Viking Volume XV Issue 2

magazine

Viking

Volume XV, Issue 2 December 2021

magazine

would like to thank our sponsors...

Suzanne Cummings Terri Butler The Callan Family The Leva Family The Toland Family

Javad Mostofizadeh The Li Family The Ramkumar Family The Marburg/Woodworth Family

The Lembke Family The Bates Family The Beck Family The Laursen Family The Hayward Family

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Meet our Staff!

Editors-in-Chief Hailey Callan, David Gormley Greg Laursen, Madhu Ramkumar Online Editor in Chief Anika Chang Creative Director Sofia Leva Multimedia Director Zach Hayward, Jake Foster Social Media Manager Hailey Beck, Emily Neumann Business Manager Parker Bates Photo Editor Grace Li Head Columnist Roei Ziv, Henry Bolte Staff Writers Caleb Wong, Cameron Toland Caroline Mostofizadeh, Elizabeth Fetter Harrison Williams, Ivan Ijzerman Jackson Martin, JJ Stoen Josh Donaker, Oliver Marburg Owen Bittinger, Sebastian Chancellor Sophia Cummings, Josh Butler

Viking Magazine Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Follow us @vikingsportsmag or go to vikingsportsmag.com for current game updates/ scores.

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.

Advertising in 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 2,500 copies of The Viking are printed, six times a year (barring restrictions due to remote learning) by Folger Graphics in Hayward, Calif.

Logo Font Courtesy of Måns Grebäck

Letter From the EDITORS Hey Vikings!

We’re thrilled to bring you another issue of Viking for the 2021-2022 school year. It’s hard to believe that the fall sports season has come to an end, but we are really looking forward to covering basketball, soccer, and wrestling during the upcoming winter season. Make sure to tune in and cheer on our Vikings!

We have an issue full of unique perspectives — from Jeremy Lin and the boys basketball team winning states 15 years ago to current Paly athletes who have suffered career-ending injuries.

While many go to Paly sporting events to check out our favorite athletes or teams, the people behind the scenes

Hailey Callan

are just as important. Our feature story “Through the Lens” (Page 18) profiles four cherished photographers who have dedicated hours attending sports games, capturing every moment of Paly athletics.

With our winter break coming up, you may need shows to help keep you busy during the holidays. “Netflix Sports Shows” (Page 27) will give you an indepth look into both fictional and more realistic sports stories on Netflix.

We all love a good sports rivalry. To see an overview of Paly’s monumental rivalries and athlete opinions, be sure to check out our design “Playing With Fire” (Page 32). We hope you enjoy everything we have for you. As always, Sko Vikes!

David Gormley

Greg Laursen

Madhu Ramkumar

Opinion: Who Calls the Shots?

There was once a time when professional umpires and referees had the best view in the house: they were mere feet from the action while TV audiences relied on grainy footage. But times have changed. New technology has given fans remarkably accurate realtime data on the sport and even the best officials look increasingly foolish compared to the computer-refs. These advancements have fueled a stats revolution — and raised the question: do we still need human referees?

The world of tennis is a fascinating case study on electronic officiating. Up until a few years ago, every major tournament — with the exception of the French Open — was equipped with the ball tracking technology HawkEye to verify close calls.

But rather than eliminating human refs, HawkEye was only used when a call was close enough that it was challenged by a player. With limited challenges given to each player, this approach did introduce

some nuanced strategy about whether a player should use a challenge. However, because the technology was active at all times for the TV audience, it wasn’t uncommon for viewers to see a missed call go unreviewed. But, due to the pandemic, the US and Australian Open recently opted to replace line judges with Hawkeye in some matches to limit the number of people in contact with the athletes. Since then, it has become the norm at most ATP tournaments to rely only on Hawkeye technology.

The French Open, however, remains stuck in the past. Although HawkEye technology is installed in the stadiums, the tournament still relies on humans making the calls. Their rationale is that the court is soft enough to accurately reflect the imprint of the contact between the ball and the court — but this approach has a few flaws. First, constant play means that every inch of the court is marked by shots — which makes it challenging for a

on the cover:

human judge to verify which mark came from which shot. Second, the interaction between the ball and the court is too complex to merely rely on the mark that the ball makes. Not only do hardhit tennis balls compress into an ellipse shape, but they also slide on the clay surface — and as a result the Hawkeye is a far better metric than a human judge.

Ultimately, it’s become a question of tradition vs. accuracy. Some say that the challenge system, which had long been the norm in the other three majors, brought intrigue to matches. Others see the presence of line judges as an integral part of a sport that leans heavily on tradition. But in a sport where a single point can sway the outcome of a match, it’s silly to rely on anything other than the best metric we have.

- David Gormley

Behind every Paly sports game is a dedicated photographer. “Through The Lens” (Pg 18) profiles four photographers: Karen Hickey, Malcolm Slaney, Celeste Bates, and Kent Peters. They have worked hard to provide every athlete with memories of their season.

(Art by Greg Laursen, Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey)

LINEUP

Journey To States

5

Zooms

8

Intro Package

12

Skating To Success

15

Through The Lens

18

Advice From Paly Alumni

24

Netflix Sports Shows

27

Long Shot

30

Playing With Fire

32

The Recruitment Process

35

Viking Legends

40

Viking Tries: Breaking Records

42

Rolling With The Punches

44

Final World: Shady Streaming

47

Cross Country has had immense success, with a CCS championship win and placing 11th at states. From left to right, juniors Kelvin Moresi, Phela Durosinmi, and Michael Murphy race to the finish line. (Photo courtesy of Celeste Bates)

Photo courtesy of Angelina Chen

JOURNEY TO STATES

by GRACE LI and OLIVER MARBURG

From

LEAGUE...

As former state champs, it’s no surprise that the girls golf team was dominant in league play. The regular season was highlighted by a 198-227 victory over Gunn where junior Allyson Lee shot her personal best of two over and recorded her first eagle.

While most league matches ended in dominant Paly victories, their matchup against Valley Christian proved to be far more difficult. But with their unbeaten record on the line, the Vikings edged the Warriors 189-192 to maintain their stellar 10-0 record.

“It was definitely a close one, but that just means it’ll be a fun competition at CCS,” senior Sydney Sung said.

To close out league play, the team won the SCVAL Girls Golf League Championship for the fifth straight year, shooting 392.

@vikingsportsmag @vikingsportsmag || DECEMBER DECEMBER 2021 2021 || 5 5

To

PLAYOFFS...

At the CCS Championships, the team shot 384 to beat out Los Altos by one stroke to secure second place, but ultimately came up short to Valley Christian.

“As a team, we had just come off an undefeated season and a win at our league tournament, so we had good momentum going in,” senior Bridget O’Keefe said. “Beating Los Altos by one stroke was nerve-racking, but our junior

co captain Meigan Lew came through at the end to secure second place.”

Sydney Sung (‘22) shot 70, Lauren Sung (‘22) shot 77, Alexa Pineda (‘24, pictured) shot 84, Lew shot 85, and Allyson Lee (‘23) shot 91. The highlight of the day for the Vikes was a stunning performance by senior Bridget O’Keefe — who placed first in the individual competition with a 68.

“It feels great to play well, and it’s

6 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Photo courtesy of Angelina Chen

rewarding to have my hard work pay off,” O'keefe said. “I have good memories of our team wins at CCS the previous couple of years at Laguna Seca and competing in this event for the last time was really fun.”

A strong 3rd place performance at the NorCal tournament qualified the team for the vaunted State Championship tournament.

To

STATES To close out the season, the team had a remarkable 2nd place finish at the State Championship with a score of 382.

“We were able to edge out one of our biggest competitors to claim the runner-up trophy,” Sydney Sung (‘22) said.

“We went into it not expecting anything and just wanting to play well,” Sung said. “The improvement over the season and during the postseason tournaments was very impressive [and] I’m especially proud of our juniors and sophomores who were able to pull out all of the skills they learned throughout their time on the team.”

The state tournament capped off a historic run from one of Paly’s all-time teams, but it was a bittersweet moment as the senior class said goodbye to high school golf.

“After finishing my round, it finally hit me that it was the last time I would be able to compete on this team, which was a really sad thought, but it was a great way to end my last season on the team,” Sung said.

@vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 7

8 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Before the

PASS

The boys basketball team started this season strong with a huge win against Overfelt 56-25. The team worked well together and with their smooth team dynamic, they were able to dominate on the court. #2 Noah Chen (‘22) gets open for a pass from #11 Sebastian Chancellor (‘22).

Photo by Grace Li @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 9

Photo by Caleb Wong 10 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

CANNONBALL

Coach Bob Greene jumps into the pool in celebration after the Vikings beat Harker 14-12 in the SCVAL finals. Paly opened with a commanding lead of 8-2 at the half, but Harker closed within a point in the final few minutes. A tense Paly crowd watched the Vikings close out the game with a pair of crucial defensive stops to seal their first championship in nearly a decade. @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 11

Catchin’ Up w i t h Photos courtesy of Paly Athletics

Coach They Look Up To?

Favorite Conditioning?

Fred Harvey, lunges or Arizona T&F intervals Coach Davidson

Paly Coaches

Flavor of ice cream?

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Oldies or New Music?

peanut butter chocolate

early bird

oldies

John Wooden, UCLA BB

6v6 scrimmage

chocolate malted crunch

early bird

Coach K, Duke BB

sprint, slide, sprint

mint chip

early bird

oldies

practicing hard and fast

Rocky Road

no sleep

oldies

Coach Lamere too many to name

oldies Coach Crane

Coach Gifford

‘22 College Commits

Photo courtesy of each person, respectively

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10 Questions With

wrestler Cade Creighton as told to ZACH HAYWARD

Max Felter ‘22 Teammate

Photo courtesy of Cade Creighton

Questions

Photo courtesy of Max Felter

Photo courtesy of Cade Creighton

Thea Enache ‘22 Girlfriend

Josh Donaker ‘22 Friend

Photo courtesy of Thea Enache

Photo courtesy of Josh Donaker

Fireman’s carry

Favorite wrestling move?

Double leg

Fireman’s carry

RKO

Subway

Pre match meal?

Subway

Subway

Salad (vegetarian)

Hot- Young Thug

Hype song?

Kiss Me More- Doja Cat

Lil Baby

Love Sosa- Chief Keef

Lil Baby

Celebrity Crush?

Lil Baby

Thea Enache

Lil Baby

Instagram

IG or Snap?

Instagram

Instagram

Instagram

Cereal, of course

What first: cereal or milk?

Cereal

Cereal

Cereal

Los Gatos

Favorite Opponent?

Los Gatos

Los Gatos

Los Gatos

Spirit Animal?

Panther

Killer whale

Leopard

Golf

Favorite Sport Outside of Wrestling?

Fishing

Basketball

Golf

mean green bean casserrole

Hidden Talent?

voluntarily regurgitating milk

certified rapper

saxophone

50%

70%

50%

Killer whale

@vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 13

VIKES in

Action Girls Soccer vs. GUNN

El Camino Field

Boys Basketball vs. LOS ALTOS

Peery Center

Photos courtesy of Jenna Hickey

LOS GATOS

Girls Basketball vs.

Peery Center

HYPE ME UP

Viking’s Top 10 Pre-Game Hype Songs 1. Dreams and Nightmares - Meek Mill

2. Lose Yourself - Eminem

3. Hell’s Bells - AC/DC

4. Love Sosa - Chief Keef

5. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

6. Remember the Name - Fort Minor

7. Power - Kanye West

8. Thunderstruck - AC/DC

9. Can’t Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers

10. 0 to 100 (The Catch Up) - Drake

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SKATING to

by SOFIA LEVA and JJ STOEN Art by SOFIA LEVA

success

Looking into the lives of figure skaters—featuring Paly students Briar Dorogusker, Haley Oba, and Emma Zhang. @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 15

W

hen most people think of figure skating, they think of dancing on ice — not a complex sport with many technical components. Emma Zhang, a longtime skater, knows the sport is much more than sliding across a rink.

Zhang is a sophomore at Paly who first picked up a pair of skates when she was eight years old. She has been officially training for five years at Winter Lodge, a popular ice skating rink in Palo Alto.

There are many components that go into ice skating, and it requires lots of skill.

“Ice skating is many skills all combined into one,” Zhang said. “You need to have the grace of a dancer and lots of strength [all while] you’re balancing on two blades.”

She is a two sport athlete — balancing schoolwork on top of dance practice and skating. But even this busy schedule never stopped her from continuing to skate.

“There were times where I considered giving up, but then the more I skate, the more I really love the sport,” Zhang said.

She recently reached the top level of figure skating in her club, which ranges from beginner to eight levels of freestyle.

Getting to the highest level is a big achievement, especially considering the difficult screening process that goes into leveling up, which includes a performance in front of three judges.

Within the eighth level, Zhang has been able to land a double loop jump. Unlike most jumps, this is one where the skater begins the jump and lands on the same foot.

“It is easy to lose control of the jump and unless you get the right position before jumping, and it’s very easy to get injured,” Zhang said.

Along with the excitement and challenge of routines, another component that keeps Zhang tied to the figure skating life is the welcoming environment that the sport provides.

“The winter lodge community

“My favorite part about skating is the jumps because you just feel so free when you’re in the air,” - Haley Oba (‘23)

16 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

is my favorite part about skating,” Zhang said. “We are a very tight knit group so it is great to skate there together. It’s like skating with your friends.”

Briar Dorogusker, a freshman at Paly, is also involved in the Winter Lodge community. She has been taking skating classes there for nine years and skates five to seven times a week. Similar to Zhang, Dorogusker loves the environment that is created within her community of skaters.

“We try to make [the community] really tight and do team building activities like Secret Santa and cupcake decorating challenges,” Dorogusker said.

Building close relationships within a team is crucial to help each other grow and become more successful in any sport. It is what has allowed Dorogusker to reach her goal of skating for over ten years and landing a one and a half rotation axel jump. Many struggle with this jump, as it requires leaping forwards instead of backwards, and it is the first jump learned that is more than one rotation.

“With figure skating I really worked hard, even through all the ups and downs, I never gave up,” Dorogusker said.

Of course, like any other sport, figure skating comes with its obstacles. A big struggle for Dorogusker is experiencing mental blocks when going for more difficult jumps and skills.

“When I was jumping I would always stop in mid air rotation and land safely because I was too scared to fall,” she said. “That was always really hard for me.”

However, Dorogusker is not facing this struggle alone. In fact many figure skaters have to deal with mental blocks, including Zhang. For Zhang, however, it’s more about after the jump.

“It never happens for me before the

Photos by Sophia Cummings jump because I like to go for things, but after doing it many times, I get the fear that I might fall,” Zhang said.

The risk of ice skating is often overlooked due to the elegance of the skaters, but there is much room for error.

Their sport takes place on a slippery, solid ice floor and they are wearing blades on their feet at all times. The true source of fear that goes into mental blocks is the chance of them getting injured.

“I was doing a big jump, and after landing it I tripped over myself and hurt my tailbone which caused my whole thigh to be pulled,” Zhang said. “That hurt for two years and I couldn’t do many moves because of it.”

Haley Oba is another experienced skater with nine years under her belt. To Oba, figure skating is as much a leisure activity as it is a sport.

Like Dorogusker and Zhang, Oba has her own stories about the physical challenges of ice skating. A few years ago, she was trying to perform a layback spin, a spin in which you must bend backwards.

“I leaned a little too far back and hit my forehead on the ice and I got a huge concussion and ended up in the E.R.,” Oba said.

For any sport, popularity varies by region. For figure skating, California hasn’t traditionally been the mecca of the sport. This leads to it being more of an underground sport.

“I feel like on the West Coast the sport is relatively underrepresented because it doesn’t snow here so there’s not a lot of interest in winter sports,” Oba said.

Because of the lack of popularity in figure skating in this area, some have even said they don’t consider it as a sport.

Hearing this repeatedly has been upsetting to Zhang, someone who has dedicated much of her time and effort to being a skater.

“I hear people who don’t consider ice skating as a sport, and that really triggers me because in my opinion, as long as you are exercising, it counts as a sport,” Zhang said.

Even though figure skating is the most watched winter Olympic sport, it is often perceived as an art rather than a sport. But those who dedicate their lives to the sport know that it is much more than that. Ice skating brings a diverse, tight knit community, and the sport is still centerstage.

“Ice skating is many skills all combined into one — you need to have the grace of a dancer and lots of strength [all while] you’re balancing on two blades.”

- Emma Zhang (‘24) @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 17

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey Photo courtesy of Malcolm Slaney

18 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

ive eeper d d a e k a e we t ed. Her lcolm Slaney. k o o l r e a v often o te Bates, and M e r a y h , Celes tograp rts pho : Karen Hickey o p s f o gures xitites comple f three local fi d e c n a The nu ackground o b into the

T

by ANIKA CHANG, ELIZABETH FETTER and GRACE LI

he cacophony of the crowded stadium and stands roar in their ears as they feel the turf and terrain beneath them. They remain focused on the target, using their hands, eyes, and instinct. They crouch, always ready for the next shot.

But not in the sense of a soccer ball into the goal or a window for a quarterback to throw a pass; instead, the shot of a picture, capturing a split-second play; a moment in time that will last for eternity.

This is the mission of a sports photographer.

They are often at the forefront of the action, wielding their expertise, cameras, and lenses, to capture quick single-handed catches and emotion-filled celebrations to distill into a visual story. Ranging from experienced professional photographers like Karen Hickey and Celeste Bates to recreational photographers like Malcolm Slaney, each one implements their own unique techniques to achieve compelling, powerful photos. From telling the stories of Paly athletes to capturing the passion of the game, every picture these photographers compose serves a purpose.

Instagram posts of Paly athletes, photos of their catches, kicks, and saves are proudly displayed for all their followers to see. Thanks to Karen Hickey, a wellrespected sports photographer among the Paly community, her photographic expertise makes it possible for students to showcase their athletic accomplishments and skill to family and friends.

Hickey has been photographing Paly sports since her son David attended Paly and has continued to do so even after her daughter Jenna graduated last year. But

she is more than just a photographer for her children: she’s known for generously donating her time as a photographer for all Paly teams. As her children have grown up, Hickey has also watched Paly and its athletes grow and evolve through her lens.

“I love it,” she said.

“These are families I’ve grown up with. These are kids I’ve known forever.”

H i c k e y recalls the way art had always e x i s t e d around her; from her sisters who majored in fine arts to her dad who developed film for her.

In addition to art, sports have also been an integral part of Hickey’s life; she was a multi-sport athlete in high school and went on to play softball in college.

Hickey’s kids took after her interest in sports. As she watched them run around playing soccer, Hickey noticed that trying to capture them in photos was no easy feat. Often, the photos of her kids in action were too zoomed in, or blurry and hard to see. Hickey wanted to be able to have great photos of her kids playing sports for memories, and became determined to accomplish this task herself.

When Hickey heard about a sports photography class offered as part of Stanford Continuing Ed, she signed up. She learned five tips to make her photos better, which she applied by photographing sports, from the elite collegiate level at Stanford to her children’s recreational games.

“I love it. These are families I’ve grown up with.

These are kids I’ve known forever” — Karen Hickey

“It was incredible,” she said. “I took [the class], and then kept working on what I was doing…as [the kids] went through school and all their sports, I took photos of everything. And I just worked on getting better.’’

She is now a regular photographer for Stanford sports, and she has extended her expertise to Paly.

When photographing sporting events, Hickey goes into every game with a vision for what she wants to capture.

“I have a list of what I want to take photos of,” Hickey said. “I want to take a photo of the quarterback. I want to take a photo of the pitcher, of the star shortstop, of the setter on volleyball.”

Fulfilling this list is vital to Hickey. Not only does she try to capture each games’ key players, but she makes an effort to get a photo of everybody.

“If I haven’t gotten [a specific picture] yet, I’ll wait until I get it, because I don’t want to go home without it.”

Hickey recommends all aspiring sports photographers to create their own checklist before going to games. This allows photographers to be more intentional with their shots and consider what story they want to convey,

Photo by Parker Bates

@vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 19

pi n st u ais es his fi Ju tr lien ium C ph how . (‘

23 )r

Br him ody se Sim lf is fo on r a (‘2 th 2) ro re w. ad ies

Photo courtesy of

photo Courtesy of

celeste bates

something she executes each game.

“There’s more than just the ball in the goal… there’s a story behind it,” she said.

Capturing the story is the ultimate goal for Hickey. It shines through in the photos she shares with Paly athletes and their families as well as in her contribution of game photos to the Palo Alto Weekly.

“I try to come up with 20 to 30 photos that tell a story,” she said. “Where was it, the big picture, what happened…the good, the bad, all of that.”

Despite both her kids now being graduated, Hickey continues to attend sports games, setting up her equipment and crouching as she attempts to capture the best possible shots. She often comes to games on her own time and provides photos for free, simply out of her love of sports photography and the Paly community.

And her love does not go unnoticed.

The Hickey name remains a familiar and appreciated one among players and parents as they come and go through the years. Students will often see Hickey around campus before or after games, greeting her with smiles.

“It’s the kids coming out of their element to come over and say hi [that] makes my day,” Hickey said.

One of Hickey’s favorite moments from her photography career was in 2018, where her shot of the Paly Football during the national anthem with the sunset in the background, won an Editor’s Choice

Karen Hickey

Award f r o m National Geographic magazine.

“The team gave me that photo, framed, with all their signatures and messages as a gift at the end of the year,” she said. “I [still] have it up on my wall.”

Just as she continues to be a part of the Paly community, students and athletes alike continue to look forward to her presence at their games.

“As long as kids don’t mind…I still try to go to some games,” she said. “Some kids text and ask me to come to their games. I feel like I’m not quite done.”

Another photographer is Celeste Bates, who has been surrounded by photographers from a young age.

Photography ran in her family; her grandfather and her mother both were photographers and she became a third generation photographer.

“When I was little, I used to come home from school and I would walk into my

20 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

mom’s darkroom and just hang out with her in there while she was developing pictures,” Bates said.

She started off with portraiture and photographed everything from Christmas cards to baby portraits. While she continued to take these photos for ten years, she eventually got bored with it.

After taking a break to take care of her

children, Bates started to explore the realm of sports photography by helping the Hickeys take photos for the baseball team. As she continued to photograph and expand her expertise over new sports, her excitement and drive for sports photography grew.

What started off as a favor quickly turned into a passion.

“I think [sports photography is] just

photo courtesy of

honest…[because] the photo tells everything,” Bates said. “I mean, they say a picture’s worth 1000 words.”

Since the new school year and fall season has started, she has further explored more sports such as field hockey, football, water polo, and volleyball. With each sport, there are different camera settings and skills necessary, which makes certain sports harder to capture compared to others.

“I think the one that’s the hardest for me technically is water polo,” Bates says. “The games are at night and there are so many shadows and reflections.

The cameras tend to focus on the water instead of the player and they’re moving so fast.”

As she continues to gain more experience in taking photos for Paly sports, she has learned what the most important parts of sports photography are.

S h e

MalcoLm SLaney

Bo wi ys C th th G ros em ra s C . nt ou Mo nt rg ry r en un fe s ld in (‘2 a m 4) ee le t ad ing

stresses the importance of raw emotions in sports photography. Whether it be pure ecstasy from shooting the final goal, or disappointment after missing a shot, Bates strongly believes that these passionate photos are the best for sports photography.

“It’s one thing to capture the goal or the home run or the score, [but] catching the face when they make it or don’t make it, those are the money shots,” Bates says.

Despite the challenge and focus needed to take quality sports photos, the learning experience has been very enjoyable for her.

“It’s just so much fun,” she says. “You’re out there and you get to be out there at night with the team.”

Malcolm Slaney agrees with Bates, and the shared understanding between sports photographers and the importance of raw emotions. Despite his skillfully-shot running photos, Slaney is a self-proclaimed “amateur” photographer. Similar to Hickey and Bates, Slaney loves the stories and individualism that capturing the faces in photographs leads to.

“Taking pictures of the back of runners as they go by doesn’t do much,” Slaney said. “That’s why I like the faces; that’s why we get the eyes open.”

This driving desire for “the face”—along with strong ties to the community—form the root of Slaney’s enduring career in running

ph

ou

rt es y

of

Karen hickey

Ke (‘2 llyn th 3) g Sc e s oe he ho s f el t. or

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photography, both for cross country in the fall and track and field in the spring.

“I think I shot one football game just to see what it was like, but there’s not enough light and you can’t see the faces,” Slaney said. “I also did some water polo for my niece, but I don’t feel the same allegiance. I liked the runners. I want to be part of that community.”

However, ironically, as an adolescent, Slaney took pictures of basically everything except runners.

“I was a photographer in high school, for both the newspaper and the yearbook,” Slaney said. “I shot for basketball and I did a little bit of football, but I never did any cross-country or track.”

E v e r y t h i n g changed when his son Kent, a former Paly and

MIT grad, started running in elementary school.

“When Kent started running, I started following him,” Slaney said. “Then I was taking pictures of all his meets, and I’ve been doing it since he was in third grade.”

As Kent continued to run at Paly, Slaney stepped into the role of team photographer and has continued to do so today, even after his son graduated in 2017. Even more impressive is that Slaney aims to take pictures of every single runner at every single meet, even if they are not on Paly. His photos, along with his generous heart, transcend school boundaries and blur the lines between competitors. “[Taking pictures is] my way of paying back the [running] community, because it was really good for Kent in lots of ways,” Slaney said. “Everybody was: the kids, the coaches, and the parents. I can’t coach, so this is my way of paying back.”

And “pay back,” he does. Slaney takes an average of 5,000 pictures a meet, spending over twelve hours editing and uploading them.

“I shoot for five hours, so like 5,000 pictures, and the first time I just have to go through really fast and get rid of the stuff that I can’t use, keeping around 1015%,” Slaney said. “Then I color correct and crop each picture individually.”

The burning question is, why?

“I’m doing it for the kids, because, hopefully, I will make some people smile and keep them running,” Slaney said. “[Through taking pictures], I’m next to the winners, whether they run fast or slow. I get to encourage them and offer Photo by good wishes, something I’m willing and Elizabeth Fetter happy to do.”

Slaney’s pure-hearted message symbolizes the importance, emotions, and storytelling of photography. These ideas were what spurred Slaney to take pictures, and the community is what continues to motivate him Keith Peters, former sports photographer and editor for the Palo Alto Weekly, echoes these themes of emotions, story, and community 22 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

connections that photography can establish.

“A great sports photo can stand alone, and if you can get a photo that really tells the story, you’ve done your job,” Peters said. “That’s why I always looked for emotion—like an individual or a team celebrating.”

Peters started at the Palo Alto Weekly as sports editor in 1993. Then, in 1995 he became its main sports photographer and continued with both of these positions until his retirement in 2016.

As sports editor he chose pictures, typically his own, based on specific aesthetics.

“I always looked for a photo that could be the main, front-page sports photo for each print issue,” Peters said. “Since I was also writing the story for the event I was shooting, I made sure to take photos of those athletes whom I would feature in the story. The photos need to illustrate the story.”

This ties back to the recurring idea of a photo, despite being unmoving, speaking for itself. This theme has resonated throughout the reasons behind photographers continuing to shoot. Hickey described telling every player’s story through photos, not always just the star players. Bates depicted the emotionality of a single photo and how important they are in making an evocative photo. And Slaney discussed the importance of the story behind his photos and its ties to the community. The power a single frame can have is echoed in their love and purpose for it.

Peters succinctly sums up the endurance of sports photography, despite the increasing popularity of sports videos on television, TikTok, and Instagram.

He highlights why there will always be people who put their hearts and souls, and not to mention hours of their life, as Hickey, Bates, and Slaney do, to capture a single, quick moment in time.

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” Peters said. “Having that one special [picture] of your son or daughter hanging on the wall beats having a video any day.”

“I’m doing it for the kids, because hopefully, I will make some people smile and keep them running” — Malcolm Slaney

5

Steps TO great sports photography With Keith Peters, former Palo Alto Weekly sports photographer and editor

1.

Get to know your camera

2.

Learn the sport you’re shooting

3.

Make sure the photo has a story

4.

Find inspiration and through it, your style

5.

“You first need to know the basics, like focusing, lens speed and lighting. If your photos are out of focus, are blurred by the action and dark...well...you've still got a lot of work to do.”

“If it’s tennis, getting the ball on the racket is important. In basketball, for example, you want the ball on the dribbler’s hands and not sitting on the floor. For swimming, you need the athlete to be above the water, not under it.

Understanding each sport, how it’s played and where the action is going to puts one in position to get the shot.”

“There are times when the action does go away from you (like in football and basketball) and then it’s knowing when NOT to shoot. As one gains experience, you learn to edit yourself while shooting.....not taking the run-of-the-mill photos while looking for the special ones. The last thing you want is an editor asking the question: ‘Why did you take this photo?’ You don’t need 10 shots of someone doing the same thing when one will do.”

“Spend time looking at the work of other photographers, either online or in magazines, etc. Seeing examples of good photos is a great way to learn.”

Go out there and take pictures! @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 23

Advice from

PALY Alumni

Looking to take your game to the next level?

Since its founding in 1898, Palo Alto High has been home to some of the country’s most talented and hardworking athletes. Take a look at 10 notable players who have left their mark on Paly sports history and what advice they have to share with current Paly athletes.

by SEBASTIAN CHANCELLOR and JACKSON MARTIN

Seavan Sternheim Seavan Sternheim wrestled at Paly for four years from 1987 to 1990.

During Sternheim’s senior year he placed fourth in CCS, which qualified him for states where he finished in the top-12 and was named MVP of his league. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Sternheim through his time as a wrestler. During his first three years, he would always wrestle opponents that were in a higher weight class than him because

he couldn’t qualify for a weight class that matched his weight.

But with the help and advice from his world champion coach Dave Schultz, he learned that technique was the key to victory and that is what drove him throughout his wrestling career.

Alexandra Lee, a 2020 graduate at Palo Alto High School, has to be one of the most athletic students to set foot on Paly’s campus. Lee, who played a whopping five sports (water polo, wrestling, swimming, softball, track and field), excelled in all

“Set goals for yourself going into the season.”

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Lee

24 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

“Do everything to the best of your own ability.”

Photo courtesy of Seavan Sternheim

Alexandra Lee of them, playing at the varsity level in all five sports for the majority of her high school career. Her first passion was in the water, so when Lee walked into the wrestling room on tryout day it was quite a transition. But Lee, a fierce competitor, quickly thrived in this new environment that pushed her outside of her comfort zone. Looking back at the two time state qualifier, it’s safe to say Lee stands as a prime example of someone who when they put their mind to something, they could really accomplish anything.

Miles Tention, who graduated in 2017, was a basketball player for Palo Alto High School who was named the Most Valuable Player of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic league. Tention, a 6’4 guard, was the team captain of the varsity squad who in his junior year, led the team to a record of 26-5 and 1st place in league with a record of 11-1 and clinched a Division 1 playoff berth. Moving into the playoffs, Palo Alto battled their way all the way to the championship, looking to cap off their successful season, only to lose by a margin of

Miles Tention 61-65 to James Logan. Miles Tention then transferred for his final year of high school to St Thomas More School where he earned himself a rank of 31 in the state and 218 in the country. Tention later committed to Saint Anselm and in 2019-2020 was named as a third team all conference member. Tention is in his Senior year at Saint Anselm and aspires to play pro and later on get into real estate.

“Hard work will pay off in the long run.”

Photo courtesy of Grace Thayer

“Become comfortable in uncomfortable situations.”

Photo courtesy of Miles Tention

Grace Thayer

Grace Thayer, a volleyball player for Palo Alto High School in the class of 2020, had a less stereotypical journey in comparison to the “model” D1 athlete.

Thayer wasn’t on the highly competitive varsity team her first two years at Paly, which created a chip on her shoulder going into the Junior season. Paly girls volleyball won league both of Thayer’s years on varsity and she was a huge contributor to both championships.

But big success doesn’t always lead to immediate recognition. With the

end of high school looming and dreams of playing in college, Thayer was yet to receive an offer she wanted to pursue.

But she stayed focused and motivated and just as the season was coming to a close, picked up offers that finally reflected her hard work. The newly awarded league champion committed to UMiami at the close of her season to add on to her already impressive career.

Zander Darby Zander Darby, a 2021 graduate, was a multisport athlete for most of his life, playing basketball freshman and sophomore year, water polo all four years, and baseball all four years of his high school career. Darby, who played on varsity as a freshman, showed potential ever since he set foot on the field. In his senior year, Darby led the Palo Alto baseball team to a 21-5 record, earning the squad a rank of

20 in the state. The team had high hopes going into CCS but had their run cut short after a devastating loss to Valley Christian in the semi-finals. Nevertheless, Darby is one of the most successful athletes in Paly’s long decorated history and committed to UCSB to further his academic and athletic career where he will continue to do great things.

“Continue to put in extra work outside of team practice and games.”

Photo courtesy of Zander Darby

Carly Martin

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

Photo courtesy of Carly Martin

Carly Martin played on the Paly girls varsity basketball team for all four years of high school and has accomplished many achievements throughout her four years. Martin has always had to overcome adversity and prove herself on the court in order to make a name for herself at the next level. The team made the CCS finals her sophomore and junior year, and

won league her freshman, sophomore, and senior year. She was individually named first team all league in both her sophomore and junior year. With these accomplishments in her arsenal, she now plays Division 3 basketball at Whitman College in Washington and will proceed in her basketball career from there. @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 25

Jamal Harrison Jamal Harrison, who played baseball for Palo Alto High School between 1990 and 1994, had a very successful high school career — so much so that Harrison was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round of the 1995 MLB draft. He played four years in the Minor Leagues before shifting

his focus and dedication to helping at-risk youth and young developing athletes. Harrison, the current Palo Alto Baseball Head Coach, founded C2S, acronym for Confidence 2 Succeed, and has built his recognized brand that is now home to some of the state’s top athletes.

“Give it your all while you still have the chance.”

Photo courtesy of Jamal Harrison

Allison Whitson “Follow your passion and work hard on and off the court.”

Photo courtesy of Allison Whitson

Unlike a typical single sport athlete, Allison Whitson, who graduated from Paly in 2009, was a three sport athlete in volleyball, track and field, and swimming.

Whitson played volleyball all four years at Paly, was on the swim

team for three years, and even did high jump as a junior. Her volleyball team won league both her junior and senior year and even managed to beat Saint Francis for the first time in franchise history in the CCS quarterfinals of her senior year. As a three sport athlete, Whitson gives her advice on how to deal with high school sports given her successful experience as a Paly Athlete.

Aubrey Dawkins Aubrey Dawkins played basketball at Paly his junior and senior years after transferring from Saint Francis High school. As a Viking, Dawkins averaged 18.8 points and 7 rebounds per game. After taking a post graduate year at New Hampton, Dawkins received a scholarship to the University of Michigan.

After playing with Michigan for his freshman year, Dawkins transferred to UCF where he would continue to play basketball. In his final season, Dawkins posted a shocking careerhigh 36 points and 11 rebounds against

Temple, leading his team to the 2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament. In the round of 32, UCF faced off against the number 1 seeded Duke where they would take a tough 77-76 loss ending their season. Dawkins then declared for the 2019 NBA Draft where he would go undrafted. Dawkins now plays with Türk Telekom B.K, a Turkish basketball team, and will pursue his basketball career from there.

“Be unapologetic in what you do.”

Photo courtesy of Aubrey Dawkins

Mia Gibbs “Spend time making the younger players feel more a part of the team.”

Photo courtesy of Karen Ambrose Hickey

26 vikingsportsmag.com 26 | VIKING MAGAZINE | | vikingsportsmag.com

Mia Gibbs, who graduated from Paly in 2020, has secured many outstanding awards as a Viking. She played on the girls varsity volleyball team all four years of high school and her team was first in league every year. As a middle blocker, Gibbs used her advice from her teammates in her

first three years and applied it to her senior year where she was named the MVP of the league. Gibbs now plays Division 1 volleyball at Dartmouth University in New Hampshire, where she is currently studying biological sciences and wants to eventually become an orthopedic surgeon.

SPORTS SHOWS

by PARKER BATES and CAROLINE MOSTOFIZADEH

There's nothing quite like the intrigue of sports.

Recently, Netflix has capitalized on our thirst for all things athletics with a variety of sports-centered shows. Here is a closer look at why and how these stories are so captivating.

A

mericans have always loved a good sports story. To follow an athlete or team’s journey through “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” is captivating, entertaining, and binge worthy. Streaming sites like Netflix have made older sports shows easily accessible while also producing their own sports dramas and documentary series.

During the pandemic, sports shows on Netflix have become increasingly popular among high school students.

Netflix sports shows are multifaceted.

Not only are they entertaining, but they

can shed light on lesser known sports, the game time intensity and off the field influence training techniques, and drama. The two sides are just enough to provide insight on the draw in football fans lives of student athletes. as well as viewers While some people searching for a “The show Cheer enjoy Sunday night gripping plot line. on Netflix helped football, others prefer “Friday Night fictional Netflix series, Lights” aired in 2006 break the stereotype like “Friday Night Lights” and averaged 6 that has surrounded and “All American,” that million views on both cheerleading.” chronicle the highs and the first two seasons.

-Karel '23 lows of high school The show is based on football. These shows a true story that was don’t require a deep initially chronicled knowledge of sports in a book written by and instead strike a balance between H.G. Bissinger and published in 2004. @vikingsportsmag| |DECEMBER DECEMBER2021 2021| |27 27 @vikingsportsmag

The show centers around the Dillon Panther High School football team in Dillon, Texas, but explores the narrative on a deeper level than the book. Not only does the show capture the football team’s tragic losses and triumphant victories, but it also dives into the home lives, relationships, and inner struggles of the players. In athletics, the players on the field aren’t just stat lines and a game is never just a game. Netflix shows like “Friday Night Lights” reflect this universal element of sports.

Although “Friday Night Lights” is an older show, many Paly students have watched or even rewatched the show for its dramatic appeal on and off the field.

“Friday Night Lights is one of my favorite shows of all time,” Natalie Hmelar (’22) said. “I don’t even like football but I’m still super obsessed with the show and I’ve watched it five times.”

Because “Friday Night

Art by Sofia Leva

Lights” shows the athletes in all settings like the classroom, on the field, and with friends, Paly studentathletes feel like they can relate to the players. “ M o s t s t u d e n t athletes are the same,” Ryan Lykken (’22) said.

“They have to make time for school but also sports and they can struggle with balancing the two. I like seeing the drama in practices and games and I feel like I can relate to how the athletes feel.”

More recently, Netflix aired a second fictional sports show, “All American,” that gained popularity quickly among high school students. The show, which debuted in 2018, portrays a more modern take on of high school football in comparison to “Friday Night Lights”.

“All American” is based on a true story of NFL player Spencer Paysinger and his high school football experience. It also delves into the vastly different worlds of central LA and Beverly Hills that come together in his life.

“I think that [Friday Night Lights] does a better representation of the sport of football than “All American,” Danny Peters (‘22) said. “But, for the most part, both the shows get it down really well, especially the roughness of the sport.”

"Formula 1: Drive To Survive”, a Netflix series based on the highest class of international auto racing, gives exclusive

28 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

access and behind the scenes of some of the world’s premier drivers, owners, and F1 managers.

This show has not only become e x t r e m e l y popular, but is also a gateway for people to discover Formula 1 and become fans of the sport.

Many Paly F1 fans discovered the sport through the show “Drive To Survive”.

The drama and behind the scenes component of the show has drawn in a number of students.

“I like Formula 1 because it gives you a different perspective of what happens throughout a season,” Sal Meehan (‘23) said. “It shows you a lot of stuff you wouldn’t find out or know about by just being a normal fan or spectator of the race.”

There are 10 teams in each race, representing the company that sponsors the teams, with two racers on each team. As one of the most diverse sports leagues in the world, F1 has 15 countries represented within the 20 drivers.

Along with many other sport shows, Formula 1 consists of intense drama among the young men who participate in these races and the coaches of each team.

“The drama aspect of the show is very interesting because it gives you a lot of perspective on how the teams and crew members that are not in the car are able to create a flexible game plan during the race,” Meehan said.

With the exclusive insight that the audience is able to gain from the show, viewers can also learn about the lives of the individual athletes. Having a behindthe-scenes look at the races allows the audience to better understand the process of each race and to get to know each driver. Some drivers are the sons of the extremely wealthy team owners

“I don’t even like football but I’m still super obsessed with the show and I’ve watched it five times.”

-Hmelar '22

while others have worked their way up to the top from diverse economic backgrounds. Like any great show, there are heroes a n d villains, but the fun of “Drive to Survive” is the viewers get to determine who those characters are.

“I get to see the personality of all the drivers which gives more meaning to the people behind the helmets,” Sam Duong (‘22) said.

The first season of this Netflix series had a significant impact on the viewership in the United States. According to an article in the New York Times, race day ticket sales in the United States after the show debuted in 2019 rose 15% from 2018.

The average number of viewers per race rose from 547,000 in 2018 to 928,000 in 2021.

“I hadn’t watched Formula 1 before watching the show, but after watching [the show], I got really into it,” Jack Haight (‘22) said.

With increased viewing accessibility through Netflix, it will be fascinating to see the viewership for Formula 1 grow as more people are exposed to this Netflix series and become consistent fans.

Another popular documentary sports show on Netflix,

“Cheer”, follows the nationally ranked “To be a great cheerleader, you need to Navarro College Bulldogs cheer team have strength and balance for stunting in Corsicana, Texas. This series primarily and tumbling, flexibility for jumps, focuses on five of coordination to dance, and be fearless the members of and able to perform in front of a crowd the cheer team effortlessly,” Karel said. as they get ready As the show “Cheer” became popular, to compete in the it gave people the opportunity to really annual National see what competitive cheer is really like.

Cheerleading “I loved the show “Cheer” on Championship in Netflix. I think it helped start to break Florida.

Similar the stereotype that has surrounded to "Drive to cheerleading,” Karel said. “It really Survive", you captures what being a cheerleader is all get the exclusive about and shows the hard work and time backstage scenes that goes into competing.” of the members Along with the show’s exclusive and dramatic access to the hard work and dedication aspects displayed demonstrated by being a cheerleader, it in the show. also gives insight into the team members’ Here at Paly, personal lives. the cheer team uses similar techniques “I loved getting to feel so close to all the that are seen in the athletes in the show. Natalie Karel ('23), show,” Karel a member of the Paly said. “Getting cheer team, was able to “It really captures to see the lives explain the similarities of of inspirational what being a athletes that I Paly cheer and the show “Cheer”. up to was cheerleader is all look “During our competition really cool.” about." season, we have a similar This Netflix “on mat/off mat” team,” series has -Karel '23 Karel said. “That means been able to there are certain athletes expose many who are in charge of audiences to learning the routine just in an accurate case someone who is “on mat” can not representation of cheerleading. Not perform.” only has it helped form Paly’s cheer team With the high risk of injuries that comes techniques, but it has given cheer the from cheer, having a backup person to exposure it needs, and hopefully ended take the place of any possible injuries on the stereotypes and false conceptions the team is extremely important. about the sport.

"I get to see the personality of all the drivers which gives more meaning to the people behind the helmets."

-Duong '22

Art by Greg Laursen

@vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 29

LONG The Unlikely SHOT 2006 State Championship

by HAILEY BECK and EMILY NEUMANN Art by SOFIA LEVA

This year is the 15th anniversary of the Paly boys basketball team’s hard fought victory in the basketball CIF State Championship. Against slim odds, the Vikings ­— led by former Knicks star Jeremy Lin — took down Mater Dei High School in a thrilling upset: a state championship that will be remembered forever.

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@vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 31

by JOSH DONAKER and JAKE FOSTER

The Viking staff takes a deeper dive into the history of Paly’s rivalries from across town to all over the bay. We asked Paly athletes to rate the intensity between these schools on our rivalry scale and here’s how it went.

R

ivalries: from big crowds, to little league feuds, competition for superiority on the field has been around since the beginning of sports itself. These relationships can be one-sided, like the Notre Dame vs Navy football rivalry (7111-1 all time), or consistently a battle, like the evenly matched UNC vs Duke basketball relationship. Paly has tense contests across all athletic programs, from cross-town rivalries to straight up bad blood. Viking athletes gave their opinions to find out which Paly rivalry is truly the greatest.

Many Paly athletes consider Los Gatos their biggest rival. The Wildcats provide the strongest opposition against the Vikings, which breeds close competition at every game.

Often ending up as the two of few public schools making the Central Coast Section (CCS) open playoffs, matchups like the 2018 football victory over Los Gatos taste even sweeter.

Big games and

competitions often end up being the birth of rivalries, and these two teams have had plenty over the years.

Some Gunn athletes likely consider their game against Paly the biggest of the season.

Senior Gunn wrestler, Jonathan Mar explains their rivalry with Paly.

“There’s a l w a y s competition to be better than Paly,” Mar said. “It’s like a contest to see who’s the best in the city and whenever our two schools meet it brings in a lot of ticket sales, which makes the environment more intense.”

In the past, the Gunn matchup hasn’t been as big, due to often competing in different divisions, like baseball, or not even playing at all.

On the other hand, Los Gatos and Paly, and occasionally schools like Wilcox, Los Altos and Mountain View, land atop the SCVAL and CCS leagues, and with

32 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

the chips down and championships on the line, these games really turn up the intensity. (Check out the rivalry meter!)

While these rivalries for the most part take place on the field or on the court, there have been several instances in whichconfrontations have brewed between fans.

For the past five years, Paly’s rivalry with Los Gatos has been nothing short of intense.

When safety b e c a m e an issue for both players and fans, the schools decided on a policy in which neither Paly nor Los Gatos fans were allowed to attend games when the two powerhouses played each other. This rule lasted throughout the entire 2019-2020 season and was the consequence of a brawl that broke out after Paly’s varsity basketball team hosted and defeated the Wildcats 49-

35. Since then, fans have taken a step back and agreed to leave the rivalry to be settled entirely by the players to ensure these big games are safe for all attending.

Nevertheless, anytime these two powerhouses meet there is still sure to be quite the crowd.

Paly rivalries contain interesting dynamics. Many Gunn athletes and students likely believe that their main rival is Paly, much like Michigan State believes Michigan is theirs. But on the other side of the coin, Paly believes that their biggest competition is Los Gatos, and Michigan thinks that their rival is Ohio State. Relationships like these cause very interesting effects in the stands, shown in the Paly vs Los Gatos football game. This year was by far the most attended game, with stands filled to the brim with pink-covered fans. Unfortunately, the cross town rival Gunn didn’t even get the chance to play Paly, as the Vikings play in the more prestigious De Anza league, while the Titans play opponents in the El Camino league.

Leagues play a huge part in determining rivalries and the matchups thereof. Realistically, if Gunn and Paly were in the same league in many sports the rivalry would definitely be more intense, as crosstown rivalries would bring out fans and support from both sides. This was shown in this year’s boys water polo games, with Gunn and Paly facing off three times, including the intense SCVAL semifinals. These were some of the closest and most hard fought battles of the water polo season, with both sides fighting for Palo Alto’s bragging rights.

Gunn won two close battles during the regular season, but Paly emerged victorious against the Titans in the SCVAL tournament.

Texas A&M and Texas used to be one of the NCAA’s tensest rivalries prior to the Aggies leaving the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. The teams haven’t

Paly Opinions Many Paly students and fans consider Los Gatos to be their most intense competitor, so we asked some of Paly’s varsity athletes for their opinions on who Paly’s biggest rival is. Here is how they responded:

BASEBALL

“Los Gatos for sure.

I’m not sure when or how the rivalry began, but it’s always a competitive and intense matchup” - Dominic Defeo (‘22), Catcher played a game since the departure, but we could see this matchups coming back since Texas recently announced that they could be joining the SEC in 2025. Much like the Longhorns, many Gunn athletics teams are making their way into upper divisions, rekindling lost rivalries with Paly.

With a huge part of the intensity taken out of last year’s contests due to the absence of Paly’s student section, loud stadiums, heckling and celebrations look to make a comeback in the 2021-22 sports seasons. Rivalries not only bring exciting tension to our fans, but elevate our athletes’ level of play. Drawing in large crowds, along with placing some of Paly’s most skilled athletes under the spotlight of Division 1 college teams. Thus far, Paly’s big game turnouts have been amazing and the Viking staff is excited to cover each and every one of these big games.

VOLLEYBALL “Our biggest rival is probably [Los] Gatos, because there is always a big crowd. It gives the games more energy which hypes us up more to play competitively and work harder” - Hathaway Bush (‘22), Libero

FOOTBALL: “Los Gatos because we hate ‘em, and probably Gunn because they’re our cross town rivals” - Brody Simison (‘22), Wide Receiver

SOCCER “It’s definitely Los Gatos… because, well, it’s [Los] Gatos” - Eva Mankos (‘22), Forward @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 33

We rated Paly’s rivalries on 4 criteria on a 1-5 Scale: Competition- Red (How good are the teams?), Intensity- Orange (How much do the schools hate each other?), Atmosphere- Gold (How excited are the fans?) and Proximity- Yellow (How close are the schools to each other?)

LOS GATOS: Competition: 5, Intensity 5, Atmosphere 5, Proximity 2= 17

Wild!

GUNN: Competition 2, Intensity 4, Atmosphere 4, Proximity 5= 14

FIRE! WILCOX: Competition 4, Intensity 3, Atmosphere 3, Proximity 3= 13

HOT LOS ALTOS: Competition 3, Intensity 2, Atmosphere 3, Proximity 4= 12

WARM MTN. VIEW: Competition 3, Intensity 2, Atmosphere 3, Proximity 4= 12

WARM ST FRANCIS: Competition 5, Intensity 2, Atmosphere 4, Proximity 4= 15

FIRE!

How the athletic recruiting process has changed throughout COVID, as well as Viking’s personal experience with recruiting.

by HENRY BOLTE, IVAN IJZERMAN, and HARRISON WILLIAMS

I Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

nervously sit by my phone, waiting for it to ring. Countless hours put into practices and games, and now my entire career may be defined by my next conversation. I have put so much time and effort into taking my game to the next level, getting noticed by coaches, all for the opportunity to continue playing at the collegiate level. I know that I am near the end of my recruiting process, and soon this stressful process can be put behind me — if I secure my spot on the roster.

Many students desire to play a sport at the collegiate level, but are met with the laborious process that dictates their future. Not only does this difficult task affect their sporting career, but it will ultimately shape the rest of their lives.

Recruiting process: a task that every athlete with a desire to play at the next level has to go through. Starting at the end of their sophomore year leading into their junior year, prospective studentathletes are in constant communication with college coaches, trying to prove their worth and ability to play at the next level.

Students looking to get recruited need to meet many criteria set by coaches and schools. Coaches look for a variety of characteristics that set students apart

from others, such as athletic ability, academics, and character. They have to ensure that the student not only would be able to help make a difference in the team’s performance, but is someone who will fit in well with the team culture as well.

The timeline for possible recruits varies from student to student, with a few students verbally committing as early as eighth grade. Typically, freshmen who want to get recruited research different division levels of interest as well as NCAA recruiting rules. Sophomores focus on building an athletic resume, creating highlight videos, and creating relationships with coaches. Most of the junior year is used to create a list of target schools and contact coaches within that list. Offers to join the team are usually made during a student’s junior year through fall of their senior year.

Once an athlete makes a commitment to a college, they continue to stay in touch with the coach and they work through the college application process together, usually with early acceptance into a college.

Some of Paly’s finest athletes have gone through the rigorous recruitment process. Paly athletes have shown such immense talent to be recognised by @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 35

Enache gets a kill against Monta Vista on a bic attack. (Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey)

some of the top coaches and schools.

These students have been given the opportunity to continue their athletic career into college. Last year, the already challenging process was further compounded by the global pandemic.

For most student athletes at Paly, practices as well as competitions were all cancelled — which completely changed how the recruitment process worked.

In addition to practices and competitions being cancelled, the NCAA dead period was continuously extended without an end in sight, making it extremely hard for athletes to display their talents to college coaches. During the NCAA dead period, coaches are not allowed to have any face to face contact with prospective student athletes. They are also not allowed to watch them compete in person or travel to their high schools.

This caused both athletes and college

programs to get creative in the ways to get around the complicated rules of the dead period. For many athletes, social media became the best option to get themselves out there. The use of Twitter within the recruiting process became huge in certain sports, allowing athletes to share videos of them in their sport to college coaches who may follow them.

Specifically in the world of baseball, Twitter exploded as a main option for athletes to display their talents to coaches during the dead period. Both players and club coaches were posting to their accounts in order to gain as much exposure as possible.

Social media can be an extremely useful tool to increase student athletes’ exposure to coaches, and can be the deciding factor that can make or break your opportunity to get recruited.

Because of COVID, students and coaches have utilized digital forms of recruiting.

This means students have yet another resource to contact coaches with — but this new opportunity comes with a caution. Because coaches are so invested in social media, Twitter in particular , they make sure to monitor student-athlete tweets. It is important to be careful when posting and liking as any negative social media action can harm your chances of getting recruited.

There have been many other Paly athletes that have had their recruitment process affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Senior Thea Enache, a varsity volleyball player of three years, has had her recruiting process drastically change due to the pandemic.

In a normal year, Enache would have had the opportunity to go visit numerous campuses on official visits to see what she likes or dislikes about a school. However, with the NCAA dead period set in place and travel heavily limited, she had to do

SOPHOMORE YEAR

36 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

her visits digitally, which were nowhere to the University of Chicago, a school near as beneficial. with a Division III volleyball team. Her “I took official visits that were on Zoom,” experience has been greatly changed by Enache said. “People basically just the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. pointed their cameras at buildings, so it’s Cheung was first noticed by coaches definitely a different experience.” when she was in As a multisport athlete, Enache fully eighth grade, and dedicated herself to volleyball at the start from then on she of her sophomore year. By attending had been reaching multiple volleyball clinics her sophomore out to schools that year, she quickly drew the attention of she was interested college scouts. She had multiple elite in, looking for the schools watch her play at tournaments. opportunity to take However, after COVID, everything had her game to the changed. next level.

“COVID made me nervous and it made “I started around other coaches nervous as they started freshman year when I started emailing committing people right away,” Enache coaches, and there wasn’t a lot going said. on for freshman and sophomore year,” As someone who was not ready to Cheung said. “Junior year is when things commit to a college right away, she felt started to pick up and I got to contact that she lost many opportunities because coaches more.” of the pandemic as coaches often Similar to Enache, Cheungs recruitment expected an answer from her right away. process was drastically altered by “Talking to COVID and coaches and Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey the mandatory having them say l o c k d o w n that I have to make procedures a decision quickly spanning across that I wasn’t ready the nation. to make was the Because of most difficult part,” the traveling Enache said. restrictions in Enache held place, it was hard true to her values, for Cheung to and didn’t want contact coaches to commit right Enache spikes the ball for a point in a match against Gunn. or meet them in away to a college when she hasn’t had person. the opportunity to visit and see what the “Coaches couldn’t come to watch you team dynamic is like. Because of this, she play live, which is usually a deciding ended up having to restart her recruiting factor for them, so they could only see process again during the pandemic and highlight videos or any video that you is still working through the process right send to them, which is biased,” Cheung now. said.

“It made me question my moral Cheung committed to the University of fundamentals,” Enache said.

Chicago in the summer between junior But Enache is not the only Paly athlete and senior year, right after she had that had their recruiting process affected visited Pomona, Williams, and UChicago.

by COVID. Senior Hillary Cheung, a “I was very excited to have this next Paly volleyball player of four years step for me academically, just career and teammate of Enache committed wise,” Cheung said. “I guess I’m still a

little bit stressed because there’s a fear that maybe I won’t get in.”

Cheung felt like the hardest part of the recruitment process came from the coaches. Because of COVID it was very difficult for coaches to assess your skills in the sport without being able to see you play in person. Coaches were also hesitant to commit players because they did not have a full understanding of the players ability.

“I definitely think a lot of coaches will kind of lead you on a little bit, and then it gives you a lot of hope,’’ Cheung said. “But then ultimately, it often falls through.”

Social media has been helpful for athletes like Cheung to still “visit” a college virtually. Because Cheung could not visit the college in person, online alternatives helped her choose the school that was right for her.

“Sometimes [the college] will do posts about new gyms or introducing each player,” Cheung said. “I also think about following people’s private accounts and getting to know them better and being able to DM them if I have any questions.”

During the recruitment process it is crucial to keep in touch with coaches, as they are the ones who choose who they put on their roster. Cheung has been keeping in touch with coaches, texting a few times a month with updates academically such as transcripts or progress reports.

“With the coaches, I think it’s been okay,” Cheung said. “We’ve been texting and we’ve only met one time in person, but I think there’s been good online communication.”

The last few years have had a great impact on the overall recruitment process, the main reason being COVID. Because of COVID most of the procedure has moved virtually, using many different online platforms to be seen by coaches.

“ QUESTION my moral

It made me

fundamentals -Enache (‘22)

”

@vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 37

Take a look at Viking staff member Henry Bolte’s experience with collegiate recruitment.

M

y recruiting process season was cancelled. I had to do began in the summer something to make up for the time lost before my junior year, on the field, so I went to as many games which is a completely and tournaments as possible in order to normal time as it is get better and gain exposure. common for some people to get a As I played throughout the summer, little anxious when seeing younger and I discussed with my travel coach what younger kids commit around them. colleges I wanted to go to and what For the entire options were realistic time that I was for me. This is an Like any other athlete who being recruited, the important consideration NCAA dead period has had when getting recruited was in effect — of playing at the next level, I was because you don’t want making it extremely pretty about to focus on schools that challenging for me may be out of your talking to these coaches. to get exposure reach or beneath your -Bolte directly to college level. I put together coaches. Fortunately, a list of about ten to I was a part of a club fifteen schools and my baseball team that has great connections coach started connecting with those with college coaches from being in the schools, asking what they were world of baseball for over 30 years. This looking for, and sending was a crucial part to me being recruited them my film. and I would not be in the same situation I As the summer season am now without that program. came to an end, I started With the dead period preventing my contact with certain coaches from seeing me in person, the schools as they were able only way for me to display my skills to to contact me directly these colleges was through my summer on September first of my team. junior year. As that date Most of getting a player known to was approaching, I didn’t colleges was done through word quite know what to expect. I of mouth and posting to Twitter by was a little bit nervous but also respected club coaches. excited for the process to Because my coach had such a great rapport with these colleges, they respected and trusted what he was telling them about his players. Many different college coaches follow his account on Twitter and were able to see me play in some capacity from the videos my coach posted.

The summer following my sophomore year was huge for my recruitment since almost my entire

“

DREAMS

NERVOUS

”

38 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

start picking up a little bit.

Talking to college coaches, whether it be on the phone or in person, can feel overwhelming as it could have a large impact on your future. Trying not to overthink what you say or what you send will help in finding the right fit for you and making the process feel less stressful.

It is important to keep in mind that every coach and school handles their recruiting differently. This was first apparent to me at 12:01 a.m. on September 1st, when I received a text message from a college coach. I originally thought that someone was messing with me, but it was their way of showing interest at the earliest stage possible.

Most of the earlier talks consisted of coaches trying to get to know me and telling me about their program.

Just like how every school is different in the way that they recruit players, they are also different in the way they operate as a program. So it is important to make sure that it all aligns with what you are looking for in a school and program.

Something to keep in mind when you are beginning talking to a school is that they are very busy and recruiting other people at the same time. This means they are not likely to be texting or calling every day. Unfortunately, it might not be a fit and you may lose contact with certain schools. But both of those things do not mean that your chances of playing in college are over.

The first time that I talked to a school was a couple of weeks before that date and I did not know what to expect at all. Like any other athlete who has had dreams of playing at the next level, I was pretty nervous about talking to these coaches and wanting to say the right things. But as the process goes, simply being yourself and asking questions that are important to your decision making will help you and the college feel confident in whatever the outcome is.

Since I would not be able to see any of the college coaches I was talking to in person, it was extremely important for me to keep in touch with them. I thought this was something that was critical not only to get them a video or anything they wanted, but also to keep me on their mind and not get pushed to the side. My way of doing this was sending a video of me hitting every week or so just to continue my contact with schools I really wanted to play for.

After going through the process of finding schools I was interested in, gauging their interest, and beginning conversations with those coaches, it came time to make a decision. This for me was an easier one as I was fortunate enough to have my number one choice be an option for me. But this was only possible for me because of the work that was put in but also the way the recruiting process went for me.

Without the help of many different coaches, remaining calm when things don’t exactly go your way within the process, and most importantly trusting the process, I wouldn’t be in the situation that I am in. It is crucial to remember those things during your own recruiting process as it can feel like a lot is being thrown at you but just believing that it will work out well will help you get through it.

Photos courtesy of Henry Bolte

VIKING

LEGENDS

by OLIVER MARBURG and CAMERON TOLAND

Unkown to many, the Coaches’ Circle at Hod Ray Field celebrates Paly’s most legendary coaches of all time.

N

ear the entrance to the football character made him stand out as a figure schools and that was a shortcoming stadium, a circle of plaques worth honoring. Wiser’s monument of our era for sure,” McPhail said. In shines in the light. While many was unveiled as the first event of Paly’s McPhail’s time at Paly, sports teams were may have not heard of it, this Centennial celebration on October 7, limited to men only and these limitations monument is a hidden gem on Paly’s 2018. Since then, five more coaches have on records and scores made it difficult to campus. The Coaches’ Circle, also known been added to the compare female athletes as the Circle of Honor at Hod Ray Field, is circle. The most “We wish we had and coaches to the level a tribute to the most successful coaches recent additions, the coaches in the [found more female of in Paly history. It currently recognizes six Nort Thornton Coaches’ Circle. of the most prestigious and accomplished and Jim Fairchild, representation] because “We wish we had coaches to ever coach at Paly. were respectively there were many girls [found more female The project started in 2017 with two recognized for representation] because who would have been there were many, many Paly alumni: Mike McClellan (‘58) and swimming and Don McPhail (‘58). After reflecting on water polo as well great athletes but they girls who would have their time at Paly, they felt that many of as football. been good or great didn’t get a chance.” their coaches and teachers deserved To enter the athletes but they didn’t recognition for their success. McClellan Coaches’ Circle, DON MCPHAIL get a chance,” McPhail and McPhail volunteered their efforts, coaches were said. along with help from the Paly Alumni nominated by alumni, who looked After four years of compiling records, Association and Paly Sports Boosters. through school Madrono Archives to scores, and information on coaches, “My friend Mike McClellan and I were make their selections. Coaches were then McPhail and McClellan’s work on the very lucky to go to Palo Alto at a time selected by McPhail and McClellan based Coaches’ Circle is complete, although when we had some fabulous coaches and on accomplishments and honors. the pair are open and willing to add more teachers there,” McPhail said. “A lot of “It was more or less a consensus from coaches. them were 20-30 year lifetime teachers, people by looking at the win-loss records, “If [future organizers] want our help, and we felt somebody ought to say thank season championships, and the coach then Mike and I would be glad to help you to them and recognize them for being of the year type honors,” McPhail said. them,” McPhail said. “As of now, we think wonderful teachers “These are the people our plan is complete.” and role models.” whose names McClellan and “We felt somebody ought emerged from McPhail played to say thank you to them that.” for Paly’s football and recognize them for Right now, the and basketball Coaches’ Circle teams. They were being wonderful teachers only consists of six coached by Hugh and role models.” male coaches, but McWilliams, Wes it isn’t complete DON MCPHAIL Fisher, and Clem just yet. Of the Wiser, all of whom current coaches are recognized in the Coaches’ Circle. in the circle, there is a lack of The first coach to enter the circle was diversity both in gender and basketball coach Clem Wiser, whose race. record of winning teams, coaching honors “Women didn’t have Jim Farchild at the Coaches’ Circle ceremony on (both league and CCS) and personal competitive sports between September 26, 2021. (Photo by Grace Li)

40 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

CURRENT MEMBERS CLEM WISER

OF THE CIRCLE

Known for his consistent kindness, encouragement, and good humor, ​​Clem Wiser was Palo Alto’s all-time winningest coach in any sport. He earned league coach of the year multiple times and the California Coaches Association basketball Coach of the Year in 1982. His boys basketball teams won 401 games and nine league championships — a feat that ultimately made him a member of the CA Coaches Hall of fame.

Photos courtesy of Don McPhail

FOREST JAIMESON Forest Jaimeson founded Palo Alto High School’s cross country team in 1953. Over his 21 year Paly career, Jamieson won several NCS championships and coached many athletes onto the Olympic Team. He is widely regarded as the “Father of High School Cross Country in the Bay Area.”

HUGH McWILLIAMS and WES FISHER Football coach Hugh McWilliams and wrestling coach Wes Fisher (‘42) were a wellknown coaching duo who brought both positive energy and calm intensity. Together they coached the highly ranked and undefeated 1956 SPAL champion football team. Fisher, a Paly alum, was a nationally recognized wrestling coach for 23 years, leading the Paly wrestling team to win 176 competitions and 10 league championships. In addition to coaching wrestling and football, Fisher served as athletic director and coached golf, swimming, and track & field. McWilliams served as a coach for seven years, with an astounding 45-12 record. He continued to assistant coach football at Navy and coached two nationally-ranked teams and Heisman trophy winners.

JIM FAIRCHILD

Jim Fairchild coached Paly football from 1960 to 1965 and led the team to an undefeated season in 1963 — which didn’t occur again for 47 years. Fairchild preached toughness, resiliency, and determination. He led Paly to set a SPAL Conference record of six consecutive shut-out wins in conference play, which allowed him to earn Coach of the Year Honors.

NORTON THORNTON

Norton Thornton coached both swimming and water polo at Paly and is recognized for his 1946-1959 teams being almost undefeated. Under his guidance, they won 12 league championships and six North Coast Section titles. The Paly swimming pool was renamed the Nort Thornton Memorial Pool in his honor and he was also inducted into the United States Water Polo Hall of Fame and the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame. @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 41

VIKING TRIES

BREAKING

by OWEN BITTINGER and CALEB WONG Art by ALEX YAN

F

rom Jeremy Lin to Davante the fastest time Viking produced for the Adams, Paly has a rich athletic 800m was 2:17.32, a time distantly far off history filled with many the record. remarkable athletes. We decided The other track and field records we to look back at some of the greatest tried to beat were the 100m, 200m, Paly performances and attempt to beat 400m, and the long jump. We failed to those records. We selected several track beat all of these records and ran almost and field, cross country, and swimming twice as slow in events like the 200m – records and gathered the best of our which highlighted the skill of the athletes staff in an all out attempt to beat them. who set these records.

The first record we tried to beat was the “These records are crazy,” Jackson 800m. The Paly record Martin (‘23) said. “I was set in 2010 by thought I was pretty “When attempting these Phillip MacQuitty records ... it became clear close to beating the (‘10) who ran a time records set by these how talented these former former Paly students of 1:52:37. When Paly athletes were.” told about Viking but I was so far off.”

- Ivan Ijzerman (‘23) attempting to beat Martin attempted his record, he was the 100m and the excited.

400m, where EJ “I don’t want my records to stay up Floreal and Rod Green hold the records forever. I want people to beat them,” with the times respectively being 10.52 MacQuitty said. and 48.20. Martin’s times were far in the However, we were nowhere close, as rear view mirror at 13.23 and 1:19.89.

Jackson Martin

42 || VIKING VIKING MAGAZINE MAGAZINE | | vikingsportsmag.com vikingsportsmag.com

David Gormley

The next record we attempted to break was the girls Bol Park Cross Country course record. The girls record on this course was set by Elizabeth Fetter (‘23) in the 2020 cross country season with a time of 12:18. Determined to beat her own record, Fetter, a Viking staff member, ran the race with an all-out effort and beat her record with a time of 12:15.

“I’m glad to have beat my own record and have to say it’s thanks to my teammates,” Fetter said.

Due to the fact we had only defeated one of the records we set out to beat, we decided to give ourselves an advantage in the swimming events by utilizing fins.

Immediately, the fins paid off and Viking editor David Gormley (‘22) managed to beat the 100 yard backstroke record of 49.49 with his own time of 48.84.

“Fins are so overpowered by maximizing the output of your leg muscles…so in reality I’d be six or seven seconds off that record — which puts into perspective

Owen Bittinger

how fast it is,” Gormley said.

While fins allowed us to beat the backstroke record, we were not as fortunate with the next records we attempted.

In order to use the advantage that fins would provide, JJ Stoen (‘23) could not use the standard breaststroke kick in his 100 yard breaststroke. Instead, Stoen had used a dolphin kick with his breaststroke pull, forcing Stoen to swim in a manner he was not accustomed to. Stoen did not manage to beat the record of 55.29 set

by Byron Sanborn in 2012, only putting up a time of 59.99.

Ivan Ijzerman (‘23) attempted the 100 yard freestyle record, set by Andrew Liang in 2014. Liang’s time of 44.25, a time less than 2 seconds off the high school record, was over twelve seconds faster than Ijzerman’s previous record in the 100 free making this a daunting challenge. Even with fins, Ijzerman only produced a time of 52.70, and yet again we failed to beat the record.

The final swimming records we

Did We Beat It?

attempted to beat were the 200 yard medley and freestyle relay. During the relay, in order to take advantage of the one set of fins we had at our disposal, we had the first and last swimmer use fins.

Despite our planning, we still came short of the records of 1:31.28 and 1:23.31.

“When attempting these records, and failing to beat almost all of them, it became clear how talented these former Paly athletes were,” Ijzerman said.

Viking

Record Attempted

Current Holder

Record Time

100 M

Ej FLOREAL (‘12)

10.52

JACKSON MARTIN (‘23)

13.23

400 M

ROD GREEN (‘80)

48.20

JACKSON MARTIN (‘23)

1:19.89

800 M

PHILLIP MACQUTTY (‘10)

1:52.37

Owen BITTINGER (‘23)

2:17.32

100YD (w/FINS) FREESTYLE

AnDREW LIANG (‘14)

44.25

ivan ijzerman (‘23)

52.70

100YD (w/FINS) BACKSTROKE

WILLIAM LEE (‘14)

49.49

DAVID GORMLEY (‘22)

48.84

100YD (w/FINS) BReastroke

Byron SaNBORN (‘12)

55.29

JJ STOEN (‘23)

59.99

200M MEDLEY RELAY

w.LEE/ S.POWELL/ A.LIANG/ H.WANG

1:31.28

D.GORMLEY/ I.IZjerman/ J.STOEN/ O.BITTINGER

1:48.02

BOL PARK XC COURSE

ELIZABETH FETTER (‘23)

12:18

ELIZABETH FETTER (‘23)

12:15

Elizabeth Fetter

Jackson Martin

JJ Stoen

Athlete

Our Times

JJ Stoen

Photos by Owen Bittinger and Caleb Wong @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 43

ROLLING ROLLING ROLLING ROLL ING WITH THE

PUNCHES

by SOPHIA CUMMINGS and ROEI ZIV

The experiences of a high school athlete are like no other. The shouting fans and high stakes for the schools create unforgettable memories. But when injuries take away these experiences from the athletes, it can take a toll on their well-being.

E

verybody loves sports for the thrill, the adrenaline, and the euphoric feeling that they provide. However, the often overlooked component of sports is injury —with many athletes struggling behind the scenes.

Injuries from sports can happen in a variety of d i ff e re n t ways.

Some result from a

condition that the athlete is predisposed to, while others occur spontaneously.

Regardless of how the injury occurs, an injury’s effects can be detrimental to all aspects of an athlete’s life — including their physical and mental health.

Standout girls soccer player Hannah Yau saw her freshman season at Paly get cut short when she suffered a devastating ACL tear, an injury that hits close to home for many athletes.

“The loss of soccer for that year (for the first time) was a really big deal for me,” Yau said. “I was just starting to feel myself getting a lot better and improving, then it all stopped immediately.”

In addition to missing games and practices due to the ACL tear, Yau was not able to experience the camaraderie that comes with Paly sports.

“One of the hardest things for me was losing the community of being o n t h e soccer t e a m ,”

44 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Yau said.

The loss of community that an injury can cause is often overlooked, but can be almost as painful as the injury itself.

Injured athletes often feel isolated from their teammates and the sport in general because they are not able to participate. This brings mental struggles that accompany the already tough fight to regain full fitness.

Just when things could not seem to get much worse for Yau, she suffered yet another ACL tear that sidelined her for the foreseeable future.

The mental and physical toll of going through not just one major injury, but two in a short period of time, is almost unimaginable.

“I lost confidence in my body’s ability to stay stable,” Yau said.

Athletes are geared to constantly think about the sport they play, and for them to need to change their mindset from that way of thinking, it is no surprise that mental challenges accompany injuries’ physical challenges hand-in-hand.

Sadly, Yau is not alone in her experience of missing out on her high school sports experience.

A Paly student that went through a similar process is senior Andre

Hyrkin, who was born with improper Sung tore his ACL relatively early on ligaments in his elbow, a condition that in his high school basketball career. was not diagnosed until his junior year.

He was able to recover from this injury This caused him to miss out on nearly and get back on the court in time for all of his high school baseball career. his junior year. That season, Sung was “I spent the first few years of high a standout player on the Paly varsity school in doctor’s offices with casts and basketball team, shooting lights-out braces, and it took them a long time to from beyond the arc and leading the figure out what exactly was wrong with team in multiple scoring categories. my arm,” Hyrkin said.

“My junior year basketball season Hyrkin spent nearly three months was the best time of my life,” he said. of his sophomore year in a cast. The “[I spent] every day playing basketball ligament that was not working properly and working my way to play in college.” created microfractures every time he Everything was looking up, until he swung the bat. Because of his athletic once again suffered a torn ACL, but this workload, these microfractures began time, on the other knee. to pile up and caused serious pain.

Sung had the option to try and come “The ligament in my elbow caused a back from his second injury, but the chain reaction down my arm that led mental struggle that comes with two to me not being able to play baseball devastating injuries in a row played just and miss out on as big a role the experiences I as his physical would have had if I struggle. was healthy,” Hyrkin “I will said. never play As much as I But one thing that competitive Hyrkin has made basketball appeared fine, sure of is focusing again simply on the future and in truth, I wasn’t.” because I not the past. He has could not -AMELIA VUGRINCIC ‘22 deal with the managed to find positive aspects of effects that a terrible process, another bad including the newfound free time that injury would do to me,” he said. “My he had while he could not play the mental health plummeted both times.” sport he loves.

The mental effects of such an “When I first learned that I was injured, injury cannot be seen on an x-ray, I took the news really hard,” Hyrkin an ultrasound, or a CT scan. One said. “But the added free time that I time alone is enough to put even the had allowed me to discover some of toughest of athletes down, but twice is the hobbies that I am really passionate enough for athletes to not be willing to about like playing the guitar and play their sport all together. painting.”

This is especially true because many The word “injury” inevitably has athletes use their sport as a getaway negative connotations, and rightly from the other problems they have in so. However, seeing injury as an their lives; Sung is no exception. opportunity for personal growth “I would play basketball whenever I outside of sports can help athletes have was sad or needed to get something a more positive mindset. With a tightly off my chest,” he said. packed schedule of school, social life, With the second injury, Sung lost his and baseball, Hyrkin would likely not main outlet of expression, and lost one have discovered these new activities of the only things that allowed him that he is so passionate about. Of course to escape from his struggles. On the it would have been far more ideal for court, Sung is just a basketball player. him not to be injured in the first place, Off the court, he has to carry the weight but seeing injury as an opportunity for of life’s struggles. growth has made the road to recovery Sung’s time away from the court seem far more achievable. allowed him to learn who he is as a However, physical recovery with the person: how he is much more than an intention of returning to play is not athlete, and how his time away from the always the case. Senior Lucus Sung game he loves does not have to define went through every athlete’s worst him. nightmare.

Recovering from an injury can be even

harder when there are no visible signs of pain or discomfort. Senior volleyball player Amelia Vugrincic had to miss out on essentially the entirety of her last season of high school volleyball due to an injury in the most complicated area of the human body: the brain.

Vugrincic suffered a concussion just a few games into the season, forcing her to sit out of her last high school games.

“As much as I appeared fine, in truth, I wasn’t,” she said.

The concussion was so bad that it had a direct impact on her balance and coordination. It got to the point where Vugrincic could not stand up straight with her eyes closed.

After a couple of months away from the game she loved, Vugrincic thought she finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel when she was able to return for one of the m o s t special games of any high s c h o o l at h l e t e ’s career: senior night.

But her recovery story reached a n o t h e r barrier when she was forced to take a seat on the bench during senior night after she felt that her safety was

@vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 45

compromised by playing.

“It was a really tough pill to swallow that it wasn’t feasible for me to go back,” she said.

The time that Vugrincic missed while injured affected her significantly, to the point where it felt like her life overall was feeling the effects of her brain.

“My emotions were at the hands of my concussion,” she said.

While talking to all of these athletes, they made sure to put an emphasis on moving forward and looking positively towards the future. Focusing on bettering themselves and giving advice to those who may just be starting their unfortunate journey through injury.

For those who just underwent an injury, Sung wants to make sure that people focus on ways to physically and mentally come back truly recovered.

“Follow your physical therapy and make sure your grades and mental health stay on track,” he said.

To these athletes, Yau shared a similar motivating message.

“It’s going to be hard, but take the time

to try new things and reflect on yourself.

Take it day by day and celebrate your little accomplishments because they really matter,” she said.

The likes of Sung and Yau make sure to acknowledge the difficulties that come along with getting injured, because they emphasize the importance of being realistic in a situation that could not seem less real.

Hyrkin’s journey back from injury took a little bit of a different element, because there was not a single event that led to his time off of baseball.

His main piece of advice is for these athletes to be patient.

“Trust the process, even when it is frustrating,” he said. “Listen to coaches and doctors when they tell you to take it slow.”

The season that Vugrincic was sidelined with a concussion, she had a lot of time to reflect and think about pieces of advice she would give to athletes that possibly were just beginning their grueling journey through injury.

“Try to take things in stride as much as possible,” Vugrincic said. “If you can always try to have a positive outlook there is bound to be something meaningful. You can take from your time off of your sport, as much as it does suck to not be playing.”

Athletes, especially when they are young students with future aspirations in their respective sport, can have a clouded sense of judgement in terms of what’s best for their physical and mental health. Having the patience and discipline to make sure that they come back at the right time in the right state of mind can make or break whether they will ever truly be able to recover.

Going through sports injuries is undoubtedly a grueling process that requires heart and dedication. More importantly, these stories show the resilience inside the heart of an athlete, and the drive to improve at anything they put their mind to. These athletes have shown that sports are more than just a game, and the love for it can sometimes bring more pain than joy.

WORDS OF OFWISDOM WISDOM WORDS FOR INJURED ATHLETES “Trust the process, even when it is frustrating. Listen to coaches and doctors when they tell you to take it slow.”

-ANDRE HYRKIN ‘22

“Try to take things in stride as much as possible. If you can always try to have a positive outlook there is bound to be something meaningful.”

-AMELIA VUGINCIC ‘22 46 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

“It’s going to be hard, but take the time to try new things and reflect on yourself.

Take it day by day and celebrate your little accomplishments because they really matter.”

-HANNAH YAU ‘22

“Follow your physical therapy and make sure your grades and mental health stay on track.”

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STREAMING

The tussle currently happening between broadcasting companies and illegal streamers is a modern-day Robin Hood tale. Who’s the real criminal?

D

uring the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were all locked away from a mysterious virus, there was a general sense of boredom for those at home.

You can attribute this boredom to many different things, but a reason most wouldn’t consider was the lack of sports being broadcasted at the time.

Considering the influence that these sports hold, you would think that they would be easily accessible to the greatest number of people possible so that all would be able to enjoy watching their favorite teams or athletes compete.

But in reality, corporations have taken advantage of people’s love for sports in an attempt to make more money by privatizing different networks and streaming services.

The mid-1900s was the earliest example of privatization as they aired their events separately from television packages available to customers of popular providers.

Up until the late

by ROEI ZIV Design by SOPHIA CUMMINGS

2010s, professional combat sports such as MMA and Boxing were the only ones that required separate purchasing from their fans in order to view their events.

However, more recently, companies such as Disney (through ESPN) and CBS have released their own private streaming platforms that require extra fees to watch some of the most popular sporting events.

ESPN+ provides coverage for popular leagues like the MLB and sports such as golf. Paramount, the CBS streaming service, has the Champions League: the most coveted club soccer competition in the world. It’s simply unreasonable and inequitable to ask people to pay an extra $10+ every single month.

If, for example, a parent is unable to pay for all of these extra streaming services, their kids will simply not have the same chances of falling in love with a sport that another child might. $10 a month might not sound too expensive, but when each league requires a different subscription, the costs will start piling up.

It is this inequality that led to the striking rise of “illegal” streaming sites. Streaming sports through these sites has become easier and more widespread than ever, with fights that would cost nearly $50 a view being streamed completely for free to anybody with a phone or laptop and WiFi. These illegal streaming sites are the modern-day Robin Hood.

President of the UFC Dana White called out the

illegal streaming of his events and even threatened to take legal action.

But in reality, it’s impossible to remove all illegal streams, and they will continue to exist until sports events are made more economically available for everyone.

Before Dana White continues to call out illegal streamers as criminals, he should check himself. Is the crime taking $50 to watch a few fights or is it to provide a platform that makes it more affordable to others? The law might say one thing, but logic could say the opposite.

Sports should be made available and affordable to all because the best way for the US to stay ahead in the athletics world is to expose every single child to the games. That’s how most fall in love with their respective sports. They try to imitate their favorite athletes and aspire to be them one day. But if they are not able to watch these athletes to begin with, then what these companies are really robbing is not the money of their users, but the opportunity for children to fall in love with the world of sports.

To many, sports are among the most important things in the world. When something is important to the health of human beings, society makes it accessible.

W h y can’t the same be done for sports?

Obviously, professional sports are a business and it will always be that way, but creating separate streaming services within broadcasting companies is flat-out disgraceful. Let the people watch sports like they used to be watched, or these broadcasting companies will begin to lose money over the popularity of illegal streaming sites. The choice is theirs. @vikingsportsmag | DECEMBER 2021 | 47

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Kellyn Scheel ‘23 (left) and Natalie Hmelar ‘22 (right) tap sticks in field hockey’s game against Salinas.

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