The Viking: Volume 7, Issue 2

November 2013 Volume VII Issue 2

THE

ULTIMATE FAN DEDICATED. LOYAL. TRUE.

TH E BR JO O H pg TH NS . 3 ER O 0 S N

pg. 40

Promoting different methods of hatha yoga since 1994!

Located at: 158 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA (650) 328-YOGA Class schedule can be found at: www.yogasource.com

The Viking Magazine would like to thank our sponsors...

Gold

Zoom Systems Jonathan Patrick The Kinnaman Family The Bhargava Family

Silver

Pamela J Sherwood Chryst Family Valencia, Wilberding & Tompkins

Bronze

Jim Mclennan Suzanne & Bert Bell

LINEUP Volume VII Issue II November 2013

ZOOMS 4 6 8 10 12 13

Strike a pose Kerr-plunk!

Blockstar

KICKOFF

Staff view Inside the Mind of Bryn Carlson (‘16)

Ten Questions

with Andrew Jozefov (‘17)

Hot or not & Pop culture

15

Drawing the line

18 24 28

SHORTS

by ROWAN McEVOY

Reaching for new heights

by PAIGE BARA and MEGAN VALENCIA

Viking Tries

photo by Paul Bienaimé

14

by PAUL BIENAIMÉ and JOSH STERN

He said... She said...

by GILLIAN CHYRST and CLARA HARRINGTON

COLUMNS 16 46

An apparent problem

by SHEILA SUBRAMANIAN

Last word

by ZACH RIZK

ALL LINED UP Keller Chryst (‘14) calls out a play to the Vikings’ offense on October 11. The Wilcox chargers went on to defeat the Vikings 42-39.

A FAMILY COMPANY

30

THE ULTIMATE FAN

Brothers Brandon, Matt and Aaron all started their water polo careers in Palo Alto and have returned to coach rival schools.

Dan Starrett’s (‘85) commitment to the Paly athletic community motivates and drives student athletes.

by PRISCILLA BELL and HAYLEY POORE

by TORI DeSTEFANO

WINTER TEAM PREVIEWS

20 BLOCK, LUNGE 36 AND STRIKE

A preview to all the upcoming winter sports teams with insight from the players.

by OLIVIA SCOLA and IDO GAL

Royce Wang (‘15) ranked 22nd in the world, aspires to reach the pinical of fencing, all the while having fun.

by ALEX MURRAY

THE MOUNT 38 RUSHMORE OF PALY

Similar to the four influential American men engraved in Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Paly has four historic figures of its own.

40

ON THE COVER

Photo of Dan Starrett (‘85) by Paul Bienaimé.

CALENDAR

45

by ANNA DUKOVIC

NOVEMBER 2013

ZOOM STRIKE A POSE Paly’s cheerleading squad finishes up its performance at the football game halftime. The Vikings fell to the Wilcox Chargers 43-39 later that night. photo by Paul BienaimÊ

ZOOM KERR-PLUNK! Varisty middle blocker Lauren Kerr (‘14) soars for a spike. The Lady Vikes fell to the Homestead Mustangs in five sets later that night. photo by Paul Bienaimé

ZOOM BLOCKSTAR Jake Weinstein (`14) attempts to block a shot from a Gunn Titan. The boys’ varsity water polo team went on to lose to Gunn 14-7. photo by Tara Lawrence

From the editors Editors-in-Chief Pippa Raffel Josh Stern Managing Editors Audrey DeBruine Ami Drez Chris Smith Design Editor Julia Saul Photo Editors Paul Bienaimé Tara Lawrence Columnist Zach Rizk

Dear readers, We hope your first quarters went well and you had a great Halloween with a gourd-geous costume!

As fall sports seasons are wrapping up, we are, as always, astounded by the work ethic and athletic capabilities of our fellow Vikings. We can’t wait to see what the winter athletes will do in their 2013-2014 seasons and have included previews to the five winter sports: wrestling, boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer, boys’ basketball and girls’ basketball.

In this issue of The Viking, we highlight Dan Starrett (‘85), also known as Superfan Dan. Starrett has consistently supported the Vikings over the past couple de-

cades, and his dedication to Paly is an inspiration to us all.

Additionally, we feature the stories of brothers and Gunn graduates Brandon, Aaron and Matt Johnson.

Matt and Brandon display rivalry as twins and as head coaches of the Paly and Gunn boys’ water polo teams.

Lastly, we’d like to thank you once again for your readership.

Go Vikes!

Sincerely, Pippa and Josh

Multimedia Editor Paul Bienaimé Business Managers Tara Lawrence Staff Paige Bara Priscilla Bell Zoe Bhargava Gillian Chryst Tori DeStefano Anna Dukovic Katie Foug Ido Gal Clara Harrington Maddie Kinnaman Rowan McEvoy Alex Murray Niall Patrick Hayley Poore Olivia Scola Sheila Subramanian Megan Valencia Staff Adviser R. Michael McNulty

The Viking Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Advertising and Sponsorship Contact: vikingads@gmail.com

10 | T H E V I K I N G |

Staff view: Athletic teams at Palo Alto High School compete at high levels across the board. This is great for the athletes who are talented enough to don a Paly jersey; however, for those that do not make the cut, do not wish to make the commitment to a varsity team or cannot participate due to time restrictions, there are few options for organized play in a relaxed environment.

An intramural sports program at our high school would provide an arena for friendly competition amongst Paly students that promotes all of the benefits of exercise while eliminating the extra stresses associated with competitive sports.

Intramurals, recreational sports played for fun amongst teams from the same school, are a staple of college life in the United States. Nearly every university in the country has an intramural program in place. Intramurals also exist at middle schools in Palo Alto. With intramurals at the middle school and college level, it seems logical that high school, sandwiched between the two, would have intramurals as well. However, this is not

Letters to the editor The Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity.

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

the case.

Intramurals do not require significant planning or resources. Teams need only show up for their scheduled games, which would be set up round-robin style. Games would be self-officiated, with presumably minimal teacher supervision necessary.

Paly students would benefit from an intramural program in a variety of ways.

Exercise is known to reduce stress levels and actually increase energy through the release of endorphins, potentially leading to better performance in the classroom.

Intramural sports could be a great escape from a monotonous school day for all levels of athletes.

Because competitors only play games and do not officially practice, intramurals require a very small time commitment that would be manageable for many students.

Last but not least, intramural sports are fun. What better way to blow off some steam than with a few friends engaged in friendly competition? <<<

Advertising in The Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com Printing Services 2,000 copies of The Viking are printed, six times a year by FrickeParks Press in Fremont, Calif.

P Culture Grid

The op W H A T D O P A LY AT H L E T E S S AY ?

Zac Rosenbaum (‘14) Water Polo

Katie Passarello(‘17) Volleyball

Justin Hull (‘16) Football

Alys Olmstead (‘16) Cross Country

Sophia Robinson (‘15) Golf

Winter is...

Cold

Skiing

Rainy

Cold

Awesome

Last movie you watched?

Dredd

Wedding Crashers

The Breakfast Club

Forrest Gump

The Pink Panther

Favorite winter sport to watch

Snow mobile jumps

Basketball

Football

Soccer

Stronger by Kanye West

None

Angel by Akon

We Can’t Stop

by Miley Cyrus

Kirks

Kirks

Gotts

Best pump up song

Eye of the Tiger

by Survivor

Gotts or Kirks?

Gotts

HOT

Kirks

Skiing

Paly Homecoming

For the first time in years Homecoming at Palo Alto was a thing. With public askings and a higher attendance rate, hopefully this year’s Homecoming will set a precedent for future years to follow!

The A’s are out

Cardinal beat out Bruins

The Oakland A’s ended an impressive season with a disappointing loss in the ALDS on Thursday, October 10. The Detriot Tigers defeated the A’s 3-0.

The Stanford Cardinal ended UCLA’s hopes for an undefeated season as they defeated the Bruins, 24-10, at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, October 19. Cardinal running back Tyler Gaffney rushed for a total of 171 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The 49ers at Wembley

The 49ers played a league game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, October 27 at Wembley Sadium in London. The game led to disappointment among many fans who felt disconnected with their home team not playing at in the United States. The game was an attempt made by the NFL to increase their international audience.

N OT Images taken from

NOVEMBER 2013

Q uestions 10 Andrew Jozefov

with

as told to Maddie Kinnaman

The Viking asked Paly water polo player Andrew Jozefov (‘17) 10 questions about himself and then compared his responses to that of his coach Brandon Johnson, teammate Kian McHugh (‘14) and twin sister Lauren Jozefov (‘17). Read on to discover who knows Andrew best!

Andrew Jozefov

Questions

Brandon Johnson

Scimmaging and shooting

Favorite part of practice

Trying to throw spin lobs

Scrimmaging

Drills

My birthday

Favorite thing about winter

The rain

The cold

Practicing in the rain

Sam Kelley (‘14)

Favorite senior

Ethan Look (‘14)

Kian McHugh (‘14)

Ethan Look (‘14)

Being harassed by Kian McHugh (‘14)

Worst part of being a freshman

Having to clean up

Being very tiny

He gets made fun of

Gluten free

Pregame meal

I don’t know what he eats

Gluten free

Meatballs

Water polo

Favorite thing about Paly

Beating Gunn

Water polo

Sports

None

Celebrity crush

Scarlett Johansson

Me

I don’t think he has one

Football or water polo

Favorite sport to watch

Water polo

Water polo

Swimming

Not that bad

Morning practice is...

The best thing ever

The worst

The Grand Canyon

Dream vacation spot

Cabo

Hawaii

Disneyland

20%

40%

30%

Varsity Water Polo

Images taken from

12 | T H E V I K I N G |

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

Coach

Kian McHugh Teammate

Lauren Jozefov Twin Sister

Early

Inside the mind of Bryn Carlson (‘16)

as told to Maddie Kinnaman photo by Paul Bienaimé

On wearing Birkenstocks and socks “It’s a very fashionable look; thats kinda why I [wear them]. Really any socks do the trick; I usually wear high socks.”

On injuries

“Over the past few years I’ve had a lot of injuries. Last fall I had two surgeries; I have been injured a lot because of soccer. I actually just quit my soccer team because I wanted to focus on running; it’s not worth the injury.”

On being a twin

“It has its ups and its down; I love Griffin.”

On eating

“I eat a lot of food but I also eat really slowly, so it seems like I’m eating all the time. I guess I eat pretty healthy.

I don’t know I just like healthy food, but I also like sweets.”

On running

“I love running. Most people hate running, but for some reason I love it”

On the future

“I’m starting to look into different schools for running because I want to run in college.”

NOVEMBER 2013

tries

Muddy Buddies Learn more about The Viking’s day spent competing in the San Jose Muddy Buddy Adventure Series against hundreds of other Bay Area competitors.

by PAUL BIENAIMÉ and JOSH STERN

S

ALL SMILES Viking members Josh Stern (‘14) and Paul Bienaimé (‘14) smile for the camera before taking on the Muddy Buddy Adventure Series race held in San Jose, Calif. on September 28, 2013. plat! Mud flies as The Viking’s very own Josh Stern and Paul Bienaimé dive into the final mud pit that separates them from the Muddy Buddy Adventure Series finish line.

Over the San Jose trail, the two, competing against hundreds of other duos, completed multiple obstacle and terrain courses by trading off biking and running. Although the statistics of the 10k

14 | T H E V I K I N G |

race don’t substantially jump out on paper, the accomplished feeling that each runner can attest to upon crossing the finish line is unforgettable.

Muddy Buddy was founded in 1998 by thenschoolteacher, Bob Babbitt. Babbitt, an inductee of both the Ironman and Triathlon Halls of Fame, came up with the idea wanting others to experience the feelings of accomplishment that he did, coming across the finish line in each of his competitions.

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

“The whole idea for the Muddy Buddy is that anybody can do it,” Babbit said. “It’s not like you need any special skill set. You don’t have to be a 6’4” basketball player; you don’t have to be a 300 lb lineman. If you wore arm floaties as a kid or delivered papers on your bike, or even just played capture the flag, you have the skillset to do it.”

Only $60 to participate, the Muddy Buddy was modelled by Babbitt after an original adventure challenge he had come up with in the

NO BRAKES Paul and Josh pick themselves out of the mud pit and sprint toward the finish line. The duo finished ninth overall in the race out of hundreds of competitors from around the Bay Area. mid 1990s called the Ride-and-Tie, centered in the San Diego area. Babbitt’s intention in creating this adventure series was to have a non rigorous and fun event for intense triathloners during the holidays. A 29-mile-race, the Rideand-Tie was completed by dual competitor partners who would take turns leapfrogging from horseback to running. Trying to promote the fun nature of the race, Babbitt hid hundreds of stuffed animals around the courses as prizes; each collected animal was worth 10 minutes off the competitor’s overall time.

Babbitt’s events gained more and more publicity, eventually leading to its elevation into the Muddy Buddy.

“In 1999 we had about 150 teams show up for this underground event with no permits,” Babbitt said. “We decided we were going to do one for real. We had about 250 teams show up for the first event in San Diego in 1999, and it’s been growing ever since. Now we do 8 events around the country and we’ve been as high as 2,500 to 3,000 per event.”

Increasing in popularity, the Muddy Buddy has become a national event that any athlete can participate in. Offering individual races, partner races and the Mini-Muddy Buddy, a competition that involves children ages 4-12, the Muddy Buddy is an event that anyone can compete and have a great time in.

Finishing in the overall 9th spot in the San Jose advanced Muddy Buddy Bike & Run, Josh and Paul competed against hundreds of others (ages 18+), switching from biking to running.

This respective race commenced as Josh start-

ed on the bike, climbing a steep 1 mile incline.

Paul was held by the announcer for six total minutes after Josh was released.

Throughout the race, a series of checkpoints were set up for Josh and the other starting bikers to drop their bicycles off. After doing so, they completed the obstacle course set up at each specific station, and continued to the following checkpoints by foot. Paul and the other

partners who began the race by foot reach the same checkpoint several minutes later. Upon completing the obstacle course, Paul and co. picked up the bikes that Josh and the other partners left behind, continuing onto the next checkpoint by bike.

Moving at a faster speed, the bikers always pass their running counterparts, reaching the next checkpoints first. Playing a game of ‘leap-

LEAP FROG Paul and Josh pose with founder the of Muddy Buddies, Bob Babbitt, an inductee of both the Ironman and Triathlon Halls of Fame.

NOVEMBER 2013

frog’ throughout the race, each competitor splits up the 10k into bike and run portions.

Details of Josh’s and Paul’s Muddy Buddy experience are as follows: Once Josh took down the first uphill mile on his bike, a ropes course awaited. Only taking a few minutes, Josh climbed over and down the rope wall, quickly continuing on to the one mile running stretch that awaited next.

Right behind him, Paul finished up the 1-milestretch by foot. He too sprang over the ropes course, splashed down some water provided by the aid station present at each checkpoint, and hopped onto the bike that Josh had left behind. A few minutes later, Paul passed up Josh at a high speed on the downhill stretch, finishing at their next checkpoint: A wooden climbing wall.

Consisting of three sets of wooden walls and platforms, Josh and Paul’s upper body strength were tested for the first time during the race.

The vigorous course was then followed by a mellow one mile stretch of flat terrain.

The next checkpoint challenge that Josh and Paul would face: A deadly muddy tunnel crawl.

Sliding through the tunnel, the two competitors managed to push their ways through a few other racers, quickly continuing on the next segment of the race.

With only a couple of miles left, Josh and Paul have yet to face the toughest of the obstacles: several wall climbing structures and

PLEDGE Paul and Josh pledge allegiance with the rest of the Muddy Buddy Bike & Run competitors before the race. the notorious final mud pit. After the half mile path in thin forest, the team scaled the rock climbing wall, and began the longest stretch, 1.5 total miles, of the race.

Coming to a bouncy house slide, the two were relieved by the seemingly easy obstacle.

However, having used most of their energy, the

climb was harder than the two anticipated.

Only a half mile was left until the finish line.

Josh arrived at the finishers area on foot a few minutes before Paul, and had to wait to continue on to the last obstacles as each team is required to finish the race as a pair. Paul arrived shortly, and the pair grappled the ropes course

photo provided by Muddy Buddy

LAY OF THE LAND The course map of the San Jose Muddy Buddy competition. Paul and Josh leapfrogged from mountain bike to running in the Bike & Run competition that spanned a total of 6.3 miles.

16 | T H E V I K I N G |

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UPHILL GRIND Josh sprints uphill on his bike for the first 1 mile stretch of the Bike & Run race. and tower toward the highly anticipated mud pit. Plunging themselves into a two foot deep mud pit set on a rock base, Josh and Paul military crawled under mesh for 20 feet through the muck.

Brendon Wood, a radio DJ and the Muddy Buddy announcer, praised the two Vikings as they crossed the line; each volunteer working at the event then gave each racer a medal before the weary competitors hosed their dirty bodies off.

After a long race, Josh and Paul joined the hundreds of other finishers, devouring the free energy packs and health bars provided by the REI sponsored tents. Set up under the tents, free snacks, lunch and beer (for all aged 21+) are offered. Socializing with the rest of the Muddy Buddy community, Josh and Paul’s spirits rose quickly.

The Muddy Buddy is a great race for individuals looking for a challenging level of competitions that requires no prerequisite training. Seen in the crowd of flamboyantly dressed competitors are teenagers, parents and their children and even grandparents.

Babbitt, who is into his thirteenth year with Muddy Buddy, recognizes that there’s something special about the event.

“There’s just a feeling you get when you cross that finish line that changes you,” Babbitt said. “It makes you a better father, son, employee, employer. It makes you better at everything you do.” <<<

HANG LOOSE Paul poses as he approaches a checkpoint where he will drop his bike off.

COOL OFF Josh uses the high power hose to wash the mud off his body after he and Paul crossed the finish line at the Muddy Buddy race.

NOVEMBER 2013

Making the cut Although they consider themselves a team, the Paly Ultimate Frisbee Club has not yet made the cut as a varsity sport in the Palo Alto High School athletic department.

by MEGAN VALENCIA and PAIGE BARA photos by Paul Bienamé

SOARING Jeremy Dao (‘14) dives for a Frisbee™ at the Paly Ultimate Club practice on the soccer field. The Ultimate team has to fight for their field space, as the Paly varsity sports are favored for field reservation.

W

alking across the quad in the afternoons, students can make out figures on the soccer field throwing colorful, spinning disks back and forth. These individuals belong to the Paly Ultimate Frisbee Club.

Although some members of the Paly Ultimate Frisbee Club appreciate the non-committal nature of the club, others feel cheated of the resources granted to school sports and wish that Ultimate was recognized as a varsity sport. The establishment of Ultimate as a varsity sport at Paly would create an outlet for athletes to engage in competitive play with minimal player qualifications.

Originally started as an athletic club a few years ago, the Paly Ultimate Club plays games

18 | T H E V I K I N G |

against local Ultimate teams in a Bay Area league. Recently, the Ultimate Club has played in competitive tournaments around the state.

“We’ve played a round robin tournament at Valley Christian,” club co-president Bryant Vergara (‘14) said. “We play all of the [California] teams at the state championship tournament.”

Regarding player experience and practice attendance, the Ultimate Club has an inclusive, laid-back attitude. With only seven players needed on each team, the Ultimate Club plays in scrimmages against each itself to practice for their games.

“We take everybody,” Vergara said. “You show up, and if you show up more you get to play. When the season starts getting competitive, we know who is actually going to play.”

Ultimate players appreciate the inclusive spirit of the sport and the teamwork involved in success.

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

“[Ultimate] is one of those sports that you can’t really dominate by yourself,” Vergara said. “There are always those dominant players, but you can’t really carry a team by yourself. That’s the best part of Frisbee, that it’s more team oriented. It’s not just like, ‘This guy can run 80 yards so he’s fine.’ You have to work as a cohesive unit.”

Although good-natured heckling often occurs in Ultimate, players remain cautious of harmful taunting, and encourage fair, competitive play. An intentional foul is considered to be against the sportsmanlike attitude that comes along with Ultimate. There are no referees to preserve the non-contact guidelines of the sport, and this self-officiating nature makes Ultimate reliant upon integrity and honesty in the calls which players make.

“We’re not out there to hurt each other,” Ver-

gara said. “We have respect for the other team.”

Club advisor Christopher Farina has played Ultimate since his senior year of high school, and considers himself both a coach and a manager.

“My role with the club is two-fold,” Farina said. “One is to teach [members] the skills and rules [of Ultimate]. The other is to help them connect with opportunities to play.”

Farina appreciates the limited qualifications for the club, and the selfdetermined level of commitment.

“If [students] want to come and just throw around, cool, come and throw around,” Farina said.

“If you want to see if you can get really good at it, then come and see if you can get really good at it. I really like the fact that it’s wide open in that sense, it’s really accepting.”

Although the members of the club enjoy its laid-back attitude, they find that there are many downsides the Ultimate team’s status. Not only do players have to fight for adequate practice time on the Paly fields, they also receive no school funding.

“We are a team, but we are just called a club at school,” Marcus Edholm (’14) said. “We want to be recognized as a varsity sport at Paly.”

“

The Ultimate team faces the challenge of adding Ultimate Frisbee to the Paly athletic program. When considering the transformation of the Paly Ultimate Frisbee Club into a varsity sport, Farina looks to other high school Ultimate teams as models for the future.

“There are a number of high schools that already have [Ultimate] as a varsity sport.

It is a growing club, so I think that [the idea of Ultimate as a varsity sport] will at some point be coming down the pipeline.”

about [Ultimate being a club],” Farina said.

“The good things are that there’s no predetermined culture of that sport, or it’s less so than you’d find in a lot of other sports. We’re free to take anybody with any sort of commitment level to the sport. The negative side to it is that obviously you don’t get the kind of support, the resources, the funds that come along [with being a varsity sport].”

Vergara agrees, noting that the many other popular sports, such as field hockey and men’s volleyball, have no place at Paly.

“I think that the athletic program as a whole could expand, but it will take time,” Vergara said.

Until such time, the Paly Ultimate Club will continue to practice their skills and play competitively as a team.

“My favorite part of the sport is the reliance on the other people on your team,” Edholm said. “The feeling of connecting a pass sequence between half the team that ends in a touchdown is such a rush that is unparalleled in other sports. In other sports a single person would have been the reason for that drive being successful... In frisbee every player is forced to use their team members because the rules of the game dictate it.”<<<

We are a team, but we are just called a club at school.We want to be recognized as a varsity sport at Paly.

As the team expands year by year, they find it more difficult to transport themselvesto games and tournaments without school support.

“If the team were to grow enough to where we were taking a large number of people around, then we’d have to start looking at vans or buses,” Farina said. “It would be nice to have that kind of support so that kids wouldn’t have to drive each other.”

Farina sees the pros and cons of Ultimate as a Paly club versus a varsity sport.

“There are good things and bad things

”

THE SQUAD The Paly Ultimate Club members after practice. The club wishes for the benefits that come with varsity sport recognition, including: school funding, game transportation and team uniforms.

NOVEMBER 2013

An apparent problem Parents comprise the majority of the fanbase of Paly sports events for years. Join Sheila as she challenges their involvement in athletics.

by SHEILA SUBRAMANIAN

SUPPORT Parents and other fans sit on the bleachers, cheering on the competing players during the Paly Homecoming football game.

L

et’s start off with some statistics.

Did you know that over 50% of the Palo Alto High School student body is composed of student athletes?

That’s about 950 kids who run, jump, swim, shoot and compete as Paly athletes.

That means there are over a thousand parents who are in one way, shape or form associated with their child’s sports team over the course of the school year. Whether heavily involved or not, these parents make a significant impact on the team.

These parents are separated into distinct

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groups. Some choose to stay independent of their child’s athletic life and keep to themselves, some choose to volunteer occasionally to help out the team and others insist on being a powerful component of the team.

This final group of parents tries to influence the players, coaches, and the overall team atmosphere.

When it comes to parental involvement, there is a fine line that must not be crossed.

Parental intrusion in Paly student-athlete territory can be harmful to the team dynamic.

It was time that I examine the good, the bad and the ugly of parental involvement in high school athletic teams: Is it really all that

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

worth it? And how much is too much?

Now, from a financial standpoint, without parental involvement and investments, Paly’s athletic teams would not be thriving the way they are now. Parents bring in a sizeable amount of money to the sports boosters.

In addition to donations, many parents are socially involved with the team, albeit in a reserved fashion. Parents are responsible for organizing team dinners, providing transportation to games and even throwing postseason parties to honor the coaches.

Such actions aid the team and exemplify the appropriate amount of parental involvement in high school sports.

Alas, some parents not only become financially and socially involved, but are also overcome with competitiveness and become emotionally involved in their child’s sport.

Parents frequently attempt to live vicariously through their children.

Though not all students wish to compete in post high school athletics, much is placed on the line for those who do. Many student-athletes continuously await awards, scholarships and college recruitments.

Many motivated parents place a significant amount of pressure on their children through intense additional training and private coaching.

Sure, looking out for your children is necessary and being ambitious for them is encouraged; however, it can at times be over-the-top and can be communicated in a controlling and discouraging manner.

Admit it. There always seems to be that one parent at a sporting event who thinks he or she is an extra coach stuck in the stands. It’s quite noticeable among the other parents who choose to simply sit down to root on their child’s team.

There is a clear difference between cheering on competing players and being a back-seat coach. Cheering on players exemplifies the positive support needed from parents, but being a back-seat coach further intensifies drama.

The sole responsibility of any and all coaching should be left to the coaches who are

hired by an athletic director or administrator at the start of the season.

Regardless of the parent’s experience with or knowledge of the sport, coaching from the sidelines can be distracting to the athletes playing the game. The athletes’ lack of focus can be detrimental to their success. Conflicting viewpoints can even spark negative relations between the “heavily-involved” parents and the hired coaches.

Along with coaching from the sidelines, some parents seek to actually be a part of the coaching staff. This position, too, should not be tolerated because it will lead to awkward situations between the parent coach and players.

Athletic director Earl Hansen discussed his views on parental coaching and why it should not be allowed.

“I’m not generally for it...It has happened in a positive way before, but I have also seen favoritism the other way too. If they are a professional coach, it is different than if they are coaching their child on the team for just that one year.”

Parents complaining about coaches is another problem that occurs far too often.

Though it depends on the severity of the issue at hand, parents shouldn’t complain about coaches; they’re not actually on the team.

Unless they attend practice daily and observe the coach, parents should not be given the opportunity to denounce anyone without valid authority.

PALY PULSE Who has the toughest serve on the varsity girls’ volleyball team?

The athletes themselves are the ones who should complain if there were to be a serious concern on a particular issue regarding the coaching of the team.

Parents who make derogatory remarks to a coach or to other parents or members of the team are too prevalent in high school sports and are often uncontrollable. This can tear apart a team and ruins the positive relationships built over time between teammates.

Rules pertaining to parental association with a team must be outlined in a parent meeting held before the actual season starts.

This will help to prevent any damages done to the team dynamic and the emotional states of the athletes.

A positive environment where parents serve as supportive role models to their children is what is really needed. They must encourage their young athletes to feel confident about themselves and their team’s performance.

So, is parental involvement in high school sports really all that necessary?

To a certain extent, sure.

Are there boundaries that must be set in place?

Definitely.

It is our job as athletes to recognize parents for their continuous effort to support our sports teams. At the same time, it’s important that we encourage parents to separate themselves from the game and to take a step back so the classic ‘tiger parent’ scenario can be avoided. <<<

Percentages based on votes from the varsity girls’ volleyball team.

Keri Gee (‘14):

69%

Becca Raffel (‘14):

13%

Kabria Dame (‘15):

6%

Katie Passarello (‘17): 6% Claire Krugler (‘16): 6% NOVEMBER 2013

2013-2014

WINTER

PREVIEWS

As the fall season for each Paly sport wraps up, The Viking gives insight on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to come for Paly varsity winter athletics.

by IDO GAL and OLIVIA SCOLA

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Boys’ basketball Last season, the Paly boys’ basketball team accomplished a lot. The team finished their season with a record of 23-4 overall and a 12-0 league record, including impressive wins against Milpitas, Saratoga and Homestead.

This year, the team will have to overcome the loss of six seniors from last year, including key players such as Aldis Petriceks (‘13), Scotty Peery (‘13) and Aubrey Dawkins (‘13).

“We were a pretty experienced team last year.”

Charles Schmutz (‘14) said.

“This year we lost a lot of seniors from last

Projected Line Up

PG: Clark Schmutz (‘14) SG: Kevin Mullin (‘15) SF: Noah Phillips (‘14) PF: Justin Hull (‘16) C: Matthew Fogarty (‘14)

2012-13 Record Overall: 23-4 League: 12-0

year, so we’re naturally going to be less experienced. We learned a lot of things from them though, and that should help us out.”

Because of these losses, the Vikings will have to adjust their game plan accordingly. Without the inside presence of Aubrey Dawkins, the team needs their guards to step up and score points. Despite key losses, the team is still confident going into the upcoming year, hoping to improve specifically on defense.

“We need to get better defensively.”

Major Losses

Aldis Petriceks (‘13) Scotty Peery (‘13) Aubrey Dawkins(‘13)

Who To Look Out For Kevin Mullin (‘15) Alex Dees (‘15) Jonathan Rojahn (‘15)

Girls’ basketball The Lady Vikes will be coming back from a disappointing previous season. Last year four starters were injured, and three additional players quit. The loss of graduates Josie Butler (‘13), Annie Susco (‘13), and Stephanie Allen (‘13) will greatly affect the team, which means the underclassmen will have to step up.

“We have a really young team,” Point guard Maddy Atwater (’16) said. “We’re supposed

Projected Line Up

PG: Maddy Atwater (‘16) SG: Courtney Lovely (‘16) SF: Siggi Benson (‘16) PF: Alexis Harris (‘16) C: Charlotte Alipate (‘14)

2012-13 Record Overall: 9-14 League: 5-7 JUMPER Charlotte Alipate (‘14) attempts a jumpshot during the 2012-13 season.

Schmutz said. “We’re not going to be as big this year so our defense needs to be solid all around.”

Led by Schmutz, boys’ basketball looks to have a very exciting and entertaining year. >>>

SWISH Clark Schmutz (‘14) shoots a three-pointer in the 2012-13 season.

to have about 6 freshman on varsity, and only two seniors.”

The team will be led by only two upperclassmen, with one possibly injured. This will cause many underclassmen to start and lead the team. Despite the youth, the team still remains encouraged going into this winter.

“We have a great deal of potential and if we work hard we can have a really fun year,” coach Scott Peters said. <<<

Major Losses

Annie Susco (‘13) Stephanie Allen (‘13) Josie Butler (‘13)

Who To Look Out For Maddy Atwater (‘13) Charlotte Alipate (‘14) Courtney Lovely (‘16) Alexis Harris (‘16)

Head coach Scott Peters

NOVEMBER 2013

Boys’ soccer After moving back up a league and losing eight graduated seniors, the boy’s varsity soccer team will be returning to the field for a new season. In their 2011-2012 season, the team moved down to the De Anza League after losing every single game. After winning 12 games in the 2012-2013 season, they will be moving back up to compete in the El Camino section of the Santa Clara Athletic League (SCVAL). However, the team will have to

Projected Line Up

FW: Fernando Rodriguez (‘16) Eduard Chen (‘15) CM: Preston Kuppe (‘15), Steven Blatman (15‘), Cina Vacir (‘14) CB:Theo Zaharias (‘15) GK: Tony Maharaj (‘14)

2012-13 Record CHIPSHOT Cina Vazir (‘14) boots the ball during the 2012-13 season.

Overall: 12-5-2 League: 2-1-1

adapt to the loss of many key players, including forward Christopher Meredith (‘13).

“We’ll have to find a different way to score this year without Chris,” center midfield Preston Kuppe (‘15) said. Regardless, the team is still anxious to get on the field.

“Our coach organizes open gym every Tuesday after school.”Preston Kuppe said. We get to play a lot of pickup games in order to get prepared for the upcoming year.” <<<

Major Losses

Paul Stefanski (‘13) Kirby Gee(‘13) Chris Meredith (‘13)

Head Coach Donald Briggs

Who To Look Out For Preston Kuppe (‘15) Paul Mewes (‘15) Tony Maharaj (‘14)

Girls’ soccer The girl’s varsity soccer team returns to the field to take care of unfinished business after last year’s CCS disqualification. After miscommunications between different organizations, the team was not allowed to participate in the CCS tournament. In the 2012-2013 season the team went 9-2-1 in the league, which might have led to later success before their season was cut short. In addition, the

Projected Starters

FW: Jacey Pederson (‘16), Jessica Branson (‘14) CM: Sunny Lyu (‘14), Aoi Sugihara (‘16) CB: Livi Musil (‘15) Lena Chang (‘15) GK: Kelly Branson (‘16)

2012-13 Record Overall: 11-6-2 League: 9-2-1

team will also have to deal with the loss of key players, including goalie Erin Chang (’13), and defender Nina Kelty (’13).

“We’re coming back smarter and more determined after last year.” Midfielder Alys Olmstead (’16) said “It will definitely give us a lot more drive to prove that we can compete in an even higher league and make it to CCS again.” <<<

Major Losses

Nina Kelty (‘13) Erin Chang (‘13) Katherine Maniscalco (‘13)

Who To Look Out For Megan Tall (‘14) Jacey Peterson (‘16) Aoi Sugihara (‘15)

Head Coach Kurt Devlin

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CHARGE Sunny Lyu (‘14) sprints with the ball down the field during the 2012-13 season. Her team looks to make a statement after CCS disqualification.

Wrestling

STAND OFF Andrew Frick (‘14) grab shis opponent during a match in the 2012-2013 season. The wrestling team looks to finish top three at sectionals this year.

This year, the Paly wrestling team at has put forward huge expectations.

“We want to place top three at sectionals.”

James Giaccia (‘15) said. “A lot of us want to make it to state.”

In order to achieve their goals, the team has been putting in a lot of work in the offseason. The team runs on the track for an hour and a half on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and spends the rest of practice in the

weight room. However, the team will have to overcome the loss its best player, Gary Hobach (‘13), who graduated last spring.

“He’s a huge loss.” Giaccia said. “He was the only player to make it to state last year.

We still have players like Andrew Frick and myself so we’re still confident.”

The team is also confident in its coaching staff this year, with five different coaches who all have prestigious backgrounds.

“We’re going to be a pretty young team this year,” Head coach David Duran said, “but we have kids who are willing to battle.” Regardless of preseason confidence, the team still understands that the year could turn out very unpredictable.

“It’s going to be a very exciting year because none of us really know what to expect.”

Giaccia said. <<<

James Giaccia (‘15) Andrew Frick (‘14) Gunner Felt (‘14) Seth Boyle (‘17)

Head Coach: David Duran

photo courtesy of Jim Anderson

Who To Look Out For

STEPPING UP Erik Anderson (‘13) prepares for a match. He placed fifth in the 170 lb weight class in the 2013 CCS Boys Wrestling Championship. He now attends Claremont McKenna College.

NOVEMBER 2013

Drawing the line The recent violent trend in the Giants-Dodgers rivalry demands attention and needs to be fixed by Major League Baseball. a letter by Rowan McEvoy November 1, 2013 Major League Baseball 245 Park Ave New York, NY 10167 Dear Major League Baseball, The rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers has always been passionate. Fans make the rivalry passionate through constant support and devotion, but recently this passion has been amplified beyond a level of acceptability.

In 2011, two Dodgers fans attacked Giants fan Bryan Stowe after a Dodgers game outside the Los Angeles stadium. Stowe sustained severe head injuries and was put into a medically induced coma. He may never fully recover. In addition, an attacker stabbed Dodgers fan Jonathan Denver to death after a Giants game earlier this year just outside AT&T Park in front of his father and brother.

Violence merits no place in any rivalry.

To some fans, sports represent more than a game, becoming an all-consuming devotion. Yes, this kind of enthusiasm makes the Giants-Dodgers rivalry special, but when it causes fans to disregard morals and harass opposing supporters, a line needs to be drawn. When rivalries turn to violence and permanent injuries, you go too far. The fact that America’s pastime now prompts devoted fans to resort to violence must set off an alarm somewhere. That alarm now sounds here.

As is apparent from your endless stream of disagreements over anything relating to baseball, fans argue at the drop of a pin.

But what does make them argue so avidly over matters such as these? If you haven’t managed to notice, the element in sports that makes them chasms of confrontation is the nature of the games themselves.

Unlike almost all other forms of entertainment, sports contain two potentially controversial qualities: regional ties and

competition. A Taylor Swift concert, on the contrary, does not. Since sports originated, teams have represented groups of people. Because of this representative factor, people feel closely tied to certain teams.

This is where competition ties in. Sports contests decide a winner and a loser, and as evolution taught humans, success is favorable. In the days of early man, the hunter who killed an animal got to eat, while his unsuccessful acquaintance gnawed hungrily on the bark of a tree or didn’t eat at all. Between a team and this success stands only the opponent, making the opponent the natural enemy. When this urge to succeed eclipses the boundaries of the sports contest and turns into real world feeling within the people whom the teams represent, rivalries are born.

The Giants-Dodgers rivalry formed in such a way. Many years of high stakes games turned into real world emotions, and created numerous fan altercations such as the ones involving Bryan Stowe and Jonathan Denver. But the fact that violence now permeates the honorable membrane of baseball is why I must implore you to stop for a second and contemplate what is best for the future of the game.

While supporting their team, fans often forget their place in the systems that are sports. Players are the ones who play the actual games. Players battle each other to win championships. Players control what happens. Fans simply root for their team.

When exceeding their intended role in sports, fans overlook the consequences of their actions. While arguing over a rivalry bears the potential to add to the

fun, violence is where the line must be drawn. Violence adds absolutely nothing to a rivalry except for medical bills, lawsuits and potential life-long consequences.

Sadly, the Giants-Dodgers rivalry now contains this violent element. Attacks such as those on Bryan Stowe and Jonathan Denver may continue if something is not done. Because of this, I offer a solution: take the rivalry down a notch, and start punishing fans who don’t comply.

Players are punished for unruly behavior during games, so why shouldn’t fans be as well? Fans congregate in the greatest numbers at games, so teams can ramp up security both inside the stadium and out. Officials can monitor and if necessary detain fans who cause violent conflicts as far away from the stadium as the parking lots. Since both the Bryan Stowe and Jonathan Denver attacks happened in the vicinity of a ballpark, they could have been prevented with increased security.

Although both the Giants and the Dodgers represent entire cities, the contests between them are no more than games. The Giants-Dodgers rivalry is important, but more important than someone’s life? No. At the end of the day, you need to set your priorities straight and acknowledge this.

If baseball’s future is to remain bright, you need to institute some serious changes.

Sincerely,

Rowan McEvoy Rowan McEvoy Staff Writer Logis taken from

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ALo A L

C

MONDAY

sunday

F - Football V - Volleyball T - Girls’ Tennis GW - Girls’ Water Polo BW - Boys’ Water Polo XC - Cross-country

3

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WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

GS - Girls’ Soccer BS - Boys’ Soccer BB- Boys’ Basketball

5 GW/BW : League Championships

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TUESDAY

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER

P A

LTO thleticS E N D A

V: @ Gunn 6:45 T: SCVAL Championships 1:00 GW/BW : League Championships XC: SCVAL Champsionships

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6 T: SCVAL Semis & Finals 1:00 GW/BW : League Championships

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14

saturday 2

1 F: @ Mountain View 3:15

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V: vs Los Gatos 6:45 GW/BW : League Championships

T: CCS 1st Round 2:30

FRIDAY

R V: Spikefest 2 Tournament 8 am

9

GW/BW: F: vs Los Gatos League @ Paly 7:30 GW/BW: League Cham- Championships pionships

15 T: CCS 2nd Round 2:30

16 F: vs Santa Clara 7:15

XC: CCS Champsionships

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XC: CIF State Championships BB: Scrimmage vs Berkeley @ Paly 1:00

GS: Scrimmage vs/ @ Sacred Heart 3:30 BB: Scrimmage vs/ @ Bellarmine 5:00

DECEMBER

1

2 GS: vs Carlmont 4:00 BS: vs Freedom @ Foothill 4:30 BB: vs/ @ Serra 7:30

3 BS: vs Bishop O’Dawd @ Foothill 6:30

BS: vs Antioch @ Foothill 4:30

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GS: vs GS: vs Menlo-Atherton San Benito @ Paly 4:00 @ Paly 3:00

Images taken from

NOVEMBER 2013

He said...

by GILLIAN CHRYST and CLARA HARRINGTON

Students and athletes alike have recently been spotted working out in various apparel. The Viking asked twelve Paly athletes for their opinions on styles the opposite gender wears.

On best hairstyles

“A braid of some sort.”

-Riley Schoeben (‘16)

“Just do what you need to do.”

-Justin Rittman (‘14)

“The best thing girls can do with their hair is put it in a ponytail.”

-Dan Su (‘15)

On yoga pants

“It’s a gift from heaven. Guys should thank the greater beings every day for such a beautiful thing.”

-Ethan Look (‘15)

“I think that it’s unfair that girls get to wear such revealing clothing while guys are left with nothing.”

-Omri Newman (‘14)

28 | THE VIKING | www.vikingsportsmag.com

“ It makes it hard for me to work out.”

-Maclean Mansfeild (‘16)

Yoga pants are a great piece of clothing for girls to stay comfortable in yearround, but also to work out in during the fall.

and she said...

On bro tanks

“It doesn’t really bother me. I don’t really notice ... sometimes it’s attractive, sometimes its not.”

-Katie Passarello (‘17)

“Guys wear bro tanks to work out, but I feel like it’s cute because they have nice muscles.”

-Kabria Dame (‘15)

“Only

On sweat pants

certain guys can work them. If you know you can work it, go for it; if not, stay away.”

-Maya Benatar (‘16)

“Easily the most attractive thing a guy can wear.”

-Kelly Swanson (‘15)

Bro tanks give male athletes more room for movement and to show off their buff muscles.

“I can dig that laid back look as long as they don’t wear them super-high up and with running shoes.”

-Alys Olmstead (‘14)

On Breast Cancer Awareness month swag

Photo by Katie Passarello

“I really like going to the games and seeing the guys in pink Under Armour ... It shows that they care.”

-Sophie Robinson (‘15)

Our Paly athletes honor Breast Cancer Awareness month by wearing pink throughout October.

“I think it’s good to show your support for breast care awareness, but there’s also a lot of other diseases we should bring awareness to as well.”

-Meredith Kinnaman (‘16) Images taken from

NOVEMBER 2013

photo courtesy of Keith Peters/Palo Alto Weekly 30 | T H E V I K I N G |

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A Family Company Brothers Brandon, Matt and Aaron Johnson all started their water polo careers in Palo Alto, and have returned to coach rival schools and start their own water polo club.

by HAYLEY POORE and PRISCILLA BELL

T

wins often grow up doing a lot together - wearing the same clothes as kids or playing the same sport. It wasn’t any different for Matt and Brandon Johnson. From junior high to the National Team, the two were always playing water polo together. Now, coaching jobs at rival high schools have caused them to look at each other as competitors instead of allies in the pool.

The rivalry between Gunn and Paly is present in every sport, but with Matt and Brandon coaching opposing teams, the clash is even bigger. Brandon is the boys’ varsity water polo coach at Paly, while Matt is the coach at Gunn.

Growing up, the Johnson kids all swam at

Greenmeadow Swim Club in Palo Alto. When the twins were in seventh grade, they heard about water polo and decided to try it out.

“I would hang out at my neighborhood pool all day, and I wasn’t a big swimmer,” Brandon said. “So one of the lifeguards suggested that I start playing water polo.”

Despite not a lot of knowledge about the sport, the twins participated in a session at Stanford Water Polo Club.

“They really liked it a lot,” mother Celeste Johnson said. “It just clicked with them.”

Around a year after Matt and Brandon joined a team at Stanford, their younger brother Aaron Johnson decided to try out the sport as well.

“They had a pretty big in-

BROTHERLY LOVE Matt (left) and Brandon (right) Johnson played water polo at Gunn High School and now coach at rival high schools in Palo Alto and at Shoreline Water Polo Club, which they started.

NOVEMBER 2013

“

top of as far as you could go in high school,” Celeste said. “Matt was the league MVP goalie one year and Brandon was the league MVP player.

There’s only one in the entire league of each of those, and they made it to those positions.”

After graduating from Gunn, Brandon and Matt went on to play together for University of California at Irvine (UC Irvine).

“

fluence on [me],” Aaron said.

Their younger sister, Lauren Johnson, a senior at Gunn, started playing only recently, after watching her brothers play for many years. “Lauren wanted to wait as long as she could, because she was kind of sick of it, because she grew up watching us play the whole time,” Brandon said. “She finally gave in and started playing. We were definitely an influence on both of them.”

Brandon and Matt went to Gunn and played water polo for four years there. When Aaron started high school, he joined them on varsity.

“Brandon, Matt and Aaron were all on the same team Aaron’s freshman year at Gunn,” Celeste said. “Aaron started as a freshman, and so all three of them were in the starting lineup for the Gunn team.”

While playing at Gunn, both Brandon and Matt won awards showcasing their high skill level.

“In high school they basically made it to the

and saved a total of 571 goals. In their senior year, UC Irvine was ranked fifth nationally. “[UC Irvine] was a great program - a hard working program, and I think that’s really where they learned most of what they have for coaching, and how to play the game and how to teach the game is through the people they worked with at Irvine,” father Kevin Johnson said.

During college, they also were part of the National World University Games Team.

Brandon started training with the team his sophomore year, and Matt joined him starting his senior year.

When they graduated from UC Irvine in 2011, the twins had to look abroad if they wanted to continue their career as water polo players, because there is not a professional league in the United States.

“They wanted to keep playing, and that’s the only thing you can do because there is nothing similar in the United States,” Celeste said. “Ev-

They really liked [water polo] a lot. It just clicked with them.

Originally looking at different schools, they ended up joining the team together.

“When the coaches started contacting them back and they would go on recruiting trips, the coaches would ask, ‘Where’s your brother?’” Celeste said.

At UC Irvine, the twins success only increased. Brandon was a three-time All-American and scored a total of 196 goals in his time there, and Matt was a one-time All-American

photo courtesy of Celeste Johnson THROWBACK Brandon (top row, far left) as a senior, Matt (top row, third from left) as a senior and Aaron (middle row, forth from left) as a freshman all started on the Gunn boys’ water polo team. All three brothers now coach in Palo Alto at high schools and Shoreline Water Polo Club.

32 | T H E V I K I N G |

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photo courtesy of Celeste Johnson

photo courtesy of Celeste Johnson

GO ANTEATERS Brandon Johnson takes shots in games while playing for the UC Irvine Anteaters. Brandon played at UC Irvine from 2007-2011 and totaled 196 goals and was a 3 time All-American. erybody that they talked to that played in Australia had a great time and said they loved it.”

Before they went off to play, Brandon was an assistant volunteer coach for UC Irvine, and Matt was a junior varsity and assistant varsity coach for a high school in southern California. Then, in the spring of 2012, they both went to play professionally in Australia, but for the first time, Matt and Brandon were on separate teams.

Matt went to play for a team in Brisbane, while Brandon went to play for a team in Perth.

“Different teams were looking for different things,” Kevin said. “It’s a little harder for the goalies because there are two or three international players in water polo, and a lot of [the teams] will take home grown Australian players and bring in field players.”

That year, Matt’s team did well, while Brandon’s was not as successful.

“Matthew worked with a team in Brisbane and it ended up being a very good high quality team,” Kevin said. “A lot of Australian Olympians on that team.”

Matt played for the Brisbane Barracudas, and Brandon played for the University of Western Australia Torpedoes (UWA Torpedoes). When their teams came up against each other that season, Matt’s won.

“We’ve lined up against each other in practice many times, but this was the first official game that we were on opposite teams,” Matt

wrote in an email to The Viking. “It was a home weekend for my team, so we played them Friday night and Sunday morning. Those were my two best games of the season and I held Brandon to one goal in two games as my team swept the weekend series. I still bring that up to him.”

Brandon was able to go back to Australia for a second year with his same team. The UWA Torpedoes won the silver medal in

“

ticipated in the World League Preliminaries in Los Alamitos, CA. After the World League Preliminaries, Brandon went to the World League Super Finals in Russia in June, while Matt did not make the roster. After Russia, Brandon did not make the roster for the World Championships that were in Barcelona.

After participating on the National team, both Matt and Brandon’s careers as players finished, but their careers as coaches were just beginning.

Originally, both did not consider coaching as a career, but it has shown to be something that they both have a passion for. “ I never thought of coaching for a living until I was working at Stanford the summer after I got back from Australia,” Matt wrote. “I had interviewed for some office jobs and was planning on coaching until I landed something. But after talking with Jon Barnea [(‘98)] I realized that coaching was something I could make a career out of.

Once Brandon and I started Shoreline, Aaron started helping out and we soon realized we all shared the passion and skill for coaching.”

Barnea is a Paly alumni, former water polo coach and current Stanford assistant coach. He had a large influence on leading them to coaching.

Brandon and Matt coached together at Paly in the fall of 2012 when they became co-head coaches at Paly. But after just one season of coaching together, Matt was offered the head boys’ water polo coaching position at Gunn.

[The rivalry] definitely keeps it interesting. It makes for a little better competition. Talking to the opposing coach for days before the game makes it a little bit more intense, and you definitely have a rivalry going with family members, so it makes it more interesting and competitive.

“

the Australian National League and Brandon was the team high scorer. Matt, however, did not return to play a second season. “[Matt] couldn’t find a team that needed a goalie the second year that he actually wanted to play for,” Celeste said. “He was contacted by a couple teams, but they were not teams that he wanted to play for.”

Brandon enjoyed his international experience.

“Australia was awesome,” Brandon said. “It was a lot of fun. Some good competition. It was a lot different than here. It was a really good experience.”

Early this summer, both Matt and Brandon were also part of the Men’s Senior National Team, after being on the National World University Games Team in college. They par-

NOVEMBER 2013

photo courtesy of Celeste Johnson

WORLD PLAYER Brandon shoots the ball in a game while playing for the UWA Torpedoes. In his second season he was the leading scorer and the team won the silver medal in the National Australian League.

He took the job, leaving Brandon to coach the Paly boys’ water polo team by himself, and Aaron to coach the boys’ junior varsity team.

Brandon enjoys coaching at Paly, but it is also difficult because he is coaching against his former high school.

‘It’s fun [being rivals],” Brandon said.

“Definitely fun, it’s kind of hard at first because I went to Gunn, so I have a little bit of Gunn pride still in me, but I like coaching at Paly, coaching against Matt, coaching against Gunn. It’s pretty fun.”

Aaron sees that the game is more competitive and intense than usu-

34 | T H E V I K I N G |

al because Matt is on the other side. “[The rivalry] definitely keeps it interesting,” Aaron said. “It makes for a little better competition. Talking to the opposing coach for days before the game makes it a little bit more intense, and you definitely have a rivalry going with family members, so it makes it more interesting and competitive.”

Although the brothers played together and have coached together, they have different styles of coaching their own high schoolers.

“Matt’s a goalie, so he has a defensive perspective,” Brandon said. “Aaron’s a twometer player, so he’s more of the in the

w w w. v i k i n g s p o r t s m a g . c o m

trenches, grabbing and doing all those moves. I’m more of the outside shooter, so we all hit on different aspects of the game.”

Matt and Brandon’s coaching styles differ more than just the perspectives they have from the positions they played. Their personalities also greatly affect the types of coaches they are.

“Matt shows his emotions a lot more than Brandon which comes out in his coaching a lot,” Lauren said. “Matt tries to rally his team together with his words. During games he’s more loud and off the bench trying to talk to the refs and talk to the team, where Brandon is not as loud. He’ll still say stuff but he seems more conservative when he’s out there, and lets the team play more.”

Kevin agrees with Lauren about the different coaching styles Matt, Brandon and Aaron have.

“Matt’s a little more outgoing, and a little more outspoken in his opinions,” Kevin said. “Brandon’s a little bit quieter.

Aaron is just intense. He’s the perfectionist, he requires his players to do everything the right way; he’s the perfectionist.”

Since Matt coached at Paly last year, some players had both Matt and Brandon as coaches, and saw the differences as well.

“During practice, Brandon has always been the more serious one,” varsity captain Omri Newman said. “He wants to get work done. Matt also is serious, but he’s a little more nonchalant about it.”

However, being twins, Brandon and Matt are more similar than alike.

“It’s kind of hard to think of two different adjectives [to describe them],” Lauren said.

And even though Aaron started playing after his brothers, his coaching philosophy is similar to his brothers.

“The similarities in our coaching style include passion and energy,” Matt wrote. “We all really care about the players we coach and the success they have.”

When they are not coaching at high school, they coach club teams, and even created their own water polo club. Shoreline Water Polo Club is a club that the brothers started together and coach together. They created it so that Paly and Gunn players would have a club other than Stanford club to play for.

“When I was growing up here and went to Gunn, all we had was Stanford, so everyone played Stanford,” Brandon said.

“Now there’s all these other clubs popping up, and the Paly and Gunn kids don’t really have the option of having a club that’s based in Palo Alto that’s not Stanford.”

Through Shoreline and Stanford, they stay involved with the game as coaches.

“I love the game,” Brandon said.

“I want to be a part of it somehow by doing something. My playing is coming to an end so I’m starting to get into coaching

photo courtesy of Celeste Johnson

photo by Tara Lawrence

photo by Tara Lawrence

NATIONAL TEAM (Top) Matt (left) and Brandon (right) get ready to play in the World League Preliminaries in Los Alamitos, CA this summer. TWEET (Bottom left) Brandon coaches the boys’ varsity team during a practice at Paly. TEAM TALK (Bottom right) Brandon crouches down to talk to the team during coaching practice. a bit, and I just want to be around it still.”

The Johnson brothers see themselves coaching for a long time because of how much they enjoy playing and coaching the sport.

Both Matt and Brandon think that one of the best parts about coaching is hanging out with the players and seeing them improve.

“The best part about coaching is recognizing improvement and being able to see that what you are teaching is being learned and executed,” Matt wrote. “It’s a great feeling.”

Brandon echoes Matt’s enthusiasm. “[Coaching] is a lot of fun and I really enjoy it; hanging out with the guys, coaching the team and stuff, so it’s something that I’m going to stick with for a little longer at least

and see where it takes me,” Brandon said.

Aaron also sees a long career in coaching ahead of him.

“I really enjoy coaching, and always wanted to get into it,” Aaron said. “I don’t ever want to be away from [water polo], so not being in the water playing physically, the only other thing I would want to be doing is coaching.”

The Johnson family shows just how much sports can bring a family together.

“It’s something that they all do together, and then they all go to coach Stanford Club after these practices every day, so they’re all always together,” Lauren said. “It gives something for us all to talk about now that I’m playing also, and my parents are really big fans.”

Their parents are also greatly involved in the game, despite that the boys are no longer the ones in the water.

“Water polo is definitely a big part of our family,” Matt wrote. “My parents still go watch college and other high school games even though we aren’t playing anymore. They are just fans of the game..It’s fun that water polo plays such a big role in all of our lives and that they share our passion.”

The Johnson’s love for the game has been with them since the beginning, and has carried with them to their passion of coaching. Palo Alto can count on seeing the Johnson brothers around for a long time. <<<

NOVEMBER 2013

FACE OFF Royce Wang (‘15) concentrates on his opponent during a practice bout at the Arillaga Center of Sports. Wang is currently ranked 22nd in the world for his age group in Sabre fencing.

Block, lunge and strike

Royce Wang (‘15) aspires to reach the pinnacle of fencing, all the while having fun and thriving off of the pressure.

by ALEX MURRAY

P

ressure is something that many Paly students are very familiar with. Between the pressures of keeping a high GPA, fitting in with friends or getting into a quality college, students at Palo Alto High School face a lot of stress. For a certain student, however, there is an even greater pressure. A pressure that few people, let alone high school students, could handle. Royce Wang (‘15) is that student. His pressure? To maintain his ranking as 22nd in the world in Sabre fencing, for his age group.

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Continuing on his current success, Wang may reach the highest pinnacles of his sport.

As of now, however, Wang is solely focused on just improving his skills in the sport that he loves.

Wang first started fencing when he was nine, and ever since he first picked up a sword, he has been enamoured with the sport.

“It’s a hobby because I enjoy fencing and the physical thrill, the pressure and the fear of getting defeated,” Wang said.

Wang’s style and weapon of choice is known as, Sabre. In Sabre fencing, everything above

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the waist, excluding the hands of the Sabreur, is a valid area to earn points. Cutting, hitting your opponent with the side of the sabre and jousting your opponent with the point of the sabre, is allowed. It is a faster style of fencing that, according to Wang, is much more exciting to execute.

Wang believes that fencing stands out from other sports because of the mental and physical intensity fencing requires.

“It requires mental training and physical endurance, and you have to know what you’re doing in every moment, so you can face your

opponent without being defeated,” Wang said.

Mental training, such as playing simple games. They games are designed to increase a fencer’s concentration, decision-making, and reflexes. Although these games are simple, they are the building blocks for winning matches and becoming internationally ranked.

Sasha Lepiashinski, Wang’s coach at the Cardinal Fencing club, echoes Wang’s thought on the sport.

“People call fencing physical chess; what does this mean?,” Lepiashinki said. “It means to be a good fencer, you have to be strong athletically, have a good upper body, plus be very, very smart. It’s the combination of physical traits and mental traits.”

Former teammate Rafael Viluan started fencing around the same time Wang started; although they are on different teams now, Viluan says that Wang’s work ethic has not changed.

“He’s been fencing since he was nine, and he shows up to practice every day, for the entire week,” Viluan said.

Lepiashinski believes that this method of deliberate training is the only way that Wang, or any other fencers, can get better.

“The way to reach a high level fencing, it’s hard work,” Lepiashinski said. “Of course, the highest level of fencers in the world have a combination of talent and hard work.”

There is a common theme at Cardinal Fencing, the club that Wang fences for. Almost all of the coaches and students compete on the highest international level. Lepiashinki, for example, is a twelve-time Champion of Belarus, has coached World-Cup winner and Olympic finalist, Dmitry Lapkes and coached at the

National Olympic Center. Walking around the fencing facility located at the Arrillaga Center for Sports and Recreation on the Stanford campus are Olympic fencers representing Panama, Spain and Ukraine. But Wang is not shell-shocked, seeing these men and women who have reached the highest pinnacles of his sport, because he has been there before.

PARRY Wang blocks his practice partner’s attack by flicking his wrist

ATTACK Wang thrusts forwarded, attempting to earn a point in a practice bout

People call fencing physical chess, what does this mean?... It’s the combination of physical traits and mental traits Earlier this year, Wang finished nineteenth in a tournament in Godollo, Hungary, an extremely difficult tournament that he anticipated doing poorly in. Wang then went to the fencing World Cup in Konin, Poland, where he finished eighth, earning a spot on the podium.

But according to Wang’s dad, Regal, Wang almost was not there to earn his trophy.

“He was asleep in the hotel room when his coaches called him, asking where he was and telling him that he needed to get down to the podium as soon as possible, he needed to be there,” Wang’s father said.

Despite constantly competing at a high level of fencing, Wang still comes off as an incredibly easy-going guy. At practice he is often seen joking with his practice partner, constantly with a smile on his face. But as soon as he pulls on his mask, he is all business.

Viluan says that Wang has been that way ever since he began the sport.

“He is more quiet and focused when he’s fencing, he’s thinking about his next move,” Viluan said. “[Off the court] he’s really hyper, definitely a lot more easy-going.”

It’s this rare combination of personality and focus that has led Wang to success, both na-

“

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tionally and internationally and will lead him to success in the future.

Wang hopes that fencing will help with the college process, but he also realizes the benefits that fencing gives to him now.

“It can help you get into college because fewer people do it, so it’s easier than some other sports to do collegiately,” Wang said. “To be real good and compete in that small circle, you have to be well rounded in all of your actions.

From each of your defeats, you can learn a lot. Like not being over confident, and being able to come back from your failures and learn from your mistakes.”

Wang’s training and personality has got him to a high level of fencing, but Lepiashinki believes he can take himself even further.

“His potential is very, very high,” Lepiashinki said. “Everything depends on him. He has great facility [at Stanford], we have very good and experienced coaches. He can reach very high international level. In Poland, it was World Cup and he got tenth place, which is not bad.”

Wang may be a long way off from his goal, but he is getting closer to it. Still, the pressure is on him to become the best that he can become. But Wang not only enjoys the pressure, but he thrives off of it.

“It motivates me to do better,” Wang said.

More than anything, Wang competes in fencing because of the feeling he gets when he fences.

“You feel pressure but it feels good because you’re in your own little space inside your mask,” Wang said. “When you win, you feel a great sense of relief and accomplishment.”<<<

TAKING IT EASY Wang laughs between his practice bout with his partner NOVEMBER 2013

BACK IN TIME Four historic Paly coaches/teachers smile for the camera. From left to right: Hod Ray, Norton Thornton, George Hurley, and George Stewart.

The Mount Rushmore of Paly Similar to the four influential American men engraved in Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Paly has four historic figures of its own that were a crucial component in shaping Paly athletics throughout the years.

A

by ANNA DUKOVIC

drenaline rushing, hearts pounding, crowd cheering; it’s game time. With sweat dripping, players anticipate a single sound. Cleats grip the turf as players sprint across the field.

The game takes way. As fans gather around to watch two teams face off, the focus is all on the players. The field is often an afterthought.

The setting for the game is what makes it all possible. The facilities allow a sound level of play, whether they are a field, a pool, or a gym. Behind each of these facilities is a name: Howard C. “Hod” Ray, Norton Thornton Sr., George Frank Hurley and George S. Stewart.

The namesake of Paly’s football field, Hod Ray joined Paly’s athletic department in 1921 and he stayed at Paly until he passed away 30 years later.

Ray led the football team to its first ever Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) championship, a newly formed league at the time.

During his football coaching career, the football team won a total of eight PAL championships and 17 second place finishes.

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In addition to coaching football, Ray coached basketball, track, swimming and baseball. He led the track team to four PAL championships and an overall 42-16 dualmeet record. His basketball team won twelve PAL championships and his baseball teams won a total of six league titles. On top of coaching the various sports at Paly, Ray also taught Physical Education from 1937-1951.

Although Ray enjoyed basketball the most, he was most known for his coaching success

named after Ray in 1937. That year he had coached the team to a 10-0 record.

In an article, Hod Ray: Mr. Paly sports, written by Dave Kent in the Palo Alto Weekly from 1980, a player of Ray’s from the 1940s, named Bill Simons, spoke about Ray as a coach.

“He taught clean sports and held that ideal above everything else,” Simons said. “He would never tolerate any cheap shots by his players.”

Swimmers, water polo players, and divers would be lost without a pool. Paly is fortunate enough to have a pool and this pool is dedicated to historic coach, Norton Thornton Sr. He was born in England and came to the U.S. in 1914 during WWI. He graduated from Stanford University in 1930.

Thornton was a goalie on the All-American water polo team from 1928 to 1930. He was picked to be an alternate on the 1928 American Olympic Team and was elected to the American Water Polo Hall of Fame in 1994.

Two years after he graduated from Stanford, he decided to return, to coach swimming and water polo.

He taught clean sports and held that ideal above everything else.

He would never tolerate any cheap shots by his players. with the football team. From 1950-1951 he led the team to back-to-back perfect seasons.

Unfortunately, only a few weeks later, he died of a heart attack on the morning of Dec. 17, 1951. Ray had suffered from a heart attack in late 1945, but he had continued to coach even though doctors recommended he stop.

Before his death, the football field was

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”

During the interim years he coached swim teams at Menlo Junior College.

Eventually, Thornton moved on to coach at Mountain View High school in 1942.

Three years later he made his way to Paly.

Thornton coached water polo and swimming at Paly, as well as three physical education classes, a history class, and a hygiene class. He also coached basketball. He continued coaching until 1960.

His son, Norton Thornton, followed his father’s coaching career. He was the Men’s Swimming coach at the University of California, Berkeley from 1974-2007. He was elected to the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1995 and the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002.

Another influential, historical figure at Paly was George Frank Hurley, otherwise known as “Coach Hurley.” The baseball diamond is dedicated to Hurley.

He was born in San Francisco in 1909. He graduated from Washington State University, where he was an All-American football player.

He went to three bowl games. He then went on to play for the Boston Braves and the Washington Redskins in 1932 and 1933, as a guard.

Hurley coached basketball in the 1950’s. In addition to basketball, Hurley also coached football a few years later.

Earl Hansen, Paly’s athletic director, played football for Hurley in 1967 and 1968. In addition to coaching, Hurley was also a driving instructor. Hansen recaps a specific memory he had when Hurley was sitting in the passenger seat during one of his lessons.

“We were driving along Alma,” Hansen said.

“In those days in driver training, they had a break on their side. I [was] driving straight, minding my own business and he was snoozing.

All of a sudden he [woke] up and hit the break...

I will never forget that, that was hilarious.”

Hurley was involved with Paly until his death in April of 1995.

“He was a good coach,” Hansen said. “He loved to get everybody involved and he was positive.”

Paly’s soon to be remodeled gym is dedicated to George S. Stewart. Stewart was Vice Principal of Paly from 1922-1953.

Additionally, Stewart coached lightweight track and basketball teams until 1932. He served as a commissioner of the PAL league and a secretary of the PAL Coaches’ Association up until his death. Similar to Ray, when Stewart was 57 years old, he died from a heart attack in 1953.

Watching the next Paly football, water polo or baseball game, one might focus on the players competing at hand or one might look past the game and think about the history behind it all.

Many people contributed to the construction of what makes Paly’s athletic program so highly praised; Ray, Thornton, Hurley, Stewart and so many more. Without these individuals, Paly would not be what it is today. <<<

1

2

GROUP SHOT Ray’s 1922 football team smiles for a picture. (1) HUDDLE UP Hod Ray looks off into the distance. Ray coached at Paly for a total of 31 years. (2)

SKYVIEW Paly’s campus and the surroundings in 1939.

FLASHBACK Paly’s buildings and athletic facilities back in the day.

NOVEMBER 2013

The Ultimate Fan

by TORI DESTEFANO

photos by Paul Biename

Dan Starrettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;85) committment to the Paly athletic community motivates and drives student athletes

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I

t’s Friday night and Paly football is playing the San Benito Haybalers for their home opener of the 2013 season.

Students are pounding on the bleachers, cheering as loudly as they can to support their team. Parents are watching attentively, hoping their kids play their best game. However, among the sea of fans in attendance, one fan stands apart from others.

He sits alone staring intently at the game. This man is perhaps one of Paly’s most dedicated fans, attending almost every Paly game for nearly 20 years. His name is Dan Starrett (‘85), although most Paly students know him as Superfan Dan. Starrett attends numerous Paly games each season for almost every sport. His school spirit and dedication to Paly athletics has been recognized by many parents and athletes who watch him give advice and cheer for the players at almost every game. Although most Paly athletes are acquainted with Starrett through his constant presence at athletic games, not many students know his background story and what sparked his passion for high school sports.

Starrett graduated in the class of 1985 at Paly.

During his high school years, he claims that he

was not that interested in Paly sports and was nowhere near as spirited and dedicated as he is now towards the athletic program.

“I was not a big fan back then,” Starrett said. “I wasn’t into that sort of thing [in high school], but my interests changed over time. …

I started being a fan eight years after I graduated.”

Starrett blossomed into Superfan Dan, not because of a sudden interest in sports nor connections with the Paly athletes. He was facing challenges in his life, which resulted in him turning to high school sports for a newfound joy.

“Family crisis struck in August of ‘94,” Starrett said. “The previous school year I had been a fan, but that’s what pushed me into [being a fan] big time, as a way of overcoming grief… It helped me get over the suicide of my dad.”

Starrett’s mother, Pat Starrett, is happy that her son found something he is so passionate about, because she understands it gives his life joy.

“We had a situation in our family, and there was a lot of grief, and his father died,” Starrett said. “He started going to the games to have a good distraction and it [became] part of his life. It was something he really enjoyed doing.”

Still grieving his father, Starrett decided to attend the Central Coast Section track meet at San Jose City College in 1995. According to Starrett, it was here where he discovered his joy in attending Paly games. Starrett loves to support the students and their passions by going to all of their games. For him, it is less about the sports and more about supporting the students.

“I’m a fan because I love high school students,” Starrett said. “Rooting for the sports is my way of showing my love for the students.”

Starrett also believes that showing encouragement to others and cheering for student athletes make him a better person and improves the value of his life.

“It gives meaning to my life when I support others,” Starrett said. “It’s a good quality [and] it beats being selfish.”

Going to Paly games slowly helped Starrett recover from the loss of his father and helped him get on with his life. The excitement of the games and his love for high school students distracted him from his sadness so he continued to attend the games. As he cheered for the athletes and became a more prominent member of the Paly athletic community, he overcame the sadness of the family crisis and fo-

SUPPORTING WOPO Dan makes sure to keep up with Will Conner and Nelson Perla-Ward, water polo players who transfered to Sacred Heart two years ago.

NOVEMBER 2013

CHATTING Dan chats with Victor Hatziefstratiou (‘13) in the big gym during the volleyball senior night game. cused on his positive support for the students.

“It made me forgetful and kept me from being overcome [with] self pity and [falling] apart,” Starrett said. “It [helped me] get over it very quickly and get on with life and [Paly games] gets me off [myself] and into things again.”

According to Starrett, his favorite sports at Paly are cross country, track, water polo, swimming, soccer and lacrosse.

However, he is witnessed at almost all the games for most of the sports at Paly because he wants to make sure he shows support for all of the athletes.

Starrett often sticks around after the games to congratulate the players on their success or just to socialize with them. Zac Rosenbaum (‘14), a player on the varsity boys’ lacrosse team, recognizes Starrett’s enthusiasm in the sport of lacrosse. According to Rosenbaum, even parents love Starrett and will sometimes offer him a snack after the lacrosse games.

“Dan’s always a really supportive guy: a good

“

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influence on the sidelines,” Rosenbaum said.

“He likes to go around and give us high fives before the games and listen to our pregame speeches. A lot of the time the coaches will say, ‘Try to win it for Dan.’” Starrett’s support not only extends to home games, but also to away games as far as 2-3

ing the season. According to Gerould, Starrett not only cheers for the players, but also gives them advice such as “aiming for the gap” when they’re up to bat. Starrett also goes to some of the away baseball games and has traveled the two hour drives to Carmel and Campolindo to cheer on the Paly baseball team.

“Dan is easily our most supportive fan,” Gerould said. “He is at every game and even went so far as Carmel to watch us last year. Most parents didn’t even do that. He always has something nice to say about us after each game.”

In appreciation of his constant presence at Paly baseball games, the team invited him to attend their end of season baseball banquet at the Gerould family’s home. Gerould thought he deserved the invite and was glad to have him at their dinner.

“It meant a lot to him,” Gerould said. “I’m glad he came. It was nice to have him there and it was the least we could do for his ongoing support.”

Dan is easily our most supportive fan. He is at every game and even went so far as Carmel to watch us last uear. Most parents didn’t even do that. hours away.

“He’s a die hard fan,” Rosenbaum said. “He goes to all our away games.”

Rosenbaum also believes that his teammates find joy in seeing him at all of their games.

“My team always greets Dan when we see him and thank him when he wishes us good luck,” Rosenbaum said. “We even take photos with him sometimes.”

Bowen Gerould (‘14), player on the varsity baseball team, is also impressed with the amount of baseball games Starrett attends dur-

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”

Gerould also believes Starrett’s support at the away games gives the team some motivation because he goes to the effort to drive to the games no matter the distance.

“When he comes to away games, he motivates us because sometimes he is one of the only fans there to watch us even though he doesn’t have an obvious connection to the team,” Gerould said. “He is disappointed when we lose, just like we are, so we try to get the win to make everyone happy.”

According to Starrett, Paly athletes appreciate his support when he comes to their games because it gives them motivation and spirit.

Starrett believes his presence sometimes help them play better against competition.

“I see a wide range of responses to my support system,” Starrett said. “I’m grateful for it.

Athletes tell me when they’re running they say that when I say to run faster or it just helps [them] play better and inspires them and gives them an extra motivation that they wouldn’t have if I was not there.”

One may wonder why Starrett is always at high school athletic games instead of dedicating his time to college or professional sports.

Starrett feels that in college sports you cannot connect with the players as much as high school. Professional and college athletes are separated from the fans during and after the games so one never really learns who the players are as people. In high school however, most student athletes love attention from fans.

“You can congratulate the athletes more [in high school sports],” Starrett said. “They’re not as fenced off as they are at college [and] professional [levels] so you can interact with them.

It’s a lot more personal and you can talk to par-

POOL TIME Dan stands at the St. Francis pool where he is watching water polo, which he says is one of his favorite sprots to watch.

SAY CHEESE Dan smiles for his 1985 yearbook photo for Palo Alto High School.

CLASS PHOTO The class of 1985 (when Dan as a graduating Senior) poses for a photo.

NOVEMBER 2013

ents. It’s really easy to do that sort of thing in high school sports. If you’re in a college crowd it’s a lot bigger and you don’t make as much of a difference. You don’t stand out as much.”

Starrett also has a preference for attending high school sport games instead of middle school and younger because they are more mature and easy to talk to.

“Middle school students are going through changes and are harder to get along with,” Starrett said. “High school students are easier for me to get along with because they’re more mature.”

Paly physical education teacher and Junior Varsity football coach David Duran has noticed Starrett’s more recent commitment to athletic events, even at the lower levels of play.

“The last couple of years, [Dan] has been at some of the bigger wrestling tournaments away, one in Gilroy and one in Fremont,” Duran said. “He came to some of the frosh-soph and JV tournaments as well, and he has been to many of the JV football games.”

Duran also invited him to the wrestling banquet, to thank him for his passion for the team.

“It’s nice to have him there, especially more on the road,” Duran said. “He likes coming, and I hope he keeps coming.”

According to Duran, Starrett is supportive of the teams, win or lose. Because Dan is con-

“

sistently present, Duran believes that the Paly athletes think highly of him and look forward to seeing him.

“They expect to see him now because hes been around so much,” Duran said. When he’s not there, [players] usually ask. The kids look forward to seeing him.”

Usually when Starrett is spotted at Paly games, he is not with his family. In fact, his family overall does not find the same kind

cal political organization and works at voting polls.

“He’s a very intelligent man and he enjoys his life,” his mother said.

Starrett also believes that the spirit and excitement of high school games motivate him to participate in other activities in life and pursue his goals.

“It’s a great way to be inspired to do other things in my life,” Starrett said.

Despite his busy schedule in his personal life, Starret rarely misses the chance to watch Paly athletes play. Paly games foster an environment full of support and excitement for Starrett. The games give him something exciting to look forward to.

“I love high school students and [going to their games] helps give my life meaning and joy,” Starrett said.

Starrett also loves the feeling of being a part of a community as strong as that of Paly’s. His constant encouragement and support inspires many athletes to be more passionate and diligent in their games and life in general. Supporting the athletic teams is one of his passions and it gives his life more excitement.

“Overall, I have a sense of purpose,” Starrett said. “I have a sense of belonging to something and a sense of meaning.” <<<

It’s nice to have him there, especially more on the road. He likes coming, and I hope he keeps coming. of entertainment in high school games as he does.

“My family is more into college and professional sports,” Starrett said. “But I do have an uncle in North Carolina who goes to his local high school sports like me. My mom has been several times over the past few years but in general [she] doesn’t come. She retired recently and plans to come to more stuff.”

According to his mother, Starrett has many hobbies besides attending Paly games including spending time with his friends and brothers, writing, helping high school teachers grade papers and working as a substitute special education aide for Palo Alto Unified School District. Starrett is also active in a lo-

”

WATCHING Dan stands on the PALY pool deck during the boys water polo senior night game. The boys went on to win that match 14-7 as Dan cheered them on.

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Columns: The Last Word

Victory in the face of adversity

When you are caught between a rock and a hard place and adversity knocks, how will you respond?

O

by ZACH RIZK

n October 10th, tragedy struck. The striking news that Adrian Peterson’s two year old son, Tyrese Robert Ruffin, was reportedly beaten to death broke out.

To add on to the shock, Peterson announced that he’d play in the Vikings game against the Panthers the following Sunday despite his tragic loss.

That this man had it in him to go on and play a game of professional football just a few days after such an event demonstrates the incredible amount of character “All Day” possesses. Peterson went on to rush for 62 yards in The Vikings’ 35-10 loss to Carolina. Although not his typical Peterson numbers, the fact that he was able to overcome such disheartening news and to compete in the game – simply astonishing.

Despite losing his son, Adrian Peterson was able to go out be the Adrian Peterson the world has come to know, averaging 6.2 yards

per carry in the matchup with the Panthers. I commend Peterson for having such iron will to go out and perform the way he did, in wake of such an emotionally taxing tragedy.

But could we really expect any less from AP? Peterson has grown accustom to overcoming adversity by competing in games, using football as a way of escape to diminish the tragedies life has thrown at him. Through football, Adrian Peterson has managed to put the deaths of two brothers, a childhood surrounded by poverty and the fact that his father was a prison inmate, all behind him. Tragedy has continued to chase Peterson, but all AP seems to do is turn that into fuel to continue breaking records.

However, critics have emerged in wake of the incident - something I think to be incredibly insensitive.

The media has claimed Peterson’s decision to play as rash and that he demonstrated a lack of care for the child “he never got to know.”

To say that Adrian Peterson doesn’t feel for

ALL DAY Facing such a tragic loss just days before his game against Carolina, Adrian Peterson rushed for 62 yards, overcoming adversity.

the death of his own son is ignorant. No other way to put it. Sure, Peterson did not have the strongest relationship with his late son, but he made it clear that he had strong intentions to rekindle and strengthen that connection between the two before the tragedy unfolded. It is incredibly unfortunate to see that the opportunity to improve this relationship with his son has been stripped from Peterson.

Despite all the hardships Peterson has faced in his life, the sheer amount of perseverance that he possesses is what has made him so successful. Peterson’s level of resilience is arguably unmatched in the league because of all that he’s gone through. By continually pushing forward instead of cowering in the face of adversity, AD has placed himself in quite the spot: The NFL’s reigning MVP. Matched with an outstanding work ethic, I believe it is reasonable to say that if it weren’t for the tragedies Peterson has put behind himself, he wouldn’t be the player he is now.

Adrian Peterson’s situation is the epitome of how great adversity can shape someone. The obstacles AP faced in his marathon of a life has made him the outstanding football player he is today.

So my message to you, Paly community, is this: Times will be hard. But when you are faced with hardship, your reaction to how you choose to respond to the given situation will epitomize your character. There are those who choose to simply give up, and conversely, those who roll up their sleeves and who get right to work improving their own character.

In some ways, adversity is a blessing in itself.

It knocks us down, making us believe we’ve failed. But failure is always the first step to success.

In the words of Malcolm X: “There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.”

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