The Viking: Volume 8, Issue 4

February 2015 Volume VIII Issue 4

Influenced Athletes

by CLARA HARRINGTON and MEREDITH KINNAMAN

pg. 31

KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME

The Viking exposes the significant challenges faced by student athletes who suffer from concussions.

pg. 41

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Volume 8 Issue 4

February 2015

DRIVE Miles Tention (‘17) dribbles past his opponent and looks for a pass against Wilcox. The Vikings won the game against the visiting Chargers, 71-56.

19

VALENTINE’S DAY Winter sport athletes choose their dream dates.

by ISAAC KASEVICH

24

GREAT DEBATE What style of coaching is best for student athletes?

by GILLIAN CHRYST and SHEILA SUBRAMANIAN

36

VIKING TRIES Come with Michael and Maddy as they try foot golf.

by MADDY ATWATER and MICHAEL PAPPAS

39

FIFA’S DARK SIDE The Viking looks at the darker aspects of FIFA.

by SAMUEL DESRÉ, REUBEN KRAMER and ALYS OLMSTEAD

LINE UP ZOOM

Move Hips Attack

KICKOFF Staff view Pop culture grid 10 questions with Miles Tention (‘17)

Inside the mind

of Livi Musil (‘15)

4 6 8

SHORTS

Reading in between the lines of the NLI Cult of Jordans Viking tries: foot golf

11 12 13

FIFA’s dark side

14

Redefining brotherhood

COLUMNS Great debate: What makes a good coach?

24

Last word

47

22 26 36 39

24

SUBSTANCE ABUSE For many student athletes, a necessary decision has to be made: will they choose to focus on their sport or will they choose to use substances?

by CLARA HARRINGTON and MEREDITH KINNAMAN

FEATURES Influenced athletes

28 31

Keep your head in the game

41

41 KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME

Concussions are very serious sports-related injuries. The Viking takes a look at student athletes’ experiences with the injury.

by KYLIE CALLAN and BRYN CARLSON

Alison Lu (‘16) takes on a defender as she progresses up the field. Lu scored one goal in the Vikings’ 9-2 rout of Santa Clara.

Photo by Meredith Kinnaman

James Giaccia (‘15) takes down his opponent en route to winning his individual match 12-6.

The Vikings beat Gunn 40-30.

Photo by Katie Foug

Dami Bolarinwa (‘16) takes the ball up the field in the Vikings’ game against Milpitas. Bolarinwa scored one goal, adding to Paly’s 6-0 victory.

Photo by Alex Murray

Editors-in-Chief Zoe Bhargava Rowan McEvoy Alex Murray Managing Editors Priscilla Bell Anna Dukovic Maddie Kinnaman Hayley Poore Sheila Subramanian Design Editor Paige Bara Photo Editors Katie Foug Olivia Scola Copy Editor Clara Harrington Multimedia Editor Gillian Chryst Columnist Garrett Reynolds Business Manager Megan Valencia Staff Writers Paige Anderson Maddy Atwater Kylie Callan Bryn Carlson Samuel Desré Daniel Douty Issac Kasevich Meredith Kinnaman Reuben Kramer Zach Levitan Alys Olmstead Michael Pappas Staff Adviser Paul Hoeprich The Viking Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Advertising and Sponsorship Contact: vikingads@gmail.com

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

From the editors Dear readers,

Happy second semester everyone! By this point you are over a month into second semester and have hopefully not given up on doing homework just yet. In the Paly sporting world, spring sports are just starting up while winter sports are coming to a close. We at The Viking are looking forward to seeing some Paly teams compete in the playoffs. Make sure to follow the recaps of the sporting events online at vikingsportsmag.com.

Our cover story this issue investigates the choices that Paly athletes make in regards to illegal substance use.

Copy Editor Clara Harrington pairs with Staff Writer Meredith Kinnaman to inspect the ins and outs of the subject.

The other main feature focuses on concussions and the impact they have on student athletes. Staff Writers Kylie Callan and Bryn Carlson take an in-depth look at the matter through the perspectives of six Paly athletes.

The staff view this issue centers around the idea of implementing a mental health unit into freshmen year physical education class. The unit would give Paly students information on the subject earlier in high school.

Although Living Skills teaches the same information, this course is normally taken after freshman year and can even be taken by seniors.

Lastly, we hope that you appreciate this issue and the time we have spent on it.

Sincerely, Zoe, Rowan and Alex

Staff view

Mental health unit in freshman P.E. Freshman year consists of a few key things: staying off the senior deck, making new friends, doing homework and passing physical education (P.E.) class. As these new students adapt to high school life, many of them experience the stresses involved with change. Although a mental health unit is included in Living Skills, a class that all Paly students must take in order to graduate, most students take this class after freshman year. Due to this, most freshmen miss out on the useful information learned in the mental health unit. According to the Paly handbook, Living Skills “provides students with knowledge and skills that will enable [students] 1) to make informed, responsible decisions about issues that affect personal health and well-being, 2) to establish and sustain healthy, rewarding interpersonal relationships, 3) to manage life crises and 4) to cultivate the understanding, appreciation, and practice of democratic values and behavior appropriate for a responsible community member.”

The Viking staff believes that a mental health unit should be included in freshman P.E. so that young students can be better prepared to manage the stress that comes with high school life before they experience the worst of it. Mental health education could be included in this unit, along with yoga and breathing technique The Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity.

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

classes. This unit would give Paly students a better understanding of mental health while showing students effective ways to deal with stress, creating a foundation for better mental health at Paly.

Recently, the mental health of students in Palo Alto has been on the minds of many parents, teachers and school administrators. Right now, there are various counseling services that both Paly and Gunn students have access to, but no one is required to use them. If Paly made this unit a part of a class that every freshman on campus must take, it would ensure that all students have easy access to learning about how to deal with many of the mental health issues that high school students face on a daily basis. Paly students would still be required to take Living Skills in order to graduate, and the mental health unit incorporated in this class should still be in the curriculum, but students would simply be exposed to this curriculum earlier. The Viking believes that the more exposure high schools students have to productive ways for dealing with stress, the better for the students.

Adding a mental health unit to the freshman P.E. class would give students another opportunity to learn about helpful ways to improve their mental health and would therefore be a beneficial addition. <<< Advertising in The Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com Printing Services 2,500 copies of The Viking are printed, six times a year by Fricke-Parks Press in Fremont, Calif.

CALLING ALL STUDENTS!

Put your sports knowledge and luck to the test with The Vikingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s March Madness tournament.

The winner will be featured in the sixth issue of The Viking.

Check our Facebook and Twitter pages near the end of February for a link to sign up for the contest.

Good luck Vikings!

FEBRUARY 2015

P Culture Grid

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

Alex Dees (‘15) Boys’ basketball

Darrow Hornik (‘18) Girls’ soccer

Chioke Bryant-Anderson (‘15) Wrestling

Maya Lathi (‘16) Girls’ basketball

Preston Kuppe (‘15) Boys’ soccer

Talent nobody knows you have?

I can drive with my legs only

Painting

Athletics

Sing the ABC’s backwards

Great arc

Dream Gigi Rojahn (‘16) Valentine’s date?

Harry Styles

Best movie you’ve seen recently?

Frozen

Almost Famous

Chocolate or flowers?

Chocolate

Flowers

Real athletes don’t...

get iced by the trainer after every practice

get down when they are losing

HOT

Kim Kardashian Chace Crawford Unbroken

Mockingjay

Interstellar

Flowers

Chocolate

Chocolate

slack off

have closer friends than their teammates

lose

Tom Brady:

Not only recognized for his well-desired looks, he is also hot off winning the MVP award at the 2015 Superbowl. Brady led the Patriots to a 12-4 record in the regular season and a Superbowl championship. 2015 marks the sixth Superbowl he has played in and the third MVP award he has won.

No snow:

California is suffering from the driest and warmest winter ever. Lack of rain and cold temperatures are producing little snow for the Sierras. Tahoe is usually in peak ski season now, but it continues to suffer from warm, dry weather.

Paly’s winter sports teams:

All of Paly’s winter sports teams have been having stellar seasons this winter. Palo Alto Daily reporter John Reid tweeted, “PIck [sic] a high school and I’ll pick Paly. Beat Vikings’ combined 49-7-2 mark for girls [sic] soccer and hoop, boys [sic] soccer and hoop. Ready go.” Paly’s teams have advanced this record within the past weeks.

Senior deck:

We are well through the third quarter and the senior deck is still marked with “2014,” left by last year’s seniors. Hopefully the seniors will repaint it by the end of the school year!

Images taken from

Taylor Swift

N OT

Q uestions 10 with

Miles Tention (‘17)

as told to Katie Foug photos by The Viking staff

The Viking asked Paly basketball player Miles Tention (‘17) 10 questions about himself and then compared his responses to that of his coach Adam Sax, teammate Kevin Mullin (‘15) and girlfriend Natalie Maloney (‘17). Read on to discover who knows Miles best!

Miles Tention (‘17) Varsity basketball

Kevin’s unwashed jersey

Questions My locker room smells like...

Adam Sax

Kevin Mullin (‘15)

Natalie Maloney (‘17)

stinky practice jerseys

“butt”

sweat

Coach

Teammate

Girlfriend

Fast up beat music

What you use to energize yourself?

Gatorade

Shot blocks

Pump up music

Chipotle burrito

Post game snack?

Clif bar

Chipotle

Chipotle

Never been to the snow

Ski or snowboard?

Bike

Ski although I’m not sure he’s seen snow

Snowboard

Sweatpants

Ideal Valentine’s Day gift?

Ticket to San Diego

Sexy handcuffs

Gum and chocolate

Warriors

Favorite NBA team?

Philadelphia

Warriors

Warriors

Inside basketball

Favorite rainy day activity?

Football

Boggle

Stay inside and play with his dog

Team goal?

Win state

Win CCS

Get to CCS and win

Andre Iguodala

Role model?

His dad

Stephen Curry

His dad

Basketball

Plans for the long weekend?

Read a novel

Getting buckets

Basketball

10%

50%

Win leagues and make open division playoffs

Images taken from

60% FEBRUARY 2015

Inside the mind of Livi Musil (‘15)

as told to Katie Foug

photo by Katie Foug

On being injured “It’s definitely difficult not being able to play, especially my senior season. It definitely bums me out but I try to do my best making sure everyone is on task and works hard so we win all the games we do.”

On the future of the team

“Originally my freshman year we were the bright future, but I think these freshmen are the bright future 2.0. They are very good and have a lot of potential.”

On Saturday practice

“Oh god, everyone is always so tired and we always have practice in the morning but it’s usually worth it.”

On the girls’ soccer Twitter

“Well if you haven’t followed @palygirlssoccer yet you definitely should. It’s managed by me and Jacey Pederson (‘16).

I do the live game tweets and we usually post a pic of the day and other stuff.”

On Los Gatos

“I don’t know if we have enough pages for this one.

They are definitely our biggest rival. They take playing soccer as seriously as putting on makeup… so it’s really serious.”

On team dinners “So delicious, I overeat every time.”

SPRING SPORTS

2015

PREVIEWS

Baseball

This spring, Paly baseball is heading into the 2015 season with new head coach Pete Fukuhara after the departure of head coach Erick Raich.

“This year we have a new coach, Pete Fukuhara,” Will Snodgrass (‘15) said. “He went to Paly, and it looks like we should have a pretty good season.”

In addition to a new coach, the baseball team is looking to the new senior class for leadership after losing eight players from the class of 2014.

“We lost a lot of seniors, but we should see this current senior class stepping up to carry us this year,” Snodgrass said.

With the class of 2014 gone, some seniors to

2013-14 record: 14-13 Who to look out for: Casey Glassford (‘15) Mackenzie Glassford (‘17) Maddie Martinson (‘16) Major Losses: Hannah Bundy (‘14) Tori Destefano (‘14) Emma Noroian (‘14) Julia Saul (‘14) Coach: Bill Laskey

look out for include returning varsity pitchers Isaac Kasevich (‘15) and Ellis Obrien (‘15) in addition to players Jack Andrews (‘15), Phil Lewis (‘15) and Snodgrass.

Last year, baseball finished with an overall record of 16-15 and a league record of 9-5. This year, baseball is hoping to improve on this record and have a successful season.

“We’ve just started tryouts, but this season looks like we’ll be pretty strong,” Snodgrass said. <<<

After barely finishing above .500 last year, the softball team is looking to bounce back and improve on its record. Despite the loss of Hannah Bundy (‘14), Julia Saul (‘14), Emma Noroian (‘14), Tori Destefano (‘14) and Shannon Fee (‘14), Casey Glassford (‘15) believes the team will do well with the help of returning players.

“The underclassmen will contribute a lot

and [they will] not leave it all up to the seniors,” Glassford said.

This year Glassford believes the start to the season will be easier for the girls, as opposed to last year when new coach Bill Laskey took over.

by ZOE BHARGAVA, MADDIE KINNAMAN, ZACH LEVITAN and ALEX MURRAY

2013-14 record: 16-15 Who to look out for: Lawrence Han (‘16) Isaac Kasevich (‘15) Phil Lewis (‘15) Ellis Obrien (‘15) Will Snodgrass (‘15) Major Losses: Jack Cleasby (‘14) Bowen Gerould (‘14) Austin Kron (‘14) Daniel Tachna-Fram (‘14) Coach: Pete Fukuhara

Softball

“We’re all used to playing for him, so we won’t need to take time to adjust to his coaching style,” Glassford said.

Although the Vikings may have struggled last year, things are looking bright for the future.

“I’m looking forward to this season and

hopefully we can continue in the positive direction that we went in last season,” Glassford said. <<<

FEBRUARY 2015

Boys’ tennis Following a trip to the CCS quarterfinals last year and a win in the consolation tournament, the boys’ tennis team looks to rebuild after losing seven of 10 starting players including Blake Smith (‘14), Jack Paladin (‘14), Niall Patrick (‘14) and Austin Leung (‘14). The team’s 14-7 record from last season came to an end with a 4-3 loss to Menlo High School. Kevin Huang (‘15), Raymond Li (‘15) and Shiv Matta (‘16) will lead the team this year and they plan to work a lot with the underclassmen.

“This season is about developing the younger players, teaching them how to play doubles and having to work for every point,” Huang said.

2013-14 record: 5-1 Who to look out for: Ryan Drover (‘15) Lucas Novak (‘15) William Shin (‘15) Winston Wang (‘15) Coach: Danny Dye_

In addition to training the underclassmen in doubles, some of the older players will need to transition to playing singles to fill in the holes left by departing players. Coach Andy Harader will work with the team to try to replicate last year’s success. <<<

2013-14 record: 14-7 Who to look out for: Kevin Huang (‘15) Raymond Li (‘15) Shiv Matta (‘16)

Boys’ swimming

The Boys’ swimming team looks to go one step further after finishing 2nd in CCS behind Bellarmine, but this season will be different for a variety of reasons. Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA) swimmers were given an ultimatum between swimming for club or swimming for Paly. As a result, Andrew Cho (‘16) and Alex Liang (‘17) decided not to swim for Paly and to swim for PASA instead.

Notable losses also include Scott Powell (‘14), Omri Newman (‘14), Andrew Liang (‘14) and Willy Lee (‘14). Both Liang and Lee went on to swim collegiately at Stanford and Brown respectively. Also new this year is the ability to qualify for states. The top three swimmers for each event in CCS will go on to compete on the state level. Captain William Shin (‘15)

Girls’ swimming Last season, the girls’ swimming team suffered from several losses during the league season against team rivals Monta Vista, Los Gatos and Gunn. The Lady Vikes finished with a league record of 3-3. Despite these losses, the team finished in second place at the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League meet, and many girls secured their Central Coast Section (CCS) cuts in their best events.

Girls’ swimming lost three seniors from last year: Jayna Wittenbrink (‘14), Caroline Moeser (‘14) and Karina Goot (‘14). With only one senior this year, Sarah Putlin (‘15), underclassmen, as well as a few key juniors, will be lead-

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

Major Losses: Austin Leung (‘14) Aditya Mahadevin (‘14) Jack Paladin (‘14) Niall Patrick (‘14) Blake Smith (‘14) Coach: Andy Harader

ing the team to a hopeful first place victory in both league and possibly CCS. Head coach Danny Dye has strong hopes for the upcoming meets.

“We have a good girls’ team this year,” Dye said “We’re setting some high goals: trying to win league and CCS. This season we are focused on team success, especially with a strong group of freshman coming in.” <<<

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

believes that the team has what it takes to go far this year.

“We are going to be close in leagues with Gunn, but I think that we’ll be able to pull out the league title,” Shin said. “We’ll do our best to compete at CCS and qualify for states.”

“We lost a lot of top swimmers and don’t have as much depth as we did last year, but I think we’ll make up for it by training hard and having guys step up,” Shin said. <<<

Major Losses: Willy Lee (‘14) Andrew Liang (‘14) Omri Newman (‘14) Scott Powell (‘14)

2013-14 record: 5-1 Who to look out for: Katie Francis (‘16) Claire Lin (‘18) Kayleigh Svensson (‘16) Emily Zhang (‘16) Grace Zhao (‘17) Major Losses: Karina Goot (‘14) Caroline Moeser (‘14) Brittany Nguyen (‘16) Jayna Wittenbrink (‘14) Coach: Danny Dye

Boys’ lacrosse After finishing the 2013-2014 season with a 13-8 record, the boys’ lacrosse team looks forward to another strong season. After a dominating win on senior night against Sacred Heart Preparatory (SHP), the team went on to lose in the semifinals to Menlo-Atherton High School (M-A). In head coach D.J. Shelton’s (‘08) second year, he is hoping to improve from last season’s outcome.

“We lost a lot of crucial seniors last year,” Michael Beisheim (‘15) said. “Most of our defense will be new starters this season, but we’ve still got Q [Quintin Valenti (‘15)] in goal.”

With losses like Jordan Gans (‘14) and defensemen James Harrison (‘14) and Josh Stern

2013-14 record: 13-4 Who to look out for: Paige Bara (‘15) Maya Benatar (‘16) Claire Chevallier (‘15) Meredith Kinnaman (‘16) Allie Peery (‘15) Major Losses: Kristen Destefano (‘14) Ami Drez (‘14) Sama Soni (‘14) Coach: Jamie Nesbitt

(‘14), the team will be looking for new leadership.

“We’ve got some promising captains in Zach Levitan (‘15) and Jon Rodgers (‘15) who have really stepped up this offseason,” attackman Matt Seligson (‘16). “I have expectations for the season. I hope they will lead us to a championship.”

Starting this season, the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) will be changing.

Two former league champions, SHP and M-A, have moved to different leagues, and teams like Los Altos High School, Gunn High School and Leland High School have joined the SCVAL. <<<

Girls’ lacrosse

Last year the Palo Alto girls’ lacrosse team won the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) championships. The team’s win followed an impressive season, with an at-home record of 8-0. The Lady Vikes narrowly defeated cross town rival Gunn 10-9 during the teams’ first meeting, but lost the second time 12-10. The team ultimately defeated Menlo-Atherton to gain its title of SCVAL champions.

The season was vindicative of their narrow loss in the SCVAL championship game during the 2013 season, where the Vikings fell to the St. Francis Lancers 16-15 in double-overtime.

This season they are looking to advanced into

Badminton After finishing second-to-last in its league in 2014, Paly badminton aims to improve this year. With the loss of the class of 2014, which took up more than half the varsity the roster, the team is hoping to see impacts from young players including a nationally ranked freshman.

“We are hoping to have strong freshmen including Michael Chau (‘18) because he is nationally ranked,” Eric Chiang (‘16) said.

Despite its finish in the league, Paly badminton sent four players to CCS in 2014. Promise Lee (‘15) and Derek Young (‘14) competed as a mixed doubles pair and Chiang and James

2013-14 record: 13-8 Who to look out for: Zach Levitan (‘15) Christian Ryder (‘17) Matt Seligson (‘16) Owen Staiger (‘15) Major Losses: Jordan Gans (‘14) James Harrison (‘14) Coach: D.J. Shelton

Wang (‘16) finished fourth in CCS as a pair in the boys’ doubles event.

Paly badminton is temporarily being

coached by Len Hill as they are looking for a permanent coach. According to Chiang, the search for a coach will determine the success of the team.

“We still need to find a coach for this season….That will affect how we do this year,” Chiang said. <<<

the postseason once again.

“This year our goal is to defend our SCVAL championship title that we earned last year,” Lauren Gargiulo (‘15) said.

The team will look to younger players to step up this season after graduating five seniors last year. <<<

Who to look out for: Michael Chau (‘18) Eric Chiang (‘16) Promise Lee (‘15) James Wang (‘16) Major Losses: Alex Fang (‘14) Teresa Shin (‘14) Derek Young (‘14) Coach: Len Hill (temporary) FEBRUARY 2015

Girls’ track and field Last season, the girls’ track team advanced to CCS semifinals. The team participated in the 400-meter relay and the 1,600-meter relay.

The Vikings placed fourth in the 400-meter with a time of 49.28 and placed sixth in the 1,600-meter with a time of 4:02:80.

The team had some impressive wins last season, defeating Lynbrook 92-35, but fell to cross-town rival Gunn during its first meet of the season. This year, the team is looking to continue their season past the regular league season and well into postseason.

“I think for our four-by-four [relay] team, one of our goals is going to be to do better

in CCS because last year we got 6th overall I think, so we want to do better this year,” Jacey Pederson (‘16) said.

The team will miss key team members Megan Tall (‘14) and Jess Branson (‘14), who is currently running track at University of Portland. <<<

Who to look out for: Bryn Carlson (‘16) Anna Dukovic (‘15) Katie Foug (‘15) Jacey Pederson (‘16) Major Losses: Jess Branson (‘14) Megan Tall (‘14) Coach: Kelsey Feeley

Boys’ track and field

Who to look out for: Dami Bolarinwa (‘16) Austin Cox (‘16) Eli Givens (‘16) Lucas Matison (‘15) Alec Sullivan (‘15) Major Losses: Nick Sullivan (‘14) Coach: Kelsey Feeley

Last year, the Palo Alto boys’ track team advanced to Central Coast Championships (CCS). The boys’ 400-meter relay team made it to the championships and came in 4th with a time of 42.64 and the 1,600-meter relay came in 2nd with a time of 3:22.30. The boys’ team also did well in individual events. Eli Givens (‘16) placed first in the 100 meter with a time of 10.83 and third in the 200 meter with a time of 22.10. Nick Sullivan (‘14) came in third in the 400 meter with a time of 48.82 and fifth in the 200 meter with a time of 22.39.

The team will utilize Kent Slaney (‘17) and Lucas Matison (‘15), two distance runners who helped carry the cross-country team to states

Boys’ golf After winning back-to-back league championships in 2013 and 2014, this years boys’ golf team has the chance to continue the streak.

Despite the loss of two seniors, Patrick Fuery (‘14) and Sam Niethammer (‘14), the team’s season is looking fairly optimistic with the addition of a pair of talented freshmen, Ahmed Ali (‘18) and Joonsung Ha (‘18).

“We probably have one of the best teams I’ve seen at Paly because we have two very strong freshmen coming in,” Alex Hwang (‘15) said.

Returning players to look out for include Hwang, Henry Gordon (‘16) and John Knowles (‘15). The team is optimistic about

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

continuing its success at the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) championships and moving on to the NorCal championships.

“We are hoping to win leagues and make it to NorCals this year, which we haven’t been to in years,” Hwang said.

With a legacy of success and a seemingly strong team, Paly boys’ golf will be a spring sport to look out for this season. <<<

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

this fall. Alec Sullivan (‘15) has set the teams goals high, with returning to states in mind.

“For the four-by-one team that I’m on, I’d say that we want to at least get top three in CCS and go to state at least, if not win it,” A. Sullivan said “For the other relay teams their goal is also to probably go to state. I think it might be hard to get a team title just because that’s tough to do”.

The team will miss N. Sullivan who is running track at Georgetown. <<<

2013-14 record: 11-0 Who to look out for: Ahmed Ali (‘18) Henry Gordon (‘16) Joonsung Ha (‘18) Alex Hwang (‘15) John Knowles (‘15) Major Losses: Patrick Fuery (‘14) Sam Niethammer (‘14) Coach: Doyle Knight

Find Your Dream Valentine: ATTENTION ELIGIBLE BACHELORETTES: Ever wonder who your match is amongst Paly athletes? The Vikings’ Isaac Kasevich asked four athletes about themselves and their ideal romantic gestures. Follow the flow chart to find out if you are meant to be with Jonny Rojahn (basketball, ‘15), Siddharth Srinivasan (soccer, ‘16), Jaisel Sandhu (rowing, ‘15) or Wesley Woo (soccer, ‘15).

as told to ISAAC KASEVICH

Do you like your guys wearing Sperrys or Jordans?

Would you rather watch football or soccer with your bae?

Jaisel Sandhu (‘15)

Siddharth Srinivasan (‘16)

Would you rather receive roses or chocolates?

Jonny Rojahn (‘15)

Welsey Woo (‘15)

Celebrity Crush: Jacey Pederson (‘16) Girls’ Soccer Dream Date: Matt Kemp

Courtney Lovely (‘16) Girls’ Basketball Dream Date: Stephen Curry

: Paly Edition

as told to ISAAC KASEVICH

Lena Chang (‘15) Girls’ Soccer Dream Date: Oscar dos Santos

Images taken from

R e a di ng in b e t ween the l i neS of the:

by ALYS OLMSTEAD

signing dates: the signing dates of the

nli vary based on sport and early versus later signing dates. some athletes may not know what school they will be attending until late in their senior year. financial aid: in order for there to be

an nli, a player must have at least one year of financial aid provided. however, a scholarship does not need to have an nli for it to be given to an athelete. attendance: the athlete who signs the

nli is obligated to attend the ncaa affiliated college for one year (two semesters or three quarters). If they do not do this, they will face the penalties in the next section. penalty: if the student who signs the

nli fails to comply with the terms listed above will be penalized by not being able to participate in any collegiate competition for one year.

Release & Void: to be released from an

nli, you have to request. it is at the discretion of the school to release them. an nli could also become void if the student is not accepted by the school.

for more information on the nli and all its rules and regulations please visit: http://www.nationalletter.org/. all photos provided by the nli website and are not from this current year. all facts and numbers provided by official nli slideshow from web.

m

By the numbers:

1964

was the year that the nli orgAnIzation was founded.

618 0

NCAA INSTItuivy league tions that are and academy members of schools are the nli. members.

UNYIELDING - FIRM - RIGOROUS - STERN - MOTIVATING - PASSIONATE - DRIVEN - COMPETITIVE - DEMANDING

THE GREAT DEBATE: Would you really want a coach that doesn’t push his or her athletes to reach their goals during practice and games? The answer is no. Read on to find out exactly why a strict sports coach encourages competition and helps develop a supportive team.

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by SHEILA SUBRAMANIAN otivation. Perseverance. Sportsmanship.

These are all qualities that coaches strive to enhance in student-athletes, but how does a coaching style bring athleticism out? Imagine having to wake up every morning when it’s still dark outside and jump in a cold pool or sprint around the track for just one of two practices each day. And just when you think you might give up, your coach is there to step in and firmly tell you that you need to stick it out and wait for the positive results that will come during competitions. How is an athlete supposed to keep up the same, high level of dedication throughout an entire season if the coach doesn’t make a strong effort to push them to the greatest extent? The answer is, an athlete cannot.

Sure, self-motivation will always be there in true athletes, but it’s also about working harder and longer than what the body is telling you. As

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both a varsity swimmer and water polo player, I have experienced a multitude of coaches and can firmly attest to the fact that a coach yelling “keep going” during practice and “don’t stop” when my body aches definitely motivates me to sprint faster, egg-beater harder and push off the walls with a greater force. Hell week is a prime example of when a strict coach is necessary, as hearing the words “pain is all in the mind” and “don’t stop or else we’ll start over” is what will prepare me best for the season and increase chances of the team’s success.

Of course, the strict and sometimes harsh communication from coaches seems like the opposite of endearing. But it’s supposed to be.

Coaches are given one job: to coach and get the win. Though it is important for coaches to show compassion and make an effort to get to know players, it is not their job to become best friends with everyone on the team. Coaches must be realistic and completely honest about what a specific athlete can achieve and what goals must be set, even when what needs to be

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said is difficult to hear. This particular coaching style is what will help athletes in the long run.

It is imperative to have a coach who pushes athletes to reach their goals in the right way.

Being soft on the players can come across as too easy-going, which therefore prevents athletes from taking the sport seriously and being competitive. A coach is not going to get the respect he/she needs as a leader if he/she is too nice or soft with the athletes.

Being strict should not always be looked at in such a negative light. Instead, it should be viewed as showcasing passion. Showing such strong passion for the sport will be passed on to the teammates, encouraging everyone to work that much harder.

I strongly believe that a strict coach can help bring athletes together and work harder as one unit since everyone on the team is being forcibly encouraged to keep going. As you can see, it is very evident that a strict coach is better for both individual success and team unity. <<<

COMPOSED - CALM - INSPIRING - DETERMINED - RELIABLE - COLLECTED - STRATEGIC - SUPPORTIVE - ENCOURAGING

WHAT MAKES A GOOD COACH?

How would it feel coming to practice every day scared of what your coach has in store for you? You would begin to work hard simply to avoid the wrath of your harsh coach.

Read on to find out why a supportive coach fosters a united team.

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by PAIGE ANDERSON e’ve all had our fair share of tough coaches who do nothing except bring down the morale and incite anger within a team by yelling at the players. Once one player begins to feel targeted and isolated, the feeling can spread and soon enough everyone will feel frustrated. A coach’s job should be to unite the team and make them work cohesively as a unit, not create tension by shouting at the players.

“Keep working hard. You’ll get it next time.

Push through this last sprint, you can do it.”

These are the kind of words I prefer to hear on the field - ones that encourage me and make me feel supported. I already have enough worries on my mind while I’m on the field. The last thing I need is feeling like I need to prove myself to my coach.

It’s human nature to want to work hard for someone who believes in you. When a coach

yells at you constantly, it can make the players feel as though they are not worthy, which eventually affects their ability to play at the highest level possible.

The true test of an athlete is how hard they work when no one is watching. If the players are just working hard to avoid punishment or avoid being yelled at, that ruins the true spirit of the game and the whole reason we come out to play sports in the first place: because we love the game. The coach shouldn’t have to yell at you to work harder in practice - it’s the players’ own job to push themselves. Having a nice coach who genuinely cares about you and encourages you to work harder for your own good is going to make you better; it’s as plain and simple as that. When coaches use positive reinforcement, it fosters intrinsically motivated athletes who play for reasons far more important than just to to steer clear of the coach’s anger.

The truth is, a coach’s job is so much more than just getting the win, scoring a goal, or re-

bounding the ball - sports are about more than that in the end. Integrity of the game begins with the coach and coming to practice with fear of your coach’s wrath doesn’t allow players to reach their fullest potential. There’s not much difference between being a coach and being a teacher. Imagine swapping a harsh coach for your math teacher and walking into class each day knowing that some students are going to be belittled and embarrassed by the teacher because they didn’t know the answer or made a mistake in their calculation. Would anyone think that style of teaching is effective?

After playing volleyball, water polo and lacrosse at Paly, and experiencing a wide range of different coaching styles, I can thoroughly testify that when the coach makes the players feel valued, the team is closer and is able to work together in a more effective manner. Positive coaches are able to truly unite the team as a whole, and those are the kind of teams you remember years and years after the season is over. <<<

FEBRUARY 2015

The Cult

Follow The Viking’s very own Gillian Chryst (‘15) and Daniel Douty (‘16) as they take a deeper look into Nike’s popular shoe brand Air Jordan. Discover the facts behind the shoe’s hype and its dark side.

by GILLIAN CHRYST and DANIEL DOUTY

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f you watch Vine, Youtube or you have a friend who is a sneakerhead, then you have probably been exposed to the craze surrounding Jordans. Recently there has been a huge upward trend in popularity for the Nike brand, Air Jordan. You have probably also heard expressions like “tiptoeing in my Jordans”(the phrase coined by Riff Raff) or been scolded by a friend who won’t let you go anywhere near them. So what has sparked the craze surrounding these snazzy basketball shoes?

It all started when the greatest basketballer of all time signed a shoe deal with Nike fresh out of college in 1984. You all know what happened next: Michael Jordan grew to be the “Jordan” we know today, quickly becoming the most popular basketball player to ever step on a court. His superstar status came along with his own shoe design, and soon the Air Jordan brand became the staple among shoe aficionados, and all other shoes became obsolete. Nike was already the dominant brand, making Air Jordan the best of the best.

The hype surrounding Jordans has taken on a life of it’s own. Because they are made in limited numbers, the shoes sell out almost instantly. This results in people lining up hours in advance to buy the newly released shoes, which usually cost upwards of $200. Most will

promptly resell their coveted Jordans for hundreds more, and sometimes they will sell at auctions for thousands of dollars.

Due to the insane popularity of the shoes, “His Airness” has reaped in the the astounding benefits. In 2013, Jordan made $90 million off of his shoe sales alone. He has also achieved billionaire status this year after his National Basketball Association (NBA) team, the Charlotte Hornets, increased its value by about 10%. To put this into perspective, he “only” made about $94 million over his playing career.

There is also plenty of controversy involving the Nike brand, and Jordans in particular.

The shoes are mass produced primarily in sweatshops in Indonesia and China. Workers are paid next to nothing in inhumane conditions. All in all, Nike spends about $16 manufacturing a single pair of Air Jordans, which are sold by Nike for an average of around $320, a 2000% markup. Also, amongst reports of deaths in these sweatshops, Jordan simply said that it’s “not [his] problem.”

Are these slick kicks worth the ridiculous price? Are you willing to support a brand that treats its workers poorly? Does the swag that comes with wearing Jordans outweigh the price and ethics involved? After all, Air Jordans only make you feel fly. <<<

HIS AIRNESS “Air Jordan” takes flight for one of his signature dunks.

Michael Jordan played at UNC before the NBA.

G.O.A.T Jordan shows off all six of his NBA Championship rings. He won all six with the Chicago Bulls during two three-peats.

INSANE HYPE Hundreds wait in line outside a local Nike store for hours to buy their Jordans.

AIR JORDAN I The first pair of 29 Jordan shoes released by Nike.

Fun facts about Jordans The Retro 11 Legend Blues have caused several recent violent robberies.

President Barack Obama once said that low income people should not buy Jordans.

Jordan’s signed “flu game” shoes sold for $100,000 at auction.

of Jordans We asked the student body what they thought of the shoe brand.

“They This is what the said: “They “They increase your swag but they decrease your game.” - Kevin Mullin (`15)

“People go too crazy for shoes that are really wack.” - Bo Field (`16)

Do you own any Jordans?

“15 pairs.” - Tony Caballero (`16)

“I have at least 20.”

- Makayla Walton (`15)

“I have a collection of 20 and my dad has about 500.” Adrianna Rositas (`15)

aren’t made for basketball, and they never were.

They’re quality shoes, but definitely not for basketball” - Alex Hawthorne (`16)

have increased my game, but I’m often tripping all over the place.” - Oliver Tucher (`15)

“To me Jordans are synonymous with high class, or you’re cool because you have Jordans.”

- Zach Kirk (`16)

Have you waited in line to buy Jordans?

“The longest I’ve waited is four hours.”

- Bo Field (`16)

“Yeah, I own 27. I haven’t worn all of them yet.” Nicholas Lee (`18)

“Once I camped out in line from 2:00 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.” - Nicholas Lee

“I would never wait in line, people die for that stuff.” - Bradley Brewster (`16)

(`18)

What do you think of sweatshops?

“Stop buying jordans, you are representing enslavement.” - Teddie Stewart (`17)

“I’m not a big fan of sweatshops, but I can’t make the shoes, so I don’t really have a choice.” - Alex Hawthorne (`16)

All images taken from

“I understand that it is business, but for that reason and many others I choose not to buy Jordans. If youre against child labor it’d be hard to buy any stylish clothes.” - Zach Kirk (`16)

What would you do if I stepped on your “fresh J’s”?

“You’re getting put to sleep.”

- Tony Caballero (`16)

“I would punch you in the face.” Nicholas Lee (`18)

“That’s a fight.” - Romello Purvis (`16)

“We’re gonna fight, then you’re gonna buy me a new pair.” Felix Ibarria (`15)

“Don’t step on another man’s J’s in the hood.” Griffin Carlson (`16)

“Honestly I’d just pick them up and clean ‘em off a little. It’s all good bro.” - Emil Wolfgramm (`16) FEBRUARY 2015

Redefining brotherhood

Paly wrestlers Seth Goyal (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;17) and James Giaccia (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;15) have a friendship that has enabled th and off the mat. Through their relationship, Goyal got the brother he never had and Giaccia go

d

d them to help one another on a got to be the “older brother”.

by ANNA DUKOVIC and MEGAN VALENCIA

photo by Katie Foug

A

t Paly, some athletes have older siblings on their sports teams who they can look to for guidance and inspiration. These teammates share a last name and a bond that is unique from the relationships between other members of the team. Although wrestlers James Giaccia (‘15) and Seth Goyal (‘17) are not related, they do share a brotherly bond similar to that of true siblings.

Giaccia was first introduced to the wrestling world by one of his older brothers, Nicholas Giaccia (‘08), and he soon became immersed in the community himself.

“My older brother Nick wrestled at Gunn,” Giaccia said. “He also then wrestled in college at [University of California,] Davis. He kept me around the sport and I just fell in love with it.”

Although Giaccia had an older sibling that went through the same experiences he was going through, Goyal didn’t have someone in his family to learn from. However, when Goyal met Giaccia when he was in middle school, things changed for the both of them.

“The first time I saw [James] was when I was in seventh grade and he was a freshman wrestling for Paly,” Goyal said. “Since my head coach, who is now the head coach at Paly, was working with him at the time, I would see him occasionally if he came to my practice or if I would go to his practice. We were about the same weight, so I would wrestle with him.”

As they traveled together for training camps and wrestling matches, their relationship grew.

Giaccia reflected on these experiences in a message he wrote to The Viking.

“We have been through so much together,” Giaccia wrote. “Whether being on the California State team or traveling up to Gilroy for a week to train... [Our relationship] goes beyond wrestling.”

One memory the two share is driving the long distance to Gilroy for a five-day wrestling camp, where various clinicians and college coaches came from around the country to teach different wrestling styles.

“We’ve made [the drive to Gilroy] a bunch of times together,” Giaccia said. “It is always funny because we always pass by the same places and go ‘Remember this?’ or ‘Remember when we did that?’ It is just fun to have the trip together.”

Another experience the boys shared was being a part of the California State team together during the summer of 2014.

“We were representing California at the National Tournament,” Giaccia said. “It’s where all the best guys in the country go. It’s a huge bracket; it’s a 164-man bracket in one weight class and it’s your age group. It’s basically [where] the best people wrestle each other. Me

and [Goyal] trained all summer long for it. It was just a great experience we got to have.”

Paly head coach Braumon Creighton believes that the two boys became especially close while training this past summer on the National team.

“They’ve gotten tight. They spent a lot of time together over the summer. We went to the Olympic Training Center together this summer, we went to Fargo, we were all part of the California National Team, so they were on the team and I was one of the coaches. So that was a lot of time spent this summer training.

Through all the experiences they have gone through together, Giaccia and Goyal have both gained a lot from one another. Although Giaccia has two older brothers, his relationship with Goyal has allowed him to see what being the ‘older brother’ is like. And for Goyal, he has gotten the brother he never had.

“I get to be the older brother for the first time, which is nice,” Giaccia said. “I care about [Goyal] a lot. I treat him like a little brother.

We text every single day. We talk every single day. It is basically the same relationship I have with my brothers, but I see him a little more.”

Older brothers often act as role models to their siblings, and Giaccia fills this role in Goyal’s life.

“I view him as an older teammate and someone to look up to,” Goyal said. “[Our friendship] has progressed more [throughout the years] because we have had more time to connect.”

Although the two Paly wrestlers are now close friends, the two did not get along when they first met, according to Goyal’s sister Sabrina Goyal (‘15).

“I would say at first they almost started off as rivals because they didn’t really know each other, then when they started training together they got really close,” Sabrina Goyal said. “[Giaccia] is like his older brother. [Giaccia] also helped him ease into Paly as a freshman, so that was really nice.”

By forming a strong connection, Giaccia and Goyal have helped one another through rough patches in their athletic careers.

“Goyal has pushed me and has always been there to help me through tough times in wrestling,” Giacca wrote.

The two have also helped each other improve in the physical aspects of the sport by mentoring each other on weight loss tips and skill improvement.

“He’s helped me get more mentally tough and cut weight,” Goyal said. “Vice versa in the practice room. I am better at picking up certain skills than he is. So, if he is having trouble I will help him with a certain position.”

Giaccia recounted a time when they both had to help one another lose weight before an upcoming tournament.

FEBRUARY 2015

“[One time] we were both 10 [pounds] over [the weight limit] a day before a tournament that was coming up,” Giaccia said. “We both had to cut 10 pounds in basically one day. It was probably the worst experience we had together, but we both pushed each other through and it was good.”

According to Creighton, who has coached Giaccia since freshman year and Goyal since sixth grade, they help their other teammates as well as each other on the mat.

“They both can teach most of the stuff that I teach to the other kids,” Creighton said. “It’s good, the more leadership we have in the room, the easier my job is as a coach. It’s really good all the way around.”

Goyal’s encouragement in the weightroom and on the mat has not only enabled Giaccia to develop his wrestling skills, but it has also helped Giaccia to grow as an individual.

“Wrestling has made me more of a disciplined [person] and made me appreciate all the good things I have in my life,” Giaccia wrote. “It has helped me so much, especially because I will be wrestling for American University next year.”

When Giaccia graduates, Goyal will no longer have a partner to practice with, because the younger wrestlers on the team have differing weights and skill levels than him.

“I won’t have a drill partner anymore be-

swinging.”

When Giaccia goes to American University next fall, he will miss the camaraderie of the Paly team that he is leaving behind.

“I will miss the coaches and spending time with the guys on the team [next year],” Giaccia wrote.

Creighton also admits that losing Giaccia will be difficult because of all that he brings to the team.

“James does a great job leading,” Creighton said. “James is a vocal leader [and]he leads by example. He does a really amazing job with that and I’m really going to miss him in the future.”

As for the teammates Giaccia is leaving behind, he advises them to accept the obstacles that they face in upcoming years.

“Embrace all the challenges that come with wrestling and the team and everything else in life,” Giaccia said.

When Giaccia leaves for a new wrestling community, Goyal will be left to form connections with younger teammates. Both of them will move on to practice with other individuals, and although they may not see each other across the mat anymore, they will still have the lessons and experiences that they gained from one another. The pair may not be brothers by blood, but wrestling together has brought them closer to one another, and has also brought them closer to the sport that they love. <<<

“I get to be the older brother for the first time, which is nice. I care about [Goyal] a lot. I treat him like a little brother. We text every single day. We talk every single day. It is basically the same relationship I have with my brothers, but I see him a little more.”

– James Giaccia (‘15) cause there is no one else my size at our skill level, so that is going to be kind of a problem after he graduates,” Goyal said.

Creighton agrees that finding Goyal a new partner will be key in upcoming years.

“We’re going to have to find more workout partners for Seth,” Creighton said. “I think that we have some kids coming up from middle school that will help us, and then kids that we have this year like [Noah Asing (‘18)] and Nicholas Ogawa (‘18) who hopefully will step up and be quality enough to give him a good look during practice. Seniors graduate, that’s what they do. So we have to reload and keep

photo courtesy of Braumon Creighton

ON THE MAT Goyal and Giaccia face off during practice. The two are practice partners due to their similar weights and skill levels.

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*

Influenced athletes

by CLARA HARRINGTON and MEREDITH KINNAMAN

“One night, we had the next day of school off and we usually have morning practices on Mondays,” Paul* said. “I was out partying until 12 or 1 a.m. and I had practice at 5 a.m. the next day, so I woke up and I was still drunk. I got forced into driving to practice because you can’t miss them…” *This name has been changed.

P

to do so as well. Likewise, if the majority of a team is clean during its season, a member may be more inclined to follow suit. The commitment of the athlete also has an impact; if someone is choosing to participate in a sport as a way to stay in shape or be involved in a group activity, he or she will most likely be less compelled to stop drinking than someone who is hoping to pursue a more intense athletic path.

For rower Paul, whose name has been changed along with all other sources in the story, the intensity and nature of his sport are what cause him to stop drinking during crew season.

“When the season is really in the swing of things and we have races every weekend, I’ll stop drinking for a couple of months at a time,” Paul said. “[I stop drinking] just to make sure I’m focused and getting faster, living as healthy as possible and not hurting my teammates.”

Fellow rower Mark acknowledges that the majority of his team also does not drink during crew season, although many do so during the rest of the year.

“A lot of people drink during fall and winter, and then stop during spring because that’s the season that really matters,” Mark said.

Although Paul, Mark and others on the crew team do not usually drink in the spring, there has been a presence of substance abuse amongst the members in the past.

“There have been a few trips where the team as a whole has partaken in smoking and drinking, but that has ended,” Mark said.

Paul agrees, noting an instance that changed

the way the team acted about using substances while traveling for a race.

“Two years ago, we went to a race in Oregon and over half the people on the team brought drugs and alcohol and used them on the bus ride there,” Paul said. “Everybody got caught, a ton of guys got suspended and a bunch of people got kicked off the team. It was a really big deal because the coaches found out and interviewed everyone… the coaches are super strict whenever we go on trips now, and people [on the team] would never think about doing that anymore.”

Despite the athletes’ choices not to drink or take other substances during their most competitive season, there are also other added incentives to be clean while on the rowing team; the coaches have authority over whether or not the rowers will participate in races based on their behavior outside of the water.

“If a coach finds out that you’ve been partying before a big race, he’ll kick you out of the boat,” Paul said.

Mark also adds that the athletes are required to agree not to drink during the season.

“We sign a contract at the beginning of the year saying we won’t drink,” Mark said.

Mark and Paul’s crew teams are not alone in the idea of not wanting its athletes to consume alcohol or drugs during the season. Most Paly coaches also strongly advise their athletes to avoid going out, especially before games or meets. However, some are stricter than others.

Some rules made by teams include not allowing lacrosse players to pose with alcohol while wearing Paly lacrosse gear or not getting play-

Photo by Paige Bara

ulling up to a house with friends, you can already hear the music blasting and the sounds of a good time. It’s been a long week of homework, tests and practice.

As you walk through the front door, you have two options for the night: accept the drink that’s held out in front of you, or pass it up knowing that you have a Saturday morning practice the next day. The decision is solely up to you.

Throughout history, teenagers have been using mind-altering substances. Adolescents are driven to consume alcohol by the allure of fitting in with one’s peers, escaping the stress of an intense environment or simply wanting to try something new. At Paly, many athletes face the same pressures as other high schoolers; however, they also have the added anxiety of being part of a high-intensity sport.

Committing to a sport means giving up some of the experiences that many value as part of being a teenager, including being more involved in other activities, spending more time with friends or partying. If a student athlete’s friends are choosing to use substances, they may have to make a choice: which comes first, their sport or their friends?

For many athletes, the decision whether to abstain from the use of alcohol is rooted in which team they are on and how competitive they are about their sport. The dynamic of a team greatly impacts the way its members act.

If a team has athletes who drink or use other substances during the season, a student surrounded by this environment is more likely

SPIKED Student-athletes must often come to a decision on what they value more: the classic high school experience, or being extremely competitive in their sport.

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

TAKE A RIP OR GET RIPPED Although marijuana has negative effects on the human body that can deter athletes from smoking during their season, some continue to use the drug regardless of the consequences. ing time on the field for football if it is known that the player was out the night before. Under previous head coach Dave Winn, Paly volleyball players had to sign a contract saying they would not drink during the season. Julia, a player on the team, notes that there are still restrictions that the coach has for the girls.

“Last year, iff you get caught, say there were photos [of you drinking], then you would get taken off the team,” Julia said.

The tendencies of a team can shape how individual athletes behave with regards to going out.

However, Julia’s decision’s about drinking alcohol during the season are largely independent of the other volleyball players.

“I specifically don’t drink or go out in general during the season because it’s a distraction,” Julia said. “Instead, I can focus on improving my game. The [club] team I’m currently on doesn’t really have an opinion on whether or not I go out; it’s just a personal choice.”

Julia sees the benefits that staying clean can have on her athletic performance, especially when looking into the future and wanting to continue to play volleyball in college.

Paly wrestler Eric also refrains from sub-

stance use during wrestling season. Although he still goes out, he finds drinking while participating in wrestling to be disrespectful towards the other athletes competing in the sport.

“I stop drinking, but I still go out,” Eric said.

“It’s really bad to use substances during the season. It shows a lack of respect towards the team, sport and all the culture around it.”

When all is said and done, these athletes put a higher price on being a top competitor rather than going out and having the experience of

For baseball player Jason, using substances during the season is part of high school and he understands the consequences they bring.

“If you’re not playing well then [you] should absolutely stop, but if you can manage it, that’s great,” Jason said.

Being on a team sport can cause peer pressure to occur among players, resulting in them to use substances during the season because the athletes spend so much time together during the week. Jack acknowledges that the players on his team take part in drinking with him.

“After a long week, a lot of guys want to go out and have fun after our week of school and practice,” Jason said.

Paly soccer player Joseph believes that continuing to partake in illegal activities to Jack does not affect the way that he plays on the field in a major way.

“I feel like [drinking and smoking] don’t inhibit my soccer playing that much,” Joseph said. “If I go out the night before an early-morning game, I’ll definitely feel hungover that morning, but I feel like it’s nothing you can’t power through.”

Although Joseph acknowledges that more dangerous substances should not be abused, he views alcohol and smoking marijuana as being less damaging to the body and thus ac-

“It’s really bad to use substances during the season. It shows a lack of respect towards the team, sport and all the culture around it.” drinking or using drugs.

“You want to make sure that nothing is stopping you from being as good as you can be,” Paul said.

Competitiveness and a desire to make one’s team the best can greatly impact a student athlete’s decision to not use substances during his or her season. Some athletes believe that their athletic performance is not greatly impacted by whether or not they consume illegal substances, while others argue that part of their team dynamic is drinking or smoking together.

FEBRUARY 2015

ceptable to use.

“You shouldn’t be doing something like heroin during the season, but if you do a more temporary substance like alcohol I don’t think it’s that bad,” Joseph said. “Clearly you shouldn’t pound a handle before a game, but if you’re smart about it there’s no reason why you shouldn’t stop continuing what you’re doing during the season.”

For both boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, there is not a hard yes or no on whether or not the players can drink, but rather a personal decision that the players need to make. Boys’ lacrosse player Andrew states that although his coach does not prohibit substance use during the season, he highly recommends being clean a day prior to participating in practices or games. Whether or not this rule is followed by the team is ultimately up to the players because they are not subjected to drug or alcohol tests by their coach.

“Usually the night before games, our coach will give us a 24 hour buffer zone to clean out our bodies,” Andrew said. “But I don’t think most kids follow it. You definitely have to be more careful during the season and [not do anything] stupid to jeopardize your sports career.”

Girls lacrosse player Mary also adds that her coach does not have a way of heavily enforcing the rules laid out for the team, although it is recommended that the athletes do not consume alcohol prior to working out.

“The coach encourages us not to drink the night before practice and theoretically not often at all during the season,” Mary said. “But there has never been a no-drinking-at-all policy.”

Despite athletes believing that alcohol does not affect how they play, studies have shown

one occasion affects the brain and body for several days.”

After working out, it is essential to sleep in order for muscle building to occur. According to the McDonald Center for Student Well-Being at the University of Notre Dame, alcohol deprives ones’ body of human growth hormone (HGH) because it negatively impacts sleep patterns. HGH enables muscles to build and repair by telling the body that its muscles need to grow stronger and bigger; alcohol consumption can decrease the secretion of HGH by up to 70%. Similarly, the presence of alcohol in the body triggers the production of a substance in your liver that is directly toxic to testosterone, a necessary hormone in the muscular development and recovery process.

Regardless of the mounting information discouraging athletes and high schoolers alike to drink alcohol or use drugs, it is unlikely that teenagers are going to stop using substances. For athletes who are used to a routine of using substances, the choice that ultimately has to be made is whether they want to overlook the physical deterrents of drugs and alcohol or if they put a higher price on their athletic performance. <<<

“Clearly you shouldn’t pound a handle before a game, but if you’re smart about it there’s no reason why you shouldn’t stop continuing what you’re doing during the season.” that it has lasting consequences for the body.

“Alcohol abuse is at least as prevalent in the athletic community as it is in the general population; in fact, the majority of athletes have begun drinking by the end of high school,” the University Health Center at the University of Georgia wrote in an online article. “Both male and female college [student athletes] have higher rates of binge drinking than non-athletes, and drinking five or more drinks on any

Substance usage: 21.0% of American youth binge drink.

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

35.0%

of high school students in the U.S. have consumed alcohol in the past month.

Information from the Center for Disease Control, National Institute on Drug Abu

Photo by Clara Harrington

.420 or 420 In many sports, smoking marijuana recreationally is frowned upon because it can cause respiratory problems. Some Paly athletes continue to use the drug because of the social or physiological appeal.

: by the numbers 44.4%

of high school seniors in the U.S. report that they have tried marijuana or hashish at least once.

g Abuse for Teens and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

70.0% of Americans have had at least one drink by the age of 18.

FEBRUARY 2015

tries

FOOTGOLF

KICK OFF The Vikingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff writer, Michael Pappas, starts the second hole with a powerful kick during his first time playing FootGolf at the Pruneridge Golf Club in Santa Clara.

F

by MADDY ATWATER and MICHAEL PAPPAS ORE! People are always looking for an innovative yet fun way to combine their favorite sports, so The Viking decided to try FootGolf. The sport is a mix of soccer and golf, and is played on a regular golf course with a green, a bunker and nine holes. The concept is just like golf: to kick the ball into a hole in as few kicks as possible, and the player with the lowest score at the end wins. FootGolf is found at a few local locations, but we chose the Pruneridge Golf Club in Santa Clara (which is also equipped with a driving range and a course for regular golf as well).

When you book a tee time online it is $12

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

per person Monday through Thursday and $16 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This golf course offers a wide range of tee times, but these times are open to both regular and foot golfers. It is suggested to bring your own soccer ball, but you can rent a ball at the office, which only charges three dollars to use them during your play. A single party can have up to four people, but you can book more than one party during a single tee time. Attire wise, no soccer cleats are allowed and they only allow athletic or turf shoes. They also prefer you to be dressed in appropriate golf attire: a collared shirt, golf cap and hopefully argyle socks. Unfortunately, we were not quite appropriately dressed, and apparently Sperryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are not con-

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

sidered turf shoes.

FootGolf is a little more laid back than normal golf and most of the other players out there had similar motives to ours: simply to have fun. Among the many golfers on the course, there were two other FootGolf parties ahead of us. One was a group of girls not taking the game very seriously, but in front of them was a group of about five men all in soccer sweats and swagged out shoes who were holding brightly colored soccer balls. Before each hole, they examined the course intently and figured out their plan for action. Obviously, there were a wide variety of people using the course. As beginners, we were relaxed and just had fun with it. On some holes we chose to drop kick

the ball to start it and on others we just played normally.

The first hole was very visible and easy to see, but there was also a young man at the start who explained the rules, course and other details to us. After that first hole, the course progressively got harder and the holes became more difficult to locate. After we got through the second hole, we had to wait for the groups ahead of us to move on. Evidently, different groups took different amounts of time to complete a hole and it felt as though we took more time waiting than actually playing. We would have passed them, but with only nine holes we did not want to skip any and we did not want to hit them with our balls, or vice versa.

Towards the end, we started to get better; our kicks were stronger and more direct to the hole. In the beginning, one of us had a big wind up with a strong kick only to have it bounce off a tree and fly back to the tee line.

Overall, we averaged about four kicks per hole, but sometimes we would shoot it too powerfully when we were only a short distance away.

Being outside didn’t seem to have much of an effect besides the hills and other obstacles on the actual course.

Overall FootGolf was a different, but tasteful experience. It was a great way to try something new while incorporating exercise. It does not require experience in either sport and it is great for parties or just for fun. <<<

LAY UP (LEFT) Los Gatos High School student Stephen Cannon follows up his shot on the sixth hole.

SCOPING THE NEXT SHOT (RIGHT) Clark Harmon (‘15) scans the course to select his next shot.

Pro Tips: 1) Stretch before each hole.

2) Don’t sit on your soccer ball.

3) Watch out for trees.

4) Don’t wear Sperrys.

FEBRUARY 2015

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Contact us at vikingads@gmail.com

FIFA’s dark side

SUPER STADIUM Spain and Chile face off at the Macaranã stadium during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Maracanã also hosted the final of the World Cup in which Germany defeated Argentina.

FIFA has been around for over a century and is known for organizing what some may call the biggest sporting event in the world, the FIFA World Cup. The Viking takes a look into the shadier side of the organization.

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by SAMUEL DESRÉ, REUBEN KRAMER and ALYS OLMSTEAD very four years when the World Cup rolls around, a wave of excitement spreads around the world. Countries ranging from the United States to Ghana compete, fans from every country gather together in one stadium, and the culture of the host country is embraced to the fullest.

However, behind all the glory, excitement and passion, it is a spectacle to cover up the scandals that are going on behind the scenes within the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

FIFA, which was formed in 1904, is in charge of all of soccer’s major international tournaments, and mainly the bidding, deciding and production of the World Cup. FIFA has established itself as a trusted organization for a long time but in more recent years there have been a series of scandals that have tainted the organization’s reputation. “[These scandals] made me feel like soccer is not as fair as it seems,” soccer player Alexander Gouyet (‘16) said. “It feels like it is not as

pristine as it once was. If there is no answer to corruption, then scandals will require decades to mend and restore soccer’s reputation.”

Looking back on the past decade, many of the scandals have not received a lot of attention in the United States due to other newsworthy stories and events happening closer to home.

Therefore, people might not be as informed on the things happening with FIFA unless they are a dedicated soccer fan. Yet, some of the rule violations and problems are just as outrageous as those receiving a lot of coverage in the United States.

One of the most prominent issues, recently, is around who will host the upcoming World Cups. Although the committee has officially released that Russia and Qatar will be the next countries to host in 2018 and 2022, information has come forth arguing that those on the committee for deciding were bribed into making this decision. Both countries were picked to host instead of the United States, who had also put in a bid. Although the ethics committee for FIFA closed the case in the fall of 2014,

the United States is still investigating in hopes to expose some of the corruption within the governing board.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has furthered its corruption investigation against FIFA and is targeting three officials in the organization. The investigation has been slow in development despite clear evidence of money distribution by a member of the bidding board. FIFA’s ethics investigator Michael Garcia, who filed a 400 page report on the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups resigned and called for greater “transparency” inside the organization after FIFA’s president Sepp Blatter decided to keep the report confidential.

Another prominent issue within the board of officials is in regards to FIFA’s strict policies towards its sponsors and how it has affected the fans. During a group stage match between Argentina and Netherlands in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Dutch fans were forced to watch the game in their underwear because their shorts displayed a promotional item

FEBRUARY 2015

from a non-official World Cup sponsor. FIFA went further and also forced Brazil to change its law prohibiting alcohol in soccer stadiums for the most recent 2014 World Cup. The law was originally created to reduce violent altercations between fans and potentially save lives.

However, because Budweiser is one of FIFA’s biggest sponsors, they forced Brazil to pass the “Budweiser bill,” as comedian John Oliver calls it. The bill allowed FIFA to sell beer during the World Cup putting the fans safety at risk.

FIFA is not only putting the fans safety at risk, it is also putting the players’ safety at risk.

By giving the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, FIFA is forcing players to play in temperatures that can reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The athletes will quickly become dehydrated and will not be able to play to the best of their abilities for 90 minutes. The most serious risk that players would be facing would be heat strokes if their body temperatures exceeded 105 degrees fahrenheit. It would be a fatal risk and somehow this was overlooked when the decision to pick Qatar was made.

The players’ safety is threatened every time they play because of FIFA’s policies regarding

injuries. Many were shocked to see that German player Christoph Kramer stayed on the pitch during the World Cup Final after sustaining a concussion. Captain and teammate Philipp Lahm gave an account of what he noticed on the field during the game. “I wasn’t worried at first, he played normally but things started [to go badly] when he came to me and said he wanted to take the captain band from my arm,” Lahm said. “When he wanted to trade shirts with the ref I thought ‘it’s enough now’.’”

“I think especially regarding concussions, players should be allowed to be substituted as there is no way they are in a condition to continue playing,” varsity soccer player Siddharth Srinivasan (‘16) said. “Having this not count as a substitution would allow managers to more willingly do the right thing by taking off a player who is mentally shaken.”

Many were witness to the aggressive and even malicious plays during the games in Brazil, namely the acts of Luis Suarez from Uruguay. In a match against Italy, Suarez bit the shoulder of Italian defender Chiellini. It was Suarez’s third offence and he was only banned four months despite an uproar for a longer

and more severe punishment. Policies regarding specific injuries are being revised due to complaints by various players and spectators, calling for a minimum three game ban after a redcard and other measures.

“In leagues where the three game ban is not in place, players are almost allowed to be reckless, as the punishment is not severe,” Srinivasan said.

FIFA is set to elect a new president in May 2015. Ex Ballon D’or winner Luis Figo is running against current president, Sepp Blatter, who has been head of FIFA for four terms.

Figo is running his campaign focusing on “Better governance, more transparency, increased solidarity and the protection of true football values.” With these resolutions, FIFA will slowly gain their fan’s trust back, bringing back the true passion and wonder of the greatest sport in the world. <<<

WORTH THE FAME? James Rodriguez revealed his talent on the World Cup stage, scoring six goals for Columbia in only five games.

BEFORE IMPACT (RIGHT) Marcos Rojo dribbles past Christoph Kramer during the World Cup final.

Kramer suffered a severe concussion later on in the game.

QATAR’S TURN (BOTTOM) Sepp Blatter announces the host of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar. Many workers have already died constructing the stadiums for the future host country.

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Images taken from

KEEP YOUR HEAD

by KYLIE CALLAN and BRYN CARLSON

IN THE GAME Concussions can change a life in a matter of seconds. The Viking takes a look at various Paly student athletes and their experiences with brain injury on and off the field.

Image taken from

BRAIN INJURY Concussions are injuries to the brain that can cause long term complications, especially after repeated trauma. With an increase in both knowledge and recognizition of concussions, concerns have been raised about the athletic, academic and personal effects they can have on student athletes.

O

ne in five high school athletes will sustain a sports concussion during their season. At a school like Paly, where a large part of the student body is involved in athletics, this fact can create a big problem that includes the students, their families, their teachers and the administration.

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury which causes symptoms that can last anywhere from a number of days to a number of years.

They are caused by a blow to the body or head that leads to the brain bumping against the skull. For this reason, concussions often occur in contact sports. Symptoms can include headaches, nausea, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, loss of consciousness, inability to focus and loss of memory. It is important that an athlete who has suffered a concussion does not return to their sport before the brain has fully healed. Suffering from a subsequent concussion can have severe effects on a person, ranging from the worsening of original symptoms to death.

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

Despite the severity of the injury, some athletes are unaware they have sustained a concussion until hours, or even days, after it occurs. Maya Kandell (‘16) got a concussion this past fall when she was hit in the back of the head by another player while playing in a club soccer game.

“I didn’t really know that I had a concussion at the time,” Kandell said. “I didn’t know that anything was wrong. I played for the rest of the half [and] I did AP [Advanced Placement] US History notes in the car on the way home. It probably took until the day after that, when I failed my driving test on the first turn [because I] didn’t see any cars even though I was going into oncoming traffic, to understand [that something was wrong]. I was kind of dazed and confused for a few days.”

Kandell then went into urgent care and found out that she had sustained a concussion.

Despite it being her first concussion, it was an extreme case.

After the initial diagnosis, the appropriate time before returning to exercise, and eventually full contact play, depends on the athlete

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and the severity of the concussion.

“My neurologist told me that it [was] up to me in the end, but that she would not recommend me going back to soccer at all,” Kandell said. “If I do...it [should] be the absolute longest amount of time between the injury and me going back to playing, so certainly not this season, probably not even next season.”

Soccer is the leading sport for concussions for female athletes. However, there is always a risk for brain injury in contact sports. Avery Zenger (‘16) was concussed in a lacrosse game her freshman year when she was hit in the head with an opponent’s lacrosse stick. Since it was the end of the year, she missed the rest of school and did not take her finals. She went through physical therapy but still could not return to her previous athletics, which included club soccer and school lacrosse.

“After going through two sessions of physical therapy I would do small workouts by myself,” Zenger said. “I never really got back into my sports because my parents didn’t feel comfortable with it, and I didn’t really feel comfortable [with] it.”

For student athletes, concussions can also result in lasting academic consequences. Conner Donnelly (‘16) was concussed while wrestling his freshman year. He dropped lanes in almost all of his classes and was only able to take one class this past fall, Japanese. Although his concussion was severe, he was unaware he was injured until his symptoms became almost unbearable.

“I actually didn’t know I had a concussion until I had bad enough headaches that it was difficult to just function,” Donnelly said. “I had headaches to the point where it was hard to sleep just because the headaches were so bad...at that point I stopped wrestling and haven’t gone back, so [my concussion] pretty much ended [my] wrestling career.”

However, Donnelly, Zenger and Kandell are examples of extreme cases. Not all concussions result in having to give up sports. Owen Plambeck (‘16) did not have as long of a recovery time for his injury. He was hit in the head with a baseball going almost 90 miles per hour during batting practice, and after a trip to the emergency room was diagnosed with a concussion.

“I couldn’t exercise or run for about three

weeks,” Plambeck said. “I was cleared [for full contact] four weeks after the concussion.”

Many contact sports such as football and boys’ lacrosse require the use of helmets in order to try to limit the number of head injuries. Despite this precaution, concussions still occur. Owen Staiger (‘15) hit his head against the head of an opponent during a lacrosse game. Right away, he noticed that something was wrong.

tact sports, seem to understand concussions and the risks involved. Staiger had a good experience when it came to his coach.

“The coaches are really worried about concussions, especially in contact sports like lacrosse and football,” Staiger said. “I’d say that they’re really conscious of concussions and preventing them, and [they] do everything they can so that we can get back and be healthy...They won’t push us unless they’re told by a professional that we can go back.”

Kandell described a similar experience with her soccer coach. “[My coach] completely gets it,” Kandell said. “He doesn’t want me to play if I’m going to hurt myself.”

Besides restricting athletes’ abilities to play their sport, concussions can also take a toll on school work.

A common symptom can be the inability to concentrate for long periods of time, which inevitably extends to academics. Reading or studying can also trigger the return of other symptoms such as headaches, nausea and dizziness.

Bryce Rockwell (‘16), a volleyball player, experienced these symptoms after suffering her first concussion last spring at a tournament.

“I was out of school for a month,” Rockwell

“I went back too early and didn’t let myself heal all the way because I didn’t want to miss school.”

- Bryce Rockwell (‘16) “I knew that I didn’t feel like I could just keep running,” Staiger said. “I went out and I sat down for a little bit and then I talked to Josh [Goldstein, Paly’s old athletic trainer,] and he did some concussion tests.”

However, Staiger was not kept out of the sport for long.

“I was pretty lucky that it was only a minor concussion,” Staiger said. “I could go back into practice without severe contact for a week and then I was back playing in the next game.”

Fortunately, most coaches, especially in con-

photo courtesy of Jean Goyal

FACE-OFF Conner Donnelly (‘16), left, gets ready to take down his opponent. Donnelly wrestled for the Vikings through his sophomore year, when he suffered a concussion that ended his career in the sport.

FEBRUARY 2015

said. “I couldn’t get out of bed because I was too nauseous because my head hurt so much. I couldn’t listen to music, read, go on my phone, watch TV or anything because it would make me so nauseous. I basically just had to sit in my room and sleep, and that was it.”

Due to the severity of Rockwell’s concussion, her grades were “frozen” and she was exempted from taking second semester finals.

When Rockwell experienced a second concussion this fall, however, keeping up with her classes proved more difficult because it was the beginning of the school year and she was expected to make up all missed work.

“There was a lot of pressure to get better because it was the beginning of the year,” Rockwell said. “My grades ended up getting messed up [due to my concussion]. My teachers didn’t make me do any work [while I was concussed], but I was still expected to make it up [later].

Every time I wasn’t at class I would have to make up more. But I couldn’t make it up because even though I went to school it still hurt my head. Even when I was going to school and said I was fine, I wasn’t.”

This pressure to get back to her school and sport as soon as possible prompted Rockwell to return to a normal activity level despite still feeling the symptoms of her concussion.

“The second [concussion] I got on the same part of my head, playing volleyball again, and I

was out for a week,” Rockwell said. “But, I went back too early and didn’t let myself heal all the way because I didn’t want to miss school...You can lie about if you feel better...it’s easy to go back and say you’re fine.”

Returning to activity before the brain is healed, however, can lead to long term complications as well as prolonging initial symptoms. After returning to school and volleyball before allowing herself to completely recover from her second concussion, Rockwell experienced noticeable differences in her ability to maintain focus while performing a mentally strenuous task. “[My concussions] have definitely affected me,” Rockwell said. “I can’t remember things as easily... I have to think more—I’m not as quick on my feet, especially with my writing.

My writing used to flow better and now it doesn’t because it takes a lot of attention and it’s hard for me to focus. If you go back too early it can damage your head even more, and I’ve definitely noticed that.”

It is possible that the consequences of Rockwell’s concussion could have been less severe if she had waited longer to go back to school and volleyball. A concussion is similar to other injuries in that returning before full recovery can worsen the injury. Attempting school work is one example of mental exertion which can aggravate symptoms of a concussion.

INTERCEPTION Avery Zenger (‘16) jumps to steal the ball in a soccer game. Zenger played for a Stanford club team before her concussion.

BY THE NUMBERS:

33%

of all sports concussions happen at practice.

47%

of all reported sports concussions occur during high school football.

photo courtesy of Avery Zenger

33%

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of high school athletes who have a sports concussion report two or more in the same year.

90%

photo courtesy of Owen Plambeck

of diagnosed concussions do not involve a loss of consciousness.

24

the number of hours athletes should wait symptom-free before starting to return to athletics.

5

million concussions occer annually.

8.9%

of high school athletic injuries are concussions.

BATTER UP Owen Plambeck (‘16) hits the ball in a Paly baseball game last spring. Plambeck has played on varsity since his sophomore year.

Plambeck was unable to complete any homework or school work soon after his baseball injury, which resulted in academic consequences that lasted for much longer.

“I started doing light homework three weeks after the fact and make up work for probably six weeks,” Plambeck said. “I’m retaking Beginning Journalism because I got an incomplete due to the concussion.”

Kandell was also forced to drop a class because of her symptoms. She had been taking Advanced Placement (AP) United States (US) History and did not think she could make up the amount of work she would ultimately miss in time to take the AP test in May. Because this had been Kandell’s only AP course, she feels that having to drop it could affect her college applications. It has been about three months from the time Kandell was injured and she still has difficulty focusing long enough to complete homework after full days of school.

“It must have been [a week after my concussion] that I dropped, [becuase] I would still have an extremely difficult time doing APUSH notes,” Kandell said. “That was my one AP class and I had to drop it...this semester I’m not taking any AP [courses] or any honors [courses]… I consider myself to be an at least

somewhat high-achieving student, and so it feels really weird to not be [taking AP or honors classes]. I feel like my college applications are going to be jeopardized...I’ll put in a box ‘had a concussion, had to drop this class’ but it’s weird [that] I’m not going to have taken a single AP test by the time I’m applying to colleges, and that makes me nervous.”

Many teachers at Paly have worked with students suffering from concussions, and they have developed various methods to help them.

According to students, some teachers are more accommodating than others. Some allow students to complete alternate assignments or modify assignments so that they are less strenuous. Others require that students complete all regular assignments, but give them extensions, or extra time, to finish them.

Plambeck described most of his teachers as accommodating and stated that he was mostly given extensions to complete the work, rather than modified assignments.

“They were pretty much all accommodating, giving me as much time as I needed until I felt like I was ready to resume work,” Plambeck said. “I didn’t do anything until I was able to do the complete assignment...I took all the tests just at a later date.”

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Many teachers understand the challenges that students face when returning from a concussion, but others, especially when unfamiliar with the specifics of brain injuries, can have a more difficult time discerning what is going on with a student. Kandell encountered both types when trying to figure out her school work.

“A lot of my teachers were really great, [but] some were kind of stubborn,” Kandell said. “I think that it’s very hard when you have a brain injury for somebody to see [what is going on].

I think it is really hard for some teachers to understand that I can’t do something... In the last few months I was still participating in class, so I think it was really hard for some teachers to understand, ‘okay she can do this but she can’t do homework, or she can’t take tests.’”

Justyn Cheung (‘16), who got a concussion playing water polo, also experienced different policies between his teachers and consequently his workload was not significantly diminished while he was concussed.

“I had the guidelines that said I could only do an hour of school work a night,” Cheung said. “Even though I had the guidelines, teachers had different interpretations of it— some thought, ‘oh, I can only give you an hour of homework per night,’ as opposed to a cumaliative whole of one hour of homework per night. It varied between the different teachers, and overall I think I had the same amount of work.”

With teachers’ varying methods for handling concussions, it is easy for students to experience a workload that is not less than normal. Consequently, many student athletes suffering from concussions are held to an academic standard that can be too rigorous for their neurological well being.

“The teachers were really nice, but if you get a concussion you get behind really fast,” Cheung said. “So, if you don’t make up the school work, it’s really hard to get back up to where you were. Most of the teachers gave me more time on the stuff, which doesn’t necessarily help if you’re having trouble recollecting things. They tried to be accommodating in the best way that they could, but overall it was still difficult.”

The administration can also play a key role in handling concussions. If a concussion is severe enough to limit academic work, a student and their family can talk to the guidance

counselor in order to figure out a way to still fulfill class requirements while also taking care of themselves. Ultimately the decisions regarding coursework are left up to the student and their teachers, but the guidance staff can help a student decide if it is necessary to drop a class or switch into a lower lane in order to maintain a course load that is manageable.

Kandell met with Susan Shultz, the junior guidance counselor, in order to figure out an academic plan that was adequate. “[Shultz] really wanted things to work for me,” Kandell said. “My grades got frozen after a certain point...before then my teachers were pretty understanding. I don’t have to make up entire classes, [but] I have to make up a few assignments for English and some other classes because the teachers didn’t want me to not do anything for that period, and not make up anything that I missed.”

Shultz described how the guidance department currently deals with concussions, and explained that most of the actions are decided on a case by case basis.

we have to go with that. But, we need someone to tell us if teachers aren’t being accommodating.”

Although a concussion can have serious detrimental effects regarding athletics and academics, Kandell and Zenger both agreed that the experience has been beneficial in some ways. Kandell has had an opportunity to explore more of her interests outside of school and sports, especially art because it does not seem to require the same amount or type of brain power that other activities do. She also has gained a new perspective on the pressure that students put on themselves to perform well, especially when trying to become the best college applicant possible.

“I was so caught up in the craziness of junior year and the college rat race, [so] getting a concussion and having to step back from that actually really put things into perspective for me in some ways,” Kandell said.

Like Kandell, Zenger has taken up new hobbies since her injury. She has been taking guitar lessons which she really enjoys, and she has also found a new subject that interests her: neurology.

“I realized that I have a really strong passion for neurology now and I want to study neurology in college,” Zenger said.

“That was one of the best things that came out of [my concussion].”

Zenger and Kandell have found silver linings to their injuries, which otherwise affected their lives, both athletic and academic, in dramatic ways. Concussions are unlike other sports related injuries because there is a potential for irreversible, long term brain damage which can result in changes in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores and even personality traits. It is important that athletes understand symptoms and the potential consequences of attempting to play through them or returning to play too early. The athletic community has taken tremendous strides in the past couple of decades to make sports safer for athletes, especially for children and adolescents, but much of the developed preventative and recovery methods rely on the cooperation of those affected and those around them. While the athletic and academic communities make further progress, athletes, coaches and teachers will have to work together to promote a healthy environment for healing. <<<

“I was so caught up in the craziness of junior year and the college rat race, [so] getting a concussion and having to step back from that actually really put things into perspective for me...”

- Maya Kandell (‘16)

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“[Students] usually start out by coming in with a doctor’s note that confirms they actually have a concussion,” Shultz said. “Then we have a concussion protocol form that we ask them to take back to their doctors, because it’s pretty specific about what accommodations they need given their specific concussion. Then, once we get that information back with parent consent, we actually give that to the teachers.”

As someone who has repeatedly dealt with students with concussions, Shultz finds that more often than not the student’s teachers are very flexible. However, if certain teachers are less helpful, a lot of the responsibility falls on the students to report what is happening in order to make the situation better.

“It can be pretty difficult [to manage a concussion]—and it is stressful,” Shultz said. “I’d like to hope that the teachers are following the accommodations and the students are getting the support they need. If a doctor is saying that the student should only have this much work...

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Concussion information taken from www.headcasecompany.com and pediatrics.aappublications.org

The Last Word

How do you go from good to great?

After the abrupt firing of coach Mark Jackson after the 2013-2014 season the Warriors owner Joe Lacob decided to hire ex-basketball player and commentator Steve Kerr. Kerr has led the Warriors to the second best record in the NBA and shows no sign of slowing down.

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by GARRETT REYNOLDS

ports have always been a part of my life, whether it was coaching middle school basketball last year or playing basketball all the way through high school. I have seen both sides of coaching and playing. However, there is one question I can’t seem to fully understand: what makes a team great?

There are plenty of theories trying to answer this question. Some say coaching is the biggest factor, while others say it’s all natural talent. The one thing I can say for certain is that there is no one answer, it is a mix of all of these things.

It would be foolish to try to analyze success in sports in a general way, so I decided to analyze the individual example of the Golden State Warriors transformation from the 2013-2014 season to the 2014-2015 season. The Warriors have always had the talent factor with players like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and David Lee. Curry had a better three-point percentage last year than this year, so why are the Warriors doing so much better this year?

The Warriors’ front office questionably fired Mark Jackson after the 2013-2014 season, a coach who was beloved by his players and who led the team to two playoff games in the last three years. The Warriors owner Joe Lacob brought in ex-basketball player and commentator Steve Kerr to lead the team. I didn’t originally understand the Warriors’ decision, but after coaching basketball last year and flag football in the fall, I got a better picture of what it means to be a good coach. Jackson, much like the 49ers’ former coach Jim Harbaugh, didn’t work well with the organization and had a different coaching style than the owner and general manager envisioned.

A good coach may not be liked by the public or his players, though both of those help. Instead, he or she brings out the best in each and every one of their players. Coaches like Kerr have success because they aren’t afraid to make changes and are willing to sacrifice time and effort to get success. Kerr is willing to do what it takes to make the players and the organization gel as a whole.

TOGETHERNESS Steve Kerr of the Warriors speaking to his team during a time out. Kerr and the Warriors have the second-best record in the NBA and show no signs of slowing down. Under Kerr the Warriors have been top of the league in three-point shooting, led by Klay Thompsons who was 44.8% from three-point range.

There have been so many amazing coaches throughout the history of basketball, but arguably one of the best basketball coaches of all time is John Wooden. Wooden won ten National College Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in the span of 12 years with UCLA. Wooden coached with a set of rules and philosophies: perhaps his most important rule was teamwork. Wooden often said, “it takes ten hands to make a basket.”

What Wooden and Kerr taught us about basketball, and about coaching in general, is that teamwork and attitude are pivotal in order to be the best team that you can be. I am obviously no Wooden; however, from coaching just one season of middle school basketball I can say firsthand that a good coaching attitude has positive results. When players come

to practice eager to learn and the coach gives them something to strive towards, they will have success.

Togetherness as a team is just a small part of being successful. Of course, you need to work hard and pay attention in practice to improve.

Despite all the little pieces that make a team better there is only one way to truly be successful. According to Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, success needs to be worked for everyday. He says, “Success isn’t owned, it’s leased and rent is due every day.”

I agree wholeheartedly with what Watt said.

Every morning when you open your eyes you have to reset and take nothing for granted.

That’s how you go from good to great. <<<

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