Our football program is small in number, but huge in heart. Both the JV and varsity volleyball teams are 3-0 as of this printing and show great promise. Our rosters in boys’ soccer and cross country are the highest in years. The girls’ tennis and golf teams may challenge for the league championship and our new boys’ and girls’ water polo teams are excited about their opportunities. Please get out there and support your hard-working Eagles. Athletic Physicals The athletic department wants to remind all athletes and parents that an athletic physical performed by a physician is required prior to participation in our competitive sports program. If you are not able to get an appointment with your family doctor, call the athletic department for referrals. Physicals are valid for one calendar year. The form, along with three other department forms, is available online. Competitive Sports vs. Non-Competitive Sports I have recently received many inquiries from students regarding the P.E. or non-competitive sport options at Harker. I am happy to inform the students of these classes; however, my main goal is to nudge the students in the direction of competitive sports. While our P.E. options are quality programs in their own right (i.e. yoga, capoeira, aikido, dance, fencing, and weight lifting), competing for one’s high school is a special experience that should not be missed. Teamwork, discipline, time management and goal setting are just a few of the life lessons learned from organized competition. Studies have shown that students who participate in athletics perform better academically, because they are forced to manage their time more efficiently. Although student-athletes may sometimes struggle to balance sports with their studies, they can successfully do both -- and be better people for the experience. Another argument for competitive sports is the appeal on college applications. Colleges continually look for well-rounded students;
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competitive athletes may have that extra advantage when applying to their dream colleges. Granted, competitive sports may not be for everyone; however, one will never know unless he or she tries. About 45% of the Harker student body participates in at least one sport. In comparison, the national average for independent schools is 75% participation. We are well below the national average and the Harker community needs to be aware of the benefits of high school sports participation. The first step is to get every student to at least try one sport. Please encourage your son or daughter to try out. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to call the athletic office.
—Dan Molin, US Athletic Director Next month: single vs. multiplesport participation.
Fall Sports Wrap
■ Girls Tennis The girls’ varsity tennis team is off to a good start, going 2-0 in nonleague competition. The team beat Pinewood School 6-1 and Presentation 5-2. Bright spots include the emergence of freshman Tara Panu, who went 2-0 at the No. 4 singles position. Meanwhile, junior captain and No. 1 singles player Christina Yee is coming off a great summer, during which she became the NorCal USTA 16’s doubles champion and cracked the top 100 nationally. At press time, Yee was set to defend the Santa Catalina Singles Championship in Monterey.
■ Congratulations to freshmen Anthony Chen and Christy Emery for being named Harker’s Athletes of the Summer. Both attended the Eagle Iron Club’s workouts almost every day throughout the summer, which translated into improved play in their respective sports of football and volleyball. They have set a fine example for other athletes to emulate.
■ Boys Soccer Senior Naushad Godrej has demonstrated superb leadership skills as our team captain. He has had two shutouts out of four games and averages 10 saves per game. He is on his way to first team all-league recognition. Meanwhile, Adam Rubin (Gr. 11) is Harker’s leading goal scorer. In four games Rubin has scored seven goals, with three of those against Woodside Priory.
Here are some sports roundups from our coaches.
■ Girls Volleyball Sylvia Schmidt, Gr. 12, has led the
team in kills so far averaging close to 16 per match. Mariah Bush, Gr. 12, and Tanya Schmidt, Gr. 10 are close behind, averaging about 10 kills a game each. Sharon Her, Gr. 12, has been doing a great job of setting the offense. In addition, the team is enjoying the amazing contributions of freshmen Nikki Woods and Candace Silva-Martin. ■ Football The Harker varsity football team is small in number but large in heart. With injuries to key players, captain and three-year starter Amit Mukherjee, Gr. 12, and captain and starting QB Jason Martin, Gr. 11, along with a mere 16 players on their roster, fought hard for every minute of a losing effort in their first game against Hillsdale High School. Suffering two additional injuries to two-way starters Mike Keller and Gregg Ringold, both Gr. 11, the Eagles gave a gritty effort against Sequoia High School in their second game. While this game also resulted in a loss, the entire team played with intensity and was relentless in its attempt to overcome Sequoia’s size and numbers. Seniors Jeff Liu, who played his
New Co-ed US Water Polo Team is Launched The US athletic dept. has added co-ed water polo to its US sports offerings for the 2005-06 school year. Though this will be a new program at Harker, the framework was already in place when new US athletic director Dan Molin arrived at Harker. “Jack Bither, former US athletic director and new US dean of students and Coach David Towle initiated the program due to high interest among the student body,” said Molin. This unique combined boys and girls water polo team will be under the tutelage of Towle, who was named coach of the year for the Mount Hamilton Division in 2001, while coaching girls water polo at Archbishop Mitty in San Jose. The athletic dept. is expecting an exciting first season. Said Molin, “Coach Towle has a wealth of experience, and water polo is a wonderful team sport.”
Harker News — October 05