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AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE FROM THE Meet the five athletically and academically outstanding seniors representing Walnut. HORSE’S MOUTH Many coaches obsessed with winning lose sight of
COMPILED BY JOSHUA SHEN AND BRIAN WU
ERIN HARRIS SOCCER
the fact that they are training students, not pros. Ted Zhu and Bryan Wong Sports editors Bobby Petrino was re-hired as the head football coach at the University of Louisville earlier this year. It’ s a tearful return to the head coaching position at a major program after Petrino was fired for his involvement in a scandal that nearly culminated in a sexual harassment case. It was dismissed, but Petrino’s job and reputation went out the window. Although the media has never forgiven Petrino for this incident, a more striking story about Petrino has always stuck with me. Although widely regarded as one of the most brilliant offensive minds, Petrino has a checkered history, to say the least. In his first stint at Louisville, Petrino was documented questioning a player’s priorities when the player asked to skip practice to be the pallbearer at a close friend’s funeral. It’s a situation like this that forces us to deeply consider: what is the priority for student-athletes? Ask anyone, and they’ll say that there’s a reason why we call them “student-athletes” and not “athletestudents.” Academics come first because learning sets up success in the real world environment. A sport is a hobby that turns into a profession for the rare few. So academics come first. Right? As Petrino’s case shows, the truth can sometimes be ugly. Some coaches teach that nothing comes before the sport. Not your schoolwork, your health nor your personal life. And such cases inevitably lead us to this: what will student-athletes, especially high
schoolers, do when they “retire” and don’t have sports anymore? There’s a vacuum that’s created when sports is gone. All that time invested in drills and workouts are now empty hours. To do what? More often than not, people don’t know. The over-commitment to sports has set kids far behind in academics, created chronic injuries, and burned bridges between friends and family. The primary responsibility still lies in the hands of the student. There needs to be a recognition that the sport isn’t everything in life. That there are other people and activities worth dedicating time to, because in the long run, it’s going to be a lot more helpful. Go ahead and enjoy the game. But when the sport has become too much of your identity, there’s a danger that once high school ends, you won’t know what you want to do anymore, or worse, who you are anymore. High school is supposed to be a stepping stone for teenagers to mature and explore our passions as we enter the door to adulthood. And while sports can be an integral part of the pie, it isn’t the only ingredient in the recipe. That isn’t to say the coach is off the hook. Coaches are the parent figure in students’ lives and should use their position of authority to be more than just a teacher of the game. It’s an opportunity to be a mentor in life. In many situations, the pressure is on the coach to produce victories, so it takes great restraint and responsibility for a coach to put aside wins and losses, and instead, actively help their student-athletes find a balance between study and athletics. Ω
“ I’m just really humbled by the fact that I was chosen. And also I really like this award since it awards those who are well-rounded students who are involved in many activities, not just focused on one aspect of their lives.”
VICTOR CHEN CROSS COUNTRY
“I was pretty surprised at first because I didn’t think my sports credentials stacked up to some of the other people. I think Hacienda Five represents people in the school being able to balance both academic life and sports and extra cerricular life all at the same time.”
CHRISTINE HU WATER POLO “I always had the mindset that if I were to do something I would give it my all. Academics challenged my mind, while athletics challenged my body and volunteering expanded my heart.”
DEREK KAO SWIM
“For me the most important thing is academics. I love swimming but I know it’s not something that I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing. It’s the same thing with awards. It feels awesome to be recognized for my accomplishment, but then again, it’s only temporary.”
KYLE KING TRACK AND FIELD “The award is something I’ll cherish for a long time because it allows me to represent Walnut High School for the Hacienda League and gives me a lot of school pride. It’s an awesome thing to be able be placed in a group of amazing students and athletes.” PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTOR CHEN
Sophomore Rami Abdou: CIF bound
Abdou outperforms 42 other golfers and places third at league finals to qualify. Joshua Shen Staff writer
PHOTO COURTESY OF RAMI ABDOU
FORE: Abdou practices his swing in preparation for CIF tournament on May 12. He placed third out of the eight golfers who qualified.
Sophomore Rami Abdou wrapped up a berth in the first round of CIF Individuals with a score of 70 on May 7 at Mountain Meadows Golf Course. Abdou competed against players from seven teams at Hacienda League Finals. Out of 42 golfers, only eight made it, including Abdou who placed third. “I was the only one who made it [from Walnut] and there’s a lot of pressure to that from myself. I know what I can do, whether other people have expectations for me or not, I’m going to play my game,” Abdou said. The golfers had to complete three rounds to earn a spot to CIF, with the first two as qualifiers for the last round, the Hacienda League
final. The three rounds were held on separate days and locations. In the first round, Abdou carded a score of 75, 74 in the second, and 70 in the last. “In the first round I got off to a bad start but late in my round I got a few birdies that allowed me to bounce back and continue strong going into the last 2 rounds,” Abdou said. “My score started getting better after the first round and that really helped me qualify.” Last year, Abdou reached the first round but didn’t move on. This year, he seeks to reach further in CIF, make it to the state championships and acquire collegiate recognition. “This is only the beginning. I want to continue golfing and make state for CIF and also in the summer play big junior events where college coaches can watch me play,” Abdou said.
Abdou has improved his techniques in order to surpass accomplish his goals. “This year I’m much more mature. I am able to control myself both mentally and physically which allows me to play to the best of my ability,” Abdou said. “I’m able to compete with the best of the best and no longer feel [as] pressured because of the experience [and struggles] I’ve had last year.” Abdou will compete in the first round on May 12 at the Canyon Crest Country Club in Riverside. “I feel confident going into CIF and it just shows that all my hard work has paid off. All my practice and dedication towards this sport paid off,” Abdou said. “I’m just going to keep practicing every day and do everything to prepare and play to my highest level.” Ω