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September 2015

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Respecting the Classics N ine times out of 10 in this magazine, our features and coverage will be centered on a specific player or team. Not too often does the coach get a spotlight treatment. However, it doesn’t mean they aren’t some of our favorite people to deal with when it comes to putting a story together. As the son of two coaches, it’s always been easy for me to relate to other coaches. It’s also allowed me to appreciate the jobs they do — which is important, because it’s far too common that the job these folks do goes unappreciated. More and more good high school coaches are leaving the profession because of burnout, parent pressure or the fact that the pay is just not equal to the time it takes to do the job right. With that said, it was encouraging to spend a day with Liberty-Brentwood volleyball coach Linda Ghilarducci while developing our cover story on the Lions. Ghilarducci has presided over the Liberty volleyball program for three decades and missed the playoffs just twice. She’s never claimed to make everybody happy, and she prides herself in being demanding and enforcing consistent discipline. “In our first tournament of the year, I benched two of our starters,” the coach said at the practice we visited. “They were eight minutes late.” Rather than resist, her players embrace the demands. “Leaving here, I’ll have so much more experience that I would have if I hadn’t played for her,” said Lions senior setter Kaitlynn Zdroik, who has played for Ghilarducci all four years at Liber-

ty. “Her goal is to teach you, instead of just volleyball lessons, life lessons. ... Being in the Liberty program, I feel like we have a different type of discipline than other teams. We respect the coaches and the coaches respect you back.” During the practice we visited, Ghilarducci exhibited a little more softness around the edges — even openly admitting at one point, “Today, I’m a little bit laid back. I’m not normally like this.” That discipline, though, has already helped make the Liberty team better. The Lions won that seasonopening tournament, and the players who filled in for the starters flourished. “That’s how you build character,” she said. “I’d rather lose and teach that, than win.” But for the past 32 years, she hasn’t had to sacrifice much winning to still teach her lessons. The program has three North Coast Section Division I championships during her tenure, all coming in consecutive years from 2003-2005. It remains the only Div. I program to win three NCS titles in a row. This year, her new assistant coach, Allison Cecchini, is a former player from those teams. Which is another sign that the coach is doing something right: her players want to come back and contribute to the program. Here’s hoping you enjoy reading our story on Ghilarducci’s current team. You can find it on Page 16. We don’t cheer in the press box, but we do believe in tipping the cap when it’s warranted. Here’s to coaches like Ghilarducci, who have stuck to their beliefs and endured the long haul. We wish there were even more of you out there. ✪

Linda Ghilarducci, left, with current assistant coach and former player, Allison Cecchini. Phillip Walton photo

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Top 5 musing on The 2015 nfl season Ahhh, September, when a young or old or middle-aged or medically-enhanced/indeterminately-aged (we’re looking at you, Jerry Jones) fan’s mind turns to football. We always wax a bit introspective around this time of year, when the seasons start to change (you know, in places where they have seasons) but the rains haven’t started yet (see: previous parenthetical), and the coming season remains rife with possibilities (before seasons, rains, reality and season-ending injuries crush the dreams of fans everywhere). Here are our Top 5 musings as the NFL season approaches. 1. Why isn’t Ryan Fitzpatrick taking Andrew Luck’s advice about the beard? Maybe get a trimmer, man. You’re going to lose an offensive lineman in there. 2. Is Jarryd Hayne, left, the NFL’s Australian version of MLB’s Ichiro? If so, can we just start calling him Jarryd? And what’s with all the Y’s? 3. When are we going to see Tony Romo on HGTV? We would totally DVR his Artsy Craftsy Hour. Do you think he made that shawl himself? We bet he does macramé. 4. Nobody was hurt more by the overturn of Tom Brady’s suspension than Jimmy Garoppolo. Remember when Drew Bledsoe got hurt and lost his starting quarterback job to Tom Brady? This was Jimmy’s moment! In five years, we could’ve been talking about the Garoppolo Era in New England? What scandal would Bill Belichick have embroiled him in? EyebrowGate? Perhaps Joe Flacco would’ve been involved? 5. Remember when “RG III or Andrew Luck” was a thing? —Bill “Deep Thoughts” Kolb Jose Luis Villegas/Sacramento Bee via ZUMA Wire

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Rapid FiRe KYLE HARMON Freedom-Oakley Football

OLIVIA REID Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills Volleyball

hashTag

A look at our favorite social media posts of the past several weeks. Got any good posts you’d like to nominate? email editor@sportstarsonline.com

JORDAN FORD, below, Folsom boys basketball Twitter, Sept. 7 @jordan_ford I am more than blessed to say I have officially committed to Saint Mary’s #Gaels.

CAMPO TRACK & XC Twitter, Sept. 7 @campotrackandxc Up early on Labor Day getting in our morning run! No holidays from XC practice!! @PrepCalTrack @DyeStatCal

TERRY EIDSON, De La Salle football defensive coordinator Twitter, Aug. 31 @dlscobra If you don’t tackle, you don’t win football games. Now we see what the 2015 Spartans are made of? How do you want to be remembered boys?

MoSt IntenSe SpoRt event you’ve Seen, lIve oR on tv 2014 nFC Championship

TRending What’s hot in the world of stuff that’s hot Maybe One Direction isn’t so bad after all. During a concert, Harry Styles corrected a fan’s sign from Your So Nice to You’re So Nice. We like him. Is he the cute one?

Tom Brady was cleared by a judge as you’ve probably heard. NFL commish Roger Goodell is so bad at doing his job that he’s now considered a viable candidate for president.

Sarah Palin said she’d be honored to serve in Donald Trump’s cabinet, joining the growing list that includes a car full of monkeys, an inanimate carbon rod and one of Donald’s future wives who is still in college at the moment.

Germany pK win over France, WWC

KeIth RIChaRdS - What Band Made hIM FaMouS Rolling Stones (dad I have no clue would always listen) BIGGeSt IteM on youR BedRooM Wall

Queen Elizabeth is said to be a huge fan of Downton Abbey and loves to pick out mistakes. If being Queen doesn’t work out, she’d make a fine internet troll.

u of Washington poster they sent

three of my guitars hang on my wall IF you Could tRaIn WIth one athlete, Who Would It Be J.J. Watt

Kerri Walsh or Misty May-treanor

FavoRIte thInG to do outdooRS Fishing with my godfather

Beach volleyball or surfing

say whaT?

“Our players understand the game of football much better. Our first year here, you tell a kid he has outside contain and he looked at you like you were speaking Chinese. Like what?”

Piedmont football coach James Holan, who is in his first season as head coach after two years as defensive coordinator. The Highlanders began the season 2-0.

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De la salle will be just fine

here was a lot of message board and twitter debate about the strength of that Trinity (Euless, Texas) team that De La Salle-Concord lost to 26-21 on Aug. 29 in Mansfield, Texas. Some don’t think the Trojans are one of the top five teams in Texas this season. Others do, and they are a program that has won three major division state titles. Even if Trinity loses a game or two, however, that one loss is not going to matter much for De La Salle being in the CIF Open Division game representing Northern California once again. That is assuming, of course, that there are no more losses and that the Spartans win another CIF North Coast Section Division I title. They also have, after all, won five of the last six CIF Open Division state crowns. Many will recall that there was an unbeaten team in 2008 that was chosen by the CIF commissioners for the Open Division from the North ahead of a DLS team that had lost its only game to a nationally ranked team from New Jersey. That was a bunch from Grant of Sacramento that got in because the voters were impressed by a pair of wins over state champions from Utah and Idaho. The only strong team this year from Northern California playing solid out-of-state opponents is Del Oro of Loomis, but the Golden Eagles have already lost a game to Punahou of Hawaii. They are also playing De La Salle later this season. There may be some consideration from the voters for Folsom if it was to finish 14-0 and win another CIF SacJoaquin Section title, but it would still likely take another loss by De La Salle this season for Folsom to possibly move ahead. With a second loss, even if the second one is to one of the Southern California teams the Spartans are playing this season (like Long Beach Poly), an unbeaten Folsom team in that scenario may then be a better Open Division choice.

THE GRIM LEAPER If there was one player in the state after just one week of games that you can point to as being a possible state record breaker, I’d pick senior wide receiver Derrion Grim from McNair-Stockton. In his first game, a 74-26 win by the Eagles over Calaveras-San Andreas, Grim caught 10 passes for 238 yards and six touchdowns. The Boise State commit also returned the opening kickoff for a score and was our first Cal-Hi Sports NorCal Offensive Player of the Week. 10

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De La Salle’s Nick Lopez goes in for a tackle during its loss to TrinityEuless (Texas) With an effective senior quarterback, Osai Brown, getting him the ball and with his dad, former University of Pittsburgh standout La’Tef Grim, serving as McNair’s offensive coordinator, all the pieces are in place for some recordbreaking totals. Besides obviously avoiding any injuries, it’s also going to help GRIM Grim that McNair tends to give up a lot of points on defense. This means the Eagles aren’t often going to be so far ahead that the starters have to come out. It’s easy to see with all of those factors that Grim could threaten the state record of 34 TD catches for one season that was set just last year by Folsom’s Cole Thompson. Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

Thompson got to play 16 games to get to that total — which Grim isn’t likely going to do — but three to four TD catches per game with perhaps 11 or 12 played just might do the trick. Grim also is very good and probably the best wideout to come out of Stockton since Brandin Cooks (Lincoln High ’10) of the New Orleans Saints. NOTE: In our last column, we mentioned Bellarmine’s 1965 team and for readers to check out all-time greatest team rankings on CalHiSports.com. Sorry, but that feature has yet to be completed, but keep checking as it’s coming soon. ✪ 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, @CalHiSports.

California football top 25 After games of Saturday, Sept. 5 1. (1) — De La Salle-Concord 1-1 Over next few weeks, the Spartans will play as many teams from SoCal as from NorCal, culminating with Oct. 16 game vs. Long Beach Poly. 2. (2) — Centennial-Corona 2-0 Serra-Gardena started a backup QB, but the Centennial defense shut out the Cavs until the offense had scored 42 points in the 52-13 victory. 3. (3) — St. John Bosco-Bellflower 2-0 First two wins for the Braves: 76-8 and 67-7. They might be as good or better than 2013 team which went 16-0 and beat De La Salle. 4. (4) — Mater Dei-Santa Ana 2-0 Brandon LaMarche and the MD running game (with monster linemen like All-American Frank Martin blocking) has dominated first two games. 5. (5) — Folsom 2-0 Jake Jeffery passed for 400 yards, four TDs while also rushing for two scores during a 42-25 win over Clovis North-Fresno. 6. (7) ▲ Long Beach Poly-Long Beach 2-0 After gutting out tough wins over Centennial-Peoria (Ariz.) and Narbonne-Harbor City, the Jackrabbits rest before playing national powerhouse Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas. 7. (8) ▲ Bishop Amat-La Puente 1-1 Lancers posted 28-10 win over Servite-Anaheim last Friday to rebound from that 24-21 season-opening loss to No. 4 Mater Dei. 8. (9) ▲ Grant-Sacramento 2-0 DeShawn Collins and Mike Green II have become quite the tandem of backs for the Pacers in the early season. 9. (11) ▲ Santa Margarita-Rancho SM 2-0 Santa Margarita’s first two wins of 2015 were 40-14 over Cathedral Catholic-San Diego and 58-14 over Santiago-Corona. 10. (12) ▲ Mission Viejo 3-0 Both the Diablos and Santa Margarita seem interchangeable as top 10 teams in the state and for Orange County’s No. 2 and No. 3 ranking behind Mater Dei. 11. (13) ▲ Vista Murrieta-Murrieta 1-0 The Broncos scored 65 points in the first half of their first game in 2015; they went on to obliterate Ballard-Seattle (Wash.), 71-32. 12. (10) ▼ Narbonne-Harbor City 0-1 The Gaucho defense couldn’t get a stop on No. 6 Long Beach Poly’s last drive, which led to a 20-17 defeat. 13. (15) ▲ Alemany-Mission Hills 2-0 After allowing just seven points in a season-opening win against Garfield-L.A., the Alemany picked up the shutout with 42-0 win over Colony-Ontario. 14. (16) ▲ Bellarmine-San Jose 1-0 The Bells put a 42-0 shellacking on Franklin-Elk Grove team coming off a 30-24 win over a Clovis North team expected to be a CIF Central Section D1 contender. 15. (6) ▼ Serra-Gardena 1-1 Cavs hope to bounce back from 52-13 loss to No. 2 Centennial at home on Sept. 11 against Carson before facing No. 12 Narbonne in two weeks.

Mike Green II of No. 8 Grant 16. (17) ▲ Mission Hills-San Marcos 2-0 The top team in the CIF San Diego Section made two goalline stands in a decisive 23-0 road victory at Torrey Pines-San Diego. 17. (20) ▲ Norco 2-0 Getting 29-26 win over a Rancho Cucamonga team that was ranked higher than Mission Viejo in the CIFSS West Valley Division rankings moves Cougars up this week. 18. (19) ▲ Pittsburg 2-0 Coaching staff wasn’t happy with three long scoring runs the Pirates gave up in their 42-28 win over San Ramon Valley-Danville. 19.(NR) ▲ Lutheran-Orange 2-0 This is the fourth team in the top 20 from the same Trinity League. It goes in after a 43-28 win at previous No. 14 Crespi-Encino; plays No. 1 De La Salle next. 20. (23) ▲ Redlands East Valley-Redlands 1-0 REV met Chaminade-West Hills (also the 2013 CIF D2 state champ) in the season opener and emerged with a 51-42 victory. 21. (24) ▲ Clayton Valley Charter-Concord 1-1 One week after almost knocking off state No. 5 Folsom in a heartbreaking 27-26 loss, Ugly Eagles put the disappointment behind them and shut out Tracy 35-0. 22. (22) — Clovis 2-0 Senior QB Sean Kuenzinger led a balanced attack after going 19-of-30 passing for 336 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-24 triumph against Lemoore. 23. (18) ▼ Del Oro-Loomis 1-1 While Golden Eagles dropped after last-second 22-15 loss to Punahou (HI.), they didn’t drop out. Host No. 14 Bellarmine next. 24. (NR) ▲ Oaks Christian-Westlake Village 2-0 While the Cathedral Catholic win was only 35-33, coach Jim Benkert’s team was comfortably in front until late in the 4Q. 25. (25) — JSerra-San Juan Capistrano 2-0 Also from SoCal’s Trinity League, JSerra won its second game 4214 over Chino Hills. Servite-Anaheim (1-1) is only Trinity League team not in Top 25 as of Sept. 6. For the complete state rankings every week plus weekly divisional state rankings, go to calhisports.com today.

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BonanZa is BaCK! Tenacity 10’s BearLax Sacramento Club and Placer Valley Tourism are thrilled to be partnering up again to host the Bonanza Girls Lacrosse Tournament at Cherry Island Sports Complex this coming Nov. 7-8. In its fourth year, this prestigious tournament is growing quickly as it has expanded from three fields in 2011 to ten fields in 2014 and again in 2015. There is expected to be more than 50 teams from all over the West Coast to compete in what is considered the premier fall tournament in the west for high school and middle school club teams. Tenacity 10’s founder and CEO, Theresa Sherry, explained that this particular tournament is focused on girl’s youth and high school-aged players. “College coaches attend the Bonanza to find the best talent the west has to offer, thus providing opportunities for dozens of girls to play at the collegiate level,” Sherry added. Bonanza has a four-game guarantee for all teams, and the tournament will be broken down into five different divisions to help foster the highest level of play for each bracket. Division 1 is for top varsity players and teams with elite-level talent, whereas Division 2 is a mix of varsity players and teams with some college prospects. Division 3 is for the junior varsitylevel players and rising high school freshmen. Advance middle school players in 7th and 8th grade will make up Division 4, and finally Division 5 will be comprised of fifth and sixth graders. Don’t miss out on the chance to compete with the best girls lacrosse teams in the west. Simply go to www.tenacity10.com to register your team today. ✪ — All copy and photos provided by Placer Valley Tourism

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popular and prestigious tournament celebrates 10 years in December Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

restlers know that a little blood, a lot of sweat and few tears is what all good tournaments are made of, and the No Guts! No Glory! Wrestling Tournament is no exception. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the 2015 installment promises to be the best one yet. Hosted by Placer Valley Tourism and Natomas High School, No Guts! No Glory! is returning on Dec. 29-30 for high school varsity and junior varsity boys and girls teams at an amazing venue, the Hardwood Palace in Rocklin. Although there is still plenty of time to register, several teams have already secured their spot into one of the largest and most competitive combination high school wrestling tournaments in the nation. State championship teams from Tennessee and Georgia are already on board as well as Mission Oak High School of Tulare, a team which boasts two state finalists from a year ago. Natomas High wrestling coach, Jeremy Arsich, predicts there will easily be at least 150 teams competing with the breakdown including around 35 girls teams, 50 junior var-

sity and 80 varsity teams. Special awards will also be given to champions this year in honor of the tournament’s 10th anniversary, as well as traditional medals for top placers and awards for Most Outstanding Wrestler in each division. Go to www.noguts-noglory.info to register and prepare for some serious matches on the mats at the 2015 No Guts! No Glory! in December. ✪ Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

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With experience, depth and a brewing competitive fire, everything is in place for Liberty’s return to power

t’s 3:45 p.m. on an early September afternoon. Inside the main gymnasium on the Liberty High campus in Brentwood, the varsity volleyball team has its music at a high volume as it goes through its dynamic warmups and drill work. Meanwhile, Linda Ghilarducci, the coach in her 33rd year leading the well-respected Lions program, is having issues with her cell phone. Any incoming calls are going straight to voicemail and there’s no record of any missed calls or voice mails being left. “I’m sure one of these kids can figure it out,” she mused in frustration. However, when it comes to her 2015 roster, there’s little to be vexed about. In Ghilarducci’s first 32 years with the program, she’s led the Lions to the North Coast Section playoffs in all but two seasons. The brightest period of success undoubtedly came from 2003-2005 when Liberty reeled off three NCS Division I titles and reached the CIF Div. I State Championship match in 2005. Now 10 years removed from that state finals team, Ghilarducci sees a handful of similarities between that NorCal-champion roster and the one she’s watching practice. “They have a winning attitude,” Ghilarducci said as she surveys the 12 players on the floor. “It’s a collective mindset that the coach can’t always coach. It comes from within. ... That state team of mine had the same mindset.” It also had a bevy of talent, including All-American Allison Cecchini who would play for the University of Florida, and Kelley Quinn who had a four-year career at UC Riverside. There’s plenty of talent on the 2015 Lions as well, as four of the five seniors are expected to play at the next level. And to bring everything full circle, Cecchini has returned to the program as Ghilarducci’s assistant. Of Liberty’s core group of seniors, two — setter Kaitlynn Zdroik and outside hitter Taylor Dixon — are in their fourth year of varsity. Two more, Hannah Richardson and Ashley Dixon (Taylor’s twin sister), are beginning their third year on the team. The fifth senior, Katie Klisiwicz, was off to a promising start as a junior but has been hampered by a right foot injury. Mix in seven underclassmen, two of which also return from a 24-15 team a year ago, and it’s easy to see why Ghilarducci has a good feeling about the group. “It’s a really strong group of girls,” said Zdroik, who as the setter and a four-year player appears to be at the heart of the team’s leadership. She began a team whiteboard this season that the group adds motivational memos to and addresses before practice each day. “One of our favorite sayings on our board right now is ‘The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital,’” Zdroik said. “I have a saying above my bed at home that says ‘What is 16

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FROM LEFT, KAITLYNN ZDROIK, TAYLOR DIXON AND ASHLEY DIXON

Story By ChaCe BrySon • PhotoS By PhilliP Walton Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook! Subscribe to S360 at SportStarsOnline.com

September 2015

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she doing today?’ So we talk about ‘What are THEY doing?’ We’re trying to follow that mentality of matching and going beyond what our future opponents are doing.” Zdroik, who has an official visit scheduled for San Jose State later this fall, should have every opportunity to improve upon her 785 assists from 2014 thanks to an array of offensive weapons to set to this season. Taylor Dixon led the team with 351 kills a year ago — a number that should only go up for the athletic, 6-foot outside hitter. “She’s been starting for three years,” Ghilarducci said. “You just have to watch her hit to know why. I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of that.” Through the team’s first 18 sets of 2015, Taylor Dixon had already posted 49 kills. Richardson was right behind her with 48. “I’ve played with (Hannah) since middle school,” Zdroik said. “She’s really fun to set on the outside because she’s so hard (for defenses) to read and it’s so fun to set her. Because she’ll go up and we’ll be like ‘How did you just get that kill, Hannah? What!?’” Ashley Dixon is another skilled hitter who will factor in as a middle hitter, while Klisiwicz and junior Ashley Apel will also contribute from the middle. “We have a really good offense right now,” Taylor Dixon said. “But we still have a lot of room for improvement, so hopefully that will give us a chance to be peaking at the right time of the season.” The Lions have been in the top half of the Bay Valley Athletic League standings every year since Zdroik and Taylor Dixon began playing as freshmen in 2012. However, the only title they’ve been able to claim was a co-championship with crosstown rival Heritage during that freshman season. In 2013, the team went 6-4 in league play to finish third behind first-place Heritage and second-place Deer Valley-Antioch. Last season,

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Hannah Richardson the Lions improved to 8-2 but still finished second to an unbeaten Heritage team. With Heritage having lost a fair amount of starters to graduation, things seem to line up for Liberty to complete the climb in 2015.

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“We were right there with Heritage last year,” Ashley Dixon said. “This year, our team just has a really good vibe.” That’s a sentiment that was passed along from pretty much every senior. And it goes back to Ghilarducci’s belief that this team has that ‘it’ factor when it comes to being hungry and wanting to win. “I think that this group is different than any other group I’ve been on,” Richardson said. “I’ve been playing varsity since I was a sophomore, and this group is different than anything we’ve had before. Everyone is super positive. We all work together and we get the job done. Everybody is a leader on this team.” But every good team faces hurdles, and the Lions discovered one of theirs early on. After opening its season with a 6-0 effort at the San Lorenzo Tournament in late August, Liberty traveled to defendingNCS champion Monte Vista-Danville and lost in four sets 2522, 25-22, 11-25, 25-17. “There’s a lot expected from the volleyball world here at Liberty,” Ghilarducci said. “There’s a tradition here to do well, and I think this team is under a lot of pressure to win. I think they felt that pressure (at Monte Vista).” If you take the total points scored in the match, Liberty scored just as many as Monte Vista. Both had 86. So one could argue that the talent is there, it’s just a matter of a learning how to win. “Monte Vista knows how to win,” Ghilarducci added. “That’s one thing our state team had. It played to win with more belief. This is the type of group that will get there though.” When they do, a league title and a deep postseason run are possible. “Oh my gosh, that would be amazing,” Richardson said of potentially adding one or more banners to the gym wall. “Fantastic. No other feeling like it.” ✪

VolleyBall15 VolleyBall15 | Top 20 playeRs To waTCh norCal preseason

Top 10 Lauren Speckman sets for Archbishop Mitty in a game last season.

EMILY BAPTISTA (Hilmar), OH, Sr. Univ. of the Pacific-commit led state in kills last two seasons and helped the Yellowjackets to consecutive SJS Div. IV finals appearances. In three varsity seasons, she has 1,911 kills and 1,001 digs.

ALEXIS DIRIGE (Sacred Heart Cathedral-S.F.), L/DS, Sr. The Washington State-commit was instrumental in the Irish winning the 2014 CIF Div. III state title. She recorded 612 digs and returned 572 serves. She also added 33 aces.

MADDIE HAYNES (Rocklin), OH, Sr. Cal-commit led the Thunder to an SJS Div. II title with 520 kills, 192 digs, and 54 aces. During the 2014 summer, she played for the USA U-18 squad in the Continental Championships in Costa Rica.

KATHERINE CLAYBAUGH (San Ramon Valley-Danville), OH, Sr. SportStars’ 2014 Volleyball Preview cover girl didn’t disappoint. She rolled out 655 kills, 69 aces, 425 digs and 18 blocks as the Wolves reached the NCS Div. I final.

ELIZABETH CAMERON (Oak Ridge-El Dorado HIlls), S, Sr. She posted 971 assists (9.2 per set) in guiding the Trojans’ offense in its run to the SJS Div. I semifinals last season. Cameron added 230 digs, 90 kills and 24 aces.

LAUREN SPECKMAN (Archbishop Mitty-San Jose), S, Jr. Another member of the U.S. Youth National Team, Speckman averaged nearly six assists per set for the now three-time defending CIF Div. II state champions.

LILLIANA LIGHT (Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove), S, So. Made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2014, compiling 920 assists and adding 157 digs, 75 kills and 66 aces for the Eagles.

CARRIE WENTZEL (Branson-Ross), OH, Sr. Her breakout season included a team-best 509 kills for a Bulls team which finished as CIF Div. V state runners-up. She was a MaxPreps AllAmerican selection.

MEGAN McBROOME (Rocklin), S, Sr. Her 1,117 assists powered the Thunder offense as Rocklin captured a second consecutive SJS Div. II championship. She’s averaged 9.1 assists per set each of the last two seasons. JULIANNE MILLER (Rocklin), MH, Sr. Miller patrolled the middle with 304 kills and 163 blocks, which was good for second-best in the Sac-Joaquin Section last season.

1. ARCHBISHOP MITTY-SJ (37-3 IN 2014) Look no further than the program that’s won three consecutive CIF Div. II state titles. 2. VALLEY CHRISTIAN (26-13) Only graduated two players after reaching the CIF Div. II NorCal final a year ago. 3. ROCKLIN (29-14) Thunder has offense everywhere, and a threeyear starting setter to facilitate. 4. NOTRE DAME-BELMONT (35-7) Tigers graduated just three players from their CIF Div. IV NorCal finalists team. 5. REDWOOD-LARKSPUR (33-8) Plenty of talent returns as the Giants take aim at an NCS Div. II three-peat. 6. BRANSON-ROSS (38-4) A pair of All-Americans return to a program that’s made six straight CIF Div. V state final appearances. 7. OAK RIDGE-EL DORADO HILLS (28-8) Senior talent and a new coach who knows how to win = good formula for Trojans.

MEGAN PRIEST (Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills), L/DS, Sr. Priest earned MVP honors this summer as her Northern California Volleyball Club 17-1 Black team captured the Gold Division championship at the USA Volleyball National Championships.

MADDY SCHOENBERGER (Branson-Ross), S, Sr. The Bulls’ ultimate weapon, Schoenberger can do just about whatever the team needs. In 2014 she posted 160 kills, 49 aces, 56 blocks, 258 digs and 756 assists. KIRSTEN SIBLEY (Campolindo-Moraga), OH, Sr. The Hawaii-bound hitter begins her fourth varsity season with the Cougars. She was a second-team All-East Bay selection by Bay Area News Group in 2014.

MEGHAN MERLINO (Rio Americano-Sacramento), OH/OPP, Jr. Continues family tradition (older sister, Maddie, was a three-year starter at setter) with Raiders after slamming 416 kills and adding 362 digs and 52 aces. KAELY RATH (Bear River-Grass Valley), OH, Sr. Rath recorded 429 kills while hitting at an impressive .422 clip. She added 132 digs and 55 aces in leading the Bruins to a fifth consecutive SJS playoff berth. RONIKA STONE (Valley ChristianSan Jose), MB, Sr. A MaxPreps.com Preseason All-American, Oregoncommit and a member of the U.S. Youth National Team, Stone posted 575 kills with 47 aces and 68 blocks in 2014.

8. CAMPOLINDO-MORAGA (29-9) Kirsten Sibley leads an experienced group ready to return to NCS Div. III glory.

KATIE SMOOT (Notre Dame-Belmont), OH, Jr. Her dominant sophomore campaign included 438 kills, 66 aces, 53 blocks and 67 digs as the Tigers went 35-7 and were CIF Div. IV NorCal finalists. LILY BARBER (Redwood-Larkspur), L/DS, Sr. One of several key returners for the NCS Div. II defending champions, Barber posted 609 digs, 64 aces (91.2 serve percentage) and 91 assists. CARINA BRACKETT (Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland), OH, Sr. With three-year standout hitter Brianna Karsseboom graduated, Brackett takes over as the Dragons’ big gun. She posted 239 kills, 171 digs, 44 aces and 29 blocks in 2014. TAYLOR DIXON (Liberty-Brentwood), OH, Sr. Lions depth should lead to long playoff run and a chance for Dixon to improve upon her 2014 totals of 351 kills, 278 digs and 57 aces. ✪

9. PLEASANT GROVE-ELK GROVE (30-9) Posted 30 wins and reached SJS Div. I finals in 2014 despite predominantly young roster 10. GRANITE BAY (26-14) Endured some growing pains after 2013 state title, but still won Sierra Foothill League

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Emma Flewell September 2015

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Bolstered by a new coach & talented seniors, Oak Ridge is thinking of section & beyond

he Oak Ridge High girls volleyball team wsan’t in need of a new start after a 28-8 campaign in which the Trojans advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinals. A successful season and a history with four section titles since 2002 is not the typical precursor to a program reboot. But few programs get the opportunity to bring on a new head coach with back-to-back section crowns within the last five years and a desire to return to courtside after a two-year hiatus spent welcoming and nurturing twins Keegan and Kelsey, who will will turn 3 after the 2015 season is over. “I am excited to get back into it,” said Patrick Sanders, who takes over the Oak Ridge program after coaching and teaching at nearby Vista del Lago in Folsom. “The itch to be around the game is in you if you are a volleyball player. It’s part of you, and it doesn’t go away.” Sanders was notified and encouraged to apply for the coaching position by his wife, Heidi, who teaches at the El Dorado Hills campus. After taking on the coaching job, Sanders was hired by the school to teach math, which he’d been doing at Vista del Lago since the school opened eight years ago. Returning to the bench was made easier for Sanders by the knowledge that the Trojans were returning a quartet of seniors, including three starters who played in at least 102 of the team’s 106 sets in 2014. Elizabeth Cameron, Megan Priest and Olivia Reid have played together for nearly eight years and were key contributors last season when Oak Ridge reached the Div. I semifinals before losing a five-set marathon to Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove. Cameron, a setter, racked up 971 assists and added 115 digs and 58 kills while running the Trojans’ offense. Reid was the recipient of many of those sets as the outside hitter recorded 276 kills to go with 289 digs and a team-best 64 aces. Priest anchored Oak Ridge’s defense as the team’s libero with 225 digs and 35 aces. Middle blocker Emma Flewell, who came to Oak Ridge from Canada as a freshman, bid her time as a junior behind seniors Kelly Krigger and Marissa Quilici, but is expected to have a big impact in the middle in her final high school season.

“With a new coach, it is refreshing because there is a fresh start and nothing is based on what the coaches know or think about players or potential,” Flewell said. “Everyone is being judged on their skill and what they show on the court.” Cameron and Priest echoed the sentiment that the transition has been smooth and extremely positive for the program. “The transition has been phenomenal,” Priest said of Sanders becoming the program’s third head coach in just a four-year span. “He has completely redone the program and made it better than ever.” Sanders was fully aware of Oak Ridge’s past success and wanted to respect the program’s history upon arriving on campus. The coach continued a traditional team camping retreat up Highway 50 in Sly Park, but also wanted to be sure to establish himself as the new man in charge. “I want to keep the traditions of the program, which has been very strong throughout the years, but I also have to set the tone for what I want the team to be,” Sanders said. “I want to

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a gold medal in the Gold Division of carry on the tradition of success and the USA Junior Nationals in New Orthe high standard of play that has been leans. Priest was named tournament established at Oak Ridge, and I look to MVP for the Gold Division, and the our seniors to encourage that and to experience was satisfying, but perhaps mentor the younger players.” left a thirst to claim more hardware, The four seniors are eager to move especially before the longtime teamforward and take on the leadership mates will split up to play collegiately role to help the team take the necesat different schools. sary steps to hang their own banner in Priest knows the Trojans’ team bond the school gymnasium. This group of must extend beyond the group of seseniors were just sixth graders when niors to get everyone on the same page Oak Ridge last won an SJS championand working together to achieve the ship in 2009, claiming the Division I ultimate goal. title with a straight-set win over Ne“We have not all played together a vada Union-Grass Valley. long time, but we are working hard to “As the setter, I need to run the come together,” Priest said. “We are all court, but I also want to keep the team hard-working and dedicated, so any composed and staying within the sysuncertainty on the court will work ittem,” Cameron said. “We have the talself out. I think that winning state is ent and the experience to succeded, definitely a reachable goal, but we have so we need to make sure that we stay to keep focused to get there.” focused on our goals.” Oak Ridge will have a challenging Sanders and his seniors are clear nonleague slate followed by the ultraabout what those goals are. Clockwise from top left, Elizabeth Cameron, Emma Flewell, Olivia Reid and Megan Priest. competitive Sierra Foothill League that “Our goal is November,” Sanders includes recent section champs Granite said of the Trojans’ desires to do well in the postseason. “We talk about getting better every day for win league and win sections so that we can advance to state, Bay and Rocklin. That should allow the Trojans to jell and prepare for November. what happens in November.” but that is the ultimate goal.” “We are a stepping stone team,” Reid said. “The first step is Getting close last November was not good enough, and Cameron, Priest, Reid, and junior middle blocker Hailey winning league, and then we want to win section. Winning served as motivation for this year’s seniors to aim high—for Maniglia reached the ultimate goal this past summer as mem- state is the ultimate goal that we put on the board as a team, the biggest goal possible, a CIF State Championship. “Our main goal is to get to state, but we know that we set bers of the Northern California Volleyball Club (NCVC). The and we wouldn’t put it on the board if it was not a realistic other goals that will lead us there,” Flewell said. “We want to four Trojans were part of the club’s 17-1 Black team that won goal.” ✪

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if you BuilD iT ...

Impressive new facility and family-first outlook has Bay Area Volleyball Club on a meteoric rise

racy Feldmann sat in her car. Hours of her life were spent sitting in her car, outside of a gym, waiting for her son’s volleyball practice to end. Now the director of the Bay Area Volleyball Club, Feldmann is at every practice — and so are the players’ parents, and siblings. But rather than in their car, the parents are viewing practice from one of two viewing areas. And the siblings? They might be in the homework room, or the younger kid’s play room. What once was a granite manufacturing building in industrial Concord, is now an 11,000 square-foot home for aspiring boys and girls volleyball talent, and their families. Feldmann runs the club along with her husband, Rich. And their son, Ryan Evans, the same one Tracy would wait in her vehicle for, is the Director of Player Development and a premier coach for the club. “This is very much a family business,” said Rich Feldmann, who is also in his fifth year coaching within the De La Salle High program. His varsity coaching experience includes the girls programs at Las Lomas-Walnut Creek and Clayton ValleyConcord in the years preceding his time at De La Salle. “This (club) is a reflection of who we are and our attitude about youth athletics. My son played in the club world. We were parents on the

By Chace Byson ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: View a slideshow of the stellar new Bay Area Volleyball Club facility. Only at SportStarsOnline.com/BAVC

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sideline in the club world. We thought some of it was going sideways and we thought we could provide a better experience.” Urged by the families of some of his De La Salle players, Rich Feldmann decided to pursue opening a club in 2011 and began BAVC at NorCal Courts in Martinez. The club had two boys teams in its first season and added seven girls teams in the fall of the same year. As their club expanded, it became clear that for the Feldmann’s to accomplish their true vision, they needed their own facility. An exhaustive search finally led Feldmann to the building the club inhabits now, which in October will mark a full year as BAVC’s home base. The facility now hosts 14 teams in the BAVC family, 10 girls teams ranging from 13U-18U and four boys teams ranging from 16U-18U. “This is beyond what we thought it would be at this stage,” said Tracy, who is affectionally known throughout the club as ‘Mama T.’ “But what this facility has given us, is an ability to suit our programs to our families.” When it came to filling out the 11,000 square feet, the Feldmann’s seemingly thought of everything. The facility boasts two full volleyball courts, a downstairs viewing area for parents, an upstairs view deck for parents (complete with cardio machines if the parent is forced to skip his or her gym visit), a training room, a team room, a study room, a conference room, a kids play room to entertain younger siblings of players, a game room for older kids and parents featuring a pool table and dart board, and a TV lounge for team film study. The building has also given the club freedom. It’s been able to expand its instruction to include private lessons and low-cost developmental leagues. Evans also spearheads the club’s beach program which uses the sand courts at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. But it’s not all bells and whistles. The BAVC teams have found success on the court as well. It’s had more than a few teams place in the Top 5 at the Reno FarWest Qualifer in recent seasons, and currently has nine kids being recruited for scholarships, including Ornella Tchoumie (Freedom-Oakley), Lexi Hammer and Sterling Parker(AlhambraMartinez), Erika Scheafer and Starr Aven (Clayton Valley Charter-Concord), Kylie Kendall (Liberty-Brentwood), Kendal Henry (Heritage-Brentwood) and Shelby Bryant, (Carondelet-Concord). Doug Dannevik, an NCAA Division III National Championship coach at the University of San Diego in the 80s and 90s, is the club’s Director of Coaches Development and is using his extensive collegiate connections to help build a college recruitment connection database. “A tagline for this really does seem to be ‘If you build it, they will come,’” Rich said on a late August morning. “Be who you are, represent your values, deliver a good service and the wins and success will come.” ✪

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sTRaighT up! Take a glimpse inside the world of dirt bike hillclimbing competition

uring the weekend of April 11-12, 2015, Josh Williams, 11, and Josh Rogers, 14, competed at the Skip’s Hillclimb event at Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) in Tracy. Both of these young riders got on dirt bikes at a very young age, with Williams starting at age 5 and Rogers at age 4. Both began hillclimbing just two years after learning to ride. Hillclimb competitions involve people of all ages riding up very steep hills to compete against the clock. It’s amazing how fast a dirt bike can be ridden up a nearly vertical hill. Carnegie’s steepest hill in the hillclimb competition area is sometimes climbed in seventeen seconds. Younger riders, sometimes as young as 6, compete on a less-steep hill nearby. “The wind feels good against you, and when you make it up the hill, it feels like you’re the winner,” Williams said when asked his favorite thing about competing in hillclimbing events. Rogers, after careful thought, said he likes it because “It’s different than anything else. Going up the hill is like a short sprint. It’s not easy.” Williams, who rides his Honda CRF 150R in the 125-250 stock

class, also enjoys watching the hillclimbs. When Williams is not hillclimbing, he likes to ride the tracks and trails at Carnegie and Hollister Hills SVRAs and enter the pit bike races. His mom, who also rides dirt bikes, got him involved in the sport. Rogers comes to all of the hillclimbs at Carnegie, and rode his Honda 450 to win second in the 250-450 altered stock event. He also enjoys the amateur races at Prairie City SVRA near Sacramento and riding at Hollister Hills SVRA. Hillclimbing is a motorsport that requires a lot of skill, strength and courage. Both of these young men are rising stars in the world of hillclimbing, and it will be fun to see what they do at future events. SPECIAL EVENT DAY INVITE: If you’d like to visit Carnegie SVRA, a good time to check it out would be on Sunday, Oct. 18th for the 5th Annual Visitor Appreciation Day. Admission to the park is FREE with lots of activities for the whole family. Come watch dirt bike riders doing hillclimbs and a 4X4 driving demonstration, learn about rider safety and maybe win a cool raffle prize. The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Carnegie SVRA, 18600 West Corral Hollow Rd. in Tracy. ✪ — By Elise McFarland for California State Parks SVRA, Photos courtesy of Heidi Lypps

Josh Rogers 26

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flying

high Records are through Sept. 5 1. (1)

—

De La Salle-Concord

1-1

2. (2)

—

Folsom

2-0

3. (3)

—

Grant-Sacramento

2-0

4. (4)

—

Pittsburg

2-0

5. (5)

—

Clayton Valley Charter-Concord

1-1

6. (7)

▲

Bellarmine-San Jose

1-0

7. (9)

▲

Valley Christian-San Jose

1-0

8. (8)

—

Elk Grove

1-0

9. (6)

▼

Del Oro-Loomis

1-1

10. (10) —

Foothill-Pleasanton

2-0

11. (11) —

Rocklin

2-0

12. (12) —

Serra-San Mateo

0-1

13. (13) —

St. Francis-Mountain View

1-0

14. (16) ▲

Central Catholic-Modesto

1-0

15. (17) ▲

St. Mary’s-Stockton

1-0

16. (19) ▲

Campolindo-Moraga

2-0

17. (NR) ▲

Granite Bay

2-0

18. (NR) ▲

Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton

1-0

19. (NR) ▲

Antioch

2-0

20. (NR) ▲

Monte Vista-Danville

1-0

NORCAL NOTEBOOK: Riding its senior talent, Foothill looks poised for another EBAL title run Also, no scoreboard is safe around Whitney

More than 20 minutes had passed since the final siren sounded on Foothill High’s 28-14 win at Freedom in Oakley. Foothill running back Isaiah Floyd is one of the last few players to work his way across the field and toward the bus that will take him and his teammates back to Pleasanton. Once he’s outside the stadium gates, he catches a glimpse of his coach Matt Sweeney. The long-time coach of the Falcons was also making his way to the bus while recounting the highlights of the game to someone on his cell phone. He paused when he saw Floyd. “How many TDs did you have tonight?,” the coach asks. “Two?” Floyd doesn’t have the answer immediately, and someone ånearby spoke up to

Foothill’s Ruben Mercado

DROPPED OUT: No. 14 Freedom-Oakley, No. 15 Franklin-Elk Grove, No. 18 Cosumnes Oaks-Elk Grove and No. 20 Milpitas. 5 TEAMS KNOCKING (alphabetically): Analy-Sebastopol (2-0), Archbishop Mitty-San Jose (1-0), JesuitCarmichael (1-1), Palma-Salinas (1-0) and Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park (1-0)

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something I tell the team about all the time and what I don’t want them to feel,” he said. “The feeling still sits inside of me today, but that pain is something I use every Friday night on the field.”

TOUCHDOWN TALLIES say he’d scored three times. Floyd’s hesitation is perhaps even more promising than the 135 yards and three scores that he ran for in the 28-14 nonleague road win. He knew the win wasn’t about him. It was about a team effort that included a defensive unit that forced three turnovers and six sacks, and a sophomore quarterback who rarely looked like an underclassman on his way to completing 8 of 13 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. It was a thorough victory. Foothill (2-0) never trailed, and was up 21-0 after scoring on the first play of the second quarter. “We’re all together right now,” Floyd said. “That’s the Foothill foundation since Day 1. Coach Sweeney prides us on being one team and coming together as one. That’s how you win games.” Floyd is part of a senior class that boasts six three-year returning starters, of which only three have actually seen field time in 2015 due to a variety of reasons. All of which means Sweeney is looking for week-to-week improvement now before returning three-year standouts like linebacker/fullback Cash Connolly and tight end Matt Gates can return to action. “If you don’t keep improving, you don’t get through our league,” Sweeney said. “Our performance tonight was a big step up from last week.” Foothill rolled to a 38-15 win over visiting San Leandro in its season-opener on Aug. 28. With its next two games against winless teams, Stagg-Stockton and Castro Valley, Foothill is set to open East Bay Athletic League play with a 4-0 mark when it hosts Granada-Livermore on Sept. 25.

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Foothill’s Isaiah Floyd

10 FOR 10 The Inderkum Tigers of Sacramento have been the model of consistency under head coach Terry Stark, recording double-digit wins in nine consecutive seasons through 2014. With a 34-31 victory over visiting El Cerrito, the Tigers took a positive step toward a tenth straight season with at least 10 wins. While it is still early to map out a minimum of at least another eight victories, Inderkum’s success in league play points to a very good chance that the program makes it a full decade of posting double digits in the “W” column. That consistent success, which includes seven league titles and a 49-4 record against league foes in nine years, has yet to bring a Sac-Joaquin Section championship banner back to the Natomas campus. Senior Derrick Henderson, the Tigers’ latest star linebacker, attributes the program’s success to the values taught and practiced by the entire Inderkum football family. “The pain (of coming so close to winning a title last year) is

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Just two games into the season and athletes are putting up video game numbers that are turning heads and providing fodder for crazy season projections. Whitney-Rocklin senior QB Hunter Rodrigues followed up a huge first-week effort with another 400plus yard passing performance and 7 more total TDs. Rodrigues has thrown for 882 yards and 13 TDs and added a pair of rushing scores as the Wildcats have scored 55 and 56 points in compiling a 1-1 record. At his current pace the signal-caller, who tossed a pair of TD passes in limited action as a junior, would pass for 4,410 yards and 65 TDs for the regular season. Christian Brothers-Sacramento junior Jamarri Jackson added another four TDs in the Falcons’ second game to give him 8 total TDs for the season. He has recorded 4 rushing TDs, 2 receiving TDs, and scored once on an interception return and a punt return. His pace will give the versatile star 40 all-purpose scores in the regular season, and likely a large number of college recruiters blowing up his phone.

200 CLUB Central Catholic-Modesto coach Roger Canepa joined the 200-win club with the Raiders’ 49-0 season-opening rout of Atwater. Canepa, who has led Central Catholic to three consecutive CIF State Bowl victories, is the 11th Sac-Joaquin Section coach to win 200 games. Escalon’s Mark Loureiro leads all SJS coaches with 266 career wins (and counting). Other active coaches in the club are Grant’s Mike Alberghini (255), Christian Brothers’ Dan Carmazzi (240), and Bear River’s Terry Logue (212). ✪ —Chace Bryson & Jim McCue

overcoming overthinking Overthinking. It is one of the biggest mental challenges in competitive sports. In my 16 years of practicing mental skills training, I have seen it happen across all sports, both genders, youth, collegiate and pros. No matter who you are, at some point, overthinking will show up. It’s simply a matter of time. On the field overthinking translates to very specific body language. Think about a time you (or your child) felt overwhelmed and started thinking way too much. What did you notice? What changed? The tell tale sign of overthinking is slow feet. When an athlete starts grinding away on thoughts and emotions, the feet slow down. Way down. Why is overthinking such a common occurrence? ›› AGE — Kids age 10-13 (pre-adolescence) go through the second biggest brain development phase of their life. There is a lot of restructuring going on in the brain and their ability to be self aware grows tremendously. This is a good thing long-term, but it can cause some short stumbling blocks. ›› NERVOUSNESS & ANXIETY — Competitive sports are pressure-filled and high achievers tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves. Additional stress may come from parents, coaches and expectations (I must get a scholarship!). If an athlete is prone to stress, this pressure can be overwhelming. ›› PERFECTIONISM — So many athletes “suffer” from

Tips & steps to keep your mind from slowing down your feet Get Mental: Erika Carlson perfectionism. That is, the expectation that anything that isn’t perfect is failure. This mindset leaves athletes feeling frustrated and creates worry about whether or not they will ever be successful. Nervousness and anxiety often follows. Ironically, kids who struggle with overthinking when they are young gain an advantage over those who keep it simple throughout their youth sport career. Don’t get me wrong, keeping it simple is key. However, if your first struggle is when you are 19 playing Division I college sports, that’s a tough environment. Tough, but not impossible. Kids who struggle when they are younger and learn to manage their thinking are able to build confidence to overcome future challenges. There’s no shortcut. Can all of this overthinking be stopped? Yes. Here’s how: STEP 1: Build awareness ›› In what situations do you tend to overthink? Missed shot on goal? Missed block on defense? When a coach yells at you? ›› What do you say to yourself in those situations? “Why

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did I do that?”; “That was dumb!”; “Not again!” ›› Does what you say help or hurt your performance? If the answer is, “It hurts my performance,” proceed to step 2. STEP 2: Create simple, concise, action-based instructions for each situation. Examples: ›› Missed shot = “Head down, far post.” ›› Missed block = “Get up!” ›› Getting yelled at = “Soft touch, carry.” SteP 3: affirm success It’s always important to remind yourself of what your consistent strengths are that hold up in various situations. ›› “I’m a good decision maker under pressure.” ›› “I play hard in tough games.” ›› “I train hard and am in great shape.” Thinking for excellence takes practice. Most athletes find it relatively easy to manage their thinking when things are going well. The challenge is to manage thinking under pressure and after a mistake or two. Keeping your thoughts simple is mandatory for mental toughness. Haven’t mastered your mental game yet? Take pride in working through the hard stuff. Dealing with mental challenges is as important as any physical skill you possess. And, it’s guaranteed to pay dividends in your future, both in sports and beyond. ✪ Erika Carlson is a certified mental trainer and owner of Excellence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.

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pulling The ’string The hamstring muscle, which makes up the back of your thigh, is the most frequently strained muscle in the body. A hamstring strain, is both common and painful. It can affect runners, football, soccer, basketball players and so on. The hamstring is actually a group of muscles called the semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris. Their primary function is to bend the knee and move the thigh backwards (extend the hip). During a strain, one or more of these muscles gets stretched too far, or may even start to tear. This can happen with exercise that involves a lot of running, jumping or sudden start or stopping type of activity. Symptoms of a hamstring strain include sudden sharp pain at the back of the thigh, possible snapping or popping feeling, pain walking, tender to touch or bruising. It is also hard to straighten the leg or bend over when the hamstring is strained. You can get a hamstring strain if you don’t stretch or warm up properly. We here at the Sports Medicine Center for Young Athletes recommend warm up with a brisk walk or jog followed by dynamic warm up of the primary muscles for your sports specific activity prior to start of practice or competition. The majority of hamstring strains are either called first or second degree, or graded 1 or 2 depending on the severity. A third degree or grade 3 strain is rare but involves a severe or complete rupture of the muscle which may need surgery performed by an orthopedic surgeon.

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health watch: kelli adams A quick glance at the various strains and their symptoms: ›› First degree/Grade 1: May have some tightness in the back of the thigh, or feeling sore; no obvious pain or swelling; may walk normal but with some discomfort. ›› Second degree/Grade 2: May be limping when trying to walk; may have heard or felt a pop during the activity; may notice some swelling; tender to touch, and may not be able to fully straighten the knee; some bruising may be present. ›› Third degree/Grade3: Most likely need crutches; obvious swelling and bruising; severe pain when trying to bend knee. The best course of treatment for a hamstring strain is to see a medical professional (whether you consult with your school trainer or physical therapist, who may refer you to a sports medicine physician). The recommendation may include rest, ice, compression, elevation, and when able, to practice stretching and strengthening exercises in a pain-free range of motion. When returning to your physical activity, you should be able to move your leg as freely as the uninjured side, strength should be equal when compared to the uninjured side, and you should not have any pain when you try to walk, jog, sprint or jump. The best way to prevent hamstring strains is to stretch and strengthen. Stop exercise if you feel pain in the back of your thigh. ✪ Kelli Adams is a certified athletic trainer and physical therapy assistant for Children’s Hospital Oakland and its Sports Medicine for Young Athletes division.

BoDy shoCKs

Big leg muscles get you moving & airborne, but the calves & Achilles’ tendons are key to the process

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September 2015

Almost two years ago I did something I thought would never happen to me in my life. I tore my Achilles. Luckily there was no loud pop or sharp pain. I just couldn’t walk. It was pretty scary. It was the catalyst to me delving deep into the research of the calf area and the importance of having great strength there. For me, someone stepped on my heel right as I was pushing off full speed and it was too much for the tendon to handle. This got me thinking. How much can the Achilles handle, and what is its important role? What I found was a slap-my-head kind of moment. When athletes try to improve their vertical jump and/or sprint speed, they think that increasing calf and Achilles strength will do the trick. The truth is that it won’t. Not alone. In order for strength to improve sprint speed or jump height your HIPS must increase in power. So where do the calves and Achilles come in? They must be rigid and strong enough to FULLY transfer that force to the ground without being weak and letting the energy leak out. So, strong hips with weak calves and Achilles will diminish your power transfer to the ground. It’s like trying to jump as high as you can with the first jump off the ground, as opposed to a first jump on a trampoline. The trampoline has give, whereas the ground has none. Next time you’re doing power training and you want to focus on your calves and the Achilles’ tendon area, keep in mind the purpose is to have enough strength to be rigid when you use those bigger leg muscles. ✪ Anthony Trucks is an IYCA-certified trainer who covers weight training for SportStars.

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nutrition: jill daniels Dehydration can sap up 50 percent of your energy, so know when and how much to drink With school back in session, athletes are busy training for their fall sports and preparing for the season ahead. Even though it’s no longer summer, dehydration is still a risk due to warm weather and/or double-day workouts. Staying hydrated is an easy way to optimize your performance during training and competition. The average human body is 50-75 percent water — the leaner the body, the higher the proportion of water. Fluids are essential for almost all of the body’s functions, and we can’t live without them for longer than about a week. If your body is dehydrated, this can result in an increase in body temperature, increased risk for heat stroke and heat exhaustion, and decreased strength, speed and stamina — none of which an athlete wants to experience. Dehydration can result in up to a 50 percent decrease in ability. To stay on top of your game, drink plenty of non-caffeinated fluids before, during and after training. Thirst is a symptom of dehydration, so drink before your body sends this signal. Train yourself to drink by the following schedule, not by thirst, to ensure that you are well hydrated:

›› Drink 16 ounces of water 2 hours BEFORE training/ competition ›› Drink 8 to 16 ounces of water 15 minutes BEFORE training/competition ›› Drink 4 to 16 ounces of water or sports drink every 30 minutes DURING training/competition ›› Weigh yourself before and after a training session or competition. For every pound lost, drink 16-24 ounces of fluid (water, milk, 100% juice, sports drink such as Gatorade) Younger, smaller athletes should aim for lower end of range. Older, larger athletes shoul aim for higher end of range Staying consistently hydrated will help you feel your best during your training sessions, which will result in improved performance at game time. Have a great season, and remember to drink up! ✪ Jill Daniels, MS, RD, CSSD is a Registered Dietitian in the Bay Area of Northern California who specializes in sports nutrition and weight management. She works with people of all ages. Visit her at JillDanielsRD.com

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September 2015

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September 2015

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edding has home run venues for your upcoming tournaments, close enough to arrive for a weekend getaway, and far enough to completely change the scenery and competition. Baseball and softball tournaments are played at Big League Dreams park, which features replica versions of famous Major League Baseball venues such as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. Many of the soccer and lacrosse tournaments are played at the four-field, all-weather Redding Soccer Park complex. And when it comes to swimming, Redding Aquatic Center hosts all your 50-meter needs. Coming up, Big League Dreams will be hosting a series of youth baseball and fastpitch tournaments by National Softball Association, Hardball North and USSSA. Which replica field will you be on, Wrigley, Fenway, or maybe Yankee Stadium? You can also keep an eye out for sand volleyball, bocce ball and kickball tournaments at this complex. The Redding Soccer Park will be home to soccer’s S*M*A*S*H Cup, Oct. 24-25. This event has a mission to bring breast health awareness to all who attend, furthering the “Think Pink” movement in the community while bringing in about 60 competitive teams. The park is a safe, gated facility with indoor restrooms, concessions and a play structure for the little ones. You can also register on the website for the Hunter Troy Clegg Memorial Soccer Tournament in September. Keep a lookout for upcoming dates for lacrosse tournaments too, or find the latest lacrosse information visit

reddinglacrosse.com. Surrounded by mountains, miles of hiking and biking trails, a river running through town, nine State Park designations and five National Park designations nearby, the excellent tournament destination of Redding is the place to compete. Cradled by Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen, Redding averages 300+ sunny days per year, the sunniest city in California. Have time between games for some other recreation? Time Magazine called Redding the Unofficial Capital of Kayaking for its “weird obsession” with all things paddling. With temperate weather, nearby lakes and that gorgeous river in the middle of town, it would be “weird” to not get out and enjoy it all. Whiskeytown National Recreation Area is one of the few full lakes in California and a great place to kayak, sail or just float on your back. Redding is also home to the famous Sundial Bridge, world-class fishing and 200 miles of hiking and biking trails. Head out on a day-trip to see the bubbling

Big League Dreams 20155 VIKING WAY 530-223-1177 September 26-27: Youth Fastpitch: NSA Fastpitch October 17-18: Youth Baseball: ll World Baseball

mud pots and boiling lakes in Lassen Volcanic National Park, or get refreshed by the waterfall at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park. This 129-foot gusher is considered one of the most beautiful in the state. Also, be sure to find out what fun events are happening — like the upcoming Give Me Wings Century bicycle ride (one of the most challenging in the state) and the Salmon Festival (Forbes ranks Redding as the only West Coast city among the Top 10 fishing destinations in North America). To keep up to speed on events, tournaments, things to do or to learn more about Redding, call 530-225-4105 or email Chad@VisitRedding.com. ✪ — Copy and photos provided by Visit Redding

Redding Soccer Park WWW.REDDINGSOCCERPARK.COM September 26-27: Youth Soccer: Hunter Troy Clegg Memorial Tournament

November 7-8: Youth Fastpitch: NSA Fastpitch

October 24-25: Boys and Girls Competitive Youth Soccer Tournament U12-U19 Charities supported Nor-Cal Think Pink and The Love and Light Foundation.

November 21-22: Youth Baseball: Hardball North

Lacrosse: www.ReddingLacrosse.com

March 2016: High School Baseball and Softball: Dates TBD

February: Lacrosse Opening weekend Redding Boys Jamboree U13-High School.

October 24-25: Youth Fastpitch: USSSA Fastpitch

REDDING.BIGLEAGUEDREAMS.COM

Shasta Magic Basketball www.ShastaMagic.com Tournaments (4th-12th graders) March 19-20, 2016: Shasta Magic Elevation Tip-Off April 23-24, 2016: 12th Annual Battle for the North State

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September 2015

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❒ A G: Guidance For Your Football Future ................................35 ❒ Absorber, The ........................................................................14 ❒ All Sports Training Center ......................................................32 ❒ Bay Area Golf Show ..............................................................31 ❒ Bay Area Volleyball Club.......................................................34 ❒ Big O Tires Northern California/ Nevada .................................2 ❒ Blankenship Baseball ............................................................35 ❒ C & K Strength Academy .......................................................29 ❒ California Football Academy .................................................34 ❒ California Spirit Elite .............................................................35 ❒ Championship Athletic Fundraising.......................................22 ❒ Club Sport.............................................................................40 ❒ Core Performance ...........................................................34, 35 ❒ Core Volleyball Club .............................................................32 ❒ Diablo Futbol Club .................................................................7 ❒ Diablo Trophies & Awards .....................................................35 ❒ Diablo Valley Federal Credit Union .......................................18 ❒ Diablo Valley Volleyball Club ...............................................32 ❒ East Bay Sports Academy.......................................................30 ❒ Excellence In Sport Performance ...........................................24 ❒ Halo Headband ....................................................................38 ❒ Jumbo Sunflower Seeds .........................................................21 ❒ Kneed-A- Brace .....................................................................17 ❒ Lone Tree Golf Course...........................................................38 ❒ Mother Lode Rugby ..............................................................39 ❒ Muir Orthopaedic Specialists ................................................15 ❒ My Game Ball Photo.............................................................24 ❒ National Scouting Report ......................................................34 ❒ Next Level College Advisors ..................................................38 ❒ Norcal Volleyball Club ..........................................................34 ❒ Oakland Warthogs Youth Rugby ............................................25 ❒ Off- Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division ..................27 ❒ Placer Valley Tourism Board ............................................12, 13 ❒ Renaissance Club Sport.........................................................29 ❒ Rugby Nor Cal ......................................................................21 ❒ San Ramon Slammers Baseball .............................................32 ❒ Sports Stars Magazine ...........................................................18 ❒ Stevens Creek Toyota...............................................................5 ❒ Sutter Urgent Care ..................................................................3 ❒ The First Tee Of The Tri Valley ................................................35 ❒ Tpc / The Pitching Center ......................................................17 ❒ Tricityeliteallstars.Com ..........................................................28 ❒ U C S F Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland ........................33 ❒ United States Youth Volleyball League ...................................23 ❒ Visitredding.Com ............................................................36, 37 ❒ West Coast Training Center ...................................................38

SportStars™

September 2015

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