Viking Magazine Volume XVII Issue 2

Viking Volume XVII, Issue 2 December 2023

BEYOND the

GAME

Societal Conflict and Athletes on the World Stage: Page 24

Viking

Volume XVII, Issue 2 December 2023

magazine

STAFF

The Gaither Family The Collins Family

Editors-in-Chief Tyler Frick, Grace Gormley, Josie Vogel

would like to thank our sponsors...

The Vogel Family Cora Ross

Creative Director Eliza Gaither

The Martin Family Berkley Belknap The Yen Family Joanie Haney The Harrison Family Myrna Gabbay The Steele Family Miranda Junowicz

Photo by Jason Hu

Managing Editors Beau Revenaugh Aspen Stitt

Photo Editor Jason Hu

The Reller Family Jonathan Levav

Online Editor-in-Chief Tyler Martin

Head Columnist Tyler Harrison

Business Manager Katie Yen

Social Media Managers Trey Collins Avery Reller

Copy Editor Claire Cho

Staff Writers Emil Bothe, Roan Haney, Ben Levav, Alena Lotterer, Evin Steele, Lucas Tung Adviser Brian Wilson

on the cover: Corresponding with our feature on page 24, the cover, designed by Grace Gormley, depicts a kneeling football player imposed on background collage of numerous images.

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. 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 Viking, please contact Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com Printing Services 2,500 copies of The Viking are printed, five times a year by Folger Graphics in Hayward, Calif.

Logo Font Courtesy of Måns Grebäck

Letter from the EDITORS Hey Vikes!

We are so excited to present to you the second issue of the year from Viking. For our winter sport athletes, we hope your seasons are off to a great start. And for all other Paly community members, we hope you are looking forward to a relaxing winter break.

In this issue, we have a great selection of articles for you to enjoy. We start off strong with our zooms, with photos by Jason Hu and Grace Gormley. Then, as you all enter the perfect season to curl up and watch a movie, we thought we would provide you with Viking’s selection of amazing sports movies to watch.

We share our most iconic and most important picks, as well as plenty of other films to get excited about.

Did you all know that girls flag football is a CCS sport? If you want to learn about this amazing new development,

read our next article, which covers what this change means for sports in general, and what it may mean for Paly’s future.

Following that, we dive into the deficiency of refs in youth sports. Why does this shortage exist? What does it mean for the future of youth sports? Is there anything we can do to solve it?

Next, our cover story dives into how athletes’ activism has changed over the years, and what it means for athletes to use their platforms to stand up in the face of injustices, as well as how international crises like wars can impact athletes and what they choose to do about it.

Also check out our article on Paly athletes with asthma. This condition can be challenging, but the athletes who handle it are quite inspiring.

Next comes our Viking Tries. This issue, we tried sports broadcasting. Folks, it was pretty tough. We gave it our best

Tyler Frick

shot, but we did struggle with professionalism. Check out our best quotes on page 32.

Ski season is coming up for Paly athletes who are members of ski team. Check out our design to see what it’s like being an athlete on the slopes.

Then, check out Juice: Let’s Deduce to demystify the benefits of certain juices and what drinking them can do for you as an athlete.

Finally, our Final Word, written by Tyler Harrison, analyzes the impact of the Pac 12 being dismantled. Check it out to hear his thoughts on what the death of this conference means.

Well, Vikes, we hope you enjoy the issue and we hope your finals go by without too much stress. Have a wonderful holiday season, and we’ll see you on the next one!

Grace Gormley

Josie Vogel

STAFF OPINION

Free Agency: Private Decision or Public Event?

MLB’s short offseason started recently, and talks have surrounded one player Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani has taken the baseball world by storm since his arrival to the majors.

In 2023, on his way to winning a unanimous AL MVP, he was superb both as a hitter and a pitcher, establishing himself as baseball’s best two way player of the last century.

The only problem? His team wasn’t winning... at all. Despite Ohtani (and fellow MVP caliber outfielder Mike Trout), the Angels have not made the playoffs since 2014, leaving the two time MVP without a single playoff appearance.

Ohtani’s contract ended after last season, leading baseball into its biggest free agency decision of all time.

In the past few weeks, as Ohtani mulled over his decision, he’s been crucified by some for going radio silent, with his camp advising teams not to say a word about the free agency saga.

Huge free agency decisions have been handled in a myriad of different ways throughout sports. No sport has capitalized on the coverage and anticipation of

free agency better than the NBA, who has turned the start of the offseason into a public, nationwide anticipated event where media coverage of players is at an all time high.

An example of this publicity was Lebron James’ shocking choice to join the Miami Heat in 2010 - where he publicly announced his decision on live television. This became a moment for the sport, and it kept the NBA in the media even after the season had ended.

There have also been free agency decisions that weren’t so public. Specifically, Kawhi Leonard’s in 2019. This was similar to how Ohtani’s situation was handled, as Leonard is also someone who shies away from the media due to his famously introverted personality.

However, even with the lack of public information from Leonard, the situation opened up a new form of media coverage: the rumor mill. Information started spewing from different sources going as far deep as they possibly could. Kawhi’s Uncle - Dennis Robertson - became a public figure and a prime source of information, even though no one had any

idea who he was and if he was telling the truth. Other information such as where Leonard was flying, and where his kids were enrolled in school, was deeply examined by every NBA reporter in the world. It all concluded with the Lakers publicly stating that they had the best chance to get him, the same day as ESPN’s Jalen Rose stated that he was “99% sure” Kawhi was staying with the Raptors.

Leonard signed two days later… with the Clippers, sending the NBA into a world of shock, and ending the most fun and most talked about free agency saga in recent memory.

And sure, rumors spewed about Ohtani throughout the process (before he ultimately signed with the LA Dodgers), but it wasn’t covered with the same specificity that Kawhi’s situation brought.

Should Ohtani have been more open about his decision? Probably, but at the end of the day it’s his choice to keep things within his camp; and as we saw with Kawhi Leonard, sometimes a lack of information can create the most interesting outcomes. @vikingsportsmag | APRIL 2023 | 3

IN THIS ISSUE

Senior Alaap Nair goes for a layup against Sequoia on Nov. 28. Photo by Jason Hu.

6 Zooms 13 Vikings Fave Flicks 16 Turf Triumphs 20 Official Time Out 24 Beyond The Game 30 Deep Breaths 32 Viking Tries 36 Ready Shred-y Go 38 Juice: Lets Deduce 42 Reckless Realignment

Photo by Jason Hu

Cheering On The

CHAMPIONS Paly football defended their title as CCS Champions, beating Mountain View 34-33. Pictured: Super Fan Dan hypes up the team before they played King’s Academy.

Photo by Jason Hu

Digging In

Paly boys basketball beat Sequoia 67-28 in their first home game of the season on Nov. 28. Pictured: Jorell Clark (‘25) goes in for a layup.

Photo by Grace Gormley

Water Polo

Prowess

Paly girls water polo made it into the Open Division of CCS for the first time ever this year.

Pictured: Fallon Porter (‘26) lines up a shot against Harker on Sept. 5.

Viking’s

by TREY COLLINS and EVIN STEELE

Favorite Flicks BATTLE SEXES Viking’s Choice: MOST IMPORTANT OF THE

Why we chose it

Battle of The Sexes was chosen as Viking Magazine’s Choice for the Most Important Sports movie for Palo Alto students because of its timeless story that is very present in todays athletic climate, as many female athletes (notably the US Women’s Soccer team) continue to fight for income equality. The movie follows Billie Jean King’s journey as she challenged Bobby Riggs to a tennis game in the effort to earn equal payout for men and women at the US Open.

The landmark game was the most-watched tennis game at the time.

Most Iconic Quote by Billie Jean King “I”m not saying women are better.

I’ve never said that. I’m saying we deserve some 12 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com respect.”

Fun Facts about Battle of the Sexes

1

Emma Stone put 15 __pounds of muscle for the movie.

2 The budget of the

movie was $25 million.

Art on this spread generated by Open AI

Sports films make up one of the most underrated and iconic genres. Here are some of Viking’s favorites.

Viking’s Choice: MOST ICONIC

ROCKY

Most Iconic Quote by Rocky Balboa

“Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.”

Why we chose it Rocky was selected as Viking Magazine’s Choice for the most iconic sports movie because although the movie was written in the 70’s, its legacy has carried all the way to the present day. The premise is about the underdog boxer Rocky Balboa who gets a chance to fight the heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed. The film explores themes of determination and love as Rocky trains for the championship match. Rocky was ultimately nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won three.

Fun Facts about Rocky

1--- Oscar for Best Picture.

Rocky was the first sports movie to ever win an

Sylvester Stallone wrote the script in three days 2____ while he was staying in a New York hotel room.

3

The first Rocky movie was|filmed in just2023 28 days. @vikingsportsmag OCTOBER | 13

GREAT

SPORTS MOVIES

in no particular order...

1. Mighty Ducks-1992 2. Sandlot-1993 3. School Ties-1992 4. McFarland, USA- 2015 5. Hoosiers- 1986 6. Remember the Titans-2000 7. Foxcatcher-2014 8. Chariots of Fire-1981 9. Million Dollar Baby-2004 10. Bring It On-2000 11. More Than A Game 2008 12. I,Tonya-2017 13. Bend it like Beckham-2002 14. Space Jam-1996 15. Tin Cup-1996 16. Breaking Away-1979 17. Slap Shot-1977 18. Bull Durham-1988 19. Moneyball-2011 20. Little Giants-1994 21. The Waterboy-1998 22. Cool Runnings -1993 26. Happy Gilmore-1996 27. Creed-2015 28. Major League-1989 29. Love and Basketball-2000 30. Whip it-2009 31. Raging Bull-1980 32. League of Their Own-1992 33. Jerry Maguire-1996 34. The Blind Side-2009 35. Friday Night Lights-2004 36. Hoop Dreams-1994 37. The Hill-2023 38. She’s the Man-2006 38. Radio-2003 39. Blue Crush-2002 40. The Express-2008 41. Dreamer-2005 42. Race-2016 43. Coach Carter-2005 44. RollerBall-1975 45. Bad News Bears-2005 46. Ali-2001 47. Invincible- 2006 48. White Men Can’t Jump-2023 49. Miracle- 2004 14 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com 50. All the Right Moves-1983

“Although the movie followed a somewhat predictable sports movie formula, it still explored important, social themes and issues like racism, and it had incredible performances, particularly by Denzel Washington.

-Lydia Mitz ‘25

Remember the Titans

Moneyball

“I love Moneyball because it depicts a different side of baseball that is less visible. I feel like most baseball movies are about players, but this one focused on the people behind the scenes that keep team running.”

-Zeke Morrison ‘24

A League Of Their Own “It was one of the first examples I’ve seen of a film about when women took over a male dominated industry during the war and I find the film really inspiring.”

-Laila Joshi ‘27

Bad News Bears “Watching Bad News Bears gave me a new perspective on taking on new challenges. It reminds me of the value of hard work and communication in solving problems.”

-Brooke Hudacek ‘24

TURF TRIUMPHS

by EMIL BOTHE, ALENA LOTTERER, and TYLER MARTIN

After originating as an option for younger kids to play football without contact, flag football is the newest official high school and Olympic sport. The sport’s

growth has taken a major step for schools, women in

sports, and inclusivity in athletics as a whole. Photos courtesy of Dai Yamada.

@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 15

“Instantly there was a lot of excitement around it.

Especially having it in the fall season, because it attracts girls from so many different sports.”

-Menlo flag football player Paige Miller

C

Menlo player Kylie Jones (‘24) runs with the ball towards the end zone.

heering in unison and decked out in festive outfits, students, faculty, family, and friends pack into the stands of high school stadiums for Friday night lights. In high school athletics, football is the sport that takes the spotlight, as it typically has the largest fan base and receives the most attention. Though almost every high school sport has both a girls and boys team, the biggest high school sport does not. Girls across the nation have shown great interest and enthusiasm towards football and the possibility of playing it, yet there is no opportunity for them to participate and represent their school in the exciting sport. However, this year that is changing via the introduction of flag football to high school athletics.

Originally, flag football was used as a safer alternative for younger kids – both

male and female – to play football without the risks of injuries that’s predisposed in contact sports. Recently, with the massive growth in flag football’s popularity, the idea of offering flag football to female high school athletes as an alternative to tackle football has gained momentum. With growing popularity and support towards flag football, more serious debates began on whether to add it as a girls high school sport.

On Feb. 3, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) approved the proposal for flag football to be officially added to high school athletics by a unanimous 146-0 vote, officially setting flag football as a fall sport to start in the 2023-2024 school year.

In the 2023 fall season, girls flag football made its debut on h i g h school fields.

With girls throughout Bay Area high schools jumping at the opportunity to finally play football, the majority of private schools in the area and some public schools have

16 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

put together and established flag football teams over this past summer and fall. At Menlo School, senior Paige Miller, who had been immersed in the sport of football in prior years by having a brother who plays football, expressed immediate interest in having a team formed and playing at this new competitive level along with a shared enthusiastic and excited reaction to the new sport that ran throughout their student body.

“My older brother talked about how he loved the community of football and so being able to have that experience on my own was really special and I knew I wanted to try it,” Miller said. “So many people showed up to the interest meeting that I think it kind of surprised the athletic administration, and instantly there was a lot of excitement around it, especially having it in the fall season because it attracts girls from so many sports. We had girls from soccer, basketball, lacrosse.”

Here at Paly, Athletic Director Jennifer Crane said the student population has also expressed flooding interest in the new high school sport.

“We sent out an interest survey to the student body to see how many students would be interested in participating in girls flag football to see if it was something that we should start working toward,” Crane said. “Based on the responses that we got, it looks like there’s enough people who are athletes that are interested where it would make sense to start the efforts.”

Despite high interest from students,

Paly is one of the schools that did not make a team. With just seven months between the vote to initiate flag football in CIF and the start of the new school year, the Paly athletics department encountered several barriers in the discussion and logistics of forming a team.

“As you can imagine, the turnaround time from April to August was very short because there’s a lot of different steps that needed to be taken,” Crane said.

The formation of a sport is a lengthy process that includes many steps and components.

With that being said, public schools face particular difficulty in forming new sports teams given the district approvals, resource discrepancies, and budgeting that private schools — which are independent of school districts — don’t have to consider as much.

“We have to propose to the board that we get stipends on the salary for coaches to actually coach girls flag football because the district actually funds the coaching salary,” Crane said. “We can’t hire coaches if we have no way to pay for them.”

Additional difficulties in adding girls flag football to Paly athletics stemmed from coordination within SCVAL (Santa Clara Valley Athletic League) in fielding multiple new teams. Schools had to consider the availability of field space for another fall sport and having other teams in the league to play.

“You can imagine if you have girls flag football, football and field hockey, there’s going to be an issue with field space,” Crane said. “So trying to figure out the logistics within that, and then who in the league had the bandwidth to actually field girls flag football team this fall,” Crane said. “Having the consideration of adding a new girls sports team makes you wonder how that’s going to impact the turnout for the other sports that already exist.”

Mostly schools without field hockey teams were able to form girls flag football teams. Only two out of 14 schools in SCVAL ended up being able to de-

but a team, and they both do not have field hockey as a sport. Hence, not having many schools in SCVAL pushing for a team to be fully organized this past fall discouraged other schools in the league from pushing to organize a team, for they wouldn’t have had other schools to play against.

Paly’s athletic department has instead made the decision to circle back and aim to debut a team in the 2024 fall sports season. In the meantime, they’re working with Paly’s Student Athletic Leadership Team to run intramural flag football during lunch in the winter and spring.

While Paly and other public schools in the area were unable to form a team on short notice, many private schools have already implemented teams and started playing games this past fall.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, NFL Hall of Famer, and current Menlo Flag Football coach, Steve Young, is the coach of Menlo’s team. Flag football creates an inclusive environment for

“The girls feel that sense of inclusion, that sense of ‘I’ve been watching this game forever and now I get to play it.”

- Menlo Flag Football Coach Steve Young

both coaches and players, according to Young.

“I was invited . . . [my daughters] said, ‘Dad, you should help coach.’” Young said. “I went over there, not knowing exactly how it would go, but it ended up being one of the joys of my life. It was a fun, fun time.”

Young expresses how well his players have adjusted and how flag football creates an inclusive environment for coaches and players.

“The girls feel that sense of inclusion, that sense of ‘I’ve been watching this game forever’ and now I get to play it,” Young said. “There was real joy about that.”

Just like any other sport, participating in flag football takes dedication and effort everyday after school. Young explains the typical week and practice schedule.

“Every day from 3:30-5:00 and games are usually Wednesdays,” Young said.

“Practice is really just getting warmed up, gear up, and go like we used to do in the old days. Then, we just really scrimmage offense versus defense, just running plays so they get a sense of the choreography.”

Young further noted how the high school girls picked up plays much quicker than previous boys that he had coached.

“That’s the thing about girls [is] that they took it so quickly.” Young said. “The boys have always struggled, even the guys I played professionally with, to get everybody on the same page and get everybody focused.”

Menlo Coach Steve Young teaching his players

@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 17

Paige Miller added her thoughts about their team chemistry and picking things up quickly.

“I think we have team chemistry because we were showing enthusiasm about this new sport and had a competitive nature,” Miller said.

In football, both flag and tackle, it is essential that every player on the field understands the play, the timing of it, and communicates with each other for full effect. Young emphasizes how nailing down these different aspects relate to the nature of other sports the girls have participated in.

“Once the girls understood that really, football is glorified choreography, it’s a dance step,” The Menlo flag football team lines up for the National Anthem Young said. “Everybody needs to play a role and everyone does which is one reason why it was so spe- ing flag football because I’ve made so their individual patterns.”

Menlo’s quarterback, Ava Allen (‘27), cial,” Summer said. “And I think that’s also many new connections and friendships,” emphasized how over time, the team’s a reason why we performed so well, we Miller said. “So before it existed, I didn’t ability to work together and understand- had people from [different] backgrounds know what I was missing.”

Men’s and women’s flag football will ing the game grew, despite being inex- or sports.”

M e n l o also be introduced as an Olympic sport perienced did in fact in the summer of 2028. With the addition originally. p e r f o r m of flag football as an Olympic sport, it will “At the well, going give people the opportunity to watch febeginning 15-1 and male athletes compete at the highest levof the seabeating Sa- el and could potentially change the way son, we cred Heart people view the game. had a lot (the only “I think [The Olympics are] what’s going of people team they to make the difference,” Young said. “Perwho had had lost to) ceptions [about the sport] are going to never even 40-0 in the change because they’re going to watch touched a final game. it.” football so Most imOverall, the growth of flag football and we had no portantly, the addition of it as a high school sport idea what the ad- will have a major impact on the landthe plan dition of scape of female athletics. Aside from [was],” Algirls flag attention to the sport, legitimizing flag len said. f o o t b a l l football as a competitive high school and “But toto CIF has Olympic sport will allow millions of girls wards the end of the season that rarely happened opened the door to new and unique ex- previously unable to play football due periences and opportunities for girls. to gender restrictions to now have an and we really put [everything] together.”

“I’ve never looked forward to a practice opportunity to compete and fulfill their Another interesting aspect of the team is that everyone is relatively new to the more in my life than when it came to flag dreams of playing football. sport. Unlike most high school sports, football. Every single day I would look where athletes had been playing the forward to practicing because it was just sport for years prior, most football play- so fun,” Summer said.

Miller adds to how eye opening of an ers have little to no experience playing competitive flag football. This brings experience flag football’s debut in high together athletes with diverse skills, ac- s c h o o l cording to Menlo’s wide receiver and athletics was. cornerback, Summer Young (‘24).

“I kind “We were able to gather people from so many different sports. From basket- of forget ball, soccer and lacrosse [who] never what it was usually get to compete with each other like not hav-

“Really, football is glorified choreography.

It’s a dance step.”

- Steve Young

18 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Viking magazine would like to thank...

MAC BOOSTERS for all of their hard work to support the Paly journalism program. We are so grateful.

Junior Katie Bradley takes a shot against Harker on Sept. 5. Photo by Grace Gormley.

@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 19

OFFICIAL

TIME OUT In high schools across the nation, there is a detrimental shortage of referees threatening the future of youth sports.

by ROAN HANEY and BEAU REVENAUGH

I

n nearly every sport, you need a ref. From water polo to tennis to wrestling, it’s important to have an educated mediator between player or team and opponent who can resolve all issues pertaining to the rules of the game. Without refs, there is no game.

But according to Thomas Orr with the Center on Sport Policy and Conduct, more than 50,000 refs have left their posts since 2019.

Why are refs leaving the job, and more importantly, what can we do to stop this before it jeopardizes high school sporting?

Sports such as football, volleyball, soccer, water polo, and basketball (just to name a few) have been seeing the effects of this shift with a detrimental shortage of referees.

One primary reason for the loss of refs is that it is now a part of many sports to openly harass and disrespect refs.

In almost every sport, referees have the power to make decisions that could make or break games and because of this, people have the idea in the back of their minds that the referee chooses the fate of the game, not the players.

For refs, no matter

could be the possibly most iconic goal in soccer history, Diego Maradona of Argentina’s ‘hand of god’ goal.

In the quarter-finals of the World Cup, Maradona used his hand to push the ball into the goal, bring Argentina into a 1-0 lead, and eventually defeat England and advance them to the final. Despite the clear handball, the referees remained oblivious and the goal was counted, going down as arguably the most famous blown call and goal in history.

Controversial calls are not just limited to soccer; NBA referee Scott Foster has grown famous in the basketball world recently even earning the nickname “The Extender,” for his tendency to make bad calls that extend playoff series.

Complaints don’t stop at the professional level; they can extend to youth and high school sports as well, despite the seemingly lower stakes.

With the shortage of refs in the current day, leagues and sections are forced to reuse the same referees for every single game, resulting in the same referees officiating the same teams over and over.

Some Paly athletes notice this lack of refs, like junior Alec Bonnard, who plays varsity soccer for the Vikings.

“I’ve certainly noticed that in club soccer, we tend to have the same refs for each of our games, there’s only so many

stly o m m ’ I “ mes a g g n i e refere young y l l a e r with ood g s l e e f t kids... i o the t k c a b giving sport. ” augh n e v e R -Peter which way the call is made, they still receive criticism, as junior football player Joey Kessler notes.

“No matter the outcome, you’re always going to be left with unhappy people to deal with,” Kessler said.

Hostility towards referees serves as the catalyst for a vicious cycle that thrives on the harmful player vs. referee mentality.

Danny Dye, Paly’s swim coach of 20 years also served as an esteemed water polo referee. According to him, sports fans have a culture of disrespect for the refs.

“Sports [fans] historically have been known as people that just rag on the refs thinking they know everything and know the rules,” Dye said.

Even at the highest level of professional sports, questions about the validity of officials are common. An example of this

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN HICKEY

Two CCS referees and coach share a conversation.

PHOTO BY OF ROAN HANEY.

refs we can have,” Bonnard said. “I think there’s always something to complain about refs, especially because in games, if a ref starts to [make bad calls], and the more and more you complain, sometimes there’s more and more of the bad calls that are against you.”

Some Paly athletes, like sophomore Cece De Feo, believe that due to the small pool of refs, they can build opinions on teams, and there-

wide range of outcomes, with many different opinions about the quality of refs from athletes, students, and coaches alike.

A common thought is that refs lack passion for the sport, and have little experience with it besides short training.

“I think I’ve definitely had a lot of refs that don’t [have passion], they just learn the game so they could ref and they don’t actually care about the sport,” De Feo said. “They just make calls either so one team can just win faster or they’re making bad calls because they’re not paying attention.”

This sentiment is shared by Bonnard.

“It can be frustrating as a player when there’s a referee and they don’t look like they are entirely giving their full effort to officiate the game correctly,” Bonnard said.

However, dissatisfaction with a call made by a ref doesn’t warrant the intense amount of harassment that many refs have to endure. Because fans and athletes sometimes feel entitled to overreact when a call doesn’t go their way, many refs feel like it’s not worth it for them to come out and give their time simply to get disrespected.

“Why would I want to come out for a certain amount of money, just get yelled at and screamed and not respected?”

Dye said.

Many referees are leaving the profession due to harassment from athletes, coaches, and parents, but the pay level

Around 87% of referees felt as if they were tr eated unfairly by f ans.

-National Of ficiating Survey of 20 23

fore biases can be built against schools and players that they commonly officiate.

“Because a lot of the refs have been officiating here for years, the coaches and refs all know each other, so I think if they don’t like your coach, then they are going to have a bias towards the other team,” De Feo said.

Experiences with refs can provide a

and the challenge of becoming a ref also pose problems for refs. From such factors, the shortage is born.

“There is definitely a shortage, there are rescheduled games to get refs because there’s no one to take the game, they’re all taken,” De Feo said. “Sometimes even coaches ref because there’s not enough refs to go around.”

The small pool of refs shifts game days and times to accommodate their schedules. Almost all high school sports are being affected, with one of the major ones being football. Paly football’s last regular season home game was played on a Thursday night due to the shortage.

T h i s had an

PHOTO BY BEAU REVENAUGH

cause they just don’t have much of a choice,” Dye said. “They don’t 50.91% of off have enough people to cover the icials have games, there’s times now when felt unsafe or feared for they have to put one referee on a their safety b game that’s a high-level game like ecause of SCVAL finals.” administrator, The main reason for the loss of coach, referees in youth sports is the haplayer, or spe ctator berassment that they undergo.

“Officials get yelled at by everyhavior. body, so it’s kind of a thankless job -National Off iciating and so people don’t like the job anySurvey of 202 more, so young guys aren’t coming 3 in,” DiGeronimo said. “One of the reasons [for the shortage] is because the refs that have been around forever are aging out and they can’t do it anymore; they’re in their 60s and 70s.” impact on both athletes and A mix of aggressive sports culture fans, according to Roman Jacobs, a juand aging present referees doesn’t exnior on the Paly varsity football team. “[Playing on Thursday] is bad, because actly make an environment fostering you gotta go back to school, and your new-coming referees.

“We’re in a society where it’s ‘me, me, whole body [is] going to be aching,” Jame, I know everything,’” Dye said. “They cobs said.

Players and the rest of the athletic com- feel that they’re not going to respect munity alike agree that disrupting the somebody else if they don’t get what schedule of the games has a negative they want.”

According to the 2023 National Officieffect on sports cultures. Head football ating Survey of 35,800 referees conductcoach David DeGeronimo is in his seced by the National Association of Sports, ond season with the Vikings, winning 2 50.91% of officials have felt unsafe or CCS titles back to back.

“Playing on Thursday night is not ideal feared for their safety for the student body,” DeGeronimo said. because of administra“It’s Friday Night Lights for a reason, so tor, coach, player, or moving games around changes every- spectator behavthing in terms of the landscape of the ior.

It’s common practice schedule, If you have to play on a Thursday or Saturday night, it kind of for refs to state that parents disrupts what Friday Night Lights is.” the To add to the pressures of entering the cause profession of refereeing, lower-level refs most issues who are just entering the task are forced with sportsto be assigned to high-level games because there aren’t enough refs to go around.

“An intense high-level game requires critical thinking and experience that many new referees lack,” Dye said.

Normally, high-level games such as CCS games call for expertise and vigorous training that comes with experience in the profession. “[Previously], you earned your way to being able to ref higher games because [CCS] wanted to make sure they had the right people on the right games, and now they just put them wherever be-

manship, with coaches, and fans coming next. This presents a dilemma as the parents and coaches who are most responsible for improving sportsmanship are the ones causing the most harm.

Across the country, over two-thirds of respondents to the survey have had a spectator removed for poor behavior.

Additionally, around 87% of referees felt as if they were treated unfairly by fans.

“I’ve kicked parents off the deck, I have yellow-carded entire teams’ parents who weren’t behaving,” Dye said.

The trouble with the shortage arises when possible new candidates are deterred by the definite harassment they would have to undergo as a part of the profession.

“People just don’t want to be abused, [they] just naturally don’t want to get yelled and screamed at,” Dye said.

Any person in a new profession would be more vulnerable to criticism as they don’t have the confidence through experience, and as a result of this many new young referees are deterred by the heavy criticism they receive, warranted or not.

Additionally, while it has gotten more laid back, becoming a referee is no easy process.

“Ever since I started refereeing there have been changes periodically throughout the last 20 years and it’s hard to keep up with it, they’ve made some changes and then changed back frequently,” Dye said.

While some sports like soccer and football contain rigorous tests both mentally and physically, other more niche sports remain more laid back due to the shortage.

“When I first started [refereeing in CCS], there was a test you had [to pass] to show a certain bit of knowledge, then they put you on lower games until you worked up some experience,” Dye said.

“To be honest with you, [today] they have such a shortage right now that you pretty much [only] get on-the-job training.”

In many of

Junior Jeremiah Fung shakes hands with a ref. Photo by Jason Hu.

the high school sports, to become a referee you must complete online courses totaling around 5 hours, as well as courses on how to handle disputes and keep rowdy parents in check.

According to the NFHS, the same amount of people who stopped refereeing expressed interest in starting to officiate, but the number of people to go through with getting certified was nowhere close to keeping up with the losses.

An estimated cost of $275 is required to become a football referee, as opposed to a normal job where all you need is a resume and an application. Hours of training as well as recertification yearly are needed to be a ref.

According to the official CCS website, soccer referees can get paid $85 individually per game, lacrosse $90, and basketball $90 per game. Referees are forced to take multiple games and take on other jobs to support themselves, with refereeing usually being only a parttime job.

Accord-

ing to the National Officiating Survey, 60% of refs felt that they were underpaid, but accepted that budget constraints were contributing to their low pay. Many people are turned away from refereeing as it would most likely have to be a job on the side; the money alone isn’t enough to entice people to become referees, a love for the game is needed.

Even so, refereeing is a great job opportunity for young people who are not fulltime workers, especially teenagers like youth soccer ref and freshman Peter Revenaugh.

“I think [reffing] is a good job because you can choose your games, but also you get paid 35 to 45 dollars per game,” he said.

For high schoolers such as Revenaugh, the pay is not the only positive aspect of the sport.

“I’m mostly refereeing games with really young kids, which can be really boring to watch, but it feels good giving back to the sport”, Revenaugh said.

Suggestions have been made in communities and bodies of high school athletics (such as CCS) on how to fix the shortage. As the stem of the problem comes from the abuse towards officials, many recommendations aim to calm the audience and players, as well as prepare referees.

CCS has put out statements urging sportsmanship, and trying to emphasize that referees may make mistakes, and that mistakes happen as a natural part of the game. In many CCS sports, athletic directors are forced to talk to teams before heading into the tournament about sportsmanship and fair play.

Across the country, over two-thirds of respondents to a survey of 35,800 officials have had a spectator removed for poor behavior. To lower

that number, sections such as CCS have adopted a contract about sportsmanship that schools must complete before the season. In such contracts, coaches have criteria to follow such as presentations to players and parents about sportsmanship, and displaying posters and signs praising sportsmanship in CCS play.

As a part of referee training, they must undergo classes on how to diffuse fights and disputes, as well as how to handle abuse from referees. Veteran referees encourage new people to come into the game, but also warn about what is required from them.

“You just have to know how to not let people get to you,” Dye said. “As long as you feel confident knowing the rules, when they bark at you, you can just ignore them, you have to understand what power you have.”

Although there are attempts at controlling the refereeing shortage, there is still much work to do.

“Since I’ve been involved in the sport for 30 years, it’s amazing to me that they haven’t figured out a way to contain the parents even more and put down more problems with the parents or the coaches based on how they treat refs,” Dye said.

Through the ups and downs of sports, referees have always been there. When we think about referees, we only remember the calls that frustrated us, not the fact that they put in so much time and effort to give back to their community.

“When you have good teams and good coaches and you get to see the flow of the game [as a referee] it’s fun to be a part of that, and you try and just stay with the flow and not stick out,” Dye said.

Overall, the narrative on the current refereeing situation is clear; youth sports need more referees, and quickly. The effects of this shortage can be felt across the country, and if we want to preserve our favorite sports, we can help achieve this by supporting our officials with the appreciation they deserve.

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@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 23

by ASPEN STITT, BEN LEVAV and GRACE GORMLEY design by ASPEN STITT, BEN LEVAV and JOSIE VOGEL

BEYOND the

GAME: Societal Conflict and Athletes on the World Stage

Athletes, just like everyone else, must face complicated worldwide events. Political struggles, social movements, and the tragedy of wars can impact athletes, and can influence some to take action and do something about it.

D

uring the 1968 Olympics, Black sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos took the podium to receive their first and third place medals for the US. But as the anthem played, they each raised a black-gloved fist and bowed their heads. Carlos, in his memoir, described the act as “[a reflection of] the shame I felt that my country was traveling at a snail’s pace toward something that should be obvious to all people of good will.”

In September of 2016, Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem, protesting police brutality and racism in America. In response, he was booed in the stadium and strongly criticized online and in the news. He hasn’t played on an NFL team since the end of that season. Speaking to NFL Media, Kaepernick said, “To me, this [racial injustice in the US] is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”

During the 2023 French Open, Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk was booed when she refused to meet Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka at the net after their game. Sabalenka defended

Kostyuk’s decision, claiming she understands why Ukrainian athletes do not want to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Athletes who choose to use their platform and resources to speak out for something they believe in take risks in doing so, but this is happening with increasing frequency. Activism from athletes, next to unheard of in 1968, has become much more common with the rise of movements like Black Lives Matter and #MeToo. And now as athletes come face to face with terrible conflicts like wars, staying focused on sports can become impossible, and using their voice becomes an important way to make a difference.

pended the Russian Olympic Committee resulting in a negative response from Vladamir Putin; he claimed that the IOC was ethnically discriminating against Russian athletes.

The 1980 Moscow Olympics is another clear example of how world events can impact athletes.

Following the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan, the US went on to boycott the summer games, thus resulting in athletes losing their chance to compete and secure a win for their country.

But beyond just impacting athletics as a whole, injustice, war and other crises impact individual athletes just as much as they impact ordinary civilians, and for athletes — who need to maintain intense focus and concentration during training and competition — the disruption created by these events can reflect in their game.

In many cases, political events in one’s country can make focusing on athletics seem trivial. As seen with Kaepernick, many athletes feel like conflicts can become “bigger than” their sport.

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is one athlete whose focus on basketball has been disrupted by ongoing conflicts in our world. He has been known to be involved in activism, when, following the death of George Floyd, he argued that the NBA season should be canceled. He also recently has converted to Islam and even plays during his Ramadan fast.

Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, he expressed his lack of focus during a press conference, according to Bleacher Report.

“I’m not gonna lie to you guys, a lot of stuff is going on in this world, and basketball is just not the most important thing to me right now,” Irving said.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on overseas, all my people, they’re still in bondage all across the world. And there’s a lot of dehumanization going on. So, I apologize if I’m not going to be focused on

“[After the outbreak of the Russia - Ukraine War,] I didn’t

think anything about sports.”

- Ukrainian runner Anna Ryzhykova

The Impact of Turmoil

“[Athletes] should be posting fundraisers, especially for aid, because humanitarian aid I think that should be the priority when it comes to situations like [wars]. [wars].”

-Katya Oks (‘24)

The athletic world is far from divided from the political one. Political events can impact athletics as a whole, as often seen in conflict over the Olympics, the most important world-

wide athletic event.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has had a significant impact on athletes competing in the Olympics as well as local athletes. After the 2014 Crimean invasion and annexation by Russia, political tension was high and this affected Russian athletes and their future in the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decreed that Russian Athletes could compete in the Rio Olympics under a neutral flag.

In October of this year, the IOC sus-

@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 25

your questions. It’s just too much going on in the world for me [to] just be talking about basketball.”

Irving vocalized a feeling that many athletes have to deal with. Keeping one’s head in the game, so to speak, can be nigh-on impossible when also grappling with deadly conflicts and the loss of lives.

When one feels their life or the lives of family members could be in danger, it seems impossible to focus on anything else.

Antisemitism and Islamophobia have both risen alarmingly in the months since the beginning of the Israel Hamas war, especially online. Antisemitic sentiment is particularly present in Europe, where Jewish businesses have been threatened and where protesters call for the annihilation of Jews.

In the 14th Arrondissement in Paris, fear took hold of the community when Stars of David were sprayed on residential buildings.

“These acts create a lot of fear and dread in the community,” said Carine Petit, the mayor of the area, according to the New York Times.

In America, these threats also are present, such as when a Cornell University student made horrifying violent threats against Jewish students and staff in October. For Jews living through these events, focusing on other things, like school, work or sports can be challenging, particularly when worrying about family, either at home or abroad in Israel.

Islamophobia has also risen since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. Threats on Palestinian businesses and hate speech online against Muslims have risen. This hate led to an attack on a Palestinian-Ameri-

can mother and her six-year-old son, in Illinois, which caused the tragic death of the boy.

Fear of violence is constant for both communities during these polarized times, and this constant fear can make it challenging to focus on

especially for my entire family,” she said.

Despite the constant stress, Oks has learned — over almost two years since the war started — how to live with these events occurring. However, it still is always present in her mind.

“It’s still very scary and it’s a very personal topic for me,” she said.

Holden Lee, a junior at Paly, plays tennis. He can also understand the challenges of living through stressful events. “[The events are] kind of in the back of your mind always,” he said. “I remember during the Hong Kong protests in 2019, it was significant for me… It’s just that kind of added pressure.”

For anyone dealing with stressful or traumatic events, leaning on a support system is crucial to maintaining good mental health. Lee recognizes that having a network of support can be incredibly helpful with dealing with that stress. For Lee, his sports team helps provide that network.

“That’s part of the benefit of doing sports,” he said. “[My sport] tennis isn’t the most communal sport, but [having] a team when you go through these kinds of events is important to have that kind of support behind you.”

$1 Million

The amount of his salary that Colin Kaepernick donated in 2016 anything else in life, particularly athletics.

Anna Ryzhykova, a Ukrainian runner, expressed the same feeling following Russia’s first attacks, according to NBS Sports.

“In February and March … I was scared about the war,” Ryzhykova told the press. “I didn’t think anything about sports. I thought, ‘how [can I] survive [with] my family and my friends?’”

Katya Oks, a Paly senior, is Ukrainian, and much of her extended family lives in Ukraine. She agrees that having a crisis occur impacted her focus and made it difficult to live life as usual.

“The first couple of months [into the war], it was really difficult to think about anything other than it,” she said. “When your family is there, you don’t really think logically. You think that ‘oh, it’s not gonna happen, everybody’s gonna be safe.”

The conflict also impacts her family.

“For the first couple of months after it happened, it was really devastating,

“[The events are] kind of in the back of your mind, mind always.”

-Holden Lee (‘23)

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Taking Action

Many athletes harness the pressure and anxiety they feel due to world events and use their platform to campaign for change.

For example Colin Kaepernick pledged to donate 1 million dollars of his salary in 2016 to various organizations that would help advance the cause of racial equality. A photo of him kneeling was featured on the cover of the Times during 2016. And his commitment to his cause created the so-called “Kaepernick Effect,” which rippled around both the NFL and the greater world. Now, not only athletes, but anyone wishing to make a statement of protest, will kneel for the national anthem. His actions brought awareness and exposure to American racial injustice and police brutality.

However, some believe that athletes

should ‘stay in their lane,’ as it were.

Some state that if a member of a team sport voices a political opinion, it could cause harm to the team’s image and brand deals. In an article from Globspec, an international think tank, they note that athlete’s salaries can often be a motivator for staying quiet on political issues.

“The material rewards for staying tight-lipped on hot-button issues are plain to see,” Globspec writes. “From Brazilian footballer Neymar to Swiss Tennis star Roger Federer, and beyond, sport is awash with athletes whose incomes are higher thanks to marketing and sponsorship rather than sporting prowess. Indeed, the earning potential of many top sport stars has grown in line with increased television coverage, clever scheduling and social media.”

Despite the pressure coming from financial retribution, Oks also recognizes that there is pressure to speak out coming from other sources.

“We put celebrities and athletes on such a high pedestal when it comes to politics,” she said. “Even right now with Israel and Hamas, everybody’s pressuring their favorite celebrities and their favorite athletes to speak out on the subject.”

There are clearly numerous influences on public figures when dealing with political issues. Some feel they can’t risk their career for speaking out, some feel a moral obligation to be more vocal on issues they care about.

According to Oks, athletes should fight for causes they believe in. “[They] should be posting fundraisers, especially for humanitarian aid, because I think that should be the priority when it comes to situations like [wars],” Oks said. “Obviously, wars could be very dehumanizing, and often people forget that. There’s actual people and actual civilians who don’t really have control over their government’s actions. I think that humanitarian aid should be the focal point.”

The emotional struggle of confronting world events often is the catalyst for athletes to use their platforms. Such was the case for Ons Jabeur, a Tunisian tennis star. In a tearful speech follow-

ing her victory in the World Tennis Association Championships in Cancun, Mexico, Jabeur pledged to donate a portion of her prize money to help the people of Palestine.

“I am very happy with the win, but I haven’t been happy lately,” Jabeur said on court after her match. “The situation in the world doesn’t make me happy,” she said, stepping away from the microphone as she teared up. “It’s very tough seeing children, babies dying every day.

It’s heartbreaking, so I have decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians.”

Jabeur was cheered by the crowd

being in the wrong place at the wrong time…This is not politics, this is crimes against innocent humans.”

He also asked other athletes to do the same.

“I am calling upon all celebrities and athletes to use your voice and platforms to denounce these heinous acts when it counts,” he said.

Tennis legend Roger Federer was impacted by the tragedies occurring in Ukraine, and pledged to donate 500,000 dollars to help Ukrainian children get access to education during the war.

On social media, Federer wrote, “My family and I are horrified seeing pictures from Ukraine and heartbroken for the innocent people who have been so terribly affected.”

“A lot of stuff is going on in this world, and basketball is just not the most important thing to me right now.” now.

- Kyrie Irving

“I want peace in this world and that’s it.” it.

- Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur in Cancun, and later told reporters, “I’m sorry – it’s not a political message, it’s just humanity. I want peace in this world and that’s it.”

Similarly, champion boxer Floyd Mayweather sent 5,000 pounds of relief items such as food, water and bulletproof vests to Israel on his own private jet in response to the same conflict.

Mayweather was inspired to post on Instagram, “Innocent Americans and Israelis are being held hostage and their only crime was

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In all of these cases, these athletes were spurred to action due to the emotional turmoil of seeing crises occur around the world.

But if an athlete does decide to share their opinions, they can prepare for vicious backlash. Due to the huge divide in our country today, world events and politics have many opposing sides and opinions from the public.

“The backlash is definitely a real fear that a lot of celebrities and athletes have,” Oks said. “Especially given the current situation [in Israel and Palestine,] you see a lot of celebrities are staying silent because if you take one side, the other side [will react].”

“I have been getting death threats,” he said. “People have been attacking me all week for supporting Palestine.

My family goes to sleep, not knowing if someone is going to break into my room, or if somebody is going to break into my apartment. They have to wonder every time I don’t pick up a call, ‘Is he busy or is someone trying to kill him?’”

When basketball star LeBron James stated his solidarity with Israel, many of his fans were outraged, referencing when he was photographed reading the autobiography of Malcolm X, a civil rights activist who strongly supported a free Palestine. James likely lost many fans and supporters, but he chose to make that statement because of his beliefs.

Depending on how accepted a cause is in the society that one lives in, there is less of a risk of backlash, and a higher likelihood of speaking out. Acceptability can then change over time. For example, now, it is more common (and encouraged) for people to support equal rights for people of all races and ethnicities.

But a few decades ago, expressing this opinion could be d a n g e ro u s in some places. For many athletes, expressing a certain opinion today can still be extremely dangerous.

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai spoke out against sexual assault, sharing her experience being pressured into sexual encounters with a former Chinese government official. Her message was first shared almost exactly two years ago. Almost immediately following the allegations, Peng disappeared from the public eye.

“To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”

- Colin Kaepernick

Bracing for Backlash

For athletes, the pressure of losing support and brand deals can result in staying silent.

Kaepernick, for example, paid dearly for his advocacy. He went from making an annual salary of 19 million dollars a year with the 49ers to nothing, as no NFL team would draft him. He lost support from numerous fans, receiving boos from fans, criticism from all sectors, and even scathing backlash from the late supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who said “I think it’s dumb and disrespectful.” She later apologized for her comments. He probably paid one of the highest prices to be paid for an athlete not on the front lines: complete loss of income.

When sharing an unpopular opinion, backlash can be fierce. Kaepernick’s fight for racial justice was a much more uncommon opinion at the time, hence the harsh feedback.

Another example of this is that of Egyptian swimmer Abdelrahman Sameh. He received death threats following his support of Palestine. After taking first place in the 50m butterfly during the World Championships, he shared with the press what was occurring.

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Following worry and outrage from the world, a video was released months later where she revoked her previous statements. Since then, she has been seen in public and participated in more interviews where she claims that her previous statement was a misunderstanding. However, sharing her opinion posed a high risk to Peng, and in the end, she did not follow through advocating for the cause she previously spoke out for.

Lee states that for athletes like Peng who live in nations like China, where much of what she says is monitored and presumably censored, speaking out often poses a great risk.

“We do have cases where speaking out can be very dangerous,” he said.

“Peng has a public platform, so a lot of players on the WTA [World Tennis Association] Tour were able to speak out against her disappearance, and try to call for more action.”

Clearly, expressing an opinion can lead to severe and even dangerous backlash.

In many cases, no matter what cause is supported, backlash will be received.

Lee believes that this backlash can be challenging for athletes.

“I think it’s sad that when you speak out on an issue that you’re passionate about, you’re inevitably gonna get b a c k l a s h ,” he said. “So I think as an athlete, when you’re posting stuff s u p p o rt i n g a certain cause, number one, you have to be aware that there is going to be backlash. And number two, that backlash may impact you as well.”

Because of the ubiquity of backlash, people in the public eye, many choose to speak up not because they feel they will get no backlash, but instead because they feel strongly emotionally connected to the issue.

Like Kaepernick said, “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other

“Obviously it’s scary to receive backlash, but taking a stance for human rights, to me, is necessary.”

-Katya Oks (‘24)

way.”

Oks also agrees that taking a stand is important for crucial issues.

“You’re gonna receive backlash no matter what,” she said. “Obviously it’s scary to receive backlash, but taking a stance for human rights, to me, is necessary.”

Lee also feels that athletes should use their platform, while being aware of the likelihood of backlash.

“If [athletes] have a platform and they have a massive following, I think they have to be aware of the backlash that they’ll inevitably get if they speak up on

a controversial issue,” he said. “Regardless, I still think that they should post what they believe in and support and the things that align with their morals and values. At the end of the day, ... it’s definitely always a risk. But if something’s affecting you and your family, then you should speak up if you want.”

“[Athletes] should post what they believe in and support and the things that align with their . morals and values.”

-Holden Lee (‘25)

Final Thoughts

The political world and the athletic world are far from parallel; they are intertwined. And when political events or world crises arise, athletes cannot be ex-

pected to perform in a proverbial bubble, isolated from those events.

Living through stressful political events can have a serious impact on mental health and athletic performance, and this often takes a toll on athletes who are pressured to continually be at the top of their game while being present on the world stage.

But some athletes are not content to be silent during political events, instead opting to use their platforms for change, even in the face of backlash. When athletes take a risk and stand up for a cause they believe in, even when it is not the predominant point of view, it can create a high impact for whatever movement is supported.

“If you’re willing to receive [backlash] and stand up for what you believe is right,” Oks said, “that speaks on your character and could potentially influence a lot of people.”

@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 20232023 | 29 | 29 @vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER

the

Framing Action

by JASON HU

Sports Photography has been gaining popular here at Paly. Here are some of the essentials that go into a good photo and how an aspiring journalist can become a photographer.

I

n the intense world of sports, where athletes achieve the extraordinary and history is written in every moment, a parallel universe of artists exists to capture the game’s intensity from the sidelines. From buzzer-beaters to heartbreaking defeats, sports photography encapsulates the emotional roller coaster of each game. Here are some of the essentials that go into a good photo, what it feels like to be on the sidelines and some advice from seasoned Paly photographers.

Face and Emotion Sports photography goes beyond just capturing the action on the field; it’s about freezing the emotions that make each moment unique. Focusing on the player’s face freezes the emotion and tension that define the story within the competitive nature of sports.

For example, the image below shows football player Tyler Harrison (‘24) hugging his teammate Jeremiah Madrigal (‘24) after a touchdown. The picture illustrates the raw, unfiltered happiness etched on the player’s faces.

The water polo picture reveals the determination on junior William Backstrand’s face as he shoots a penalty shot against Hillsdale High School.

Although photography is not an exact science, capturing a player’s emotion adds to the story behind the moment. In essence, the art of sports photography becomes a conduit for storytelling, inviting viewers to connect with the athletes.

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Background and Framing A photo’s background is one of its most crucial parts. It tells the readers the environment and atmosphere of the game. For example, in the picture on the left, you can see the football team cheering their teammates on and the stands celebrating as the Paly football closes in on the touchdown zone. In the photo below, everyone is stunned as they see two players trying to catch the football.

The rule of thumb for sports photography is to keep your back to the sun. A fitting background is a crucial component in a photographer’s toolkit as it complements the players’ emotions and contributes to a more immersive storytelling experience.

As the final whistle echoes through the stadium, the images captured tell stories of triumph, defeat, and the competitive spirit of sports. In sports photography, the journey is not just about freezing moments; it’s about preserving the intensity of sports through the lens of a camera.

How to get involved One of the best ways to get in- sion for sports journalism and phovolved with photojournalism here tojournalism.” at Paly is to take the photojourWith a plethora of camera gear, nalism class or to join a publica- the Paly journalism program is an tion. Campanile Photo Editor Tyler excellent opportunity for students Wong recounts how he found his to explore photography and jourpassion for phonalism. Like anytography.

“I would tell new photogra- thing else, pho“It first started phers to not be discouraged tography takes a by borrowing my long time to masby their current work and dad’s cameras stop comparing it with others. ter and learn. and photograph- If you keep on working, the “I would tell ing basic stuff like new photograresults will show” flowers,” Wong phers to not be - Tyler Wong ‘24 said. “It was in discouraged by Viking my sophtheir current omore year that I realized my pas- work and stop comparing it with

others. If you keep on working, the results will show,” Wong said.

There are many ways to begin your journey of photography. New photographers should embrace the learning process and never give up.

@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 31

VIKING HEALTH

d e e p b r e a t h s DEEP BREATHS Student athletes have to deal with the physical and mental complication that come with asthma. Despite the challenges, these hardworking athletes have learned to cope with their chronic condition.

ASTHMA

BY ELIZA GAITHER AND KATIE YEN

I

n recent years, childhood asthma has become a significant concern for Palo Alto parents, healthcare professionals, and worldwide policymakers alike. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 339 million people suffer from asthma globally, with a considerable portion being children. This chronic respiratory condition not only affects a child’s physical health but also impacts their overall quality of life. To address this growing issue, it is crucial for parents to understand the causes, symptoms, and management of childhood asthma.

Here, at Palo Alto High School, many student-athletes suffer from a type of asthma called Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction (EIB) which describes a reversible contraction of bronchial smooth muscle after physical exertion. A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine concluded that “at least 15% to 25% of athletes may have signs and symptoms suggestive of asthma, including exercise-induced asthma.”

Symptoms of asthma can lessen after puberty, but can reappear in any time of life, making it an unpredictable and incurable condition. Parents need to be vigilant about recognizing the symptoms of asthma in their children. Persistent coughing and wheezing sounds during exhalation are common signs of asthma.

One of Paly’s athletes, Rohit Sengup-

ta (‘25), participates in mountain biking.

Sengupta has had some drawbacks due to his mild asthma, including surviving five severe asthma attacks.

“Asthma affects me by decreasing the intake of oxygen into my lungs which makes hardcore situations feel like drowning or being choked by the neck,” Sengupta said. “It also affects my mood by decreasing the oxygen in my blood.”

Sengupta’s lifelong battle with asthma has imbued his racing journey with unique challenges. Since his diagnosis very early in life, he has created his own set of strategic measures to mitigate the effects of his condition on his athletic performance, which have been super helpful in many ways.

One strategy that has been helpful involves meticulous monitoring of his heart rate during competitions, ensuring that he does not strain his lungs beyond their capacity. This vigilance not only safeguards his physical well-being but also optimizes his ability to perform his best in races to take the win.

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In addition to monitoring his heart rate, Sengupta maintains open and transparent communication with his coaches about the health implications of his asthma. His close relationships with his mentors fosters an environment where both parties are acutely aware of the challenges he faces. Such clear lines of communication prove invaluable, especially during moments of panic, offering reassurance and guidance to Sengupta as he navigates the complexities of competitive racing.

Through his resilience, strategic approach, and effective communication with his support team, Sengupta not only overcomes the hurdles imposed by asthma but also emerges as a beacon of inspiration, demonstrating the power of determination and collaboration in the face of adversity.

Sengupta proves to everyone that while asthma is a chronic condition, it can be effectively managed with proper medical guidance. Pediatricians often prescribe inhalers and medication to

control inflammation and open the airways. Asthma can actually be triggered by surrounding environmental factors.

Identifying and avoiding these triggers is fundamental in managing childhood asthma. Common triggers include tobacco smoke, allergens like pollen and pet dander, air pollution, strong odors, and respiratory infections.

Creating an asthma-friendly environment at home and school can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.

During an asthma attack, an often overlooked but distressing side effect is the buildup of mucus, intensifying the discomfort of the experience. In moments of asthma distress, the bronchi become inflamed and exceptionally sensitive. Exposure to triggers irritates the lungs, causing the airways to narrow and the surrounding muscles to tighten. This heightened reaction leads to the production of thick, sticky mucus, known as phlegm, further exacerbating the situation.

Darwin Rescorla (‘25), a Paly athlete, was diagnosed with asthma at the young age of eight years old.

“People with asthma typically generate excess mucus, and this flowing down your esophagus and into your stomach can lead to bad stomach aches while exercising,” Rescorla said.

He relies on prescribed medication to manage his condition effectively. Inhaled corticosteroids stand as the most effec-

INSIDE LOOK OF LUNG AIRWAYS Relaxed smooth muscles

Air trapped in alveoli

Tightened smooth muscles

Walls inflamed and thickened

NORMAL AIRWAY

tive medications available for minimizing airway swelling and curbing excessive mucus production. Embracing these medications offers a multitude of advantages, including a noticeable reduction in asthma symptoms and flare-ups. Additionally, their use results in a decreased reliance on short-acting beta agonists, often referred to as reliever or rescue inhalers, enhancing overall asthma management and quality of life. These medications are crucial in alleviating his symptoms. The drug is so profound that missing a single dose can impact him physically.

Raising awareness about the triggers and symptoms of asthma holds the power to shield children from frightening and potentially life-threatening attacks. Asthma attacks, whether sudden or gradual, can strike rapidly, making widespread knowledge crucial in ensuring the safety of young athletes especially.

Educating parents, teachers, and school staff about asthma is paramount.

Schools play a vital role in supporting children with asthma by creating a safe environment, allowing the child to keep their inhaler with them, and having a thorough, well-

“Asthma affects me by decreasing the intake of oxygen into my lungs, which makes hardcore situations feel like drowning or being choked by the neck,” - Rohit Sengupta ‘25

ASTHMATIC AIRWAY

ASTHMATIC AIRWAY DURING ATTACK

thought-out action plan in the case of an emergency asthma attack. Open communication between parents, healthcare providers, and school authorities ensures that the child’s health needs are met effectively.

In Physical Education courses, teachers play are an invaluable tool in fostering the overall well-being of their students, and this duty and responsibility extends to those with asthma. As advocates for physical activity and health, PE teachers have the ability to make a significant impact on students with asthma.

It is important that PE teachers are well-informed about asthma, its symptoms, triggers, and management. Understanding the condition enables teachers to identify students who might be at risk and recognize signs of distress during physical activities.

Every student with asthma is different and unique, and their needs may vary. PE teachers can work closely with school nurses, parents, and healthcare providers to develop personalized asthma action plans for affected students.

These plans often outline specific steps to be taken in case of an asthma attack and provide guidance on the use of inhalers or other prescribed medications.

Teachers should be aware of these plans and ensure they are followed if need be during PE classes.

PE teachers can modify physical activities to accommodate students with asth@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 33

“I do know what they are Pull quote from PE teacher experiencing, ” - Sheri Mulroe

ma. Encouraging activities that involve short bursts of energy, like walking or swimming, can be less challenging for students with asthma. Additionally, providing regular breaks during activities and ensuring proper warm-up and cooldown exercises can help students manage their symptoms effectively.

Maintaining good indoor air quality is essential for students with asthma. PE teachers can advocate for well-ventilated gymnasiums and classrooms, free from allergens and irritants. Proper cleaning practices, dust control measures, and discouragement of activities that generate dust can create a conducive environment for all students, especially those with asthma.

Establishing open communication with students and their parents is key. PE teachers should encourage students to express their concerns and inform them if they are experiencing any asthma-related difficulties during class. Being empathetic and understanding of their challenges can boost the confidence of students with asthma, making them more willing to participate in physical activities.

At Paly, teachers go above and beyond to support their students, addressing their needs both mentally and physically.

Their dedication ensures that no aspiring athlete faces barriers to success, fostering an environment where students can excel both in the classroom and in their extracurricular athletic pursuits.

Sheri Mulroe, a dedicated physical education teacher at Palo Alto High School,

stands out in California as one of the few PE instructors who conducts a specialized yearlong yoga class. Asthma holds a deeply personal meaning for her, as she herself was diagnosed with the condition in her later life. Her unique perspective adds a compassionate touch to her teaching, making her classes not only educational but also deeply empathetic.

“I was diagnosed in my 30s, so I don’t want them (asthmatic students) to feel like ‘okay, well, I can’t get away with anything,’ because I do know what they are experiencing,” Mulroe said.

In her class, Mulroe goes the extra mile to support students with asthma, ensuring they thrive in her dynamic and demanding sessions. Her proactive efforts create an inclusive environment where every student, regardless of their asthma, can excel and participate fully.

“I’ve found that works best for me and for my students in general is a really good warm up, like a really slow ramp into whatever we’re doing instead of like, ‘let’s hit it hard’ because if you an asthmatic and you try to hit something hard, especially if all the factors are wrong, like there’s high pollen count, it’s cold and flu season, and all these things come together, then you’re gonna have a harder time,” Mulroe said.”If the conditions are better and you … get your heart rate up, then there’s less likelihood that your asthma is going to be triggered.”

PE teachers have a vital role in ensuring that students with asthma can actively participate in physical education while

34 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

managing their condition effectively. By fostering awareness, individualizing support, creating a safe environment, and practicing empathy, PE teachers empower students with asthma to lead healthy, active lives and instill in all students the importance of inclusivity and understanding.

Knowledgeable teachers can also help dispel myths and misconceptions about asthma, creating a more supportive and safe atmosphere for affected students, diminishing possible asthma-related bullying.

According to the National Library of Medicine, asthma is associated with bullying victimization. Research indicates that students, whether diagnosed with asthma or not, could significantly benefit from schools fostering inclusive environments that minimize victimization related to this medical condition. It is crucial for school administrators to cultivate settings that embrace all students, regardless of their health status. Additionally, healthcare providers play a vital role by offering comprehensive asthma management education to adolescents, ensuring they have the knowledge and resources to cope effectively with their condition.

Our Paly students who handle symptoms of asthma on a daily basis are not alone, and it is important that we acknowledge how common this condition really is.

@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 35

by LUCAS TUNG, GRACE GORMLEY and TYLER HARRISON photos courtesy of LUCA VOSTREJS

N

ovice arrating

Broadcasting

S

ince the invention of the radio in 1891, live broadcast has been a mainstay in our lives. From the news, to music, to read-aloud programs, the radio has revolutionized news and entertainment around the world. It also transformed the way that Americans consumed sports.

Now, professional sporting events can be followed from anywhere, and the radio and the television have made sports broadcasts a mainstay in our lives. If you have ever watched or listened to a sporting event, you may have noticed an integral gear that runs the industry and sets the energy of the match: the broadcasters.

Commentators are heard by millions of people each year, covering thousands of games, hundreds of teams, and every

The Viking Staff tried to summon their inner Joe Bucks at a Paly Basketball game against Serra.

sport imaginable. In multiple languages, games are shared with viewers from around the globe. This means that the broadcasters have to constantly keep the audience engaged. For skilled broadcasters, they can enrapture their audience and carry them into the game, capturing moment to moment.

During a Paly boys basketball scrimmage against the Serra Padres, members of our staff took their swing at sportscast. Two groups of broadcasters, seniors Grace Gormley and Alena Lotterer, and junior Emil Bothe and senior Trey Collins, took on the challenge.

The game started fast, leaving the broadcasters in the dust. “I underestimated how little I knew about basketball,” Gormley said. “It took me a while to come up with the terms I needed… and I felt like I sounded a little unprofessional.”

That was a common theme amongst the aspiring broadcasters, as commentating a fast-

paced game like basketball can be challenging, especially for beginners.

“Basketball is such a fast paced sport that it can be stressful to keep up with it,” Collins said. “Because there’s just always something new happening, you have to catch up in your comments.”

Throughout the game, the c o m m e n t at o r s worked hard to keep viewers aware of the game (to an extent).

“I didn’t know [the Paly players’] last names so I just called them [by] their first names,” Gormley said. “There’s three Tylers, so not great.”

She felt she left her listeners in the lurch in terms of game awareness.

“I need more practice if anyone listening wants to have any idea what’s happening, because I honestly didn’t know what was happening myself,” Gormley said.

Another challenge that the staff faced was the so-called ‘commentator voice,’ familiar to any sports fan.

“I think my analysis was pretty good,” Bothe said. “But I feel like, to be a commentator, you have to have a commentating voice like you hear it on TV. Sometimes you have like a really bad commentator and then you’ll notice, and it’s not necessarily because of what they’re saying, but they just don’t have the energy you need to be a commentator.”

Gormley also tried to emulate the classic commentator voice.

“I didn’t know [the Paly players’] last names so I just called them [by] their first names. There’s three Tylers, so not great .”

- Grace Gormley (‘24)

“Foul on Tyler Frick, our editor-in-chief, making errors left and right” - Grace Gormley

“There was a moment where someone versation breaks got fouled and I said ‘foul!’ in that clas- between plays to sic voice but then I wasn’t actually sure reset their focus. what was happening so I added ‘... I think’ “It helped havand Alena lost it,” she said, laughing. “We ing Grace [Gormcouldn’t really keep it together because ley] in the booth we kept saying outrageous stuff.” with me,” Lotterer Lotterer also felt she sounded unpro- said. “It helped fessional at b e times.

“I feel like you have to cwa u s ee “I understand how have could basketg e t ball works, feedback from each other. but not to If you said something that .” the point sounded really stupid you where I could easily tell as we were - Emil Bothe (‘25) could use making fun of each other.” the corAnother challenge was simrect terminology and not sound super ply filling up the time. dumb,” she said.

“Talking for so long was hard,” Bothe “You have said. “Obviously you don’t need to be to talk a lot talking and talk reevery secally fast,” she ond but Emil: “Out of bounds, said.

“You you’re just Viking ball.” keep talking supposed and talking to be fillTrey: *Claps enthusiastically* to fill the space ing space you just kind of constantEmil: “We’re unbiased.” stumble on your ly.

And words…. I didn’t w h e n Trey: “We are?” really know how there’s to analyze the stuff hapgame either. Like pening on the court, it’s pretty easy, but I could talk about in between plays [it’s harder]. … So just what was going on. being able to fill space with interesting But analyzing it was a analysis and not just rambling was problittle more difficult.” ably the biggest challenge.”

This sentiment is evident Overall, the Viking staff learned a lot in her succinct commentary of useful skills through this experistyle: “Number three, dribence. bling, dribbling, pass, gets “I found myself just watching it, ohhhh, and an amazing the game as a whole,” Collins layup!” Perhaps her listeners said. “When you’re commentatwould be left to imagine some ing, you can really see how the aspects of the play.

Another prime example of this is when Lotterer put in her two cents about the Vikings losing the tip off. During the game, she said: “I thought we were going to win the tipoff because ginger Aiden [senior Aiden Hangebrauck] is really tall, but somehow he didn’t get it.”

Taking a humorous stance was Lotterer’s go-to when updating listeners on the game, and laughter often interrupted Gormley and Lotterer’s broadcast. One thing that helped them with their calls was having a partner in the booth. Having a colleague helped them maintain their composure, and allowed for con-

Grace: “Alaap Nair, taking it in.”

Alena: “Ooh! A nice little spin!”

a commentator voice voice like you hear on TV

players throughout the game have changed their strategies because you’re really hyper-analyzing it every second.”

A n d above all, they had fun.

“I don’t know how much quality Alena and I produced, but we definitely got a kick out of it,” Gormley said.

“I found it really exciting and fun,” Collins said. “I would do it again if the opportunity arose.”

In the end, the Vikings gained a new appreciation for the commentators who we listen to day in and day out. They truly make the sports viewing/listening experience much more enjoyable, and their jobs are harder than they look.

“What does downcourt

mean? [Grace tries to explain downcourt.] But if that’s

downcourt then shouldn’t that be upcou- JORELL GETS THE LAYUP! WHOOO!” - Alena Lotterer

@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 37

Ready Shred-y

by CLAIRE CHO, ELIZA GAITHER and KATIE YEN

GO!

Paly students head up to the slopes to participate in a ski team experience, but it is so much more than that. It’s about laying a foundation for passionate skiers to embrace the challenge with grit to keep at it even on the coldest days.

ski team gave me...

s d n e i r F

“Ski team impacted my Palo Alto social life, but I had a whole separate social life in Tahoe with all my friends and teammates that lived up there. My favorite part of the ski team was being with my ski friends.”

e c n e d fi Con

-KAITLIN LOWRY (‘25)

“The ski team helped boost my confidence and improved my relationship with my parents, and even though I didn’t get to spend much time with friends from school, I could still be a part of the social scene.”

-KAY KUYKENDALL (‘25)

38 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

on i s s a P

“When I joined ski team, I became very passionate about the sport because the skiers around me had been skiing their whole lives and were very advanced. I wanted to push myself everyday to become as good as they were.”

s l l i k S

-DYLAN ROBINSON (‘26)

“My coaches taught me how to fall right and not get injured. They also taught me to look up the mountain every time we started riding again so we didn’t get run into or run over by skiers. Although simple, these skills will be with me whenever I ride down a hill.”

-ARI SMOLAR-EISENBERG (‘24)

e c n e i l i Res

“Once I improved and made the racing team, I felt a pressure to keep going, year after year. After a while, I realized I kept returning due to the commitment and the pressure to get better.”

-ELLERY AMES (‘24)

@vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 39

JUICE: Let’s Deduce Celery

Beet Root

Nutrition Facts Celery increases blood flow and protects the body from exercise-induced inflammation.

Nutrition Facts Nitric oxide from beet juice helps supply oxygen to working muscles during prolonged exercise.

“When I drink a juice, it helps me feel rejuvenated and gives my body a reset reset. It just makes me feel energized and happy happy.”

-Scarlett Cummings (‘24)

“I really like juice because it’s an easy way for me to get in the nutrients I need to fuel my body and make me feel empowered.” empowered -Lydia Mitz (‘25)

40 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Many ingredients in juices have great physical and mental benefits, many of which are essential for Paly athletes.

by CLAIRE CHO and AVERY RELLER

Kale “Juice helps me feel fresh and healthy and is an enjoyable way to get in the nutrients that keep me healthy and strong.” strong

- Mack Reller (‘27)

Nutrition Facts Kale is a nutrient powerhouse that helps improve your blood flow, heart rate, and energy level.

Pineapple “On top of just tasting amazing, juices have helped amazing clear my system and make my body and mind feel cleaner and healthier healthier.”

-Aspen Stitt(‘24)

Nutrition Facts Pineapple has an abundance of potassium and magnesium, which improves muscle function.

It also aids with recovery of exercise. @vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 41

Reck

LESSMENT

REALIGN

Conference Realignment is making major changes to college football.

Are they for better or worse?

by TYLER HARRISON

A

s the college football season closes, conference realignment has officially ended an era of the sport.

But what caused all of these teams to change conferences? Following the announcement of Texas and Oklahoma’s departure from the Big 12, numerous schools began looking to join larger, more successful athletic conferences in an effort to maximize profit in TV money.

Conference realignment shifts started coming rapidly, with four Pac-12 schools – USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington – jumping ship to join the Big 10 in 2024.

The remaining eight Pac-12 schools scattered to join other conferences. Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State joined the Big 12, while Stanford and Cal joined the ACC. Colorado’s return to the Big 12 seems fitting – they were previously in the conference for fourteen years until 2010 – and their program is on the upswing. However, it makes absolutely no sense that two pacific coast schools, Cal and Stanford, are joining the Atlantic Coast Conference.

All of these moves have whittled down the Pac-12 to two remaining teams for the 2024 season: Oregon State and Washington State. No other conference saw their premiere teams leave, at least not without being able to replace them like the Big 12 did with the six teams they added.

Conference realignment, while contro-

versial, will surely create some very inter- Washington annually, it will lose the exesting matchups, watching schools like citement of playing the best competition Oregon and USC compete with Mich- in the region.” igan and Ohio State on a yearly basis.

Many Paly students have fond memHowever, despite these new matchups, ories of watching next door neighbor the changes create far more negatives Stanford play Pac-12 rivals like USC or than positives.

UCLA on Saturday nights. For many stuWhile College football is played at an dents, going to Stanford football games extremely high level, the quality of play was a representation and a core memory isn’t the top priority for most viewers of their childhood – especially because when watching college sports – they can we grew up in the golden age of Stan(and do) tune into the NFL for that. The ford football. historic rivalries, yearly school traditions, I spent every weekend in the fall watchand spirited ing college footstudents and but going to “Its going to be weird for current ball, alumni are what Stanford games make college was always the sports as pop- rivalries to be divided but that is highpoint of each ular as they are.

Saturday. WatchLocal Stanford what they decided so ultimately ing Andrew Luck, fan and Paly faChristian McCafther John Kes- those rivalries will have to wait frey or Bryce Love sler, agrees that dominate opposrealignment will ing defenses evuntil they meet again.” kill centuries of ery Saturday , as history. “As it reStanford looked lates to the varto take down the ious fan bases best talent on the of the colleges that are changing confer- West Coast was a privilege that gave me ences, the traditional rivalries that these a love for college football from a young schools have developed and maintained age, and was an unforgettable part of my over the past hundred years will end and experience growing up in Palo Alto. I’m that could have a negative impact on not alone in this experience. Paly senior those fan bases,” Kessler said. “For Stan- and lifelong Stanford fan Chase Kacher ford to not play USC, UCLA, Oregon and fan agrees that going to Stanford games

42 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

- Chase Kacher ‘24

was a highlight of growing up.

“Playing the best competition in the Pac-12 was always entertaining,” Kacher said. “Playing USC, UCLA, Oregon and even Notre Dame was something to look forward to.”

These high stakes rivalry games with decades of history will no longer occur after this season.

This is one of the many faults of realignment. Despite the possible matchups in their new conferences, I think we’d all rather watch Stanford play USC annually (a rivalry that has seen over 100 total matchups) than Boston College, or Syracuse.

The realignment also causes major travel issues for athletes on a week to week basis.

A half an hour flight down to the Rose Bowl is quite different from a cross-country trek to Syracuse. Apart from the excessive traveling, players living and practicing in California, where December weather is in the 50’s and cloudy, to playing in freezing temperatures or snowstorms.

One of the arguments for realignment is that the Pac-12 isn’t competitive in the current college football landscape. However, in its final season, the conference has shown that this narrative simply isn’t true.

In the first week of play, the Pac12 was the only conference to start undefeated, with each team winning in their opener. As the season has progressed, the Pac12’s two best teams – Washington and Oregon – have played as well as possible this season, with Washington just edging Oregon out in the Pac-12 Championship game, earning them the number two overall ranking in the country, and a spot in the coveted College Football Playoff. Seeing how competitive the Pac-12 is this year, with multiple teams besides the top two, such as Arizona, and Oregon State, the notion that the

Photo courtesy of Tyler Wong

are frequent upsets that prevent potential playoff contenders from making it. While this is a fair critique, the Pac-12 has made the playoff prior to this season as well, with Oregon nearly winning the first ever four team playoff in 2014, and Washington making it in 2017.

I personally believe that this makes the conference more entertaining, as every year there seems to be a string of upsets that completely shake-up the college football landscape.

While it may prevent the Pac-12 from appearing in the Playoff as much as the SEC does, it’s much more exciting to have a conference where the teams Me at the 2013 Axe Game are competitive with each other.

It makes the viewing experience Pac-12 isn’t competitive on a larger scale as a fan much more interesting and clearly isn’t true. This is further reasoning entertaining, because anything can why I believe it’s pointless to happen on game day. As a fan, I prefer dissolve the conference.

Outside of team suc- this to watching Alabama and Georgia cess, the Pac cruise through conference play each 12 has un- year on their way to the Playoff.

I attended the final conference game matched for Stanford against the Cal Bears, and s t a r p o w e r, despite the rainy weather, the stadium with the was packed. The game day experience c o n f e r - was unlike any other this season, with ence being more fans, tailgates, and students from home to reign- both schools than any prior game this ing Heisman trophy season. Neither Cal nor Stanford had winner Caleb Wil- exceptionally high stakes going into this liams, and both game, but the passion from the fans and Washington and players alike was still present. Seeing this Oregon’s starting engagement from both fan bases was quarterbacks, Mi- encouraging, and while Stanford and Cal will still play on a yearly “[Travel Requirements] basis, this type of atmolikely won’t ever could influence choices sphere happen against other made by incoming ACC competitors.

In my opinion, college college freshmen to football was the perfect which school they sport. It was entertaining and exciting; and while choose to attend.” these changes won’t - John Kessler stop me from tuning in to watch every Saturday in the fall, it has taken something cheal Penix Jr and Bo Nix, who are in the that millions of people were passionate mix for the Heisman about and changed it for the worse to maximize profits. this season.

Will Conference Realignment be a Critics of the Pac-12 also like to say that complete disaster? Only time will tell… they “cannibalize” but there is no doubt that there are matheir best teams jor negative effects for players, students, from making the and fans in all aspects, and the shift will playoffs, as there change the sport forever. @vikingsportsmag | OCTOBER 2023 | 43

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vikingsportsmag.com Junior Joseph Kessler rushes up the sideline during the Homecoming game Oct. 16. Photo by Jason Hu.