12 Blueprint
SPORTS
Dec. 18, 2015
Dupage Stars hockey team shooting for improvement
The Dupage Stars Hockey Club is currently 9-1 and tied for second place in the Hayes Suburban Hockey League. Last season the Dupage Stars only had two wins. Photo by Jack McGann
By Autumn McSwain Staff Reporter The players of the varsity Dupage Stars hockey team have revived themselves for their fall/winter season. Currently they are tied for second place in the Hayes Suburban league and have a record of 9-1, which has definitely made this a comeback season for the team. After only winning two games last season, varsity coach Chaz Davis talks about how the team recovers after having a loss. “To motivate our team to do better after a loss, we first identify what went right and what went wrong. We really like to harp on the things we did right and why those things contributed to success throughout the game. Then, we stress that improvement is needed in the areas where we failed to execute,” Davis said. Even though dealing with a loss
can be stressful, Davis still finds a way to motivate the team. He believes that if they pinpoint their issues early, then it could help them succeed in the future. “We help the players understand that these failures serve as lessons to be learned from and an opportunity to improve rather than something negative to dwell on. If we can improve upon our failures and resist making the same mistakes, we’ll be successful in the long run,” Davis said. President of the Dupage Stars, Mike Cipra, knows that a contributing factor to last season’s considerable amount of losses was the fact that players may be going back to school teams instead of travel clubs, which can cause issues when trying to create an adequate team. “Most kids have played for travel club teams, but you are seeing a shift of players going back to the high
school teams to play. This has been an on and off situation ever since I was at DGS in 1982,” Cipra said. According to Cipra, the hockey team has come a long way in terms of the number of players and the diversity within the team from different schools. “The last time Hinsdale South and Downers Grove South had separate teams was in 2009-10. We reformed as the South Hockey Club combined team the next year. In 2013-14, the team became the Dupage Stars with Downers Grove North added, and Lisle was added in 2014-15. Our club makes up 42 players -- DGN-22, DGS-13, Hinsdale South- five ,and Lisle- two,” President Cipra said. Players for the varsity Dupage Stars hockey team are trying to stay focused right now to ensure that they can keep up their winning streak. With high hopes of coming out victorious this season, junior Laurie Cox
and varsity team member, has her head in the game more than she ever has before. “I think that right now the pressure is really high for everyone who’s on the team because we’re doing so great at the moment. The thoughts of us losing what we’ve worked so hard for is frightening, but if we just keep up the good work and try our best I think we can overcome anything,” Cox said. The varsity Dupage Stars are excited about their victories and are looking forward to creating more in the future. With many more games still left in the season, the Dupage stars still have a chance to maintain the success they’re currently achieving and go above and beyond. Contact Autumn at amcs2141@csd99.org
Great strides between indoor and outdoor track By Gabrielle Bartkeviciute Entertainment Editor Indoor and outdoor track don’t seem very different to the human eye, but the difference is noticed through the conditions the human body needs to endure.
Senior Jeremy Taylor warms up for a meet. Photos by Clarissa Moreno
Both of these spring sports have a combined pre-season conditioning that is mainly focused on improving the strength of players in the weight room. Head Coach Dustin Hausherr explains the reason behind intense strength training before the season starts. “I don’t do much weight training during [the] season, so our strength gains are done right now,” Hausherr said. Track is the longest season out of any sport, so the physical toll on a runner doing indoor and outdoor track can really affect their performance. Senior Adam Gray explains how his coach helps him manage the effects of a long season on his body. “[The coach] gives us spring break off and just different breaks to take the load off a little bit. It definitely is a challenge on my body,” Gray said. The type of training in which runners participate during both parts of the track season also vary. Senior Ben Jung only participates in indoor track and explains the the type of training he experiences. “Indoor [track is] limited. We can do short sprints but long distance
is worked on mainly outdoors,” Jung said. The settings of indoor and outdoor track differ because of space limitations and differences in track layout. A runner’s technique is affected through greater stress on joints and difficulty breathing because all the meets take place inside. Going down the straight aways on the indoor track has no effect on form, but while on the curves, a runner’s form has to be much tighter than it is outside because of limited space. Although there are take backs, some events are unique to indoor. “Indoor [has a] 55 meter [run] that is not outside. It is a lot quicker and a shorter race. It focuses more on your acceleraSenior Thomas Zieman starts off the 4x200 m relay. tion that on your true maximum “In general if you just want to get speed. Then you also have the two faster and be around a great culture. mile indoor that is a lot harder than We built a great winning culture outdoor because it’s a lot more laps,” around here. We work hard every Gray said. single day,” Gray said. With the uniqueness of indoor and outdoor track, both seasons work together to strengthen the DGS track Contact Gabrielle at team. gbar1713@csd99.org