Viking Magazine Volume XVIII Issue 1

Viking MIND B DY MEDS Exploring the effects of prescription drugs on the performance of student athletes

PAGE 20

1 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Vol. XVIII

ISSUE 1

Oct. 2024

Viking

Volume XVIII, Issue 1 October 2024

magazine

would like to thank our sponsors...

Bharat Family

STAFF

Editors-in-Chief Claire Cho, Ethan Wang, Roan Haney, Emil Bothe Creative Director Nathan Lee

Cho Family Dogan Family

Photo Editor Lucas Tung

Scott Joachim Jonathan Levav

Business Manager Sarah Thieman

Liu Family Pashalidis Family Steele Family Thieman Family Wang Family

Copy Editor Scarlett Frick Head Columnist Tyler Cheung Social Media Manager Amanda Goody

Staff Writers Adi Weiner, Arjun Bharat, Elena Salvatierra, Dylan Robinson, Isaac Telyaz, Evin Steele, Jonathan Yuan, Natalya Kaposhilin, Zoe Pashalidis, Luke Joachim, Malcolm Ginwalla, Max Merkel, Jake Liu, Elif Dogan, Carter Burnett, Ben Levav Advisr Brian Wilson

on the cover: This cover, with photo by Ethan Wang, features a spilled pill bottle on a football field. This feature story on the effects of prescription medications and student athletes can be read on page 20.

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

We are so excited to be back for a new school year, and a brand new year of Viking! Paly fall sports are well underway; check out our website, Twitter, or Instagram for score updates and to read stories on our Viking’s recent games. We are thrilled to share the first print issue of Viking for the 24-25 school year!

Our cover story, “Mind, Body, Meds” (page 20) discusses the different prescription medications Paly athletes utilize and their impacts.

“Analyzing the Game” (page 12), takes a closer look into how different Paly athletes use game footage to improve their overall athletic performance.

Diving into equipment evolution, “Game Changers” (page 13), shares how primitive equipment compares to their modern predecessors.

Claire Cho

“Chasing Gold” (page 14) looks into which Olympic sports Paly students would like to bring to Paly.

Freshman athletes, coming from middle school, are used to being on top.

“Rookie Rise” (page 16) reveals the experiences of Freshman athletes on varsity teams.

“Funding the Future” (page 39) uncovers what the athletic department does with the money and dives into the importance of funding for sports.

Exploring coach’s lives beyond Paly, “Double Duty” (page 26) looks into how they implement their experiences into improving how they teach athletes.

Last year, the cheer team suffered a loss of their coach and athletes. Check out “Rallying for Rebuild” (page 30) to learn how the team reconstructed their

Roan Haney

team from the ground up.

“Friend to Foe” (page 36) is an overview of fantasy football and how it’s a fun and high-stakes game to play with friends and family.

For this year, we have introduced a new series called Freshman Focus which brings light to Paly athletes who play sports not offered here at Paly. “Pursuit on the Reins” (page 42) focuses on senior Helena Bondolowski who is a competitive horseback rider.

Finally, our final word, written by Tyler Cheung, explores how automatic umpires that are being implemented shouldn’t replace their human counterparts.

That’s all for the first issue of this school year! We cannot wait for you to read it and let us know your thoughts!

Emil Bothe

Ethan Wang

STAFF OPINION

Safety First: Making Guardian Caps Mandatory On Sept. 12, the football world witnessed Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffer a concussion after colliding with Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

This is Tagovailoa’s third concussion in five years, raising questions on whether or not he should return to the field after experiencing such significant head trauma throughout his NFL career.

Football is a dangerous sport, and so unless tackle football is substituted with a non-contact version head injuries will continue to occur. Despite this unchangeable reality, tackle football associations at all levels (youth, high school, college, NFL, ect.) should be required to act in the best interests of their players, meaning implementing all of the newest and most advanced safety measures.

This means implementing the guardian cap as standard football equipment, similar to the helmet, shoulder pads, or thigh and knee pads. The guardian cap is essentially a cover for the traditional football helmet. The roughly seven

ounce cap is made up of soft-shell pads, and creates a second, softer padding that helps absorb impact and prevent head trauma.

According to the NFL, the required use of guardian caps for linemen and running backs during preseason practices has led to a 50% reduction in concussions since 2022. Furthermore, the Brain Injury Law Center states that the cap reduces the impact of a collision by 10% if one player is wearing it, and 20% if both helmets are covered. For players who don’t run as fast or hit as powerfully as NFL players (such as high school and youth), guardian caps can minimize damage by up to 33%.

Despite such overwhelming evidence pointing towards increased safety with the usage of the guardian cap, the protective equipment receives heavy pushback from the player community. Players have stated reasons such as the cap adding too much excessive weight, being overly hot, as well damaging the visual

appearance of a player.

In the NFL, players have the opportunity to earn millions of dollars playing football and do not want to sacrifice any sort of competitive edge that could be a difference maker in their performance on the field. This may mean sacrificing some of the protective equipment offered.

Where the issue lies is that these NFL players are setting a bad example for the youth, most of whom will never earn a penny for their play. Kids and teens idolize NFL players, and won’t find the guardian cap as an attractive option if NFL players so blatantly dismiss it.

The health and safety of our youth should be valued above NFL players wanting to avoid mild discomfort. The process of shifting all football players towards using guardian caps starts at the top. If the usage of guardian caps is mandatory in the NFL, this will trickle down and create a positive and lasting change on all levels of football. @vikingsportsmag | October 2024 | 3

In this

Issue 12

Analyzing the game

13 Game Changers 14 chasing gold 16 Rookie rise 20 Mind, body, meds Jeremiah Fung (‘25), straps his helmet in a 31-21 loss to Christopher High School. Photo by Adi Weiner

double duty

26

RALLYING FOR REBUILD

30

FRIEND TO FOE

36

Funding the future

39

PURSUIT ON THE REINS

42

HUMAN OVER HARDWARE

45

@vikingsportsmag | October 2024 | 5

HANDS UP! Goalie Paul Schacht (‘25), rises up to defend a shot on his goal along with his teammate Andrew Zhao (‘26) in a 17-5 loss to Los Altos.

Photo by Lucas Tung

LOCK

DOWN

Jake Wang (‘26), lines up to defend the receiver from Christopher High School in a 31-21 loss.

Photo by Adi Weiner

10 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

FAST BREAK Sarah Thieman (‘26), drives down the middle of the field, looking to create chaos in a 4-1 loss to Archbishop Mitty.

Photo by Lucas Tung

@vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 11

Kickoff

Game ANALYZING THE

Watching past film of games has been growing in popularity recently. We asked athletes at Paly if they watched film and whether they think it is beneficial.

by NATALYA KAPOSHILIN and NATHAN LEE

Jack Madwed, Rower for Norcal Crew

“Watching film can contribute to better cohesion and understanding on a team, and end any disagreements or questions on a technique or plan.”

-Jack Madwed (‘25)

Cole Baker, Paly JV Boys Soccer Player

“Dedicating a practice to film is dependent on the level you play. If you practice three times a week it would seem silly to watch film, however five you could argue that it would be helpful.”

-Cole Baker (‘26)

Katie Spitzer, Paly Varsity Girls Water Polo Player “Watching game films from previous games to learn from is very beneficial. Learning from your team’s own mistakes and seeing them from a different angle helps to be more reflective and makes it easier to apply corrections during games.”

-Katie Spitzer (‘25)

Blake Wang, NYU Swim Commit “I look at my video after a race to see my technique and execution. I compare my technique to elite swimmers to see even the slightest area of inefficiency, to then work on that in practice and utilize it in future races.”

-Blake Wang (‘25) 12 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Kickoff

Changers

by NATALYA KAPOSHILIN and NATHAN LEE

Game

We interviewed student athletes to explore how their sports equipment compares to its primitive predecessors.

Cross country shoes have changed significantly in the past, from the olden days leather shoes to the new carbon fiber insoles. “A long time ago people used Etonic shoes, which is a brand for the 1870’s. Now, for races I use Nike vapor flies for cross country.”

Amaya Bharadwaj (‘26)

Evolving from the primitive full wooden body to a full carbon fiber racket. “The Prostaff v14 has more weight towards the head allowing for a greater swing. Roger Federer also uses the prostaff and he’s my favorite tennis player.”

Alex Chang (‘26)

Swimsuits have changed overtime, evolving from the short Speedos to tech suits. “My main tech suit is my TYR Avictor. I like it because it’s light and more attuned for Breaststroke, my main stroke. Tech suits are made to fit tightly reducing drag by being aerodynamic. Tech suits are made up of hydrodynamic fabric that repels water. ” Matthew Wei (‘26)

@vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 13

GOLD Kickoff

CHASING

By NATALYA KAPOSHILIN and NATHAN LEE

Many different sports were displayed this summer in the Olympics. We interviewed students asking them if they could bring a sport to Paly, what would it be?

“An Olympic sport I would like to see at Paly is race walking because it looks interesting and I would love to see people’s speedwalking talent.”

-MELAK KATEMA (‘27) “I had a fun time watching the race walking at the Olympics. I think that it should be offered at Paly as an event for track and field.”

-KEERTHI RAJ (‘26) “Race walking stood out to me because how strange it looked but, I enjoyed watching it and I’d like to see it at Paly.”

-MEERA SINGH (‘26)

14 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

PARIS 2024

“I would love to see gymnastics at Paly; I think it is a great sport a lot of people would have fun trying.”

-SVINA NARANG (‘25) “Probably gymnastics; a lot of people at Paly already do it and I think it would be fun to try out.”

-TALIA BONEH (‘26)

OLYMPICS FUN FACTS

Paris will join London as the only cities to host the Olympics three times

There is close to an equal number of male and female athletes: 5,240 men and 5,250 women

Each gold, silver, and bronze medal contains 18 grams of iron from the Eiffel Tower

The 2024 Paris Olympics had at total of 329 medal events

“I would like to see skateboarding, because it is fun to watch.”

-CECE DEFEO (‘26) “I would bring skateboarding to Paly because it looked super cool in the Olympics.”

-JAMES PARK (‘26)

Every olympics there is a different design for the Olympic torch

The official mascot of the Paris Olympics is a hat called a Phygre

The Phygre was a symbol of freedom during the French Revolution

@vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 15

SE RI ROOKIE

by ELIF DOGAN, ZOE PASHALIDIS, ETHAN WANG, and JONATHAN YUAN

Freshmen on varsity sports aren’t noticed as much as they deserve to be. Many people don’t realize the pressure that younger varsity athletes need to live up to.

S

et, hike! This is your first football Fujita was a freshman varsity athlete last going from eighth grade to ninth grade game in a high school setting. year and felt the pressure of being apart because you are playing with older girls, As you hear those words, you of a new team. stakes are higher, and in general there are sprint down the field, following “I wasn’t sure what to expect from high just more people watching you,” Hambly the route that your quarterback gave school sports and I was initially scared said. “I was able to deal with this with my you. You try to stay calm, but the nerves that the pressures from it may be more teammates and coaches because they inside your body start to take over and than what I’m used to,” Fujita said. have been nothing but supportive and the thought of letting your team down High school sports teams definitely encouraging.” forever haunts you. The quarterback have higher expectations. Varsity sports Being likely one of the only freshmen throws the ball and it heads straight in typically have longer practices with more on the varsity team, these young athletes your direction. Your heart begins to beat intense training than JV, something most may be inclined to feel inferior to their faster and your hands start to shake. The ninth graders older and more ball slips past your fingertips and hits the are new to. For experienced ground. Many freshman on varsity teams example, Varsity teammates. As a in high school fear this situation, worry- swimmers have result, they may ing about the blame they might receive three morning feel unfit for from teammates. practices a week the team and When someone moves into high and generally less motivated school, the environment changes entire- have to swim an to push themly. As an eighth-grader in middle school, hour longer per selves to be the workload is relatively light, the cam- day in the afterbetter. pus feels familiar and inviting, and the noon than their In an Psych—Dr. Bethany Judy, Psych Central community is welcoming. But in high Junior Varsity Central article school, everything from the campus to c o u n t e r p a r t s . written by Dr. the people is unfamiliar. The same thing A d d i t i o n a l l y , Bethany Judy, can be said for sports, but this pressure after morning practice, student-athletes “Loneliness and social isolation [are] the is brought to a whole new level by the have to go to school and have practice main causes for mental health issues,” select few freshmen athletes who make it after school. Freshman athletes play- (Judy 2021). Bad mental health or an into varsity. Spectators who see a young- ing on the varsity level are expected to overall negative mindset can limit an er athlete play generally only think about adapt to the higher competition, hours athlete’s ability to train or play. When an how talented they are, but most people of practice, and commitment to the sport athlete experiences stress, anxiety, or dedon’t think about the pressure that a all while getting used to the new high pression, it can be hard to stay focused freshman varsity athlete may bear. Peo- school community. and persevere through these tough feelple don’t think about the lack of confiSophomore volleyball player Maura ings, especially going through such a dence that may come from feeling out of Hambly felt the immense shift from mid- hormonal transition through high school. place when adjusting to the level of com- dle school to high school.

A negative mindset can make athletes petition. Sophomore swimmer Dylan “There was definitely a pressure shift very self-critical, adding to the inferiority 16 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

“Loneliness and social isolation are the main causes for mental health issues.”

complex that many younger athletes feel with the team, and my coach guided me in comparison to the older “star” athletes. through the whole thing,” Henderson Current junior Grace Henderson, who said. “After a slow start, I eventually startplayed water polo on varsity as a fresh- ed to adapt to their community and beman, felt the gan to feel like I pressure as one belonged.” of the youngest In contradicathletes on the tion with Henteam. derson’s expe“I honestly rience, current didn’t have the sophomore best confidence Justin Fung going into the who played as season,” Hena freshman on derson said. “I varsity for footexperienced ball and basehate for being ball thought —Grace Henderson (‘26) adapting to the a freshman on varsity and recommunity was member it befairly easy. ing pretty hard to fit in with the rest of “I knew a lot of the older kids from the girls since most of them were upper- childhood and that helped me a lot to classmen.” adjust because they believed in me,” She mentions that she was eventually Fung said. “I didn’t have to get to know a able to fit into the varsity community with completely different group of kids, and I the support of her coach and some more could just be confident with my skills and inclusive teammates. abilities”.

“Although I felt isolated at first, there Going from competing against kids of were still plenty of positive experiences similar ages in middle school to compet-

“I experienced hate for being a freshman on varsity and it was difficult fitting in with the rest of the girls.”

ing against teenagers older and bigger on the varsity level is the most common struggle freshmen face.

“I don’t think the shift from middle to high school was a huge jump because by having an older brother and a dad that works at the high school, I was already around that culture for a long time and throughout my childhood and I played a lot of the time with older kids which I think helped the shift a lot,” Fung said.

Another example of a freshman athlete who is able to thrive in a varsity environment is current sophomore swimmer Dylan Fujita.

“Last year I did varsity swimming,” Fujita said. “I was able to fit in with the swim team because I already knew most of the swimmers on the team from swimming in my club at Alto swim club.”

Because of the support from his teammates, he was able to do very well that season.

“Since I was close friends with most of the swim team, I feel like I was able to do really well,” Fujita said. “I went many best times, dropping a lot [of time] in both

Junior Grace Henderson goes for a goal in a game against Amador Valley High School. Photo courtesy of Dylan Fujita

@vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 17

that they belong on varsity? Current freshman Olivia Roper ‘s journey to competing against upperclassmen in varsity volleyball was never handed to her.

“I always made sure to show up to all the open gyms and made a point to introduce myself to Coach Crader at the very first one,” Roper said. “I wanted to make sure he knew how committed I was to making varsity.”

Roper’s techniques and strategies for how to become the best player proved successful. She mentioned how her coach really appreciated her work ethic and is excited for her to compete in future years.

Swimmer Fujita utilized the same techniques to impress his coach last year.

“I always came to practice on time and generally tried to be the first one in the pool,” Fujita said. “I also tried as hard as I could every practice and never skipped any reps. Whenever some of my teammates start having a negative attitude, I generally try to be positive and support them through the hard practices.”

Fujita wants to eventually become a team captain in his senior year and he plans to continue his hard work in the coming swim seasons. His hard work from last year paid off. The coach was really impressed about how he was able to step up as a freshman and make an impact on the team.

“My coach told me he could tell that my work ethic was motivating my teammates to work harder as well,” Fujita said.

He also mentions the help he got from his teammates.

“The swim team was very inclusive and supportive,” he said. “The switch from middle school to high school wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be

Justin Fung (‘27) looks for an open receiver in a game against Christopher High School. Photo courtesy of Justin Fung

my 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard pressures, fear of failure, tense relationfreestyle, as well as making a few strides ships, and severe self-criticism,” . All of in other events. My coach, Danny Dye, these reactions can lead to a negative has told me he has high expectations for mindset towards a sport and may cause my performance in the future.” an athlete to lose motivation, play worse, Building team chemistry is also a huge or not want to play anymore. factor in leading any team to success.

“I experienced a moment in club With a freshman on a team filled with up- swimming where I had to perform under perclassmen, it high pressure may be hard to and I ended up bond because overthinking although the it and not dowhole team is ing well,” Fujita in high school, said. they are in difLosing moferent stages tivation or losand experiencing love for the ing different sport is hard to things. Another overcome. Esthing that freshpecially with the men varsity athstakes being —Dr. Fernando Nunes, Medium letes have to high, pressure deal with is the can come to be constant high seen. Regardexpectations from other teammates as less of this, given the support most freshwell as coaches. Being forced into high man varsity athletes receive while playexpectations can cause negative reac- ing from coaches, teammates, and even tions. According to a Medium article family members, most don’t quit when written by photographer and author Fer- exposed to the high expectations. nando Nunes, “[a]nxiety and high exaSo how do freshmen prove thempectations can lead us to unnecessary selves to their coaches and teammates

“Anxiety and high expectations can lead to unnecessary pressures and severe self criticism.”

and I think the main reason was because ther. Fujita talks about how he was able of the amount of support I got from both to manage both sports and the heightmy teammates and my coach.” ened academic rigor of high school.

It is clear that a main reason for Fujita’s “I was able to manage by making a success in varsity as a freshman was be- schedule and following it,” Fujita said. cause of his supporting teammates.

“The thing that helped me with this the Another most was the thing that freshprep I got from men varsity Physical Educaathletes may tion for playing struggle with on a Paly sports is balancing team.” Prep has the workload seen to be helpof high school ful for almost all with the time high school athcommitment letes, as it gives required to play them a dedicat—Dylan Fujita (‘27) as a varsity athed “free period” lete. Generally, to use to work practices are on their homeafter school and by the time an athlete work, study, or any other activity they comes home from practice, they won’t wish to do with their time. have much time to relax and recover beTo these young athletes, the switch fore they have to begin their school work. from middle school to high school and A lot of student athletes struggle with the higher expectations in both academtime management, but the stress given ics and sports may seem impossible to to freshmen varsity athletes is taken fur- get through. But, in truth, this pressure

“I was able to manage [the workload] by making a schedule and following it.”

isn’t as bad as it seems. With the help of supportive teammates and coaches, these new coming athletes generally have nothing to worry about with their transition into high school. According to a 2022 Premier Sport Psychology article titled The Power Five: Team Support, “Having actively supporting teammates can improve an athlete’s sense of self as well as make them feel heard,” (Premier 2024). Having confidence as an athlete is an important factor in performing well.

Being confident in your craft and ability adds to the team as it encourages others on the team to also go out and play their hardest, confidently and collectively.

Overall, freshman competing at a varsity level may seem scary, but with the help of teammates, family, friends, and especially coaches, underclassmen can succeed in an unnatural territory. Given this, although freshman varsity athletes may be subject to high expectations, it can be alleviated with the help of the upperclassmen on the team being welcoming and supportive instead of isolating them from the rest of the team.

Sophomore Dylan Fujita races in the 500-yard freestyle at CCS. Photo courtesy of Dylan Fujita @vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 19

LE

nd,

Meds:

Playbook:

Athletes Medication

MIND, B DY, Hidden

D

Prescription Body, Cost

of

Victory:

by AMANDA GOODY, SCARLETT FRICK, and ELENA SALVATIERRA E

H and

C

UGH/FINAL ind the glittering gold medals and world records, elite athletes often face hidden struggles. Famous Olympic gymnast Sim el Phelps with ADHD, and 2024 100 meter gold medalist, Noah Lyles, wrestles with asthma. All are prime examples of elite r athletic endeavors, whether that be mental, physical or emotional. According to PubMed Central, 34% of active athletes r dern medicine plays a prominent role in many young adults’ lives today, offering relief and treatment for a wide range of health cond se medicines may cause complications. The physical demands of athletic performance often clash with - or even cause - struggles of a e to treating chronic conditions, the impact of these drugs can influence not only an athlete’s physical well-being, but their everyday ne common neurodevelopmental condition among teenagers and student-athletes is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity D ntrol and Prevention (CDC) reports that between 2020 and 2022, 11.3% of adolescents aged 5-17 were diagnosed w ggle with focusing, completing tasks, and maintaining a consistent attention span. They may also experience moo rietyofmedicationsareavailabletohelpmanagethesymptomsofADHD,eachwithitsownbenefitsandsideeffects.Twocommonlyprescribedme e prescription] makes it much easier to focus on what my coach is saying or what play we are running,” Chancellor said However, the benefits of these medications often come with trade-offs, as Chancellor has “My medication makes me less social, so it’s harder s side effect can be particularly challenging when participating in team sports, where effective communication is crucia The hardest thing about taking my medication is the appetite loss,” Chancellor said. “I don’t eat much during the sch a varsity athlete who is expected to perform at such aying any sport on an empty stomach is difficult, but it’s especially ancellor is not the only student who faces this issue. Junior baseball player Jackson Sims also stru e prescription] definitely affects my appetite,” Sims said. “I don’t eat very much, because when I’m on my medication, it wever, unlike Chancellor, Sims chooses to adjust his on’t take my medication on weekends because I want to have an appetite, and I don’t really need it since I don’t have to focus on much du s has found that managing his medication has an impact on his daily life and athletic performance, and notes a hen I don’t have my Adderall, I don’t really pay any attention, and I don’t really have much motivation,” Sims said. ilarly, managing health conditions presents a significant challenge for student-athletes diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Individuals e enough insulin, the hormone necessary for regulating glucose levels in the blood. Without enough insulin glucose cannot enter cells nd in the bloodstream, leading to high blood sugar. Symptoms of high blood sugar include excessive thirst, blurred vision, fatigue, order to cancel out these symptoms, athletes with type 1 diabetes must regularly administer prescribed doses of insulin. However, ations require varying dosages. Rapid or short-acting insulin is typically used to manage blood sugar spikes during meals, while intereral glucose needs. For athletes, particuwlarly those in the early stages of managing their diabetes, the process of adjusting insulin homore basketbwall player Ella Hoy, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes four years ago, understands these challenges firsthand. had already been playing basketball when I was diagnosed, and I had to take a couple weeks off when I was in the hospital, nts,” Hoy said. “When I was finally ready to come back, I was constantly monitoring my blood sugar while I was playing.” y has since established a routine, but managing blood sugar remains a challenge to balance during practices.

“If I give myself too much insulin before I exercise, my blood sugar will go low during practice, and I’ll have to stop in order to treat it,” ls of my dosage so that my blood sugar doesn’t go low at practice. I also have to constantly check my blood sugar during practice so that if I’m ails of Hoy’s treatment appear harsh, but without the usage of medication to treat her condiile some effects have a more noticeable impact on an athlete’s daily life, others may be more subtle. Dr. Heathin the Division of Dermatology at Seattle Children’s Hospital and an adjunct Professor at the University of Washs of all ages. Dr. Brandling-Bennett highlights some of the treatments she frequently prescribes to athletes.

“When I think about athletes, [prescriptions] that I more commonly prescribe that may afwn to many under the previous brand name of Accutane, for acne,” Brandling-Bennett said. s oral medication is typically used to treat severe or moderate acne. Though isotretinoin can be high“Oral isotretinoin can cause a list of potential side effects, including dry lips, skin, and 20 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com as well as the need for frequent visits and intermittent laboratory testing,” Brandling-Bennett said. e of the most challenging side effects for athletes on isotretinoin, like junior water polo player Maeva Herbert“There have been cases where [my skin] doesn’t interact well with chlorine, and in really harsh sunlight, tretinoin makes your s

MEDS: Athletes Juggling Health and Competition

Athletes often face significant challenges as they balance their health needs with the demands of their sport. Medications for certain conditions can sometimes impact their physical and mental performance.

How

and

Meds Juggling Elite the glittering goldAthletes ehind med-

B

Health

Shape and

POSSIBILIT Ath Competi

als and world records, elite athletes often face hidden strug- : gles. Famous Olympic gymnast Simone Biles struggles with anxiety, swimmer Michael Phelps with DRAFT ADHD, and 100 meter gold medalist,Not Simone Biles struggles with anxiety, swimmer ah Lyles wrestles with asthma. All are elite athletes juggling care of their own health a n prime examples of elite athletes juggling of their own health and their tes report care symptoms of depression or athletic anxiety. endeavors, whether be mental, physconditions.

However, whenthat it comes to athletes, the use ical or emotional. According to PubMed s of anxiety, depression, and mood swings.

From manag Central, 34% of active athletes report symptoms of depression anxiety.mental yday performance, recovery andoroverall health as w Modern medicine plays a prominent y Disorder (ADHD). The Centers for Dise a s role in many young adults’ lives today, ofed with fering ADHD. Students with ADHD oft e relief and treatment for a wide eat much during the school day because range and of health However, of adolescents aged 5-17 were diagnosed mood swings other conditions. related challenges. my medication completely suppresses my Students ADHD often when comes to athletes, the use ofof these dmedications areitConcerta andRitalin.

Both thesewith haveADHD. helpedsenior andwith varsity lacrosse player OliverChancellornavigatethechallengesofAD medicines may cause complications. The struggle with focusing, completing tasks, appetite, which makes it much harder to said. “When I play without my performance medication, and I tend to lose afocus a lot attention more, which be very detrimental in a close ga train incan general.” maintaining consistent physical demands of athletic For a varsity athlete and who is expected span.

They may also experience mood often clash with - or even cause - struggles s experienced firsthand.

Chancellor discusses the impacts on his social athletic to interacti perform at such a high intensity, this effect swings and other related challenges. of anxiety, depression, and mood swings. r to communicate during practices and games,” Chancellor s From managing acne to treating chronic A variety of medications are available to can be particularly weakening. ucial to success onthethe field.

Yet, drugs for Chancellor, the most significant challenge is notanyasport mental but a physical “Playing on anaspect empty stomach the symptoms of ADHD, conditions, impact of these can help manage it’s especially tough a in gene each with its own benefits and sidewhich ef- is difficult, influence not only athlete’s physical school day because my an medication completely suppresses my appetite, makes but it much harder to for train physically demanding sport like lacrosse,” fects.

Two commonly prescribed medicawell-being, but their everyday perforsuch a high intensity, this effect can be particularly weaken mance, recovery and overall mental tions are Concerta and Ritalin. Both of Chancellor said. cially tough a physically sport la- Chancellor like Chancellor islacrosse, not the ”only student who these have demanding helped senior and varsity health as well. for faces this commonly issue. Junior baseball player crosse Oliver Chancellor struggles One with common similar neurodevelopmental challenges while onplayer Adderall, anothernavigate medication used to treat AD Jackson Sims also struggles with similar the challenges of ADHD. condition among teenagers and stun, it really makes me not hungry at all, which makes me have less stamina. This also makes it very difficult to gain wei dent-athletes is Attention Deficit Hyperac- “[the prescription] makes it much easier challenges while on Adderall, another medication schedule in order to eff commonly used tothis treat tivity Disorder (ADHD). The Centers for to focus on what my coach is saying or medication manage ADHD. games to help with fo what play we runDisease (CDC) h during that time,Control ” Simsand said.Prevention “However, I doretake a smaller doseare before sports “[the prescription] ning,” Chancellor said. ports that between 2020 and 2022, 11.3% s a difference between taking and not taking his medication. definitely affects “When I play without my said.

“When I’m on it, Sims I’m focu my appetite,” medication, I tend to lose said.

“I don’t eat focus a lotwith more,type which uals diagnosed 1 diabetes’ pancreas fail to very much, becan be very detrimental cells (typically muscle, fat, and liver cells) and instea cause when I’m on in a close game.” gue, weight loss,thenausea, and vomiting (Mayo Clin my medication, it However, benefits really makes me of these medications ofever, balancing insulin levels can be complicated, as diffe not hungry at all, ten comeorwith trade-offs, ntermediate long-acting insulin maintains the bo which makes me as Chancellor has experiulin doses accommodate physical have less activity stamina.can take t encedto firsthand.

ChancelThis also makes it lor discusses the impacts and. very difficult to gain on his also social and pital, and to athletic get used to my new tr weight.” interactions. ng.”

However, unlike “My medication makes Chancellor, Sims me less social, so it’s ices. chooses to adjust his medication schedharder to communicate during practices at it,” Hoy said. “It’s difficult to remember everyule time, but before practice I will usually turn down in order to manage this effect. and games,” Chancellor said. f I’m going low, I can treat it before I go too low and have stop,my and that kind of take medication ondisrupts week- my pract This side effect can be particularly chal- “I don’tto ends becausewould I want to havebean appetite, lenging when in team sports, ndition, theparticipating alternative suffering much wo and I don’t really need it since I don’t have where effective communication is ather Brandling-Bennett, a toPediatric Dermatologist who’s an atte focus on much during that time,” Sims crucial to success on the field. ashington School of Medicine, treats both and nontake a athletes smaller dose Yet, for Chancellor, the most said. “However, I do before sports games to help with focus.” significant challenge is not a etes. has found that managing his medimental a physical Sims affect aspect but them include oral isotretin cation has an impact on his daily life and one. said.

“The hardest thing about tak- athletic performance, and notes a differand not potential taking his ing medication is the ighly my effective, it appealsoence between comes taking with downs Similarly, managing health conditions tite loss,” Chancellor said.

“I don’t and nose, muscle aches, and photosensi @vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 21

K

Adderall and Ritalin are considered to be among the first choices of medications for treating ADHD.

“When I play without my medication, I tend to lose focus a lot more, which can be very detrimental in a close game.”

-Oliver Chancellor (‘25)

34% of active athletes report symptoms of depression or anxiety.

said. bert-Paz, is the increased sensitivity of the skin, especially to environmental factors such as chemicals and sunl our skin super sensitive to sun,” Herbert-Paz said. “So there was a time where I did get a second-degree burn on my face, and my en

doesn’t interact well chlorine, and in of Washington School of with Medicine, treats really harsh sunlight, tretinoin makes both athletes and non-athletes of all ages. your super sensitive to sun,”some Herbert-Paz Dr. skin Brandling-Bennett highlights of “So there a time where I did get a thesaid. treatments shewas frequently prescribes second-degree burn on my face, and my to athletes. entire I face which was extremely “When thinkblistered, about athletes, [prescrippainful.” tions] that I more commonly prescribe Medication can influence not isotretijust physical that may affect them include oral aspects as appetite but also a noin, knownsuch to many under or theskin, previous student’s well-being.

For Brana number brand name mental of Accutane, for acne,” of studentsaid. athletes, antidepressants can dling-Bennett play a medication crucial roleisin enhancing This oral typically used mental to health, andorare an effective wayThough to treat detreat severe moderate acne. pression,can anxiety, obsessive-compulsive isotretinoin be highly effective, it also disorder, other mental health conditions. comes with or potential downsides.

Fieldisotretinoin hockey player, is one “Oral can Laila causeJoshi a list(‘27), of posuch example. tential side effects, including dry lips, m a- “My meds have helped me get out of a rements,” skin, and nose, muscle aches, and phototology at Seattle ally hardasplace.

I had energy and no pasHoy said. “When I sensitivity, well as the no need for frequent Children’s an Iad- sion for things that I loved,” Joshi said. “I was finally readyHospital to comeand back, visits and intermittent laboratory testing,” junct Professor at the University Wash- spent so much time being dizzy, unmotivatconstantly monitoring my bloodofsugBrandling-Bennett said. medication. be complicat-was ington School of Medicine, treats both ath- ed, and tired at practice. After upping my ar while I was playing.”

“When I don’tsituations have myre- letes and non-athletes of all ages. Dr.One of the most challenging side effects ed, as different andonbeing patient like withjunior it, I started has since established a routine, but for dose athletes isotretinoin, wa- to Adderall, I don’t really pay anyorattention, quire varying dosages.

Rapid short-act- Hoy Brandling-Bennett highlights some of the see a difference. I was finally able to work to managing blood sugar remains a chalter polo player Maeva Herbert-Paz, is the and don’t really have much ing Iinsulin is typically usedmotivation,” to manage treatments she frequently prescribes to athmy best ability and feel good about mylenge to balance during practices. increased sensitivity of the skin, especially Sims “When I’mduring on it, I’m focused.” bloodsaid. sugar spikes meals, while in- letes. self.”

“If I give myself too much insulin before I to environmental factors such as chemiSimilarly, managing health conditions termediate or long-acting insulin maintains “When I think about athletes, [prescripJoshi’s experience shows how medication my blood sugar will go low cals and sunlight. presents significant challenge the body’sa general glucose needs.for Forstuath-exercise, tions]practice, that I more commonly prescribe that can improve both mental health and perduring and I’ll have to stop in or“There have been cases where [my skin] dent-athletes diagnosed dia- may affect them include oral isotretinoin, letes, particularly those inwith the type early1stages formance.

Similarly, many women der to treat it,” Hoy said.

“It’s difficult to doesn’t interact well with chlorine, andrely in on betes. of managing their diabetes, the process of known to many under the previous brand contraceptives to manage severe menstruremember every time, but before practice really harsh sunlight, tretinoin makes your Individuals diagnosed type 1 dia- name of Accutane, for acne,” Branadjusting insulin doses with to accommodate symptoms and maintain their well-being. usually turn down the levels of my skinalsuper sensitive to sun,” Herbert-Paz betes’ pancreas fail take to produce enough I will physical activity can time. dling-Bennett said.

The effects of menstruation can vary dosage so that my blood sugar doesn’t said.

“So there was a time where I did getfor all insulin, the hormone necessary for Hoy, regu-di- This oral medication is typically used to Sophomore basketball player Ella women. Extreme include low at practice. I also have to constant- a second-degree burn side on myeffects face, and lating glucose blood.four Without agnosed with levels type in 1 the diabetes yearsgotreat severe or moderate acne.

Though cramps, bloating, mood swings, headly check my blood sugar during practice my entire face blistered, which was exenough insulin glucose cannot enter cells ago, understands these challenges first- isotretinoin can be highly effective, it also aches, fatigue and all-over body pain. Juthat if I’m going low, I can treat it before tremely painful.” (typically muscle, fat, and liver cells) and socomes hand. with potential downsides. nior Mila Bynum is starting I go too low and have to stop, and that Medication can influence nother justsecond physi- year instead, is found in the bloodstream, lead“I had already been playing basketball “Oral isotretinoin can cause a list of poon the varsity girls water polo team and kind of disrupts my practice.” cal aspects such as appetite or skin, but was ing toI high blood sugar. of a tential side effects, including dry lips, skin, when was diagnosed, andSymptoms I had to take prescribed both the pill and an IUD (IntraDetails of Hoy’s treatment appear diffialso a student’s mental well-being.

For a high blood sugar include excessive thirst, and nose, muscle aches, and photosensitivcouple weeks off when I was in the hospital, uterine Device) for a specific reason. cult, but without the usage of medication number of student athletes, antidepresblurred fatigue, weight loss, nau- ity, as well as the need for frequent visits and alsovision, to get used to my new treatments,” thea reason started taking the pill treat her condition, the alternative sants“Part can of play crucial Irole in enhancing sea, Clinic).

Hoy and said.vomiting “When I (Mayo was finally ready to cometoand intermittent laboratory testing,” Bran- in the first place was because I had PMDD, would be worse. mental health, and are an effective way to In order cancel out these symptoms, back, I wastoconstantly monitoring my blood dling-Bennett said. which is post menstrual dysmorphic deWhile some effects have a more noticetreat depression, anxiety, obsessive-comathletes withI was typeplaying.”

1 diabetes must regusugar while One of the challenging effects pression,” Bynum said. “Basially, impact onmost an athlete’s daily side life, othpulsive disorder, or other menlarly of insuHoyadminister has sinceprescribed establisheddoses a routine, butable formay athletes on isotretinoin, like junior water it’s when your mood swings are be more subtle. Dr. Heather Brantal health conditions. An anonlin.

However, balancing insulin levels can ers managing blood sugar remains a challenge polo player Maeva Herbert-Paz, is the in- crazy and irrational the dling-Bennett, a Pediatric Dermatologist ymous Field Hockey be complicated, aspractices. different situations re- creased sensitivity of the skin, especially to to balance during week before your periwho’s an attending in the Division of Dersophmore is one such exquire varying dosages.

Rapid or short-act“If I give myself too much insulin before I environmental factors such as chemicals od. So, I started taking it at Seattle Children’s Hospital ample. ing insulin typically to low manage exercise, myisblood sugarused will go duringmatology and sunlight. [themeds pill] inhave order to aland an adjunct Professor at the University “My helped blood sugar during meals, whileto practice, and spikes I’ll have to stop in order leintermediate long-acting insulin maintreat it,” Hoy or said.

“It’s difficult to rememv itains the body’s general glucose needs. ber every time, but before practice I will For athletes, particularly those the early usually turn down the levels ofinmy dosage ate stages their diabetes, theat so that of mymanaging blood sugar doesn’t go low process adjusting doses to acpractice.of I also have toinsulin constantly check my commodate physicalpractice activitysocan blood sugar during that take if I’m time. going low, I can treat it before I go too low Sophomore basketball Ella Hoy, and have to stop, and thatplayer kind of disrupts diagnosed with type 1 diabetes four years my practice.” ago, understands these challenges firstDetails of Hoy’s treatment appear harsh, hand. but without the usage of medication to “I had been playing basketball treat heralready condition, the alternative sufferwhen I wasbe diagnosed, and I had to take a ing would much worse. couple whenhave I wasa in the hospiWhileweeks some off effects more noticetal, also to to my new treatableand impact onget an used athlete’s daily life, others be more subtle. Dr. Heather Bran26 may vikingsportsmag.

22 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com those, which is why I dling-Bennett, a Pediatric Dermatologist think it helped me, since it caused me to who’s an attending in the Division of Der- “There have been cases where [my skin] get less frustrated, which would help me in

“In really harsh sunlight, tretinoin makes my skin super sensitive.”

- Maeva Herbert-Paz (‘26)

ore m d a h oin n i t e ns. r t o i , t 1 p 2 i r 0 c res In 2 p n o i l l o mi w t n a th

“If I give myself too much insulin before I exercise, my blood sugar will go low during practice, and I’ll have to stop in order to treat it.”

- Ella Hoy (‘27)

“I started taking [the pill] in order to alleviate my moodswings, which is why I think it helped me.”

- Mila Bynum (‘26)

me, since it caused me to get less like soccer, basketball, and hockey. Dr. Kafrustrated, which would help me in prac- mis provides information about what efm e tice.” fects birth control can have on athletes. get out of Bynum believes that her experience with “Progestin, a synthetic form of progesa really hard contraceptives is positive and allows her terone found in many birth control pills, place. I had no energy to perform at new athletic levels that can lead to challenges such as mood and no passion for things that would have been otherwise difficult. swings, fatigue, and decreased physical I loved,” Anonymous (‘24) said. “I “I would perform a lot worse the week performance, due to its effect on hormonspent so much time being dizzy, unmoti- before my period, especially swimming,” al balance,” Kamis said. vated, and tired at practice. After upping Bynum said. “But now that I don’t get my VO2 max is a measure of how much oxymy dose and being patient with it, I start- period, I’m not affected as much, and with gen an athlete uses during training. A ed to see a difference. I was finally able to the IUD, I feel like I am performing better.” higher VO2 max is more optimal; it means work to my best ability and feel good Paly alum (‘24) Mary Henderson has also your body is more efficient at delivering about myself.” been prescribed a birth control pill by her oxygen to working muscles. According to Anonymous Field Hockey sophomore’s doctors. Henderson is a former goalie for Rupa Health, evidence shows that an oral experience shows how medication can the Paly girls wa- contraceptive may lower VO2 max in feimprove both menter polo team and male athletes, causing them to feel like tal health and perwill be continuing they cannot give their 100%, which can be formance. Similarly, her athletic career very detrimental to athletic performance. many women rely in college.

“VO2 max is a measure of an athlete’s on contraceptives “Luckily, I feel aerobic capacity, indicating how efficientto manage severe there are very few ly the body can use oxygen during exermenstrual sympside effects to the cise,” Kamis said. “A low VO2 max means toms and maintain medication I take that an athlete will struggle with endurtheir well-being. because I have ance, and their ability to sustain high levThe effects of worked with my els of physical activity will be limited. For menstruation can doctors a lot to female athletes, this can be particularly vary for all women. find a medication problematic in sports requiring significant Extreme side efthat is a good fit stamina, such as long-distance running, fects include for me and has cycling, or soccer.” cramps, bloating, limited side ef- Another major risk factor of usmood swings, fects,” Henderson ing birth control as an athlete is headaches, fatigue said. “In the past I the possibility of reducing total and all-over body have tried other testosterone. pain. Junior Mila medications that Women with low testosterBynum is starting have given me one may experience fatigue, her second year on the varsity girls water stomach aches or headaches and from muscle weakness, polo team and was prescribed both the there after giving it a chance, my doctor depressions, or pill and an IUD (Intrauterine Device) for a switched my medication.” other mood specific reason.

While Bynum and Henderson have ex- disorders, “Part of the reason I started taking the perienced overall performance improve- w h i c h pill in the first place was because I had ments while using birth control, like any a l s o PMDD, which is post menstrual dysmor- medication, it comes with potential down- n e g aphic depression,” Bynum said. “Basically, sides. Dr. Danielle Kamis is a female t i v e l y it’s when your mood swings are crazy and Sports Psychiatrist who works with ath- impacts irrational the week before your period. So, letes from various disciplines ranging their athI started taking it [the pill] in order to alle- from individual sports like tennis, track letic perviate those, which is why I think it helped and field, and swimming, to team sports formance. @vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 23

VO2 max is a measure of an athlete’s aerobic capacity, indicating how efficiently the body can use oxygen during exercise.

and with so many nuances and side effects, it can often take years to find the right fit. One of the major responsibilities that comes with taking prescription medications is the daily ritual. Most if not all medications are supposed to be taken on a daily basis at similar times everyday. Missing days of medi- ation can have consequences both mentally and physically.

“I have accidentally gone off my medication, which resulted in extreme symptoms To address these challenges, Kamis sug- like birth control. gests several strategies that can help fe- “Athletes face unique mental health like nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, male athletes manage the impact of hor- challenges that stem from high pressure, and more,” Henderson said. “I was accimonal shifts on their performance. performance expectations, and the in- dentally taking a different medication be“Some ways female athletes can over- tense training regimens they follow,” Ka- cause I forgot to read my pill bottle. After come these challenges include tailoring mis said. “My role is to help them navigate that experience, I am very careful about your birth control: working with a health these mental health challenges and staying on top of taking my medication care provider to find the right type of con- sometimes the psychological effects that and consistently set alarms for taking my medication and traceptive that minimizes negative side can arise from inhave pill organizers effects,” Kamis said. “This might mean jury, competition, to make sure I do switching pills or using different forms of or drug-related isnot miss a day.” contraception, such as IUDs or implants, sues.

Seeking Fortunately, rethat release lower levels of progestin.” counseling or cent advancements One other option Kamis mentions: ad- therapy to manoffer hope for rejustments to diet and exercise. “Paying age mood swings ducing the stress of close attention to nutrition and adjusting and emotional managing medicatraining intensity around the menstrual cy- challenges associtions. The healthcle may help mitigate fatigue or mood-re- ated with horcare industry is lated issues,” Kamis said. monal shifts can evolving rapidly, In addition to the physical side effects be beneficial as driven by technothat birth control may have on athletic well.” logical innovations. performance, such as reduced testoster- According to One significant one levels and fatigue, maintaining men- website Believe development that tal sharpness is equally critical.

Perform, focus is minimizes the triFocus, often cited as the most important the most essential al-and-error proskill for athletes, plays a pivotal role in en- component to suring success during competition. Dr. supporting success. Focus allows athletes cess in prescribing medications is the use Kamis highlights the mental health chal- to attend to critical cues and concentrate of Artificial Intelligence. AI can analyze inlenges athletes face, including those on tasks to achieve success. The ability to dividual patient data and make informed linked to medications focus allows athletes to achieve their decisions about the most suitable medication(Global PPh). For now, however, goals.

“Personally, my med- many athletes continue to shoulder the ication is essen- responsibility of balancing these chaltial to my lenges. t r a i n i n g , Ultimately, the consequences of medis p e c i fi c a l l y cines can be hard to avoid, particularly my anxiety when they are taken out of necessity. For m e d i c a t i o n ,” athletes on prescribed medications, balHenderson said. ancing their treatment with the demands “It allows me to fo- of their sport requires careful managecus less on my anxi- ment, as consequences sometimes interety and stress and fere with their performance and well-bemore on what I care ing. Luckily, finding resources such as doctors to help experiment with proper about, my training.”

For many athletes, the doses and timing for athletes can help path the right medicine or one to navigate the stress of medicating. dosage can be daunting, 24 | vikingsportsmag.com 28 | |VIKING VIKINGMAGAZINE MAGA-

“[My medication] allows me to focus less on my anxiety and stress and more on what I care about, my training.”

- Mary Henderson (‘24)

Athletes face unique mental health challenges that stem from high pressure, performance expectations, and the intense training regimens they follow.

The most comm on method of contraceptio n used by women in the U S are oral contraceptives.

SIDE EFFECTS OF

PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS ADHD/ANXIETY MEDS - Limits social interaction and communication - Decrease in appetite

CONTRACEPTIVE MEDS - Can cause mood swings and fatigue - Decrease in VO2 max, lowers endurance in athletes

ACNE MEDS

- Increased skin sensitivity - Possible dryness and blistering when in chemicals and sunlight

DIABETES MEDS

- Constant monitoring and adjustment of dosage to prevent disruptions - Too much insulin risks low blood sugar @vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 25

DOUBLE

DUTY

by MAX MERKEL, DYLAN ROBINSON, and ISAAC TELYAZ

26 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Despite juggling multiple jobs to make a living, Palo Alto High School coaches are determined and committed to inspire their student-athletes.

A

t Paly, several coaches also passion for supporting young athletes. juggle other jobs, leveraging Coaching at Paly is more than just a skills from their outside jobs side job for these committed people. to enhance their coaching. Their For many, it feels like they’re adding a passion and commitment significantly second full-time impacts students’ lives, yet often go job on top of their unrecognized. main one.

With Paly sports, the spotlight is John Suter, generally focused solely on the student- who manages athlete. Parents are present at games to two airports see their kids play. Students go to support while coaching their friends. Others attend simply to JV baseball, spectate a sport they love. When the embodies this clock strikes zero, fans remember the relentless lifestyle. highlights: a beautiful goal, an incredible “Working and interception, a powerful homerun. running two Rarely, however, is a coach’s strategy, airports and leadership, or dedication mentioned: then coaching the countless hours they commit to baseball six creating gameplans, leading practice, months out and providing feedback is almost always of the year overlooked. Yet a coach’s influence is presents quite a not only measured by team success; challenge,” Suter they are role models dedicated to said. “I have 24 helping students succeed both on and hours in a day, off the field. and it’s a constant Brandon Byer, who coaches JV grind. I draw basketball and is an assistant coach strength from the for varsity basketball, loves being able lessons I learned to make a positive impact on student’s growing up about the importance of a lives through his passion for athletics. good work ethic.”

“What motivates me is my passion From early mornings spent preparing for assisting our youth and doing lessons or going to work, to late nights so through on the field or court, p h y s i c a l these coaches are not activity or wasting a second of sport,” Byer their time. Whether “I have 24 hours said. “I really it be 5:45 a.m. daily embrace the morning practices or in a day, and it’s roles that late games, it is these I have as a coaches who prioritize a constant grind. coach which their athletes and I draw strength enables me to consistently show up. teach life skills Jon Kessler, who from the lessons through skill teaches during the day I learned growing advancement, at Addison Elementary knowledge, School and coaches up about the and character the decorated Paly importance of a development.” wrestling team in the Although afternoons, feels that good work ethic.” coaches receive the two roles are often - John Suter compensation interconnected, but for their time, still require a careful a high school balance. coach cannot “I balance by just live sustainably making sure to stay off of their coaching salary. Instead, they on top of all my duties as a coach and often coach alongside a full-time job. teacher. I’m always planning in advance These dedicated individuals spend their to make sure I don’t fall behind,” Kessler days working in various professions, only said. “Thankfully, teaching and coaching to head straight to practice afterward. go hand in hand, my teaching job ends It is a lifestyle that requires impressive at 3 p.m., and then I head over to Paly time management skills and a genuine around 4 p.m. to start practice. It’s a bit of

a grind, but I enjoy it.”

Clare Doyle, the Paly girls field hockey coach and predoctoral researcher for an economics professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, focuses on the research on corporate taxation.

“I am using IRS data to identify corporations that set up specific international affiliate structures to legally avoid US taxes, and examining the economic impacts of these structures.”

Doyle said.

As a graduate student at Stanford, Doyle finds herself very busy in school, but finds ways to be flexible around her busy schedule.

This allows her to be able to be available for her student-athletes.

“Working in academia affords me a lot of flexibility to set my hours, and luckily Stanford is really close to Paly,” Doyle said. “Usually, I use coaching as a break in my workday and then go back to campus after practice to get a few more hours in.”

Doyle’s focus on being flexible shows her athletes how important it is to find balance in life. Similarly to these coaches managing multiple jobs, Paly athletes have to balance their schoolwork with sports. Being a student, especially at Paly, puts pressure on student athletes, as they are expected to excel in both academics and athletics. Seeing Doyle’s dedication encourages her student-athletes to handle their own busy schedules.

Balancing a coaching role with outside jobs is more than just managing time---t’s about staying fully engaged, even when you’re exhausted from constantly shifting between responsibilities. Brandon Byer teaches his P.E. lessons before coaching basketball at Paly. He talks about the importance of keeping his energy up in both settings.

“I juggle both teaching and coaching by being present in the moment and always trying to bring the same type of energy no matter where I am,” Byer said. “At school, I focus on our students and teach classes with high energy and passion. On the basketball court, I transfer that same fervor toward our high school student-

“Working and running two airports and then coaching baseball six months out of the year presents quite a challenge,” - John Suter

@vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 27

athletes.”

Coaches like Suter, Kessler, and Byer take on two jobs for one big reason– because they love helping young people. However, it is a commitment that comes with great sacrifices. Balancing both roles means they often have little room for personal hobbies, relaxation, and rest. Many coaches like Suter have strategies for finding calm in the chaos.

“When things, ideas, and even people become overwhelming, I stop to take a moment and return to my breathing,” Suter said. “Slowing down the moment and remembering that I am just passing through history.”

Despite the intense schedule, coaches like Kessler and Byer find ways to carve out moments for themselves to avoid burnout. Although Byer and Kessler have similar circumstances, they have different strategies to help decompress.

Kessler relies on his assistant coaches to help share the workload.

“I have great assistant coaches who put in a ton of time with the program,” Kessler said. “I can count on them to help run things if I’m busy. I also help to manage both by making sure I have some time to myself whether it’s playing golf, meeting up with friends, or

Baseball Coach John Suter

spending time with family.”

Byer, on the other hand, makes it a point to set aside time for exercise, meditation, and reading.

“It’s imperative that I maintain quality physical fitness, eat healthy, sleep, and take time for myself in certain passions that I enjoy,” Byer said.

“If I don’t do this, burnout is almost assured.”

Despite the pressures and the long hours that come with balancing c o a c h i n g alongside a stressful outside job, the rewards of coaching are what keep these individuals going.

Kessler explains that there is no better feeling than watching their athletes develop on the field and in life.

“It’s rewarding when you see hard work paying off,” Kessler said. “It’s rewarding when the athletes trust the process and believe in their teammates and coaches.

It’s rewarding when going to work and getting asked how the wrestling team did at the tournament over the weekend.”

Similarly, Suter and Doyle both find joy in watching their players develop confidence and resilience.

“Watching a player gain confidence from putting in the work and believing in the process fills me with a deep sense of joy,” Suter said.

“It is incredibly rewarding getting to see players’ hard work pay off on the field, and to watch them grow as leaders as well as athletes,” Doyle said. “Field hockey is not as big in California as it is on the East Coast

(where I moved from), and I really love getting to give back to the game and helping the sport grow and thrive out here.”

Another reason for being a dual-role coach is knowing that you are making an important impact on the younger generations’ lives and helping form a better future for the world.

“There are few things that give me more energy and excitement than when w i n t e r arrives and basketball season truly begins,” Byer said. “It is at that time of year when I know that my passion for teaching and coaching merge together. The responsibility of being able to teach and coach means everything to me.”

One of the unique benefits of coaches working other jobs is the skills they bring from one role to the other. Skills such as problem-solving, communication, and leadership, make them better coaches and give their respective teams an advantage. The problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills honed in their day jobs often enhance their coaching abilities, providing extra benefits to their teams. Byer believes his roles as a teacher and coach complement each other.

“As a teacher and a coach, communication is critical,” Byer said.

“The lessons, concepts, and life skills I teach in the classroom are also shared with our Paly athletes, though I may present them differently on the court.”

Similarly, Doyle finds that balancing both jobs comes with benefits that help improve her daily

“The lessons, concepts, and life skills I teach in the classroom are also shared with our Paly athletes, though I may present them differently on the court.”

- Brandon Byer

life.

“One of my favorite things about holding both jobs is that they are incredibly different from each other. Getting to spend a couple hours in the sunshine every afternoon after sitting at a computer coding all morning is one of the biggest perks of coaching,” Doyle said.

Despite the differences, she acknowledges that both jobs need strong communication and organizational skills.

“Both coaching a team and writing a research paper involve a lot of moving pieces, and neither can be done by one person working alone,” Doyle said.

The impact these coaches have goes beyond wins and losses.

They are teaching life lessons to their athletes that go beyond the classroom or the playing field. They are the first ones that students turn to for help in almost anything. This mentorship helps them not just with their sports careers, but with their lives as well.

“I think any coach will also tell you that we are just as competitive and invested in the season as our players are, often even more,” Coach Doyle said. “Practices and

games are always a strong motivation to help get through the rest of my workday.”

Even though these coaches do so much for their students, the contributions of dual-role coaches often are not talked about. They aren’t recognized half as much as the athletes are, even though the coaches are the ones putting them out on the field. The hours they spend planning and preparing are not seen by most people. Their dedication to balancing

two jobs is rarely acknowledged, but it is this commitment that makes them so invaluable. “Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it’s important that you do it,” Coach Suter said. The quiet dedication of coaches who work hard highlights their genuine desire to make a difference in the younger generation.

High school coaches with other jobs are the unnoticed heroes of the Paly Athletics community. They bring dedication, skill, and commitment to their roles, and their impact goes far beyond sports. These coaches not only help athletes advance in their athletics, but also teach resilience, perseverance, and the value of showing up no matter what.

By juggling their coaching duties with their careers, they show each studentathlete what a good work ethic looks like.

Every one of these coaches deserves more recognition for their sacrifices and the big difference they make in their students’ l i v e s , Clare Doyle shows the serving Paly girls field hockey not just as team the gameplan for coaches, the second half as they but as role play Archbishop Mitty models.

Photo by Lucas Tung

@vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 29

REBUILD RALLYING for

Following a difficult year, the Paly Cheer team is feeling encouraged to bounce back this season with new JV and Varsity coaches ready to lead the team to success.

By ARJUN BHARAT, FINNEGAN SCHOEBEL, SARAH THIEMAN, and LUCAS TUNG Photo by Adi Weiner

34 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

F

rom sideline to stunt season, the Paly cheer team dedicates countless hours year-round perfecting various routines, cheers, and performances — not only for the Paly community, but also for their own competitions. In the past, Paly Cheer has made it to CCS, State, and even National level competitions. Despite these accomplishments, many overlook the intense difficulty, precision, and time commitment that goes into their work, often failing to recognize cheer as a rigorous athletic activity. From the stands, we only get a glimpse of the skill and dedication that drives the team’s success.

Following years of strong performance, something went wrong last season. Due to internal conflicts in ideology on the team, the healthy environment collapsed, leading to damaged relationships and poor mental health. This eventually led to the departure of some players. With a new coach, this season will serve as a period of rebuilding and redemption for the cheer team.

Paly Cheer has a long history

of achievements and excellence.

From being frequent participants at regionals to becoming CCS champions in 2019 and national runners-up in 2012, the team has set a high standard for success.

The cheerleaders practice daily and work hard on their craft yearround. The team has always had a strong foundation, including a supportive community and a dedicated group of athletes who are committed to maintaining their

@vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 31 315

“There was just a lot of pressure coming from multiple sources, and after a while it turned into too much and people had enough.”

- Former Paly Cheerleader

impressive track record.

This strong foundation extends beyond just practice and competition. The Paly Cheer team fosters an environment of camaraderie and teamwork, where each member is encouraged to support one another both on and off the mat.

For example, a major part of cheer is stunting, an effort that requires trust and strength for a team to execute safely.

Their dedication is evident in their attention to detail, from perfecting routines to mastering stunts, and their commitment to excellence is mirrored by the unwavering support from their coaches and families.

Moreover, the team’s success is not only measured by their trophies but

also by the positive impact they have on the Paly community.

Their performances are aimed to boost school spirit and bring together students, staff, and parents, creating a vibrant and united atmosphere at football games and spirit events.

Despite their impressive track record, this past 2023-2024 season proved to be a rough patch for the team. So what went wrong last season that led to the team’s breakdown, and initiated the need for a team rebuild?

Last year, several key members of the cheer team quit the team following a rift between the coach and athletes, ac-

cording the multiple sources from the team. The exit of these experienced athletes, many of whom held major roles on the team, had a significant impact on team morale. This includes senior and former captain Lily Jeffrey, who believes that the primary issue came down to team dynamic and lack of change.

“There was a lot that went on that made a lot of teammates feel disrespected,” Jeffrey said. “A lot of us addressed our coach with our concerns, and we didn’t see improvement, so we decided that it was best to take a break from the team.”

Furthermore, there were a variety of additional motives that drove players to leave. The team had extremely long practices with few breaks, strict dress codes, and increased fees. Above all, a breakdown in team unity and spirit left many athletes feeling unmotivated to put in time and effort to improve. What once was supposed to be a fun athletic outlet and activity became a place of high pressure and drama that was damaging to mental health.

Class of 24’ alum and former Paly cheerleader Isabelle Linder participated in cheer her senior fall, but ended up quitting before the season ended.

“Within the team, there was a lot of drama, and a lot of the cheerleaders felt like going to practice and cheering just stopped being fun because it was always so dramatic,” Linder said. “There was just a lot of pressure coming from multiple sources, and after a while it turned into too much and people had enough.”

Throughout last

Photo by Lucas Tung

season, many players reported that the team was chaotic and disorganized, creating a highly stressful environment.

There was a lack in both structure and communication that heightened these issues.

Routines, including stunts and choreography, were often introduced only three days before a game, leading to a high-pressure rushed learning process.

This approach was frequently taken by the coach, and led to frustration among captains and team members who felt overwhelmed according to players.

Many raised questions about why they were learning these routines in such a short period of time.

“The team was stressed out because we all thought, ‘why are we doing this last minute when you’ve had the choreography for two weeks now, stuff like that, like the communication between the coach, captains, and the team was bad,” Linder said.

As a result of these issues, the captains ended up adopting a lot of coaching responsibilities, including stunt training and developing choreography. Yet this was not a long term solution, and the vague lines of responsibility further created tensions and confusion on the team, putting the captains in a complicated position with unclear roles and expectations.

“There wasn’t really a clear split between the role of the coach and the

captains, so the captains ended up doing a lot of our coaching, and while they did a great job, there was no clear split of responsibility, which also wasn’t communicated to the team,” Linder said.

Decisions made by the captains were frequently overturned by the coach last minute, such as choreography or counts, which added to the already high stress levels.

“The team environment wasn’t the best, mostly because there was a big split between captains and the rest of the team since the captains were doing the majority of the coaching, so they were usually seen almost like coaches,” a former cheer member who wished to remain anonymous said. “This caused drama because if people were unhappy with the coach, they kind of took it out on the captains as well.”

Pressure to perform perfectly was also a significant issue. Even in the short learning periods, the team was under an expectation to perform to perfection and invest extreme effort at all times.

During practice, there were frequent

“I hope that the team finds as much joy and passion for cheerleading as I do,” -Coach Gurewitz

threats of exclusions from games, stunts, or routines if something wasn’t executed to the highest degree of the former coach’s satisfaction. The time crunches often resulted in frustration if people couldn’t pick things up fast enough, and caused discourse and tensions between teammates.

Junior Jazmyn Seeger participated in cheer her freshman and sophomore year, and explained her thoughts on what caused discontent.

“It just started to become a little bit controlling in my personal experience, and there were a lot of disagreements on the team,” Seeger said.

Data from 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 School Year

@vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 33

“It started to become less of a team and the community, and the environment felt a little hostile.”

These expectations or perfection negatively impacted the team environment.

The team experienced internal division due to differing priorities.

“There were also a lot of different a m bi-

the team, some people really wanted to do well and put a lot of effort into it, and some just wanted a fun activity after school, which caused a lot of drama among teammates with rumors and stuff,” Jeffrey said.

The team reached out to the coach multiple times about restructuring practice, improving coaching, and more effective communication. Despite expressing these concerns, the team saw no change.

“There were plenty of meetings of members going to the coach expressing unhappiness about the coaching, discussing issues, you know, anything about better planning and communication, but nothing really changed, and when this became a pattern is when people considered quitting,” Linder said.

“There was an incident with the fire alarm or fire drill, there was a fire drill, the alarm went off in the building, no one was sure whether it was drill or real alarm, and the team was not allowed to evacuate, they were told by their coach to just keep practicing as normal,” a former cheerleader who wished to stay anonymous said. “That was sort of the last straw, after that people just quit the team. Once that happened, it was sort of a chain reaction. Once all the captains got really upset with the coach due to lack of communication, they quit, and after that a big part of the team quit as well.”

Despite these shortcomings, Paly Cheer is beginning to spark once more.

Now, with hopes of reviving the Paly Cheer program underway, this upcoming year marks a fresh start with changes in leadership and structure. At the center of this rebuild is the introduction of new coach Helene Gurewitz, who aims to introduce new approaches to the team. Viking reached out to the prior coach for comment, but she declined to participate in the story. With a signficant legacy to build upon from last year, Gurewitz is excited to usher in a new era of Paly cheer.

“I hope that I can bring a new energy to Paly cheer because while I may not know what the team was like in previous years, I know that new leadership signifies a lot of new opportunities.” Gurewitz said.

Gurewitz plans to focus the cheer team’s efforts on events focused around Paly’s community at large, such as ex-

“I have personally had a lot of people tell me...why do you have to practice for so long or why is it even considered a sport?”

- Lily Jeffrey (‘25)

Keely Washington (’23)

tions o n

34 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

tending the team’s outreach beyond just football games by participating in upcoming philanthropic events in the area.

“I really want us to focus on empathy, compassion, and giving back to the community by cheering for more sports than just football and participating in philanthropy events in and around Palo Alto,” Gurewitz said. “While football season is super fun, I’m trying to emphasize cheering at more female-led sports and philanthropy events.”

In addition, Gurewitz plans to expand Paly cheer’s leadership in order to give athletes more responsibility and chances to help than in the past. Gurewitz believes that the introduction of new leadership can signal new chances for the team to succeed as a group. Gurewitz’s expansion plans include the introduction of three new leadership positions for athletes: Team Manager, Outreach Director, and Social media director.

Above all, Gurewitz maintains that her most important objective is to help the team develop as a whole, and to help everyone reach their fullest potential. Her philosophy focuses on teamwork and trust, and a love for cheerleading that she hopes she can spread to the athletes.

“I hope that the team finds as much joy and passion for cheerleading as I do,” Gurewitz said. “Of course, having some really cool halftime routines and winning a few competitions wouldn’t hurt, but my main focus is developing team skills both on and off the mat.”

With all of these changes taking place, it marks the beginning of a new era in cheer. Many athletes are excited for this next season and looking forward to everything that they can achieve with their new coach. Seeger is entering her third year of cheer and believes that Gurewitz is providing an opportunity for the team to reunite.

“So far it is going pretty well with our new coach, and all the people that came back are obviously the people that really want to be there,” Seeger said. “We all persisted and all decided to come back so I think we are all trying to make it better this year and rebuild our team.”

Even though the cheer team is back together, some issues still remain. Unfortunately, the hard work that cheerleaders put in to perfecting their craft is often undermined and undervalued by others who don’t recognize the commitment and dedication that cheer demands from athletes. The dedication of cheer athletes is no more apparent than in the huge expenses cheer athletes are

expected to pay each year just to be a part of the team.

Cheer is one of the only sports that isn’t subsidized by Paly Athletics, causing cheer to be one of the most costly sports to participate in at Paly. Between uniforms, travel and entry fees, students will often pay over $3,000 for a three-season year of cheer. These costs are not suggested donations to cheer, but rather are required for participation. This is the key difference separating cheer from other sports at Paly, as no other Paly athletes are required to pay for their own uniforms and travel.

In addition to spending large amounts each season, cheerleaders are expected to raise a minimum of $120 for cheer by selling chocolate bars on their own time. No other Paly sports have individual athletes fundraise for their sports at a similar rate at all. Cheerleaders need to spend hours of their own time marketing products in order to meet donation quotas. Money raised by the team goes into buying uniforms, bus fares and other expenses.

Gurewitz and the Paly cheer program are working to combat this issue, which has held membership back in previous years, but she emphasizes that the best way to bring change is through participation, and she encourages the Paly community to get involved in helping the team.

“We try to make cheer as accessible as possible, but it is a very expensive sport meaning we rely heavily on fundraiser and athlete donations to fund everything from our uniforms to tumbling or stunting clinics,” Gurewitz said. “Showing up to the various events we will be cheering at is always appreciated and make sure to keep a lookout for our

competition schedule so you can support the sport that supports all others.”

A key factor in boosting the rebuild of Paly cheer is support from the Paly community. Although Paly has a strong school spirit culture, cheer fails to take a place in the spotlight. The lack of support and recognition can often have a negative effect on athletes “In the past, we’ve felt like there’s little crowd engagement with us, which can be difficult if there are other student leaders at football games, they can’t hear us cheer, or don’t know the cheers,” Jeffrey said. “But I do think that it would be fun if there was more of a connection between the student section and then the cheer team.”

So why has cheer been sidelined in Paly athletic culture? Cheer captain and Paly Senior Lily Jeffrey believes that cheerleading needs to be recognized as a real sport to gain more attention.

“I know in the past, a lot of the members on our team, including myself, have felt cheer isn’t seen as a real or difficult sport,” Jeffrey said. “At football games, what people see is us doing more simple things on the sidelines, or what are seemingly easy routines or skills, but what a lot of people don’t see is our competition season.”

Jeffrey’s frustration is shared by many on the team. Despite the physical and mental demands of cheerleading, the perception that it’s an “easier” or “lesser” sport persists. This issue can be very frustrating for the athletes, as despite the huge amounts of work they put in, they are never fully appreciated for their work.

“I personally have had a lot of people tell me, cheer doesn’t seem that hard,” Jeffrey said. “Why do you have to practice for so long or why is it even con-

sidered a sport? I think that getting away from those comments and trying to understand that what we do is actually really difficult would be good for cheer’s image.”

Despite challenges, many returning athletes are excited to make a comeback in the upcoming season. Throughout her four years of cheer, senior Abigail Karel looks back fondly on her memories cheering for Paly and is excited for her final year on the squad.

“We have new coaches this year, for both JV and Varsity and we have had a great time getting to know them and our new team,” Karel said. “I’m really looking forward to this final football season and making lots of memories before I graduate.”

Jeffrey shares this sentiment, hoping that a fresh start will allow her final season to create more lasting memories.

“I’m really excited to be back on the team, and to experience senior night, I think it’ll be a good year to end my high school cheer experience.” Jeffrey said.

Despite setbacks at the end of last year, the team is prepared to move into a new era of Paly cheer, one that elevates and encourages its members. Two new coaches, a refocus on fun in cheer, and opportunities to branch out performances are making this year feel like the perfect new beginning for Paly cheer.

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Quita

W

Friend TO

By CARTER BURNETT, BEN LEVAV, and ADI WEINER

Foe

Fantasy football is an intense game and a great way to get closer to friends. The winner is crowned champion for the year, and the loser sometimes serves a punishment, so the stakes are high.

F

. antasy football is a roller coaster of larger than those from a redraft league. Leagues will often have incentives to emotions: from your first-round pick The draft before the season consists of keep league-mates active week to week. getting a season-ending injury, to the the incoming NFL The two most complayer you just picked up on waiver rookie class, similar to mon incentives are “I ended up winning the first creating a money wires becoming a league winner, fantasy the real NFL draft. round [of playoffs] marginally pool for the winner football is an unpredictable yet exciting Lastly, in an auction and eventually went on to dom- and/or a punishjourney. draft each person has inate in the finals, partially due ment for the loser.

There are a variety of formats that a set dollar amount to leagues can use to distribute players. spend throughout the In a punishment to my team exceeding expecLeagues with some sort of traditional draft. Each NFL player tations, but mostly because l e a g u e , drafting component typically utilize a is available on the my opponents had extremely l e a g u e - m e m b e r s snake draft, in which the order for picking auction block, and unfortunate weeks in terms of will decide on a punreverses each round. So the player with eventually goes to the ishment for the lasttheir teams’ performances.” the first pick in the first round would have highest bidder. place finisher at the the last pick in the second round, and Most people have a beginning of the -ROHAN BHATT (‘27) then the first pick again in the third round. strong preference on season. Once the This pattern continues for the entire draft. playing in a PPR season plays out, The most popular is the redraft, where league versus a nonthe losing member each player drafts a completely new team PPR league. A PPR, or has to complete this every year. This system fosters a more ex- points per reception, league leads to punishment. Sophomore Kavan Zia, a lastciting, unpredictable league, and pre- more points scored and a higher reward place finisher from last fantasy football vents individual for more catches, so season discusses the extremity of his punplayers from domiyou would favor wide ishment.

“Those who typically succeed nating year in year receivers, specifically “I kind of just dealt with [my punishout with the same ones who get a lot of ment]. It was embarrassing at first but I are the people that are always players. A redraft targets, and running- got used to it,” Zia said. on the waiver wires and updatleague typically inbacks who are fea- For Zia, this punishment was a very uning their roster. As someone cludes eight to tured in the passing even haircut on the sides and back of his who finished last, I didn’t put twelve people, and game. When playing head. The new and improved punishment enough time in, but I think most each person drafts a in non-PPR league, a will be a fully bleached buzz cut. people edit their team and team made up of 15 league where points “Last year’s punishment was a bit too do research for about 15-20 to 16 players, inare only counted soft, causing our league to up the stakes a minutes a week.” cluding a defense based off yards, you little bit,” Rohan Bhatt, the winner of his and kicker.

- CORMAC WHITE (‘25) would favor running- and Zia’s league said.

Contrary to a rebacks since they In a competitive league, winning redraft, in a dynasty would be the higher quires effort and time. Researching, draftdraft each person point getters than re- ing a team, proposing trades, claiming carries over their players from the prior ceivers. Also, non-PPR leagues target re- players off of the waiver wire, setting a season. Players can be retained by one ceivers that run a lot of deep routes, and starting lineup to win your weekly matchteam indefinitely, and rosters are typically get more yards per catch then targets. ups are steps needed to give yourself the 36 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

BIGGEST SURPRISES THIS YEAR 2023

Sam Darnold is the true epitome of a sleeper fantasy football player. He went from being a backup averaging just over 2 points per game, to averaging almost 20 points per game, becoming the fourth best fantasy quarterback this year.

Jameson Williams 6.7 PPG jordan mason 2.6 PPG Jauan Jennings 4.0 PPG SAM DARNOLD 2.3 PPG alvin kamara 17.9 PPG

2024

14.0 PPG 18.6 PPG 18.9 PPG 19.6 PPG 26.6 PPG

best chance of winning.

Despite this understanding, White ad- Sabina said.

Paly junior and former league winner mitted he didn’t invest enough time last Sabina spends around 30 minutes a Vinay Shah talks about his strategy and season. week looking up stats and reviewing NFL motivation.

“As someone who fin- games to inform his decisions, but de“I like to say I put in ished last, I didn’t put spite the effort, he also finished at the botan hour a week in re- “You miss one hundred per- enough time in, but I tom of his league. search on who to cent of the shots you don’t think most people edit “I think the biggest mistake was not adpick up in the waiver their team and do re- justing my strategy soon enough. You retake, and I did not want search for about 15-20 ally have to stay on top of things,” he said. wire, and on possible trades to make,” to do the punishment so I minutes a week,” White Engagement throughout the season is Shah said. “I would would take any chance to said. critical, as Bhatt and Shah’s success shows. send out at least White’s downfall illusBoth of these past winners knew that winimprove my roster.” three trades a week, trates how even a small ning isn’t just about the draft; it’s about my mentality was time commitment can managing your team every single week.

-VINAY SHAH (‘26) make the difference be- Regularly making waiver claims, proposyou miss one hundred percent of the tween winning and los- ing trades, and fine-tuning lineups are all shots you don’t take, ing. crucial strategies that separate top-tier and I did not want to do the punishment Senior Milo Sabina echoed White’s sen- managers from the rest of the pack. so I would take any chance to improve my timent for success.

However, no amount of preparation or roster.”

“Dedication, commitment, and hustle,” strategy can prevent the many challenges Sophomore Rohan Bhatt, another league winner, reflects on what led to his success.

“I spent around 30 minutes a week, but also around an extra couple hours when you take the draft and draft prep into account,” Bhatt said. “Frequent check ups plus having a clear draft strategy are the two must do’s as a fantasy manager. Without these two things, it will be quite hard to win your league.”

Success in fantasy football is about consistency and effort throughout the season.

Paly senior Cormac White emphasizes this point, noting how essential it is to stay active.

“I think it takes discipline because those who typically succeed are the people that are always on the waiver wires and updating their roster,” White said. @vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 37

that arise throughout a fantasy football ers are able to football season. Uncooperative league- win games, mates, unpredictable players, and injuries even when can thwart any fantasy team in its journey they are overto a championchip. matched by There are endless possibilities as to what their oppowill happen throughout the season to nent. This was each and every player: a breakout rookie the case for that no one had on their radar, a star play- Bhatt in the er who refuses to play due to unresolved first round of contract negotiations, a first round pick the playoffs. sustaining a season ending injury in week “I ended up one, ect. There are no guarantees in Fan- winning the tasy Football. first round [of Just last season rookie wide receiver playoffs] marPuka Nacua ended the year as the fourth ginally and best fantasy wide receiver despite going e v e n t u a l l y undrafted in most leagues. Justin Fields went on to on the other hand, who some thought dominate in the finals, partially due to my vested in the NFL season, or because they could be the number one fantasy quarter- team exceeding expectations, but mostly are forced to play in their family league. back coming into the season, ended the because I spent a good amount of time At the end of the day, fantasy football is year ranked in preparing for the season more than just a hobby—it’s a blend of the bottom and therefore ended up preparation, strategy, and unpredictabili“I think the biggest mishalf of all with a better draft than most ty. take was not adjusting my quarterbacks. of my league mates,” Bhatt Whether you’re playing for pride, monThis would said. ey, or just to avoid an embarrassing punstrategy soon enough. You make him a Fantasy football is played ishment, there’s no guarantee that hard really have to stay on top solid backup for many reasons, and on work will pay off in the way you expect. of things.” at best. In admany different levels. Some But, as Sabina, White, and many like them dition, player people play fantasy foot- have learned, effort is non-negotiable if performances ball to stay in touch with you want a chance at the top spot. After - MILO SABINA (‘25) vary week to their friends. Others play all, there is always that slim chance that week. A playfor the chance to win the benchwarmer you auto-drafted in the er may score triple their expected points money, or to see one of their friends go 14th round becomes the one to carry you in one week, and then score almost zero through the embarrassment of a punish- to victory — or at least, save you from a huthe next. This is how some fantasy manag- ment. Maybe they play to stay more in- miliating haircut.

25%

75%

HOW THE LEAGUE WORKS

-------- FOR BEGINNERS

1. MAKE LEAGUE OF 8-12 PEOPLE 2. SCHEDULE A DRAFT 3. DECIDE ON BUY-IN AMOUNT 4. ESTABLISH (POTENTIAL) PUNISHMENT 5. TRACK PERFORMANCE & INJURIES 6. MAKE TRADES 7. PICK UP PLAYERS OFF THE WAIVER-WIRE 8. SET WEEKLY LINE-UP 9. BEST TEAMS COMPETE IN PLAYOFFS 9. LASTS THE WHOLE REGULAR FOOTBALL SEASON 10. HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHUPS WEEKLY 38 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

g in

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d n u

F

E H T

u F

by LUKE JOACHIM, TYLER CHEUNG, and MALCOLM GINWALLA

Every Paly athlete needs to donate a significant amount of money to their sport. However, many athletes and parents are unaware of how this actually affects the team. Where does this money actually go?

A

s the Paly football team walked task, however, badminton continues to said. “The money that we make goes to into their game against Moun- lack significant amounts of funding, and the coaches, and then they oversee where tain View Friday night, the lights overall is not a very successful in winning the money is allocated, and how it is spent reflected off of their custom Nike games as a team. between junior varsity and varsity athjerseys; their $440 helmets squeaky clean. Many parents and students alike ask letes.”

To outfit just one football player, the aver- questions such as, “Where does the mon- The dollar amount each team requests age cost is $1,200 per player each season. ey that we’re donating go?” and “how is it from their athletes varies, yet in general is That includes shoulder-pads, girdles, helping our athletes?” The process of often not enough to adequately fund the knee pads, mouth guards, game and finding that answer start at the Annual sport. At first glance it seems that athletes practice jerseys, and of course, the hel- Athletics Meetings. have to pay a lot of money for their sports, met. To fund a team of 50 players, it takes On August 22, 2024, Paly Athletics had though in reality many sports don’t break a significant amount of money. For the its Annual Fall Athletics Meeting, where even financially, and rarely make any proffootball team, they do enough funding athletes’ parents meet with coaches to it. and fundraising to pay for the cost of their discuss donating to their athletes’ sports. “As a Paly athletics program, you’re part equipment.

But where does the money ac- of Paly athletics, and in order to function The same cantually go? Par- as such, this is your participation,” Crane not be said for ents and play- said. “If we didn’t have that [money] then other sports. ers are told we wouldn’t be able to participate in ath“The money that we make goes to For the badthat their letics.” the coaches, and then they oversee minton team, f u n d i n g Each program uses the funds differently: where the money is allocated.” athletes walk goes “to- some programs spend all the money on -JENNIFER CRANE into their wards the varsity athletes and none on junior varsity games with outteam”, yet athletes, while others separate the money ATHLETIC DIRECTOR dated equipthis is an by dividing it between sub-teams. Coach ment and old jero v e r s i m- Brandon Byer of the Palo Alto High School seys. They have plified ex- JV Basketball team describes the different limited gear and planation for a ways in which funds are allocated in Paly supply from a lack of funding. A ma- process that is both complicated and inte- basketball. jority of players have to buy and maintain gral to every Paly sports team.

“Funds for the varsity, JV, and freshmen their own rackets because the school Athletic Director Jennifer Crane over- teams are accumulated into a pool of does not provide high quality rackets. The sees the allocation of money in the athlet- funds for our whole program use,” Byer average racquet costs between $30-$50, ic department. said. “And yet, there are specific amounts and the overall price per player is $260. “We have 25 programs at Paly, programs of money that each team can access. For With 120 athletes, this should be a simple include both JV and varsity teams,” Crane example, for each of our program’s ‘End @vikingsportsmag | October 2024 | 39

of Year Banquets’ each of our teams can sweatshirts, t-shirts, and much more. Ac- able, and a great way to raise money. access specific dollars to fund those cele- cording to baseball player Carter Bader, “We do a lot of things, from selling canbrations.” the team has plenty of money. dy bars, to Little Vikes where we practice While all of the programs fall under the “Every year there’s a pamphlet that fami- with some of the middle schoolers, and Athletic Department’s budget, the reality lies fill out for merchandise that we want,” do a performance with them,” Karel said. is that the coaches manage most of the Bader said. “We got new balls last year “We also do things like Christmas tree money, and it’s up to their discretion as to because balls are pretty expensive, so land where we sell winter drinks, and how they use it. The athletic department’s that’s where a majority of the money went Christmas themed goodies, and it helps job is to manage overall spending and too. We do get new hats and things like us fund our competitions and things like make sure that coaches do not exceed the that [every] year.” that.” amount in their budget.

The disparity between varsity and JV It’s important to understand the overall If a coach overspends, then the program equipment is evident significance of the donations to these faces harsh consequences. For example, for junior tennis sports programs, as without two years ago, the former softball coach player Ethan them, they spent significantly more money than was Kleiner. would face budgeted for the team. As a result, the “Varsity gets s i g n i fi c a n t “When I see other teams getting nice coach was fired, and his actions caused a lot more issues. At merchandise it makes it feel like our the team $1000 worth of debt, hindering funding and Paly, some program is below theirs in terms of their ability to pay for new equipment un- supplies than s p o r t s importance.” til the debts are repaid. According to Sun- JV,” Kleiner teams do -VENKATESH BHARADWAJ (26’) day Ahn, a junior in the softball program, said.

“Varsity face these BADMINTON the team continues to feel the impacts of gets a van to go challengthe coach’s decision even today. to games, along es, and “I would say it’s definitely been worse in with better balls, these athpast years,” Ahn said. “There have been snacks, and court priority.” letes as a some changes since we got new coaches, However, there are other methods for result get negatively impacted. The equipbut it overall feels like there is a lot less fundraising, like working at ASB’s Stanford ment that these athletes receive affect funding and recognition in comparison to Parking, and fundraising on your own. The how they feel about their sport, and it can other programs.” cheer team is a great example of this, as be disheartening to see their team not The boys baseball program, on the con- they hold multiple fundraisers every year. having enough funding to pay for balls, trary, has a seemingly endless fund of One of their annual fundraisers is the can- while other teams have merch and team money according to students: players re- dy bar fundraiser. Senior and cheerleader backpacks. For junior Fallon Porter, this ceive customized bags, jerseys, hats, Abbie Karel finds fundraising really enjoy- factor influenced her decision to join the

Number 5 Roan Haney (‘25) and the waterpolo team warm up for a big game against the Los Altos Eagles.

40 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

Photo By Lucas Tung

Photo By Lucas Tung

Tarika Pillay (‘26) prepares to recieve a pass from her teammate in the center of the field in Paly Field Hockey’s game against Archibishop Mitty. water polo team. to Palo Alto High School. If an athlete is equipment is used for safety rather than “I joined water polo because it had bet- serious about playing at the top level, performance enhancement. With conter equipment and overall it looked like a they will look for schools with the best cerns for youth head injuries, football helbetter program,” Porter said. “Thats why I reputation and financial backing. The mets are at the core of player safety. Curchose it over other things like volleyball.” promise of competitive support can expo- rently, some JV players are limited to For student athletes that are part of un- nentially increase the amount of high older and less advanced helmets (nickfunded programs, they don’t try as hard. ranked recruits at Paly. named buckets), because Paly doesn’t When they see their peers in popular Playing in CCS, Paly faces many talented have enough modern helmets (Riddell sports receiving new uniforms, advanced and well funded priate school Speedflexes). coaching, and statep r o g r a m s , “In my freshman year I had a bucket, beof-the-art facilisuch as Bel- cause they ran out of Speedflexes,” junior ties, it can lead larmine and Aryav Singh said. “They told me it was just to feelings of Menlo. Lack as safe, but I felt like it provided less pro“I transferred from Gunn to Paly neglect and inof funding tection compared to a Speedflex.” because of the good wrestling equality.

This can be the It is one thing for equipment to limit equipment and facilities.” disparity can didifference performance, but it is crucial for equipminish students’ b e t w e e n ment to ensure player safety.

- ATTICUS AYER (26’), motivation to parw i n n i n g At the end of the day, sports funding can WRESTLING ticipate and sucor losing have a great impact on not only player’s ceed in their choa g a i n s t performances, but also on the developsen sports, which any of these ment of players overtime. Having top can have lasting effects on their t e a m s .

Declining results notch equipment and facilities can be the overall school experience. Venkatesh against local competition can hurt Paly’s deciding factor that allows some Paly athBharadwaj, a junior on the varsity badmin- athletic reputation as a whole. This de- letes to play at the elite level. ton team, is upset by the lack of funding. cline can lead to fewer opportunities for If donations are not properly spent, “Sometimes we don’t have the funding athletes to shine. In addition to this, less teams will not have enough support to to get the things and materials that we students will be inclined to join athletic succeed. When people spend significant would like as a team,” Bharadwaj said. programs if they are already performing amounts of money on their sports, it is es“When I see other teams getting a bunch poorly. With strong financial backing, Paly sential for them to know it is directly afof nice merchandise it makes it feel like athletes can compete to their fullest and fecting their sports. Money spent properly our program is below theirs in terms of represent the school well. can shape the athletic future of Paly athimportance.”

Sub-par equipment can not only affect letes.

Funding can also play a significant role performance, but it can also affect safety. in attracting talented athletes to transfer In sports like football, a majority of the @vikingsportsmag | October 2024 | 41

PURSUIT on

REINS

By JAKE LIU and EVIN STEELE

the

Paly offers a great selection of sports, but there are still many that aren’t offered for Vikings.

Senior Helena Bondolowski’s lifelong passion is one of those: Horseback riding.

S

enior Helena Bondolowski started manding, horseback riding takes mental can also be very stressful, demanding, horseback riding non-competi- strength as if you are managing an animal and time-consuming. Competitions are a tively at the age of three after her that is 10 times your size,” Bondolowski long process as trainers need to prepare parents enrolled her in a horse- said. horses a few days before the show, and back riding summer camp. Bondolowski Bondolowski’s start to horseback riding shows are normally four to five days long. started competitively riding more recent- began very smoothly and promisingly.

“Competitions, or shows, are very comly, at the age of 13. Horseback riding is an She has gone to various shows through- petitive within the barn and between intricate sport involving a combination of out her career barns,” Bonreins, leg pressure, and body movements. where she has dolowski The sport requires trust between the rider ridden and said. “Honand the horse, along with communication. placed well. estly, I feel Although it isn’t a sport offered at Paly, “I have been that shows “Even though it is not as physhorseback riding is just as dynamic and champion of are a very ically demanding, horseback time-consuming as any other sport. my division at toxic enviDespite the public’s pessimistic opinion m u l t i p l e ronment but riding takes mental strength as on horseback riding regarding cost, ani- shows, and my it is always mal welfare, safety concerns, and environ- biggest acfun to be if you are managing an animal mental impact, Bondolowski shares the complishment able to relax that is 10 times your size,” special bond and sense of fulfillment she’s was getting and ride made with her horse.

3rd at National your horse, - Helena Bondolowski (‘25) “Even though it is not as physically de- in 2021 leadbecause ing our team that’s what to the Middle it’s all about School victoat the end of ry,” Bondolowski said. the day.”

Bondolowski has had many memorable There are two types of riding, English moments in her horseback riding career, and Western. Bondolowski only particiand while some experiences haven’t al- pates in English, and the individual styles ways been perfect, they have always within English are: eventing, hunters, taught her valuable lessons. And most im- jumpers, and equitation. Bondolowski’s portantly, she doesn’t let the tough learn- favorite categories to compete under are ing obstacles bring her down. hunters and equitation. Hunters are where “My most memorable event was winning the judge evaluates the movement of nationals,” Bondolowski said. “On the first your horse, and the rider determines how day, I fell off of the horse I was randomly the horse moves. assigned to, but I didn’t let that bring me “Hunters are the most fun for me bedown and I ended up 3rd the next day.” cause my horse is simply more comfortBeyond just weekly riding, competitions able in the hunter ring rather than the inand shows are a big part of horseback rid- tricate courses that are in the equitation ing. However, while they are a good way ring,” Bondolowski said. to showcase skill and improvement, they Competing is such a unique experience 42 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

because the riders can showcase the con- Horseback riding has many difficult and school sport. But with this being said, nection that they’ve cultivated with their challenges, and one of the tough and horseback riding is a nationally recoghorse. Bondolowski understands how main challenges with horseback riding is nized sport, as the Olympics also had it in forming a connection with your horse is the expense. Expense in any sport is im- their games this year in Paris. extremely vital and the key to success. portant, yet oftentimes overlooked by the “It is unfortunate that it is not part of Paly “This is special as you slowly form a general public. Horseback riding is up sports, but with it being so expensive, it is bond, and in my case, help train a young there as one of the more expensive inaccessible to most and would be very horse into their full potential,” Bon- sports, due to the maintenance required hard to charter and organize,” Bondolowski for the horses dolowski said. said. and the Being a high school student, BonH o w e v e r, e q u i p m e n t dolowski understands the difficulties of her success required to balancing her personal and athletic lives. in the field ride. Bondlos“Balancing horseback riding, work, and “Balancing horseback riding, requires a ki feels the ex- school is definitely a struggle at times, but strenuous pense has I make it work because I love it so much,” work, and school is definitely a training regic h a l l e n g e d Bondolowski said. men.

Bonher along her Bondolwksi’s horse means a lot to her as struggle at times but I make it dolowski journey as a she relies on it to be successful in her racwork because I love it so much,” works yearh o r s e b a c k es. She has recently gotten a new horse round, multirider. and has to start from the ground up, re-Helena Bondolowski (‘25) ple days a “A big chal- building trust. week to lenge for me “My horse’s name is Angel and his show maintain her was the ex- name is Los Angeles, he is a pretty young horse and pense, horse- horse and I haven’t had him for super the skills reback riding in long but we are slowly starting to trust quired to ride and compete at a high lev- general is a very expensive sport and this each other,” Bondolowski said. el. stopped me from progressing for a very Bondolowski’s start to horseback riding “At the beginning of the week, we work long time,” Bondolowski said. was very smooth, setting the scene for a on more foundational work, called flat She understands this is one of the main very positive future in riding. Not only work, and then later on we start jumping reasons why horseback riding is not a Paly have her skills showcased her dedication and increase the difficulty from there,” and work ethic but has also given her the Bondolowski said. recognition that she deserves through The time commitment to horseback ridher victories and placements. She hopes ing is similar to other competitive sports. to continue to build on her success and It requires lots of time on the field and off prosper in the future. the field with lots of “I hope to further develop preparation.

Bonmy young horse with condolowski’s training is sistent rides and slowly rigorous and move up divisions,” Bontime-consuming. dolowski said.

“I have to train six days a week and each lesson is one hour, depending on what I have to work on,” Bondolowski said.

Addie Campany, Sacred Heart Prep s enior and teammate of Bondolowski, rides with Bondolowki together at Stanford Barn. Campany notices Bondolowski’s work ethic, and how she is very focused on her skills and doing well in competitions.

“Helena is very dedicated and passionate about her sport, she always makes Photos Courtesy of time to ride no matter what else she has going on,” Campany said. “The improveHelena Bondolowski ments she has made in the last year are amazing and she even competed in a national final this year as a result of the large amount of time and effort she puts in.”

@vikingsportsmag | OCT 2024 | 43

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She is a proud graduate of PALY!

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Laurel Robinson

REALTOR® Palo Alto Real Estate Specialist 18 Years Experience

650.269.7266

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The Final Word

Hardware uman over

By TYLER CHEUNG

With the rise of ball tracking technology, automated umpires have become a real option within the game of baseball. Should these automated umpires replace their human counterparts?

T

hat’s the ball game! The Astros defeated the Phillies 5-2 in game two of the 2022 World Series. This game was a staple in history, but not for the reason you would think. Umpire Pat Hoberg called a perfect game, calling 89 balls and 40 strikes perfectly.

In every sport, referees are a core element of the game. They interpret the rules to make the game as fair as possible for both teams. While refs are important in other sports, umpires are crucial for the game of baseball. Every single moment of action in a baseball game involves an umpire, every pitch, hit, tag, swing and throw. Baseball umpires don’t monitor a game, they control it. In a typical MLB game, an umpire can make three to four hundred calls.

Every professional MLB game has four umpires, one for each plate. The home plate umpire is the most important, calling all balls, strikes and plays at home plate.

The first, second, and third plate umpires watch if the batter swings, in addition to making all calls at their respective bases.

Every pitch has five possible outcomes: ball, called strike, swinging strike, foul ball and a hit. The most important of these are the balls and called strikes.

The strike zone is an imaginary box that spans over the home

plate, under the batter’s mid torso, and above the batter’s knee. If the batter does not swing, it is up to the home plate umpire to determine if the ball crossed home plate inside or outside the box. If it is inside the box, it is called a strike, and if it is outside the box, it is called a ball.

MLB umpires, being human, are not perfect 100% of the time. With balls traveling at over 90 miles per hour, it is very difficult for umpires to pinpoint the exact location of every single pitch. With the development of ball tracking technology, many fans argue that human umpires should be replaced by their robotic counterparts. The a u t o m at e d ball and strike system (ABS), better known as automated umpires, creates a three dimensional graph of the baseball using multiple camera angles. This computer precision can track a fast moving baseball better than any human umpire.

Despite this automated system’s accuracy, fully transitioning to ABS is not the best option for the future of the MLB. There are many reasons that support this, one of them being the removal of framing. Framing is a method used by catchers in which they catch the ball at an angle that makes a ball look like a strike to a human umpire. Framing is the skill that separates good and great catchers.

“Despite this automated system’s accuracy, fully transitioning to ABS is not the best option for the future of the MLB.”

Statistically, catchers who are good at framing record around 10% more strikes than catchers who aren’t good at framing.

Some of the best framers in the MLB are Patrick Bailey of the San Francisco Giants and Austin Wells of the New York Yankees.

Adding automated umpires will dramatically reduce the effectiveness of framing, which will subsequently reduce the value of a good catcher.

A big part of baseball is the catcher and umpire relationship. Throughout the game, umpires and catchers often have polite conversations with a goal of getting fair calls. For instance, a catcher can respectfully protest an umpire’s call by talking to him. If the umpire agrees, he will concede that call the next time a similar pitch occurs.

People often believe that it is really easy to become an umpire.

H o w e v e r, becoming a MLB umpire is far from easy.

To apply, a trainee must join a one day bootcamp; if he performs Nate Donaker well, he will delivers a powerful be sent to a pitch with pinpoint one month precision. training

@vikingsportsmag | October 2024 | 45

Photo courtesy of Jason Hu

nor league umpire only gets paid around 25 thousand dollars a year. This system ensures that the MLB umpires are the best of the best.

There is a common misconception that MLB umpires are ensured job security by the umpiring union. This is not completely true. After every game, each umpire will receive a score projecting their accuracy for that game. If an umpire’s accuracy gets too low over many games, they will be put on a probation period. During this probation period, an umpire must improve their accuracy or they will be demoted or fired. Infamous umpires like Angel Hernandez and Joe West stayed above this threshold which protected them from getting fired. Umpires can also get suspended, however these sus46 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com

camp along with 150 other umpires.

Top performers must go through five different levels of the minor leagues before reaching the majors. Rookie ball, Low-A, High-A, Double A, and Triple A. If an umpire does not display excellent accuracy, they will never be promoted. Generally, only one in 150 umpires will get to the majors, that is 0.67%. On average, it takes 10 years of umpiring in the minors to reach the majors. During these 10 years, a m i -

pensions are not released to the public.

Statistically, this system has proven to work. Over the past 17 MLB seasons, umpire accuracy has gone up every year.

Adding on to this, having a fully accurate umpire will not solve all disputes over called balls and strike. Coaches and players will still get mad even if every call is perfect. For example, in a game between the Red Sox and Astros, Red Sox manager Alex Cora got into a screaming match with the umpire even though the umpire, according to the automated system, didn’t make a single incorrect call. Even if an umpire does a perfect job, one of the teams will still be mad. As an official it is impossible to please both teams, as one of the teams will inevitably lose.

Additionally, umpire confrontations are a core aspect of baseball. In my opinion, some of the most entertaining moments in major league baseball is when players and managers get into arguments with umpires. Umpire arguments have a unique tone that is both funny and serious at the same time. A majority of arguments often end with a player or manager getting ejected. Having these arguments adds an extra layer of entertainment to baseball which many other sports don’t have.

There are full youtube channels dedicated to breaking down these arguments and reading the participant’s lips.

Automated umpires can also disagree on strikezone. A certain team’s broadcast can be biased towards their own team.

For example, during a game between the Cardinals and Mets, one pitch was called a ball by the Cardinals broadcast, a strike was called on the Mets broadcast, a strike on MLB.com, and a ball by the umpire.

This pitch occurred at the top of the strike zone which is the most disputed area of the strike zone. According to the rule book, it is a line drawn at 51% of the batter’s height, which is a very approximate location.

Many umpires’ estimated zones don’t perfectly correlate with the MLB’s standard zone, but they stay consistent for both teams throughout the game. As long as both teams are treated equally it doesn’t matter if an umpire’s zone is slightly off the standard zone. Adding on to this, many players often adjust their strategy based on an umpire’s estimated zone. For example, if an umpire is calling a lot of outside pitches strikes, the batter will have to start swinging at outside pitches. With automated umpires, this layer of the game will be

“Even if an umpire does a perfect job, one of the teams will still be mad. As an official it is impossible to please both teams.”

completely removed.

Occasionally, it can appear to fans on TV that an umpire repeatedly makes incorrect calls. However, the box shown on TV can often be misleading to fans, for it is usually not accurate. The broadcasted zone often doesn’t take into account factors like the camera angle and the batter’s stance.

Building on this, renowned players like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge aren’t famous for their good batting discipline, they are famous for being able to hit a lot of homeruns.

Fans don’t watch games to see 200 perfectly called pitches, they watch to witness big hits and exciting moments.

Finally, technology just isn’t as reliable as humans. Even with current advancements, computers can still frequently break down and have bugs. These glitches can slow down the pace of the game and

make it feel boring.

Instead of having fully automated umpires, the MLB should implement a balls and strikes challenge system. As of right now, it is illegal for a player or manager to argue a ball or strike call. Managers should be given the option to challenge a call if they feel like it is incorrect. During a challenge, a human umpire can check with the automated umpire to see if he made the correct call. This system has already been implemented in certain minor leagues and has been proven to be successful. The process will consist of a batter or catcher to calling for a challenge right after a pitch. The ABS should immediately make a call within seconds. Teams should be allowed around three unsuccessful challenges per game.

Obviously a team should not be penalized

“As long as both teams are treated equally it doesn’t matter if an umpire’s zone is slightly off the standard zone.”

Umpire Scott Barry

CLE vs NYY - 8/20/2024 Scorecard

for having a successful challenge. The combination of the limited challenges and fast computer should allow the game to flow as normal with minimal interruptions. This keeps the human aspect of umpiring in the game while ensuring the correct calls will be made in the biggest moments.

At the end of the day, baseball is a human game and it should be controlled by humans. Umpires make mistakes just like players make mistakes. Human umpires are just another part of the amazing game of baseball.

Umpire Laz Diaz

KC vs ATL - 9/29/2024 Scorecard

Overall Accuracy

Overall Consistency

Called Ball Accuracy

Called Strike Accuracy

Overall Accuracy

Overall Consistency

Called Ball Accuracy

Called Strike Accuracy

93%

94%

95%

87%

92%

94%

96%

84%

Called 230 of 248 taken patiches correctly

8 called balls inside of estimated umpire zone

9 of 181 called balls were true strikes

9 of 67 called strikes were true balls

Called 148 of 161 taken patiches correctly

8 called balls inside of estimated umpire zone

4 of 103 called balls were true strikes

9 of 58 called strikes were true balls

Umpire Pat Hoberg

2022 Game 2 World Series Scorecard

Umpire Dan Bellino

NYM vs ATL - 9/30/2024 Scorecard

Overall Accuracy

Overall Consistency

Called Ball Accuracy

Called Strike Accuracy

Overall Accuracy

Overall Consistency

Called Ball Accuracy

Called Strike Accuracy

100%

96%

100%

100%

96%

95%

95%

100%

Called 129 of 129 taken patiches correctly

5 called strikes outside of estimated umpire zone

0 of 89 called balls were true strikes

0 of 40 called strikes were true balls

Called 128 of 133 taken patiches correctly

7 called balls inside of estimated umpire zone

5 of 96 called balls were true strikes

0 of 37 called strikes were true balls

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Dylan Liao (‘26) winds up a shot in Paly’s 17-5 loss to Los Altos. Photo by Lucas Tung.