NorCal Issue 149 June 2018 by Sport Stars Magazine

NORCAL EDITION JUNE 2018 VOL. 9 ISSUE 149

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The Honor Bowl charity football game arrives in the Bay Area for the first time

Cal-Hi Sports FINAL baseball and softball state Top 10 rankings

De La Salle baseball rides a high-octane offense to another NCS championship

Walnut Creek Soccer Club surfs into a new era with high-profile partner

The first section title was worth the wait for Vacaville baseball

Los Gatos’ Vision Volleyball Club has its eyes on the Junior National Tournament

Caroline Evans and St. Joseph Notre Dame softball roll to NCS title

Sierra’s second Walljasper keeps the dynasty alive with another softball title

Danville Oaks rugby fought and scraped to extra-time win in national title game

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San Ramon Valley Had NorCal’s Best Boys Lacrosse Team In 2018, And It Proved It With A Section Title.

Didn’t Know There Was An Interscholastic Equestrian Team Competing In The Bay Area? You Should. It Went To Nationals.

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Maddy Denner OAK RIDGE-EL DORADO HILLS - TRACK & FIELD - SENIOR Talk about delivering on the hype. With a little less than a month left in the 2018 track and field season, SportStars and the Sacramento River Cats collaborated to award Denner the V Award, an award founded by the River Cats to honor the Sac-Joaquin region’s high school female athlete of the year. She didn’t let us down. At the CIF State Track and Field Championships on June 2-3 in Clovis, Denner defender her state title in the 1600 meters in a time of 4 minutes, 42.77 seconds. That was just fast enough to best section-rival Olivia O’Keeffe of Davis by less than a second. In the 3,200 meters, the Michiganbound Denner would take a bittersweet runner-up finish when she finished 1.24 seconds behind her twin sister, Elena. Their results help catapult the Trojan girls to a second-place team finish behind Southern Section-power Serra-Gardena.

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the SUMMER RUSH A

nother school year is in the books. And we’ve arrived at the two months when our fans and readers think we get to kick our feet up and relax. We wish. The minute we finished this issue we began planning our Yearbook Special Edition, which will include our 6th Annual Bay Area 75 list — a ranked countdown of the top 75 athletes among the nine Bay Area counties for the 2017-18 school year. There’s still a little bit of time to get nominations in for the elite list; you can submit them by email to editor@sportstarsmag.com. Our Yearbook issue will also include some of our top photos from the year and our Sac-Joaquin Male and Female Athlete of the Year stories. Then we transition to summer, where we have plans to highlight several Northern California-based club teams competing at national events. We began that process this month with a feature on the 17U Vision Volleyball team of Los Gatos preparing for the USA Volleyball Junior Nationals in Detroit later this month. There’s also NorCal talent to follow on the diamond with the Area Code games, travel softball and Little League All-Star tournaments. Action on the hardwood and gridiron never slows down either, with AAU hoops, 7-on-7 football action and high-profile combines. Oh yeah, and one of our cover girls from last November’s Basketball Preview, Haley Jones of Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, may be playing for the USA Basketball Women’s U17 World Cup team in Belarus in late July. She was among 18 finalists named for 12 roster spots. Speaking of football, our 2018 coverage starts even earlier this year — well, because football starts even earlier this year. The 2018 season will have games that count as early as Aug. 17. That means our 2018 Football Preview will need to be ready earlier that week. And it will. We promise. There always seems to be more, too. Summer’s also a time where we like to catch up on past SportStars feature subjects and provide updates on their success. Be on the lookout for that content as well. So think of us as you sit beachside, or around a campfire, these next few weeks. We’ll be out there digging up stories for you to read in that lounger by the pool. ✪

JOIN OUR TEAM PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 EDITORIAL Editor@SportStarsMag.com Editor Chace Bryson • Chace@SportStarsMag.com Assistant Editor Mike Wood Staff Writer Jim McCue • JimMcCue16@gmail.com Contributors Clay Kallam, Tim Rudd, Mark Tennis, James G. Kane, Harold Abend, Jill Daniels, Anthony Trucks, Erika Westhoff, Ike Dodson, Steven Wilson Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography James K. Leash, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Berry Evans III, Samuel Stringer, Jim Johnson, Dennis Lee, Dave Lawicka Interns Joshua Howser, Krishna Gomatam Marketing/Events Ryan Arter CREATIVE DEPARTMENT Art@SportStarsMag.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco • MikeD@SportStarsMag.com PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT Mike Calamusa • Mike@SportStarsMag.com ADVERTISING Sales@SportStarsMag.com, 925.566.8500 Account Executives Camps & Clinics: Ryan Arter • Camps@SportStarsMag.com Alameda County: Berry Evans • Berry@foto-pros.com READER RESOURCES/ADMINISTRATION Subscription, Calendar, Credit Services Info@SportStarsMag.com INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsMag.com COMMUNITY SPORTSTARS™ MAGAZINE A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC PO Box 741, Clayton, CA 94517 info@SportStarsMag.com www.SportStarsMag.com

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YOUR TICKET TO CALIFORNIA SPORTS ADMIT ONE; RAIN OR SHINE This Vol. #9, June 2018 Whole No. 149 is published by Caliente! Communications, LLC, PO Box 741, Clayton, CA 94517. SportStars™© 2010-2014 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Receive FREE Digital Subscription in your inbox. Subscribe at SportStarsMag.com. To receive sample issues, please send $3 per copy, or $8 total for bulk. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, doublespaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.

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Quite An HONOR Bowl Honoring Military Service To Make Bay Area Debut

he combination of Friday night lights and the respect of military service is something one might expect from the cornfields of Iowa. But if you’ve ever been to one of the Honor Bowl events that have been held in California since 2013, you know those chills running up your spine can be achieved anywhere. That’s one goal of the Honor Bowl, which is coming to the Bay Area for the first time next Aug. 24 with games at St. Francis-Mountain View. The series also aims to inform the kids, coaches, parents and others about the needs of military veterans, particularly those who have been seriously injured. I’ve known Mark Soto, the founder of the Honor Group, since he began to host a series of football games as part of his nonprofit in the early 2010s. He was a coach at Del Oro-Loomis and partnered with another coach and a Gold Star mother who lost a son in Afghanistan. The earliest games in the Honor Bowl were not surprisingly at Del Oro. Even before the Honor Bowl began in 2013, Del Oro and then-head coach Casey Taylor were active in playing as difficult a schedule as possible. In 2010, I remember covering a series of games at Del Oro on an incredibly hot day that matched up teams from different parts of Northern California. Del Oro played Bullard-Fresno at night and won 41-19. Earlier, one of the best games I saw that entire season was Whitney-Loomis outlasting Concord 42-40. Concord quarterback Ricky Lloyd finished with 410 yards passing and two touchdowns. Del Oro also traveled to Southern California as part of those early pre-Honor Bowl series of games. In 2011, the Golden Eagles hosted Oaks Christian-Westlake Village one weekend and then the next weekend played at Westlake-Westlake Village. It’ll be hard for any of the games at St. Francis to match the 2013 Honor Bowl contest held at Oceanside High between Centennial-Corona and St. BonaventureVentura. On that night, future Cal running back Tre Watson rampaged for 466 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in a 69-55 shootout win. St. Bonaventure quarterback Ricky Town (who was an Alabama commit at the time) also had a strong game and the two teams combined for 1,390 yards (a state record). Perhaps because of Centennial’s participation in the Honor Bowl, the event has gone to a more national approach in recent seasons. Frankly, I wasn’t interested in hyping up the controversial program at IMG Academy of Florida for the past two seasons when Centennial played IMG at the Honor Bowl. IMG Academy is just not a regular high school. This year’s lineup at St. Francis and the following weekend at Cathedral Catholic-San Diego just seems to be more closely aligned to the Honor Bowl’s California roots. At St. Francis on Friday, Aug. 24, it will be Oak Grove-San Jose vs. Del Oro and then the host Lancers playing Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks. The next day at St.

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Francis, it will be Archbishop Mitty-San Jose taking on Oakdale, Liberty-Brentwood battling Gilroy and then a fun matchup we’ve been hoping to see for many years: Serra-San Mateo vs. Serra-Gardena. You don’t have to have IMG, Bishop Gorman, Mater Dei, De La Salle or St. John Bosco for fans to come and for fans to have that unique experience that the Honor Bowl can provide. Trust me, when you see a Wounded Warrior being presented with a dog to be that vet’s trusted partner and friend or when you see more than one Gold Star family standing on the sidelines, you get it. And while the Silicon Valley might not be the heartland of America, it’s still the place that produced perhaps the greatest example of someone who understood what military service is all about: Leland-San Jose grad Pat Tillman. ✪ Mark Tennis is the co-founder of Cal-Hi Sports and publisher of CalHiSports.com. Contact him at markjtennis@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @CalHiSports

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BASEBALL STATE TOP 10 FINAL Baseball State Top 10 1. (1) — Valley Christian-San Jose 29-3-1 Win over Los Gatos in CCS Open Division final wasn’t easy, but picking the Warriors as State Team of the Year ended up no problem. The last No. 1 from WCAL was Mitty in 2010. 2. (4) ▲ De La Salle-Concord 26-4 Winning three straight NCS Div. I titles and going 10-0 and 11-0 in the last two games shows how good the Spartans were in 2018. If they hadn’t gone 0-2 vs. WCAL teams they might have earned No. 1 state ranking. 3. (5) ▲ Torrey Pines-San Diego 29-6 Defending San Diego Section Open champ Eastlake was knocked out in the semis by Poway, which was the team the Falcons beat 2-1 to win title. 4. (18) ▲ Capistrano Valley-Mission Viejo 25-10 Cougars won a series of thrillers en route to the CIF Southern Section Div. I title. Saint Mary’s College-bound Ryan Daugherty pitched a three-hitter in 2-1 championship win over FoothillTustin. 5. (3) ▼ Lutheran-Orange 25-8 Texas Rangers’ first-round MLB draft pick Cole Winn (15th overall) led the Lancers, who lost in the CIFSS Div. I semis to Capistrano Valley. 6. (6) — Foothill-Tustin 25-8 Coach Vince Brown’s club also went on a run in the CIFSS Div. I playoffs before losing to Capistrano Valley. Top pitcher, Ryan Taurek, is joining Capo Valley’s Ryan Daugherty at Saint Mary’s College. 7. (7) — Poway 27-8 The Titans were in the mix among top-ranked San Diego teams all season before facing Torrey Pines in the final. They topped Eastlake twice in their side of the bracket.

De La Salle 8. (2) ▼ Eastlake-Chula Vista 28-5-1 Last year’s No. 1 team had a chance to repeat at the start of the San Diego Section Open Div. playoffs, but needed to sweep its way to the title with no losses. The Titans lost their first game to Poway and eventually lost to Poway again in the double-elimination format. 9. (9) — Huntington Beach 28-5 The Oilers were No. 1 in the state for most of April, but got upset in the early rounds of the CIFSS Div. I playoffs by Dos Pueblos-Goleta. 10. (10) — Harvard-Westlake-N. Hollywood 26-4 Like Huntington Beach, the Wolverines are still being ranked high for regular season success followed by playoff upset. They were the top seed for the CIFSS Div. I playoffs.

SOFTBALL STATE TOP 10 FINAL Softball State Top 10

6. (3)

▼

Los Altos-Hacienda Heights

28-3

1. (1) — San Marcos 28-2 It turned out to be a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup of state-ranked teams in the CIF San Diego Section Open Div. final. The Knights blanked previous No. 1 Cathedral Catholic 4-0.

The Conquerors wound up with two losses to No. 2 Norco,

2. (2) — Norco 28-3 The way the Cougars mauled Los Altos-Hacienda Heights and Gahr-Cerritos in their last two games showed how much they’d have loved a third chance at San Marcos. Knights won second of two meetings to gain No. 1 edge.

Last year’s No. 1 team moves up two spots for the final rank-

3. (4) ▲ Cathedral Catholic-San Diego 26-4 UCLA-bound Megan Faraimo is the Gatorade National Player of the Year, but didn’t get the team title she wanted in loss to San Marcos.

Winning the Trinity League over Orange Lutheran and getting

4. (5) ▲ Clovis 30-2 The Cougars were 25-0 in games in which Fresno State-bound ace Danielle Lung pitched. Lung also ended her career with 91 varsity wins and three CIF Central Section Div. I titles.

Given the offensive lineup the Lancers could put on the field,

5. (6) ▲ Gahr-Cerritos 26-6 Head coach Sean Quarles’ team made it to the CIFSS Div. I final opposite Norco and showed it could consistently compete at the highest levels.

but they made it to the CIFSS Div. I semis and had a win over Mater Dei to win the Alan Dugard Classic. 7. (9)

▲

Los Alamitos

25-3

ings as previous No. 7 Foothill-Pleasanton and previous No. 8 Chino Hills drop. 8. (10)

▲

Mater Dei-Santa Ana

23-6

a win at the Dave Kops TOC in Arizona over San Marcos were among season highlights. 9. (11)

▲

Lutheran-Orange

26-5

this final ranking would have to be considered disappointing. 10. (12)

▲

Amador Valley-Pleasanton

23-5-1

Amador vs. Foothill-Pleasanton matchup for the NCS Div. I title was also for the final NorCal No. 1 ranking. Danielle Williams’ four-hitter and other career accomplishments has her among Ms. Softball State POY finalists.

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Behind the Clipboard by Clay Kallam

Spare The Lesson, Savor The Action E My family always watches the Warriors games together, but lately it hasn’t been as much fun. My mom played in college and used to coach, and she wants me to pay attention to what the coaches and players are doing — and I just want to watch the game. What can I tell her so that I can enjoy watching? M.G., Martinez

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very once in a while, I’ll have a player sit by me for a few minutes while I scout an upcoming opponent — and the first thing I say is “Don’t watch the ball.” Almost everything of interest in scouting a team (as opposed to scouting an individual) happens away from the ball. Unfortunately, when I focus on that aspect of the game, I often have no idea who’s ahead. (I’ll look up at halftime and wonder how the team I think is better is losing by 10. …) Even when I zero in on an individual player, that means not just watching her while she has the ball in her hands, but what she does when she doesn’t have the ball. Remember, there are 10 players on the court at any given time, and even on offense, the percentages say, all things being equal, one player is without the ball 80 percent of the time. (Throw in defense, and now it’s 90 percent of the time without the ball. …) So if you’re going to use a Warriors game, or any game, as a teaching/learning experience, almost by definition, you can’t really “watch” the game, and in fact, the whole process is now a lot more like work than pleasure. Of course, working on your game is important, and watching how the best teams in the world play basketball is a great opportunity to learn and get better. And this is true of every sport — there’s always more to learn, and just listening to the announcers adds to the knowledge base.

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On the other hand, sports are supposed to be fun. Having fun, after all, is why we start playing, and though we put in a lot of work to be able to play well, at the end of the day, if you’re not having enough fun, you’re going to quit playing. What does all this have to do with your question? Simple — there’s a time to work and a time to have fun. Your mom says you should “work” your way through the postseason, but you’re ready to have fun and enjoy the playoffs. Generally, I’ve found it wise to go along with the mom in any household, but in this case, I have to disagree. Those who have been Warriors fans for a long time know all too well that teams like this one are few and far between — very few and very far, in fact — so now’s the time to enjoy this rare outburst of extreme excellence. In short, save the lessons and savor the games. The joy of sport is one of its great attractions, and the Warriors at their best are a joyous experience and it would be a shame to miss the magic while trying to figure out who set that weakside screen on the baseline. ✪ Clay Kallam has been an assistant athletic director and has coached numerous sports at a handful of high schools throughout the Bay Area. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at claykallam@gmail.com.

SPARTA

Story by Mike Wood Photos by Berry Evans III 14

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OF TANS SWAT

Nick Cirelli

A Record Setting Offense Paved The Way For De La Salle’s Third Consecutive NCS Title Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

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hen a baseball team outscores its four North Coast Section playoff opponents by a combined 42-3, something exceptional is happening. How special? This finish came from likely the most prolific offense in the history of De La Salle High-Concord. Adding in two East Bay Athletic League playoff wins, that offense averaged 10.67 runs per game against top-flight schools from the section’s top division, culminating in a third straight NCS Division I championship. The Spartans (26-4) ended their exceptional season with an 11-0 win over Foothill-Pleasanton, pulling off the rare feat of finishing an NCS championship game by mercy rule when Nick Cirelli’s three-run home run ended the game in the sixth. “I was just trying to hit it as hard as I could. ... I didn’t even know there was a mercy rule,” Cirelli said. “It’s an incredible feeling knowing the entire team is behind you on every pitch. We played well together and I think we deserved it.” It was Cirelli’s second home run of the day and sixth on the year. The team’s 29 home runs for the season was a school record, eclipsing last season’s mark of 19. The Spartans etched several new entries onto the school record book, including battling .361 as a team, plus new high marks in doubles, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, hit by pitches and wins in a season. They finished second in the nation in the MaxPreps computer rankings. Cirelli provided plenty of offensive spark, which came with a good example of selflessness, at times coming out for a speedier pinch-runner after reaching base. “I think if you add it up, there’s at least 5-6 games he himself had more than half our runs,” De La Salle senior pitcher Ryan Costeiu said. “And he shows that Spartans mentality: I am going to get on base, but someone else is going to get on-base and score that run for us.”

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Cirelli led De La Salle in RBI (41), hits (47), triples (2), slugging percentage (.808), OPS (1.383) and in batting average among full-time starters (.500). His home run total was second to Trace Tammaro with seven. “He’s a DI hitter, can hit the home run, gets on base, doesn’t get himself out, doesn’t chase,” De La Salle coach David Jeans said. “He also had two opposite-field triples.” He served as a designated hitter this season, pitching just nine innings due to a shoulder injury. Cirelli’s status was part of the uncertainty this spring for the Spartans, who had just two other starters and seven players in all back from their 2017 championship team. “We had some questions about some positions when we started,” Cirelli said. “We started hitting the ball very well and ending up setting many records: team batting average, doubles, home runs. It was a ridiculous season.” After a 1-2 start with losses to Central Coast powers Bellarmine-San Jose and St. Francis-Mountain View, the Spartans began to put it together at the Central Valley Showcase with wins over Buchanan-Clovis and Clovis North-Fresno. “In that Buchanan game, that was the most energy we had shown in a game,” Cirelli said. “Then we had a hard loss at Monte Vista, and then went on a 14-game win streak. Our offense was firing on all cylinders, then we lost to Amador Valley. That made us practice harder.” They avenged both of those losses, their only two against NCS teams. After that 1-0 eight-inning loss to Monte Vista, they won the rematch 14-4. The 3-2 defeat against Amador Valley was avenged with an 11-1 win in the EBAL playoffs. “It’s hard to tell 15- and 16-year olds who are playing very well that they need to keep getting better, but these guys listened,” Jeans said. “Collectively as a group they were not cocky. They always wanted to get better. We had 20 kids in that

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championship game and all had contributed in a significant way. It’s nice when you get a group of 33 guys who can make all nine positions better.” The offense was off the charts, but the Spartans also had outstanding defense and potent pitching. Middle infielders Dom Grupalo and Taison Corio combined for just two errors all year. Center fielder Jack Powers, who will play football at TCU, returned in April from a fractured foot to be a big contributor. Primary starting pitchers, Costeiu and sophomore Kyle Harrison, were a combined 19-1. Veteran catcher Austin Elder played a large role in getting a staff with little previous varsity experience rolling. “It’s night and day. Having a veteran catcher who has known me for four years is so huge; he makes me the pitcher I am,” said Costeiu, who earned the win in the NCS final with a twohitter over five innings. “There are a lot of great catchers in the area. You can put up anybody you want. I have not seen somebody with the receiving and defensive ability. Nobody else is even close.” Elder will attend Cal State Northridge. “He is one of the best receivers we have ever had at De La Salle, and this year he took the next step as a leader,” Jeans said. “We had new pitchers who were very comfortable working with him, which is the sign of a Div. I catcher.” Considering the Spartans’ final offensive explosion came against Foothill standout and Vanderbilt-commit Brett Hansen made it all the more impressive. And there was the matter of graduation for the team’s 22 seniors, which came smackdab in the middle of their four-game NCS playoff run. “Graduation wasn’t really our end,” said Costeiu, who along with Cirelli will play at Sacramento City College. “Graduation is nice but that is not how we ended our high school years. Our graduation was winning an NCS championship.” ✪

Walnut Creek Soccer Joins Forces With National Power When Adam Cooper came on as Walnut Creek Soccer Club’s director of coaching in February, the club was excited about the change in direction. They probably didn’t anticipate the most recent turn orchestrated by Cooper and others. But it’s one that puts the club directly on the map — as a big red dot. The Club announced in mid-May that it was becoming a Northern California affiliate of renown competitive club, San Diego Surf. It’s now Walnut Creek Surf Soccer Club and is the only affiliate within a 25-mile radius. “You hear the term ‘destination club’ a lot,’” Walnut Creek Surf Soccer’s marketing director, Rich Gay, said. “Traditionally we haven’t been a destination club, and that was a key to expanding our borders some.” Other NorCal Surf affiliates include San Jose Surf and Central Valley Surf (Stockton). What exactly about the affiliation helps make clubs more attractive? “I think the curriculum and knowledge that we’re going to be able to learn as coaches; finding out how to develop players better,” said Cooper, who will be entering his 13th season as the head men’s soccer coach at Saint Mary’s College. It was Cooper’s friendship with a former Gaels assistant coach, Cody

Worden — who now works for S.D. Surf — that helped spawn the partnership. From having recruited Surf kids in the past, Cooper was well aware of the club’s reputation of excellence. He didn’t need to do a great deal of convincing with Walnut Creek’s board. “(Surf) is kind of known as the No. 1 comp club in the nation,” Gay said. “They’ve won more national championships, have produced more U.S. National Team players, and something like 95 percent who have gone through their club have played collegiately. Whatever it is, they’re doing it right.” This isn’t just something that will benefit the top-flight competitive boys and girls teams within the club. Kids ages 5-18 who participate in Walnut Creek’s Fall Recreation Program, of which registration is still open at wcsc.org, will also gain from the shift in curriculum taught by the club’s exceptional coaching roster. “I think it’s going to help us develop players better,” Cooper said. “That’s what it comes down to, you want to give them the best experience and turn them into the best players possible. In addition to the Fall Recreation sign-ups, Walnut Creek currently has a series of summer camps and clinics beginning June 11. Learn more about those on the club website. ✪ — Chace Bryson

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Steve Chappell, left, and Director of Coaching Adam Cooper

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t’s a difficult road to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I baseball title, especially when navigating from Solano County. The Bulldogs of Vacaville High know this all too well. The Div. I bracket is traditionally Delta League territory. Since the turn of the century, it owns 14 of 18 Div. I banners. Four of the top six seeds in the 2018 bracket belonged to Delta League teams. Vacaville entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed. It closed it with the program’s first SJS crown. “When you are in the same division as Jesuit, Franklin, Elk Grove, and Davis, you know it will not be easy,” said Vacaville coach Stu Clary, whose Bulldogs stunned Sacramento and Elk Grove locals with its title run that ended with a two-game sweep of Davis on Memorial Day. “I have great respect for those programs, and those coaches are the gold standard that I have strived for.” Vacaville rebounded from a 3-2 semifinals defeat to Davis to win four consecutive elimination games against Delta League heavyweights, including the pair of wins over the Blue Devils in the finals. In all, the Bulldogs’ 6-1 playoff record was earned against five different teams from what is considered one of Northern California’s strongest and deepest baseball leagues. “I watched a lot of wrestling growing up and Ric Flair always said, ‘If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best,’” Clary added (without The Nature Boy’s “Wooooo!” as an exclamation point). Just a year ago, Vacaville earned the No. 1 seed after rolling to a 24-3 record that included wins over Davis and Jesuit-Carmichael as well as a Monticello Empire League title, but fell in its playoff opener to No. 8 seed Del Oro-Loomis. It was a gut punch and a shock to the Bulldogs, but it may have provided extra motivation for this year’s team. The perceived snub of the No. 7 seed this season added fuel to the fire. “I think the kids had a bit of a chip on their shoulder after we learned that we were the 7 seed,” Clary said. “We are the smallest school in D-1 and we have a bit of an outsider feeling coming from out here, so the guys took it as an extra motivator.” The bracket also revealed that the Bulldogs would get only one home game, and their first opponent would be Delta League battle-tested Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove. In a back-and-forth contest, Vacaville came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning tied 6-6 with the Eagles. A Cole Elvis single and Mike Brown walk gave the Bulldogs a runner in scoring position, so Clary inserted speedy

Vacaville shortstop Hunter Dorraugh follows the flight of his hit during the first game of the Div. I championship doubleheader against Davis. He went 4-for-6 with five runs scored and three RBI in the two games. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

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Cole Elvis

sophomore Kenny DeCelle (for his varsity debut) as a pinch runner for Elvis. Sophomore Jared Breedwell then bounced a ball through the left side of the infield and DeCelle raced home with the winning run. “We have a lot of seniors that led this team all year, and we get a walk-off win with two sophomores on base and a sophomore knocking in the winning run,” Clary said. Youth and speed earned the victory and a road matchup with three-time defending Div. I-champion Elk Grove. The Bulldogs remained at ease, playing loose and swinging freely to record a 14-8 win that eliminated the mighty Thundering Herd. “We have league titles recognized at our field, and you walk in there and they have all of those section championship years on the fence,” Clary said. “But we walked in there and did what we always do. Our kids were running pass patterns in the outfield and were loose and confident. “When I saw our guys throwing the football around and having fun, I knew we’d be OK. I knew we would just go about our business.” Clary, who has been with the program for nine years, including four 20

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June 2018

years as the varsity coach, believes in having fun on the baseball field, admitting that he often “leaves the seriousness” to his assistant coaches. But, the fun has translated into lots of wins the past two years. The coach credits his seniors for the team’s success, including Cole Elvis, T.J. Smith, Noah McCoy, Bryce Begell and Austin Lamb. Elvis, a catcher who will continue playing at Pac-12 power Cal, led the team with a .426 batting average and 28 RBI despite missing significant time with an ankle injury. Smith was primarily a pitcher as a junior, but excelled at the plate in his senior season, batting .383 with a team-high 36 hits after being shut down on the mound after just seven appearances. McCoy, a versatile fielder capable of playing in the infield or outfield, knocked in 25 runs while batting .371. Begell, a University of Arizona signee, fought through a hip flexor injury during the season and a sprained ankle in the playoffs to finish with 31 hits and a .333 average. Lamb was Vacaville’s No. 1 pitcher, making 10 starts, logging 49 innings, and posting a 2.71 ERA.

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“Everything started with our seniors,” Clary said, “but Cole is the heart and soul of the team. He did exactly what we knew he would do.” Elvis and the seniors led the team all season, but came up biggest under the bright lights and attention of the postseason. Elvis, Smith, and McCoy drove in a combined 37 runs between them as the Bulldogs batted .383 as a team in the postseason. Vacaville, which finished the season 26-8, had at least 10 hits in every playoff win and averaged nearly nine runs per game despite the 3-2 loss to Davis. “We definitely swing it,” Clary said. “We don’t play a lot of small ball. We grip and rip it a lot, but we hit up and down the lineup and have no easy outs from 1 through 9.” On the final day of the Bulldogs’ historic season, there was plenty of gripping and ripping as they banged out 21 hits and scored 18 runs. Ironically, though, the game-winning heroics came courtesy of a pair of unlikely plays. Trailing 6-4 with just three outs left to work with, Smith belted his first home run since Little League, a two-run bomb that left the yard at Sacramento City College to tie the game at 6-6. After two outs were reFollow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

corded, junior Hunter Dorraugh collected his third hit of the game with a single to left field. Then, the luck and bounces that had always eluded the Vacaville baseball program, finally went the Bulldogs’ way. Clary gave Dorraugh the steal sign with George Christison at the plate. Christison mistakenly thought that his coach signaled for him to bunt, so the junior outfielder squared around as Dorraugh broke for second base. The bunt was well-placed, forcing a rushed throw to first base that arrived at the same time as Christison. With the ball, runner, and first baseman all converging, the throw ended up rolling in foul territory down the right field line. Dorraugh never slowed and Clary windmilled his runner toward home plate where he beat the throw to claim the championship. “We won on a missed sign bunt to get our first section championship,” Clary said. “That’s baseball. Sometimes things just work out and the bounces go your way.” And when things go your way, the underdog can find the road from Solano County to the Sac-Joaquin Section championship is navigable after all. ✪

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June 2018

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June 2018

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Summer Is Swim Time in Concord And Terrapins Set The Pace Northern California could put its rich tradition in competitive swimming up against just about any other region in the country. NorCal features two national-championship caliber collegiate swimming programs at Cal and Stanford, routinely has produced some of the top high school swimming talent in the country and is home to nationally renowned clubs for both racing and synchro. The area is also home to some of the most decorated Olympic swimmers of all time. That includes Moraga native Matt Biondi, an 11-time medalist (including five golds in 1988), and Vallejo/Concord darling Natalie Coughlin, arguably the nation’s greatest female swimmer ever. Coughlin was a 12-time medalist who became the first U.S. female athlete to win six medals in one Olympiad (2008). Coughlin went to high school at Carondelet-Concord and trained with the Concord-based Terrapins Swim Club. And the Terrapins have been on the map ever since. The Terrapins program has consistently trained some of NorCal’s finest competitive swimmers while also being home to hundreds of lower level swimmers aiming for greater heights — and faster times. The most recent North Coast Section high school swimming championships featured 24 Terrapin-trained swimmers. Northgate-Walnut Creek senior Alexei Sancov, pictured left, won the 200- and 500-yard freestyle and set a pair of meet records in the process. Niklas Weigelt (Clayton Valley-Concord) was also a champion, winning the 100-yard freestyle. UCLA-bound Emily

Lo (Acalanes-Lafayette) took second in the 100-yard butterfly. The Terrapins are constantly looking for new members. They offer their summer Orange Group program for swimmers who have completed learn-to-swim lessons and are interested in beginning team swimming. That program runs from June 11-Aug. 9 with two time options for practices that run Monday-Thursday. For those who are already competitive rec swimmers looking to raise their game, the Terrapins are offering four Stroke And Racing Skills Clinics from June 11 through July. Each session is two weeks long, meeting three days a week for 45 minutes each day. Ages 8-under through 10-years old will go from 6-6:45 p.m., and the 11-12/13-over swimmers work out from 6:45-7:30 p.m. Sessions start on June 11, June 25, July 9 and July 23. Don’t have a young swimmer in the house, but want to see some Terrapins in action? Various levels of Terrapin swimmers will be competing this summer throughout the Bay Area. They will host their own Long Course Last Chance Meet at Heritage High in Brentwood on June 23-24. The 14 & Under Long Course Junior Olympic Championships take place from July 6-8 at Independence High in San Jose, and the Long Course Far Western Championships will occur at the Soda Aquatic Center in Moraga from July 26-29. Learn more about the Terrapins, or sign up for some of their summer programs, by visiting TerrapinSwim.com. ✪

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June 2018

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PLAYER of the YEAR EVAN GIBBONS, FRANKLIN-ELK GROVE A 4.0 student and a two-way talent on the diamond, Franklin’s senior standout Evan Gibbons has put together one stellar résumé heading into the collegiate ranks. But the Wildcats’ ace pitcher and shortstop can now add 2018 SportStars Player of the Year honors to that list following a dominant season. “Evan’s a stud,” Franklin baseball coach Bryan Kilby said. “And most people don’t know how hard he works off the field. He works his butt off in the gym, getting bigger and stronger, and he works really hard in the classroom, too. He leads by example for the rest of our guys. He’s one of those guys you want your players to imitate.” This past season, the right-hander showcased dominance from the mound with a 93-mph fastball and a lethal breaking ball. In 13 games, Gibbons surpassed the century mark with 101 strikeouts in just over 69 innings of work. He also racked up seven wins and owned a 1.31 ERA against some of the top competition in the SacJoaquin Section. He added a .389 average from the middle of Franklin’s lineup, and helped his squad claim its first Delta League title in two years with 26 RBIs. Gibbons will look to play middle infield or third base for Sacramento State’s program at the start, but could also pitch in relief if called upon. “We know he’s going to do great things at Sac State,” Kilby said. “And it’s exciting to think about the success he’ll have there.” When he does finally suit up in a green uniform in September, it will complete a process three years in the making. “Sac State was interested and offered him a scholarship during his sophomore year,” Kilby said. “So before one day of his junior year here, he was committed.” Gibbons’ verbal commitment made a few West Coast schools look elsewhere for incoming talent. He had genuine interest from a number of Pac-12 and Big West schools, but they were late to the party. Despite the late arrivals and schools trying to peak his interest, Gibbons signed his letter of intent with Sacramento State to make his move official. “They got a good one,” Kilby added. “He’s solid all the way around. Good athlete, good student, he’s in the leadership program on campus, he’s a good teammate. He’s one of those kids that doesn’t come around much, but it’s special when they do.” ✪ — Steven Wilson 24

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TEAM of the YEAR FIRST TEAM

PITCHERS Joshua Seward | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose | Sr.: Our NorCal Pitcher of the Year dazzled the region’s best league (West Catholic); went 10-2 with a save and 0.76 ERA in 74 innings. Patrick Wicklander | Valley Christian-San Jose | Sr.: Arkansas-bound righty went 7-3 with a 1.70 ERA and 95 strikeouts over 70 innings. He also had an 18-strikeout no-hitter. Cooper Hjerpe | Woodland | Jr.: Right-handed Oregon St. commit went 8-0 with a 0.78 ERA and led the Sac-Joaquin Section with 128 strikeouts over 53.2 innings.

CATCHERS Tyler Lozano | St. Mary’s-Stockton | Sr.: Limited to just 15 games, the USC-bound backstop still batted .537 with 16 runs, 22 hits, seven RBI and seven doubles. Albert Hsiao | Leland-San Jose | Sr.: Missed three weeks due to injury and still batted .409 with 14 RBI. Will head to Washington in the fall. Cole Elvis | Vacaville | Sr.: Moved behind the plate for his senior season and helped lead Bulldogs to SJS Div. I final with 29 hits and 28 RBI in just 24 games.

Brett Hansen

MIDDLE INFIELDERS Osiris Johnson | Encinal-Alameda | Sr.: Hit .538 with 43 hits, 29 runs, 22 RBI, 13 doubles and six home runs. He’s CSU Fullerton-bound. Nick Yorke | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose | So.: West Catholic Athletic League Player of the Year after batting .494 with 30 runs scored and 20 of his 39 hits going for extra bases. Joey Daini | Benicia | Sr.: His 44 hits, .459 batting average, nine home runs, 34 runs scored, five triples and 32 RBI were all career-highs as the Panthers finished 19-8.

CORNER INFIELDERS Christian Almanza | St. Mary’s-Stockton | Sr.: Utah-bound first baseman hit .451 and led the team in runs (35), hits (37) and RBI (35). Twenty of his hits went for extra bases. Dennis Boatman | Woodcreek-Roseville | Sr.: In 31 games, the UCLA-bound star hit .390 with 24 runs, 39 hits, 19 RBI and 16 doubles. A.J. Miller | Casa Grande-Petaluma | Sr.: Arizona State commit hit .352 on 31 hits and notched team-bests in runs (31), RBI (25) and extra-base hits (18).

OUTFIELDERS Brett Graber | Capital Christian-Sacramento | Sr.: Led Cougars to the SJS Div. IV title by batting .494 with 38 runs, 44 hits, 41 RBI and 22 stolen bases. Mason Poisson | Del Campo-Fair Oaks | Jr.: He led SJS Div. II champions in every offensive category, including runs (29), hits (41), RBI (31) and extra-base hits (14). Nick Vogt | Davis | Jr.: The Santa Barbara-bound offensive machine led SJS Div. I finalists by hitting .432 with 31 runs, 48 hits, 27 RBI and 18 doubles. Nick Proctor | Amador Valley-Pleasanton | Sr.: Sterling senior season saw Proctor post team-bests in average (.388), hits (33), runs (22), RBI (21), doubles (10) and homers (3).

Joey Yorke

DH/MULTI-PURPOSE Nick Cirelli | De La Salle-Concord | Sr.: Spartans DH may be the NCS’ toughest out. In 30 games, he hit .500 with 47 hits, 41 RBI, 17 walks and just eight strikeouts in 118 plate appearances. Brett Hansen | Foothill-Pleasanton | Sr.: Vanderbilt commit finished his year hitting .500 with 38 hits, 29 RBI and a .606 on base percentage. Was 8-1 with 1.59 ERA. Max Nyrop | Alameda | Sr.: Led NCS Div. 11 champs with an 9-0 recrod on the mound with a 0.85 ERA and scoreless-inning streak of 55. He was also hitting .345 with 19 runs and 18 RBI. Evan Gibbons | Franklin-Elk Grove | Sr.: Our NorCal Player of the Year, the Sacramento State-commit hit .391 with 34 hits, 24 runs and 26 RBI. On the mound, he was 7-1 with a pair of saves and 94 strikeouts. ✪

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TEAM of the YEAR SECOND TEAM PITCHERS Ryan McLaughlin | Drake-San Anselmo | Sr.: Went 9-2 with two saves, 0.94 ERA; had 98 strikeouts in 89.2 innings pitched. Kyle Harrison | De La Salle-Concord | So.: Had 9-1 record, 1.17 ERA while striking out 71 in 54 innings; opponents hit just .163. Jack Hinrichsen | McClatchy-Sacramento | Sr.: Cal-bound arm went 7-4 with a 1.61 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.

CATCHERS Cody Brockman | Modesto Christian | Jr.: Mashed the ball en route to .438 average, 41 runs, 29 RBI and 17 doubles. Ryan Belluomini | Valley Christian-San Jose | Sr.: Hit .327 on 33 hits and his 20 RBI ranked second on the team. Darren Susac | Jesuit-Carmichael | So.: Hit .462 with teambests of 36 hits, 22 runs; also threw out 16 of 24 base stealers.

MIDDLE INFIELDERS Eamonn Lance | Drake-San Anselmo | Jr.: Led Pirates in average (.455), hits (40), runs (29), RBI (34), doubles (12) and HRs (11). Jeffrey Jamison | Del Campo-Fair Oaks | Sr.: Fresno State commit had 28 runs, 34 hits and 33 stolen bases for SJS champs. Kevin Fitzgerald | Laguna Creek-Elk Grove | Sr.: Hit .539 with 41 hits, 32 RBI, 13 doubles, six triples and four home runs.

CORNER INFIELDERS Ryan Jeffries | St. Francis-Mountain View | Sr.: Santa Clara signee hit .435 with team-bests of 40 hits and 24 runs.

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Matt Clayton | Yuba City | Sr.: Nevada-bound slugger hit .600 on 51 hits (22 for extra bases), scored 45 runs and had 38 RBI.

OUTFIELDERS Cole Brigman | Valley Christian-San Jose | Jr.: Led nationallyranked CCS champs with 41 hits and 31 runs scored. Michael Dixon | Berkeley | Sr.: San Diego-bound slugger led 22-win Yellowjackets in hits (29), runs (21), RBI (22) and HRs (5). Cameron Allie | Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills | Sr.: Santa Clara commit hit .404 with 24 RBI, led team in hits (38), extra-base hits (13) and stolen bases (15). Jeremy Lea | Foothill-Pleasanton | Sr.: Spark plug for NCS runner-up hit .410 with 32 runs, 26 RBI and 16 extra-base hits; Univ. of Pacific commit.

MULTI PURPOSE Parker Cosby | Escalon | Sr.: Went 11-0 with a 1.52 ERA and eight complete games; hit .457 with 37 runs, 42 hits and 20 RBI. Daniel Carrion | Winters | Jr.: Paced 30-win team with .477 average, 40 runs and 40 RBI; 4-0 with 0.47 ERA in 15 innings. Bubba Gomez | Fremont Christian | Jr.: Batted .536 with 50 RBI, 62 runs; went 8-1 with a 0.98 ERA, 131 Ks. Jacob Tucker | Christian Brothers-Sacramento | Sr.: Hit .478 with 44 hits, 25 runs and 21 RBI while also going 10-1, 0.78 ERA. Titus Groeneweg | Wood-Vacaville | Sr.: Cal State Fullerton recruit hit .408 average with 20 runs and 16 RBI while going 5-2 with a 1.31 ERA. ✪

PITCHER of the YEAR JOSH SEWARD, ARCHBISHOP MITTY-SAN JOSE In the West Catholic Athletic League, a typical baseball week often includes a pair of state-ranked teams on the schedule. On March 17, in Archbishop Mitty’s first WCAL road game of the season, senior pitcher Josh Seward found himself starting against a Valley Christian-San Jose team ranked No. 1 in both the state and nation. The right-hander never blinked. And that’s when Monarchs coach Brian Yocke knew Seward would be the least of his worries in 2018. “There was a confidence he exuded when walking off the mound that day,” Yocke said. “He got out of a jam with a strikeout and he had an aura about him as he walked off the field that I’d never seen from him before. “We were like, ‘Wow — he’s all in for this year.’” Seward would strike out nine in six scoreless innings that game, taking a no-decision in a 1-0 extra-inning loss for Mitty. It was indeed a prelude to a remarkable season against some of the toughest competition in the state. Seward wound up going 10-2 with a sterling 0.76 ERA, five complete games and two shutouts. He also had one save, and averaged less than one runner allowed per inning. Not bad for someone who was cut as a freshman and only found himself in the No. 1 hurler role following an early-March injury to fellow senior starter Luke Tillman. “It’s always just been a thing that I wanted to prove to people that I belong to be there,” Seward said. His case was convincing. Two weeks after being named West Catholic Athletic League Pitcher of the Year, SportStars is naming Seward as its NorCal Pitcher of the Year. “His numbers were just absurd,” Yocke said. “At the WCAL (all-league) meeting, we coaches were all marveling at the caliber of players we were putting in — guys committed to Arkansas, Santa Clara and so on. In a league full of stars, it’s a pretty cool story that the top pitching honor went to a guy who doesn’t even have an offer and is simply focused on going to Gonzaga to pursue engineering.” That’s another curveball from Seward. He may, or may not, throw another competitive interscholastic pitch. Gonzaga’s coach did make a trip to see him, but doesn’t have to be in a huge rush knowing Seward is already committed to attending the school — waving off some lower-level baseball offers in the process. “I’ve always wanted to be able to make things and put things together,” Seward said of pursuing the engineering field. “I want to help improve society and make people’s lives better.” We have a hunch that the Jags find a way to let Seward make their team better, too. ✪ — Chace Bryson, Photo by Jean-Paul Toshiro

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June 2018

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Los Gatos-Based Club Volleyball Team Gears Up For Junior Nationals Tournament Story by Damin Esper

Selina Xu

n some quarters, club volleyball doesn’t always get the same attention as high school volleyball, but the competition is at the highest levels. And the Bay Area’s Vision Volleyball Club 17 Gold team is heading for the top. The team qualified twice for the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships, to be held June 30-July 3 at Cobo Arena in Detroit. Said setter Selena Xu, “Our goal was to qualify for Open and play the best. It’s the most competitive division and we’ll play the best teams in the country.” The team is loaded with rising seniors on the high school level who will be playing in college. “(The team has) been having a good year this year,” coach Ron Whitmill said. “Obviously a lot of talented kids on the team, a lot of kids already committed to go to college.”

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A year ago, the Gold team (with most of the same players) failed to make the Open Division, and instead competed in the National Division. They channeled whatever disappointment they may have had into winning it. Whitmill said missing out on the Open Division served as motivation this year. “They had something to prove and they’ve done well,” he said. “We won our region in Northern California. First place in regionals the weekend before.” Xu is one of the standouts, hoping to play at Stanford. She played other sports when she was younger, including tennis, track and field and swimming. When she was in fifth grade, she went to an all-sports camp and fell in love with volleyball. “My favorite thing about volleyball is it’s not just an individual sport,” she said. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

“Everybody has a role on the team. I enjoy spending so much time with these girls, my wonderful teammates who are my closest friends today.” Xu, who also plays at The Menlo School in Atherton, likes both high school and club play. “High school is really fun because you’re playing with people you go to school with,” she said. “People come to your games and that’s really fun. There’s also rivalries.” She added that the level of club volleyball is appealing as well. “The fact you can travel and go to new places,” Xu said. “You build relationships with people from all over the country.” Outside hitter Carissa McDonald has committed to play at UC Irvine. She was on Vision’s Blue Team last year and moved up to Gold this season. “Her improvement the last four months has been really fun to watch,” Whitmill said. “She came in this year and really stepped up her game. She has been our best passer. I would argue that had not been her strength coming in to this year. “She has really worked hard to improve her game.” McDonald played soccer and basketball when she was younger but has always loved volleyball. She said she has played it in the backyard with her dad for as long as she can remember. She started out as a setter, then moved to middle and then to outside hitter. “That’s my favorite position by far,” she said. “You pretty much do everything. You do it all and you’re involved all the Elizabeth Fleming time.” McDonald is very excited to continue her career at UC Irvine. She also plays at PioneerSan Jose. “Excited is an understatement,” she said. “I seriously can’t wait. I don’t remember a better feeling than this. Just feeling so set, so motivated, seeing my path. When I visited the school, it just felt like a perfect fit. So I’m super excited.” Middle blocker Elizabeth Fleming (St. Ignatius-San Francisco) is committed to Duke. Another middle blocker, Lana Radakovic (Lincoln-San Francisco), is headed to UC Davis. “Both of our middles are pretty darn good,” Whitmill said. “For our team, that’s our strength. Our whole philosophy is we want to pass the ball, we want to get the ball to our middles and create opportunities for our outside hitters. We really depend on our middles a lot to score. When we get our middles involved, that’s when we’re at our best.” Other players who have committed to colleges include outside hitters Jasmine Powell (Portland State), Melina Mahood (Princeton) and Amelia Browne (Yale). More are expected to commit in the future. “Volleyball is such a team sport and everybody on our team is such a good player,” Xu said. “It’s a team chemistry that allows us to succeed. All of these girls are really great and definitely have the potential to play in college and have a strong impact.” ✪ Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

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June 2018

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Coaching the NorCal Volleyball Club’s first 11U Power League team, Robin Enciso wasn’t sure what to expect at a few of those first qualifying tournaments. “Some of it was like, ‘Let’s just cross our fingers and see how many pass-set-hits we can get,” said Enciso, now in her ninth year at the Pleasanton club. “And serving over the net, it was still a bit of a struggle.” Fast forward four months and the NorCal 11-1 Black is one of four Northern California Volleyball Association teams qualified for USA Volleyball’s first Junior Nationals tournament for 11-year-olds. NorCal Black, Marin Juniors 11 Black, SF Tremors 11-1 Cheetahs and SF Elite 11-Bill are headed to compete in Detroit from June 29-July 1. “It’s amazing how far they’ve come,” Enciso said of her NorCal group. “Our practice times are alongside the 12s, and it’s really a lot of fun to see how they can hang in and hold their own against them now.” Enciso has spent most of her coaching career with high school programs and club teams at the 15- to 16-year-old age group level. In 2017 she headed NorCal’s 12U AAU team before agreeing to take on the club’s first 11U team this season.

With such a young group, Enciso made a point not to get too technical with offensive sets. What’s transpired is a group of players who have all become proficient at a number of different skills. “It’s actually led to a much more versatile group, which is pretty cool,” the coach said. “They’re all hard workers, too, and they’ve loved to learn and get better. It’s been a lot of fun.” The NCVA has supported the 11-year-old age group from the get-go, offering a No Dinx/Girls Power League as well as a No Dinx/Far Western Qualifier. The results are evident in the four qualifying teams. “It’s caught the eye of other clubs now,” Enciso said of her team’s success as a result of Power League play. “At Far Westerns, other teams were coming around to watch us and you could hear them saying, ‘Wow, so this is what a Power Team looks like.’” Whether it leads to success in the Motor City is unknown, but the girls are excited to find out. NorCal 11-1 Black is comprised of Alison Cook, Chelsea Hom, Ellie Hunt, Sophia Casanas, Brooke Bergeson, Mikayla Bulaon, Sophia Allison, Jessica Trask, Mirudhula Muruganandham, Samantha Wang, Abby Krause and Annie Qian. ✪

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TUNNEL Good Leadership, A Young Pitching Phenom And A Laser-Like Focus Landed St. Joseph Notre Dame Softball Back On Top In 2018 St. Joseph’s Caroline Evans 32

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consistent mark of good teams is the ability of every player to stay locked in the moment. One would be hard-pressed to find a high school softball team that exemplified that better than St. Joseph Notre Dame. The Pilots of Alameda had to literally be told they’d just won the North Coast Section Division IV championship game. “I think it was kind of a surprise to them,” St. Joseph coach Jason Shelton said with a laugh following his team’s 4-0 shutout of Del Norte-Crescent City on June 2 at Saint Mary’s College. “I think they were kind of like ‘That’s it? Do we get to hit again? Coach, I want to get one more at bat.’ That’s who they are. They just think about what’s happening right now.” There was no mad rush to the middle of the diamond. No tossing of gloves or visors. The team collectively started to jog off and only began to figure it out as they neared the dugout. “I was like ‘Wow, everybody’s cheering,’” freshman pitcher Caroline Evans said afterward. “So I turned to my first baseman, Danielle (Pohlson), and asked ‘Did we win?’” Evans, despite her relative youth, may have been the most locked in of any player on the field that afternoon. Not long after her first baseman confirmed that they won, her coached told her that she’d thrown a no-hitter. She struck out five and walked none. Del Norte’s only two baserunners both reached on errors. She faced 23 batters and needed just 71 pitches. “Someone just told me right now,” Evans said of her no-hitter after the game. It was believed to be her first of the season, but naturally she couldn’t confirm it. “I honestly Tyson Gordon don’t know. I don’t really focus on that. I just focus on getting the out. Out by out. Game by game.” It’s an attitude that seemed to permeate the entire roster for most of the season. Three senior co-captains set a workmanlike mentality, a talented junior class fell right in line and four freshmen blended in perfectly. “It starts with the leadership from the seniors,” Shelton said, referencing the trio of third baseman Tyson Gordon, catcher Samantha Shaffer and shortstop Sarah Mahler. “They really just brought the rest of the group together. “Our expectations were high. … At a certain point, though, you really just rely on your players to develop a chemistry. They’ve got to like playing together. … This group cares a lot about each other. They’re just a fun bunch.” Many, even the seniors, would agree that Evans was the lightning rod. The freshman pitcher — who has already committed to the University of Utah — was a force for most of the year. She went 13-2 with a 1.09 ERA and 132 strikeouts (against just 17 walks) in 96.2 innings. “My hand hurts,” Shaffer said with a chuckle when asked what it’d been like to catch her this season. “She has great movement on the ball. And she’s only a freshman, which is amazing. Even the umpire was like, ‘Wow, she’s really good.’” Shaffer and a few other Pilots were familiar with Evans before she enrolled at St. Joseph. She would sometimes play travel ball with a few of them. “First game I played with her, her first at bat was a home run over the fence,” Shaffer said. “I was like, ‘Wow.’” That’s right, she hits too. Evans went 3-for-3 in the championship victory, including a firstinning solo home run that hit the top of the fence and bounded over. It was her eight of the season. She also added a double in her second at bat and scored her 40th run of the season when Gordon singled her in with two outs. Evans finished the year batting .569 with 27 RBI. The Pilots hit .444 as a team and outscored opponents 266-71 en route to a 22-2 record. They would win their three playoff games by a combined score of 22-4. They finished the year on a 16-game winning streak. The section title was the program’s second in three seasons. St. Joseph earned its first NCS banner with a 1-0 win over Cloverdale in the 2016 Div. V final. After the win over Del Norte, Shelton was asked when he thought this team realized it could accomplish what it did. The response was not surprising. “I don’t think they ever did really in some ways,” the eight-year coach said. “They never even really kind of talked about it. They really just approached every game like ‘Let’s go play a game and see what we can do today.’” Quite a lot it would seem. ✪

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BLUEPRINT for goals success GoalPostPro Sets Stage For Achieving What You Want All great coaches know that goal-setting is a cornerstone in life that we can teach our students. However, it is difficult to get a proper goal-setting program in place. Too often, those who have worked with a coach to set goals cannot produce a list of goals when they have been reduced to writing them. It is difficult for a coach to make sure goals are being read everyday, to track goal progress, and even more difficult to adjust goals through the season. It is because of these inherent difficulties that GoalPostPro came to fruition; it provides an easy-to-use online platform where pre-written S.M.A.R.T goals can be written down correctly, tracked, rewarded and accomplished. Most importantly, coaches can provide their players with a free lifelong tool that isn’t taught in classrooms. Before we actually set any goals, we need to know how to do so correctly. We must think about what we want to accomplish and why before we write them down. Below are 10 GoalPost Golden Guidelines we need to know to set proper goals: 1. Set specific goals in measurable and behavioral terms. 2. Set moderately difficult but realistic goals. 3. Set short-range as well as long-range goals. 4. Set process and performance goals as well as outcome goals. 5. Set positive goals as opposed to negative goals. 6. Identify target dates for attaining goals. 7. Identify goal achievement strategies. 8. Record goals once they have been identified. 9. Provide for goal evaluation. 10. Provide support for goals. GoalPostPro is the official Goal-Setting Platform of the CIF. In addition to being a robust platform for goal-setting schools, coaches, teachers and faculty also reap the benefits of an event calendar, messaging and the ability to create groups with leaders representing everything in a school from classrooms to sports teams to faculty to ASB. These groups can also have their own goals, receive messages, announcements, have a fully functional event calendar and more. “There is a very valid reason we are the Official GoalSetting Platform of the CIF” states Sam Johnson, CEO of GoalPost. “In addition to goals, we have listened to our clients (schools) and built the tools they have to pay for in other web based programs.” Take the first step and set your first goal today at www. goalpostpro.com. Please email us at askus@goalpostpro. com with any questions. ✪ — Sam Johnson for GoalPost Pro

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Lindsey Walljasper Follows Sister’s Footsteps And Helps Sierra To Fifth Title In Eight Years

blue banner gripped tightly in one hand, Lindsey Walljasper used the other to clutch family and fans after Sierra-Manteca’s 3-1 triumph over Calaveras in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV softball championships at Arnaiz Stadium in Stockton on May 23. The only one missing from that embrace was her older sister, Allie Walljasper, who was two days away from pitching in the NCAA Softball Super Regionals for No. 12 LSU against No. 8 Florida State. Lindsey will forgive her only sibling for missing her third section title win — though she may remind Allie that she carries a 3-2 advantage in banners won at Sierra. Incredibly, the sisters have pitched five title wins in Div. IV, greatly accounting for the most championships in that bracket by a single team in SJS history. Allie won banners in 2011 and 2013, while Lindsey won it all in 2015, 2017 and 2018. And the Walljaspers aren’t lone wolves. “Having my team have my back this whole time is such an amazing experience,” Lindsey said after the win. “We bonded so good this whole season, from the beginning all the way to the end — and we have been each other’s backbones. “That’s definitely a big part of why we are here.” Leading hitter Lola Guevara, one of the best bats in Northern California, is another big part of that success. She hit .509 this season with a team-high 26 hits and 26 runs. The sophomore shortstop also made a dazzling stab to catch a line-drive in the bottom of the seventh inning in the title game, and fired a dart to first to double-up a Calaveras runner and win the game. “I just caught it, saw the runner off the base and I knew that was my shot to end the game,” Guevara said. “Before games I always think about how much I want to turn double plays, and that one was really special.” Guevara, who also played a big role in Sierra’s 7-1 win over Calaveras in last year’s Div. IV finale, said the 2018 championship was extra special, since it’s the final season for head coach Vic DeAnda. “It took hard work,” DeAnda said. “It seemed like every game in the

Lindsey Walljasper delivers a pitch during the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. IV final against Calaveras; ABOVE: Callie Crain drives a ball back up the middle during the final. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

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playoffs we had somebody come through for us.” Callie Crain, who hit .442 with 23 hits this year, smashed a three-run home run in a second-round win over Ripon. The team also saw sharp swings from Samantha Lorge (.338 average, nine home runs, 32 RBIs). Walljasper, committed to play for Nebraska, hit .456 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs, but she performed her real magic on the mound, going 17-2 with a .190 ERA and 100 strikeouts. Her opponents’ batting average was a dismal .145. “This is what everybody wants at the end of their career and it’s exactly what I have,” Lindsey Walljasper said. “It’s been a great year.” DeAnda, who became head coach the same year Lindsey stepped onto the Sierra campus as an immediate program ace, marvels at his four-year pitching/hitting phenom. “That kid is so competitive,” he said. “When it comes to situations like the bases loaded, she just comes through every time. “It’s hard to win even one section title, and it’s even more special back-to-back. It tells you how great of a pitcher she is. When the going gets tough, she just comes through like she has ice in her blood.” Sierra went 19-4 on the year and shared Valley Oak League championship honors with Oakdale, a team ranked No. 2 in Northern California by SportStars entering the playoffs. Sierra lost to Oakdale 6-0 in an April 4 meeting, but won the next 12 games, including a 1-0 VOL finale against Oakdale May 2 to carry momentum into the section title game. Oakdale was eliminated by Vanden-Fairfield in the Div. III playoff bracket, and Vanden ultimately surrendered a Div. III title to Benicia. “Our league definitely pushed us to the spot we are today ... Oakdale, East Union and really all the coaches and players in our league,” Lindsey said.

Lola Guevara

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Big sister also had an impact. Lindsey watched her sister achieve historic success as a MaxPreps All-American and Cal-Hi Sports All-State selection for Sierra, and hasn’t missed Allie’s prolific achievements for LSU for four straight years. Allie is 60-21 with 410 strikeouts and a 1.54 ERA in 581 innings. “I wish she was here right now,” Lindsey said Wednesday. “I know she would not miss this for anything else. “She has had such a huge impact on my life, ever since we were young playing ball outside in the yard, until now.” Allie didn’t take long to take note of her kid sister’s feat via Twitter. “History made,” she posted moments after the championship game. “So many records broken and a hell of a high school career. You have done so much with Sierra across your chest it’s unreal and unnoticed to some. ... I’m so proud of you (Lindsey) and can’t wait to see what the future holds #MyAllAroundAthlete.” Calaveras managed to tag Lindsey for five hits Wednesday. Two of them were belted by Keelie Koepp, who also knocked in the team’s only run. Sierra’s damage came in third inning, when hits by Crain and speedy second baseman Lisette Mejias set the table for RBI knocks by Tierra Solario, Desiree Mejias and Guevara. Lindsey struck out six and walked four. Calaveras, which avenged a bracket defeat to RosemontSacramento to make the title game, also won games against Dixon and Kimball-Tracy. Sierra beat Ripon 11-5, Kimball 13-3 and Rosemont 2-1 to reach the finale. Lindsey will join a Nebraska squad that went 31-23 this season and fell 4-3 to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. She will look to keep that family name in the win column, and be conveniently unavailable in the Super Regionals the next time Sierra makes the playoffs. ✪

PLAYER of the YEAR RACHEL CID, TRACY Sheldon-Sacramento softball fans groaned in unison when a pitch that accosted the corner of the plate earned a “ball” designation to force a full count against Tracy slugger Rachel Cid in the sixth inning of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championships May 23. The next pitch would break their collective hearts. Cid smashed the next ball thrown by Kenedi Brown like it forgot her birthday, and watched it soar well beyond the centerfield fence for a pivotal game-tying two-RBI home run. Tracy would win the game 8-5 in extra innings to snatch the Div. I banner. It was the kind of moment only deserved of the SportStars NorCal Player of the Year. “I kind of knew it was gone when it came off the bat,” Cid, a senior, said. “I was just trying for a base hit to keep our rally going. “It was a pretty good hit.” No kidding. Tracy student softball fans were zealous throughout the Bulldogs’ title appearance and saved enough energy to sing Cid “Happy Birthday” after section officials awarded the program its first blue banner after three consecutive title appearances — all against Sheldon. “This was our year and I think we deserved it,” Cid said, tears pouring down her cheeks as she took in the revelry. “This is going to be a memorable moment for the rest of my life, because it happened this week and on my birthday. “It was the best gift ever.” It wasn’t really a gift. Cid’s tireless work on the dusty diamond has become legendary at Tracy High. She works with vigor to improve at practices and tackles her weaknesses in her free time. It’s how she earned a scholarship to play softball at Oregon, the No. 1-ranked team in the NCAA as of May 15. “Rachel is a born leader,” Tracy softball coach Paulette Keeney said. “She picks people up when they make mistakes and when she makes mistakes she lets it go. Cid finished her senior campaign with 44 hits, 41 RBIs, 32 runs, nine home runs, four triples and a grand slam in 78 at-bats. Her batting average is an absurd .564. She belted 19 hits in Tracy’s last 13 games of the season, hitting safely in all but one. Cid also took 26 walks and landed a .963 fielding percentage at shortstop. She turned a vital double play in the fifth inning of the Div. I finale. Cid is No. 9 in the 2018 national recruiting class Elite 100 player ratings by Extra Inning Softball. The organization mentions her as a candidate to replace Oregon slugger Jenna Lilley, an All-American and Team USA player in the Japan All-Star Series. All of which means, even though Cid has belted heroic home runs and won a section title on her birthday, her biggest moments may still be ahead of her. ✪ — Ike Dodson Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

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TEAMS of the YEAR FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

PITCHERS

Vanessa Strong | Freedom-Oakley | Sr.: Southern Utah signee started all four years in the circle for the North Coast Section heavyweight. Her record and ERA helped land Freedom the No. 1 seed in the NCS Div. I playoffs in her final high school season. Karina Faasisila | Tracy | Jr.: Bulldogs’ ace pitched Tracy to the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I championship with a 4-1 postseason record. For the season, she was 22-3 with a 0.92 ERA. Danielle Williams | Amador Valley-Pleasanton | Sr.: Missouri-bounder hurler entered the final week of postseason with a 21-4 record and 0.59 ERA. She was averaging more than 14 strikeouts per game with 363 strikeouts in 178 innings of work.

Rachel Gordon | Pioneer-Woodland | Sr.: Posted a 17-2 record with a 0.91 ERA while striking

CATCHERS

MIDDLE INFIELDERS Rachel Cid | Tracy | Sr.: Four-year star finished career with a .564 average, a career-best 9 HR to go with 41 RBI. The Oregon-bound shortstop belted a pair of home runs in the SJS Division I final against Sheldon-Sacramento. Nicole Hammoude | Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland | Jr.: Shortstop led NCS with 13 homers and team-best 1.147 slugging percentage. She also led the team with 28 runs and 37 RBI. Lola Guevara | Sierra-Manteca | So.: Shortstop won her second consecutive section title, and led Sierra with a .509 average and 26 hits. She also scored 26 runs and turned a game-ending double play in the section finale.

18-2 record, 1.11 ERA, over 120 innings. Marissa Bertuccio | Golden Valley-Merced | Jr.: Led Cougars to SJS Div. III playoffs with a 21-6 record and 0.64 ERA; struck out 267 batters in 176 innings.

CATCHERS

Shea Moreno | Sheldon-Elk Grove | Sr.: UCLA-bound 3B capped a stellar career with a .495 batting average, 7 HR, and a team-high 44 RBI. She finished with three SJS Div. I section titles. Grace Green | Oakdale | Sr.: Oklahoma-bound slugger was a monster at the plate, amassing 51 runs on 40 hits with 11 home runs. She finished out a .513 average and knocked in 38 runs. Riley Ehlen | Heritage-Brentwood | Sr.: Patriots’ captain can play either corner infield position, and batted a team-high .526 with 11 HR and 25 RBI through the NCS quarterfinals. The Loyola Marymount signee also swiped 12 bags.

OUTFIELDERS Grace Hosman | Millennium-Tracy | Jr.: With a hit in every game through May 14, she extend her hitting streak to 50 games. She batted .667, had 21 multi-hit games, and a SJS-best 68 hits. Mackenzie Nelson | Freedom-Oakley | Sr.: Sonoma State-bound talent made a huge impact with 8 HR in Freedom’s first 10 games. Led the team with 34 RBI heading into the NCS semis. Madison Wyllie | Calaveras | Sr.: Led Lady Reds to a second consecutive SJS Div. V final with a .451 batting average. Headed to Corban University in Salem, Oregon, she had 41 hits and 43 RBI in her final high school season. Ashley Trierweiler | Carlmont-Belmont | Jr.: Led the Scots to a Peninsula-Bay League title with a .600 batting average and team highs in hits (54) and runs (33) while playing error-free in the field.

MULTI-PURPOSE Lexi Webb | Oakdale | Jr.: Player of the Year finalist, she pitched 118 innings with a 1.01 ERA for 23-3 Oakdale. Hit .493 with 26 runs, nine HRs and 35 hits. Committed to play at South Alabama. Lindsey Walljasper | Sierra-Manteca | Sr.: The Sierra ace bagged her third section title and went 17-2 with a 1.90 ERA. At the plate, she hit .456 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs. Nicole May | Foothill-Pleasanton | Soph.: The Oklahoma-commit posted a 0.13 ERA in the East Bay Athletic League, and batted .421 with 32 hits and 4 HR through the second round of the NCS playoffs. Her record in the circle was 19-1. ✪

June 2018

amassed 49 RBI to lead Broncos to the SJS Div. II finals. Alyssa Pope | Shasta-Redding | Jr.: She had a 23-game hitting streak and finished with a .594 batting average to go with 7 home runs, 30 RBI.

MIDDLE INFIELDERS Xiara Diaz | Heritage-Brentwood | Jr.: Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo commit homered twice in an NCS quarterfinals win over James Logan; boasted a .485 batting average with 15 steals. Carly Lucchetti | Linden | Sr.: Shortstop tied for the SJS lead with 68 hits, including 25 extrabase hits and a .618 season average. Mila Rodriguez | Millennium-Tracy | Sr.: Falcons’ shortstop led SJS with 65 RBI and batted .632 while knocking in a run in 21 of 24 games played.

CORNER INFIELDERS Sam Oliver | Sheldon | So.: Huskies’ super soph avoided any slump in her second year, collect-

CORNER INFIELDERS

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Mailey McLemore | Carlmont-Belmont | Sr.: She allowed just six extra-base hits en route to an

Katelyn Snow | Bella Vista-Fair Oaks | Sr.: The Broncos’ backstop crushed 12 home runs and

Courtney Beaudin | Foothill-Pleasanton | So.: Falcons’ young catcher put up a super sophomore campaign. She batted .434 with 6 HR and 24 RBI though quarterfinals of the NCS playoffs. Frankie Hammoude | Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland | Sr.: Expertly handled Dragons’ pitchers and committed just one error (.994 fielding percentage). Hit team-high .547 with 8 HR and 23 RBI.

out 211 batters in 115 innings.

ing 46 hits and 39 RBI. Allyson McBroom | Freedom-Oakley | Sr.: McBroom led the team with a .569 batting average and added 4 HR and 27 RBI through NCS quarterfinals. Kalissa Heihn | Freedom-Oakley | Sr.: Heihn led the Falcons with a .957 slugging percentage thanks to a .557 batting average, 13 doubles, and 5 home runs.

OUTFIELDERS Morgan Hess | Heritage-Brentwood | Jr.: She batted .386 and stole 13 bases through the NCS quarterfinals. Olivia Cazares | James Logan-Union City | Sr.: Center fielder played error-free in 2018 while batting .456 with 31 hits and 27 runs. Kelsey Hall | Bella Vista-Fair Oaks | Jr.: Part of a powerful 1-2 offensive punch, she hit .469 with 9 HR, and 38 RBI.

MULTI-PURPOSE Jordan Schuring | Saint Francis-Mountain View | Jr.: She pitched every postseason inning en route to Central Coast Section Open Div. title; posted a 22-5 record and batted .346. Hana Suppus | Piner-Santa Rosa | Sr.: She extended her hitting streak to 24 games dating back to last season, and batted .604. Jordyn Hutchins | Woodland Christian | So.: She led all California hitters with 18 HR while batting .771 and driving in 52 runs; posted a 9-2 record in the circle with a 1.01 ERA. Grace French | Benicia | Sr.: Panthers’ ace was 10-3 with a 1.48 ERA, including 3-1 in run to SJS Div. III title. She also hit 5 HR, including a walk-off in the semifinals. Madison Papenhausen | San Marin-Novato | So.: She hit .565 with 27 RBI for Mustangs; went 16-1 in the circle and had a 42-inning scoreless inning steak in May. ✪

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PITCHER of the YEAR VANESSA STRONG, FREEDOM-OAKLEY

When Freedom senior Vanessa Strong is in the pitching circle, it’s clear she is a top talent. It was clear in a North Coast Section quarterfinal against College Park-Pleasant Hill on May 25 — when Strong tossed a perfect game. Twenty-one consecutive College Park batters retired in the 2-0 victory. But Strong has made her biggest impact with what she’s done outside the circle after becoming the Falcons’ ace as a freshman in 2015. According to head coach Brook Russo, it’s what Strong does at practice, in the film room, and at home that makes her a special talent — and our 2018 NorCal Pitcher of the Year. “She wants to be the best and she works hard for it,” Russo said. “For Vanessa, it’s normal to work at home and on the weekend throwing and watching film. She is one of the best pitchers around and she’s earned it.” Her father, Dave Strong, films every game, so that he and Vanessa can review her mechanics and opponents’ tendencies. After practices, she often wo rks on her spins and spots, and studies the next foe she will face along with her schoolwork. In addition to her 21-1 record and 0.71 ERA through NCS Div. I quarterfinals, Strong maintains an equally impressive GPA over 4.0. “Her work ethic is unreal,” Russo said. “She works double time with her softball and school, but that’s her decision. That’s what she wants.” Strong is one of eight seniors who have played together for Freedom and in travel ball for years to become more of a family than just a team. As of press time, they were two wins away from their second NCS title in three seasons. Win or lose, though, Strong will take her work ethic and pitching talent to Southern Utah University to continue her academic and athletic endeavors. Strong also contributed to Freedom’s offensive success, batting .426 with four home runs and 19 RBI. Freedom is batting .398 as a team and has outscored opponents 178-47. But Strong’s greatest contribution, and the team’s foremost reason for consistent success is her physical and mental talents inside the pitching circle. “She’s our rock” Russo added. “We have a lot of confidence in her, and when game time comes around, she goes in and gets it done.” That much is clear. ✪

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Modern Renovation Has Given @the Grounds A New Life A little less than one year ago, Placer Valley Tourism entered a 35-year management agreement to take over the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville, now rebranded as @the Grounds. The aging 80-year old fairground facility was in desperate need of a facelift and PVT stepped in by leading the $10 million renovations that literally transformed this 61-acre property. The collaboration with Placer County and PVT is garnering national attention as a tourism agency and a county joining forces to rehabilitate an aging fairgrounds site to this scale has never been done before in the United States. To date, the work completed includes: Major renovations to existing buildings Johnson and Jones Halls, a digital marquee, new landscaping and paving of the south end parking lot, renovations to the multi-use barns, new walkways throughout the complex and additional repairs. PVT and @the Grounds celebrated the recently finished renovations at the grand reveal on May 1. David Attaway — who serves as the CEO for both PVT and @the Grounds — explained, “We had a vision of what this community asset could be and we are excited to show that the dream has become a reality.” Hundreds of events take place @the Grounds every year, from weddings to crab feeds to major festivals. The biggest annual event is the Placer County Fair and PVT agreed to continue to host a yearly county fair, which will take place this year on June 2124 with the theme “Renew Your Love of Fair.” “This June will mark the 81st year for the Placer County Fair and here @the Grounds we are looking forward to hosting the fair with a focus on honoring the roots of Placer County,” Attaway said. “The improvements will undoubtedly enhance the fair experience for everyone.” Mark your calendar and come renew your love for the fair! On June 21-22 hours are 5-11 p.m. and June 23-24 the fair will be open from noon-11 p.m. Parking is $7 per day, wristbands for unlimited carnival rides are $25 and gate prices are as follows: Adults: $6, seniors (60+) $3, children (16 and under) $3, Family Pack (two adults, up to three children 16 and under) $15. Children 5 and under are free. For more information on the Placer County Fair please visit the website: www.placercountyfair.org. ✪ — All copy and photos provided by Placer Valley Tourism

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BONEBasics Dividends To Find Through Diet, Exercise nutrition: jill daniels One of the last things an athlete wants to hear is that they are being sidelined due to a stress fracture or a broken bone. Whether you are playing a contact sport like football, or are involved in a sport that has repetitive movement such as running, you are vulnerable to bone injury. The good news is that you can take action to help keep your bones strong. Bone is a dynamic, growing tissue made up of the protein collagen and several minerals, including calcium. Our bones are constantly being remodeled throughout our lives. During childhood and adolescence, bones are growing larger, stronger and more dense to offer structure for the growing body. Bone density is maxed out between the ages of 25-30 and gradually declines over time after that. Therefore, it is crucial to maximize bone development during these formative years through diet, exercise and lifestyle. Young athletes may not be motivated by the thought of preventing osteoporosis and other bone-related issues later in life, but they may be motivated by preventing injuries such as stress fractures and broken bones that will keep them out of their sport for weeks or even months. There are several ways an athlete, especially a young athlete, can optimize bone strength and development. Here are some of the most important factors to look at: ›› Calories — needed for overall health, and to keep all body functions working optimally, including bone formation. Eating an inadequate number of calories during adolescence can compromise bone health and increase the risk of fractures. ›› Calcium — key mineral in bones. High school and college athletes should consume 1500 mg of calcium daily. Good sources include: dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), salmon, fortified orange juice and soy milk, tofu, white beans, fortified cereals. ›› Vitamin D — essential for calcium absorption. Increase your intake through: sun exposure, eggs, salmon, sardines, fortified dairy products, fortified cereals. ›› Vitamin K, potassium, magnesium — these nutrients are also associated with bone health. An athlete can meet their needs for these nutrients by eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, dairy and whole grains. ›› Exercise — regular physical activity can help build bone strength in younger athletes and can slow down (possibly stop) bone loss as we age. Strength training and weight-bearing exercise provide the most benefit. Athletes obviously have exercise built in to their schedule on a regular basis. However, it may take extra effort to build a consistent, balanced diet that includes all of the nutrients necessary for strong bones and a healthy body. Keep in mind that this effort will be worth it, as you keep your body healthy and strong throughout the seasons. ✪ Maximize your athletic performance by seeking personalized advice from Nutrition Coach Jill Daniels, MS, RD, CSSD, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. www.JillDanielsRD.com

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POWERPayoff Broader Routines Key To Achieving Success training time: tim rudd Power training is often an afterthought in many programs. Even if some athletes are training power, unfortunately, they’re doing it incorrectly! For example, the misuse of Olympic lifts when trying to improve an athlete’s vertical jump, which, when improved, can correlate with improved speed. Unfortunately, most the of data shows no correlation between Olympic lifts and improved vertical jump performance. How can that possibly be? How can an Olympic lift not transfer over to vertical jump performance? It’s simple — most athletes are training the Olympic lifts too heavily (with a bar speed that better represented maximal strength), and thus not getting the benefits they were looking for when looking to improve power and thus vertical jump. So the question becomes, how do you build an athlete who is truly powerful? It’s not only a great question, but a loaded one as well. ›› What kind of power does this athlete need for their sport? ›› What does their current force-velocity curve look like? ›› What tools do they have access to in their gym? Once answered, all of these questions will give us a better idea of what exactly we should be working on to make this athlete more powerful. But at least initially, I think opening our athletes up to a broad array of power development tools is key. Teach them to jump, hop and bound in multiple planes of motion. Teach them to throw medicine balls in a variety of different planes of movement progressing from general to more sport-specific movements. If you’ve got the time and skills, teach them elements of the Olympic lifts, as the skill within itself is much more valuable than how much weight they can move at the sacrifice of speed and technique. Another issue is that elasticity development is often neglected in athletic development programs. Too often power training programs focus too much on the Olympic lifts and aren’t addressing elasticity in their programming. In this case, little things like low-level plyos and jumping rope could make a world of difference in the development of your athletes. Now keep in mind, every athlete is unique, and not all of them need the same degree of power training. A soccer player doesn’t need the same power or speed development of that of a sprinter. But therein lies the art of coaching. Make it a goal to develop more well-rounded athletes, and I guarantee you’re going to love the results! ✪ Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore.

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STEPForward

Ways To Get Unstuck, Leave Setbacks Behind get mental: erika westhoff Setbacks can be incredibly frustrating; it can feel as though you’ve take one step forward and two steps back. Given all the time and effort we put into developing and mastering our skills, getting stuck can feel unreasonable. But let’s take a closer look at what causes setbacks. Ironically, setbacks tend to show up when an athlete is ready to break through to a new skill level. You may be relearning (adjusting) or finetuning a skill you already possess. Or, maybe you’re trying to apply new tactics on the field, after already studying (intellectualizing) the strategies visually. It’s never as easy as it seems! Even athletes learning how to use mental skills on the field can experience frustration and setbacks as they learn how to navigate challenges differently. … new reactions to old problems can feel mechanical and slow at first. The challenge here is getting your body to follow your mind. Often, we get clear in our heads what we want to do, but our bodies seem slow to respond. There’s a good reason for that. The process of learning requires significant remapping of our nervous system to create new movements. This process starts “manually” by the athlete thinking about it. Through repetition, the brain learns patterns until the movement is automated. Problems arise when our expectations around learning are amiss. We believe that change should come quickly. Or that if we get it once, we should do it consistently. We start to push ourselves hard, frustration builds, learning becomes very complicated mentally … there’s too much going on in our heads. This process leads to a few common reactions: 1. We start to overwork ourselves, driven by fear of not getting it. We start to push for quantity of reps, rather than quality of reps. Staying in this process long enough leads to burnout. 2. We lose motivation to continue to work, assuming we will never get it. And that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Either way, progress slows or stops. Neither option moves us towards our goal. How can you best move through these learning phases? Consider these steps: ›› SLOW DOWN — Rewiring your brain takes time. There’s no way to rush it; it takes high quality repetition to make the changes and get them to stick and show up under pressure. Recognize that ups and downs are part of the process and keep your expectations realistic about the time it takes. Breathe as necessary. ›› DO IT DIFFERENTLY — When frustration builds, change your learning tactic. Create simple instructions, get help from a teammate or a different coach. Sometimes hearing it differently or getting a second set of eyes on what you’re trying to learn can help tremendously. ›› TAKE A BREAK — Give your brain and body and chance to rest and prepare to learn. If you have too much going on in your head, learning will slow down. Rest, recover and come back another day with a fresh mentality. ›› ADD HIGH QUALITY MENTAL REPETITION — Don’t forget to use your imagery skills to help you repeat your technical skills correctly, without any trial and error or wear and tear on your body. Feel your way through the experience and do it right every time! ✪ Erika Westhoff is a CEO and certified mental trainer at EW Performance in Pleasanton.

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KC Masterpiece

Danville Oaks Varsity Rugby Wins National Title With Extra Time Victory

eat the best to be the best. That’s how the saying goes. And that’s exactly what the Danville Oaks varsity boys rugby club did on May 19 in Kansas City. Even if they needed extra time to do so. The Oaks were taking on Royal Irish of Indiana, defending national champions and winners of four of the last six. As regular time expired, the teams were deadlocked at 15-15. In fact, Danville started extra time feeling like it was given new life after the Irish missed a couple of near game-winners in the waning moments of regulation. Looking to make the most of their opportunity, the Oaks — led by De La Salle-Concord senior Luke Freeman — dominated extra period. After stopping an aggressive surge by the Irish to open the extra period, Cal Liebowitz, a San Ramon Valley-Danville junior who plays water polo for the Wolves, used a lineout to get the ball to Freeman. Freeman then took the ball approximately 88 yards for the go-ahead try. Austin Arends (San Ramon Valley) delivered a successful conversion for a 22-15 lead. The Oaks wouldn’t need any more points, but they’d score seven more anyway. Not long after taking the lead, Danville went on attack again, and this time Freeman delivered it to Jack Slimm (De La Salle), who dove across the line for a try. Arends added two more for a 29-15 final. Though the Irish opened the match by scoring, the 3-0 lead would be their only advantage of the final. Freeman scored a try for a 5-3 lead. Danville pushed the lead to 10-3 with the first of two first-half tries by Jason Severance, a senior from Amador Valley-Pleasanton. The Oaks eventually led 15-10 af the half. Danville’s path to the final include a 52-21 quarterfinals win over South Bay Youth Rugby, a Southern California program based in Lomita. In the semifinals, the Oaks took down fellow NorCal power Granite Bay 34-14. In addition to Freeman, Severance, Slimm, Liebowitz and Arends, Danville’s full roster includes Joshua Allan, Nathan Anderson, Luka Armando, Nikolas Barretto, Ryan Chambers, Nick Cox, Kobe Davis, Patrick Deely, Nathan Dickinson-Jones, Tim Etherington, Marshall Ferris, Ethan Gruber, Zach Heffel, Jacob Himan, Caden Jarvis, Jason Javier, Nick Leusing,

Matt Loeffler, Cameron Lugo, Jeremy Mast, Liam Michka, Luke Ogburn, Hunter Phillips, Joey Schwartz, Carson Sumter, Grant Vorous, Matt Vranesh, Harrison Wheeler and Fin Zilk. They are coached by David Liebowitz. The national championship was the cherry on top of a stellar year club-wide for the Oaks. Danville also claimed the Boys Middle School NorCal title and its junior varsity boys were Premier League NorCal runners-up. Be sure to check SportStarsMag.com later in June for an expanded story on the national championship team, including interviews with the head coach and various players. ✪

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BASEBALL Headfirst Baseball Academy Headfirst camps are known throughout NorCal for player development. Players learn the correct mechanics of each position to achieve more success. They will also focus on hitting, pitching and much more! Info: Coach Michael, MJi0209@aol.com; Coach Mario, Mario74iglesias@aol.com San Ramon Slammers Baseball The Slammers are a highly competitive program that competes against Bay Area’s top programs. We are a 680 Diablo League participant. We develop fundamentally sound baseball players who will compete at the high school levels and beyond. Info: Marco Cartagena, 925.209.1564 TPC Baseball & Softball Camps Feature skills, drills and competitions in all areas. Players will have blast while improving their skills with our TPC staff and frequent guest appearances from former and current pro players. Info: 925-416-1600 info@thepitchingcenter.com BASKETBALL Acalanes LBBA Future Stars Take advantage of elite coaching with Acalanes varsity coach Sol Henik and his staff. Camp designed to give you the attention & coaching you need. Boys & girls will be split

Expanded Listings at SportStarsMag.com The following schools/clubs have multiple camp offerings over a wide variety of sports. For full listings of individual camps, plus hundreds more, click over to our website and make this summer one you’ll never forget! BENTLEY SCHOOL: Baseball, Basketball

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ATHLETICS: Baseball, Bas-

CITY OF WALNUT CREEK: Baseball, Basketball,

ketball, Flag FB, Lacrosse, All-Sports, Soccer, Volleyball

Flag Football, Multi-Sports, Soccer, Tennis

ST. PATRICK-ST. VINCENT HS: Baseball/Softball,

DE LA SALLE HS: Baseball, Basketball, Football,

Intro to Basketball, Girls Basketball, Boy Basketball,

Lacrosse, Soccer, Advanced Training Soccer, Varsity

Cheerleading, Football, Aquatics, Tennis, Volleyball

Water Polo, Age Group Water Polo, Strength/Condi-

NIKE: Baseball,Basketball, Lacrosse, Multi-Sports,

tioning, Volleyball, Track & Field, Wrestling

Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball

MOREAU CATHOLIC HS: Baseball, Basketball,

ST. FRANCIS-SACRAMENTO HS: Basketball,

Football, Volleyball

Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: Girls Basketball,

OLYMPUS SPORTS COLISEUM: Multi-Sports,

Boys Lacrosse, Swimming, Volleyball

Soccer, Volleyball

by gender within their grade levels for more targeted training. (925) 360-3352, solhenik@yahoo.com East Bay Bulldogs Basketball We run summer, fall and winter sessions. Summer session is three months. Summer runs June-August. Fall will only be 2 months, September-October. Info: 925-570-1334; leaguelineup.com/ebbulldogs Modesto Magic Basketball For girls ages 4-17. We offer leagues, camps, clinics, tournaments, private lessons and AAU traveling teams. If your just begin-

ning your basketball experience or if your a very skilled player, we have something for you. Info: Stan Silva, 209-765-5107; ssilva1920@aol.com Level Up Select Basketball Camps Athletes will learn 5 biggest mistakes that keep players from shooting consistently, and a simple technique that allows athletes to quickly dominate on defense. Info: Coach Bill Flitter (415) 286-5606, billflitter@gmail.com William Jessup University Nike Girls Basketball Camp Open to ages 8-18. Work on the

fundamentals, develop proper mechanics and gain valuable game experience. All aspect of the game is covered, giving you a solid skill foundation. Visit jessupathletics. com/camps or 1-800-NIKE CAMP William Jessup University Warrior Nike Boys Basketball Camps Offering both a complete skills camp and shooting camp. Open to ages 8-18, camps are overnight and include breakfast, lunch and dinner. All camps run Monday-Thursday. To register visit jessupathletics.com/ camps or call 1-800-NIKE CAMP

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Fastbreak Basketball Camps With us, your daughter will learn the fundamentals of basketball, gain valuable game experience and work with some of the area’s most knowledgeable female basketball players. Celebrated coach Margaret Gartner boasts 24 years of coaching at the HS level. Info: fastbreak_club@ icloud.com. or (925) 933-9115 CHEER National Academy of Athletics High Spirit Cheer Camps Our High Spirit Cheer and Dance programs are designed to help girls & boys learn the individual skills to become more confident leading cheers and performing in front of crowds. Info: 866-90-SPORT FOOTBALL Jesse Sapolu Men In The Trenches One of the premier camps in the nation dedicated to teaching the fundamentals of the offensive and defensive lines. Gives athletes opportunity to learn the nuances of the line line while getting to compete against top linemen. Camps open to all players grades 5th-12th in various cities. Info: jrprepsportsca.com Acalanes High School The Football Academy takes place at Acalanes High, July 9-12 and is open to all athletes entering 5th-9th grade

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in the Fall of 2018. The goal of the Dons Youth Football Academy is to teach fundamentals, develop skills and help kids with the transition to tackle football in a fun, fast-paced and noncontact environment. Contact: 925-280-3970; acalanesdonsfootball.com Campolindo Cougar Camps Full Gear Camp The goal is to develop fundamentals and techniques associated with tackle football. Quantity of contact based on skill level or readiness. Grades 4-8, separated by grade — including incoming freshman. Instructor Kevin Macy, Campolindo High School’s head football coach, has been conducting camps in Moraga for more than a decade. Info: (925) 280-3950 X 5163; kmacy@acalanes.k12.ca.us LACROSSE Booth Lacrosse Camps Booth Lacrosse Camps uses a comprehensive training system to build a player’s individual skills and lacrosse IQ. With 10+ years of experience training players, our practices feature high tempo, exciting drills and game play. Our goal is to make sure that every player on the field is engaged, involved and having fun. info: (415) 699-2497 tylerjsimms21@gmail.com MULTI-SPORT Renaissance Clubsport Camps Renaissance ClubSport camps keep your child active and engaged during school breaks in

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the spring, summer, fall and winter. Sports camps, specialty camps and themed camps provide fun ways for kids to strengthen bodies and minds through physical activities, critical thinking exercises and creative projects. Info: (925) 478-7571, info_rcswc@clubsports.com OUTDOOR / ADVENTURE East Bay Regional Park Day Camp The East Bay Regional Park District offers fun and affordable outdoor day camps for youth at a number of convenient locations. Park’N It Day Camp takes place in a different regional park each week and offers hiking, fishing, arts & crafts, sports, environmental education and swimming. Ages 5 to 12. Info: (510) 544-2566 or MEAvery@ebparks.org Friends of Camp Concord Camp Concord gives young people one of the most meaningful camp experiences available and does so in one of the most beautiful settings in the world — Lake Tahoe. Kids who otherwise couldn’t afford it get a chance to enjoy a week in the wilderness. info: 925-671-2267; youthcamp@friendsofcampconcord.org RUGBY Danville Oaks “Try On Rugby” Try On Rugby is a focused initiative dedicated to growing the number of girls and women participating in rugby. Try on Rugby uses comprehensive, educational materials for in-

troducing rugby from U8 to Middle School for young girls and involves inter-squad flag rugby with the possibility to play other girls flag rugby teams in the East Bay in tournament play. Info: 925-368-5689 SOCCER Walnut Creek Soccer Club Summer camps and clinics for players entering 1st-8th grades. We offer camps and clinics at Arbolado for players in elementary and middle school. Each fun will include new objectives to improve technical and tactical skills. Camps are run by WCSC Professional Training Staff. Info: wcsc_info@wcsc.org Diablo Futbol Club Our comprehensive club program and professional staff train players and teams in the mental, physical, technical and tactical aspects of soccer in order to reach their individual potential and compete at the highest level of play. Info: diablofc.org; 925-7988-GOAL Heritage Soccer Clinics & Player Summer is a beautiful time to play the game with the Heritage and FC Wolverhampton Wanderers North

America. Their 2018 Player ID Camp is overseen by senior members of the Wolverhampton Wanderers American Academy coaching staff. June 18-20 at Tesoro Fields in Concord, CA. Info: info@HeritageSC.com SOFTBALL San Ramon Slammers Collegiate player/coaches teach strength and conditioning, hitting, defense, pitching and catching and hold scrimmages to get you ready for spring softball. Held at Slammers training facility on Camino Tassajara. Info: Marco Cartagena-925.209.1564; coachmtraining@gmail.com SWIMMING / AQUATICS Santa Clara Aquamaids Come learn synchronized swimming from the world renowned Aquamaids! Our staff, led by 3-time Olympic Coach Chris Carver, includes Olympic medalists, national champions and current athletes. Includes conditioning, flexibility training, skills and performance techniques. Info: info@aquamaids. org, 408-727-8496 Sherman Swim & Diving School Sherman Swim School has taught

more than 39,000 students to swim and turned out numerous diving champions. Our teachers love to work with children and receive extensive in-water training. Oneon-one instruction with patient, encouraging teachers and extremely comfortable water, create an ideal learning environment. Voted “Best of East Bay”, Diablo Magazine. Info: Website: Shermanswim.com Phone: 925-283-2100. TENNIS Tompkins Tennis Located at Ohlone College, ClubSport San Ramon, Livermore Valley Tennis Club and Hyatt Regency Hotel and Spa in Monterey we produce more nationally ranked juniors than any other program! Info: (510)-5734025 sandy@tompkinssport.com TRAINING / FITNESS Muir Orthopedic Specialists Pass To Play Muir Orthopeadic Specialists annual event provides pre-participation evaluation and optional baseline concussion screenings to area youth. Optional cardiac screenings providedå. Info: 925-210-8539

Kenion Training Coach Nathan Kenion leads multiple programs, all geared to help athletes achieve. He works with everyone to make sure you have the right motivation, skills and knowledge to take your game to the next level. Info: 707-704-8003, nathan@ keniontraining.com VOLLEYBALL Diablo Valley Volleyball Club Founded to provide junior boys and girls opportunity to improve knowledge and skills. Many of our players have shown incredible dedication to the sport as well as to Diablo VBC – the players are wonderful and things seem to be getting better every year! Info: diablovbc@yahoo.com or 925 451-6581 Bay Area Volleyball Club Skills Clinics Bay Area Volleyball Club is a community-based organization which provides a place for players of all ages and levels to develop their volleyball skills. Our primary goal is to build character and develop sportsmanship among players all while putting competitive teams

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on the court. Info: tracyfeldmann@ gmail.com Core Volleyball Club Clinics At Core we want to offer you and your daughter a quality experience. We offer a competitive and fun environment where your daughter will enjoy competing at a high level not only in games, but in practices as well. Info: info@teamcvc.com; Phone: 925-230-9795 City Beach Volleyball Club Our training and management structure helps coaches collaborate and ensures each player is being provided the highest level of coaching. We teach players how to learn, apply themselves fully, develop habits that will make them successful and how to play the game of volleyball. Info: info@citybeach.com U.S. Youth Volleyball League The United States Youth Volleyball League is the leader in developing and maintaining youth leagues for boys and girls ages 7-15. The USYVL will be hosting a series of camps this summer in several NorCal and SoCal. Info: 1-888-988-7985 or email questions@usyvl.org ✪

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