Viking Magazine Volume XVI Issue 3

pg.18

TUMBLING TO NATIONALS

The Story of Paly Cheer’s Road to the Championships

Volume XVI, Issue 3

February 2023

would like to thank our sponsors...

Editors-in-Chief

Owen Bittinger, Elizabeth Fetter

Jackson Martin, Cameron Toland

Managing Editor

Yasmin Friedrichowitz

Creative Director

Grace Li

Multimedia Director

Oliver Marburg

Head Columnist

JJ Stoen

Online Editor-in-Chief

Ivan Ijzerman

Copy Editor

Grace Gormley

Social Media Manager

Josie Vogel

Photo Editor

Caleb Wong

Staff Writers

Abigail Karel, Ashton Chow

Avery Reller, Aspen Stitt

Beau Revenaugh

Caroline Mostofizadeh, Claire Cho

Jason Hu, Katie Yen

Lily Jeffrey

Sirisha Mitra

Takumi Weiman, Tyler Frick

Tyler Harrison, Tyler Martin

on the cover:

Sophmore Lily McCue is just one of the many members of Paly cheer who are headed to cheerleading nationals. After countless hours of practices, lots of team bonding, and a season of sideline cheer, Paly has begun their journey competing across California. Our feature story, “Tumbling to Nationals” (pg. 18), tells the story of Paly cheer’s road to nationals (cover by Owen Bittinger)

Hey Vikes!

Buckle in for our first issue of Viking of this new year. We’re so excited to share a fresh crop of stories with you! After so many sporting accomplishments in 2022, we can’t wait to see where this new year takes us.

We see Paly’s cheer team on the sidelines of every football and basketball game. Still, few students know the intense preparation they go through for sideline cheering and competition season. Our cover story, “Tumbling to Nationals” (pg. 18) covers the training and road the cheer team takes before their annual national competition, which takes place in February.

Technology, like OpenAI, has taken the world by storm. But less in the limelight is the increasing use of technology and data analysis in the world of sports, both professional and at Paly. “Statistic Surge”

(pg. 14) discusses the effects data and technology have had on the sporting community.

Before we reach the long-awaited president’s day break first we have to celebrate Valentine’s Day! This is a special time of the year, one that allows us to share love and thanks for special people in our lives. Check out some valentines day notes written by Paly athletes thanking their coaches in “Be My Valentine” (pg. 30).

Almost any high-level athlete will go to extreme efforts to get any advan tage they can over their opponents. For some sports this includes manipulating their weight classes through dieting and weight cutting. Our second featured sto ry in this issue, “Losing to Win,” (pg. 36) tackles the struggles and experiences of playing weight-class based sports that wrestlers and other athletes face.

STAFF OPINION

LIV Golf Tour

LIV Golf, is a new professional golf tour financed by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.

LIV golf caused an uproar within the golf community this past summer, as they offered professional golfers large sums of money in exchange for leaving the American PGA tour. Many people be lieved the league was created with bad intentions –– as an easy way for the Sau di’s to clean their “blood money.”

In theory, there are no downsides to joining the league. Players get a huge joining bonus, entries into high-cash out tournaments, a shorter season, and no cuts. But this seems too good to be true…so is there a catch?

Turns out there is, and it’s a big one. The catch is that anybody in the league is permanently banned from one of the major golf tours, the PGA, as well as being barred from the famous team-based cups. This would mean a more difficult time qualifying for majors, as world ranking points –– what majors use to pick golfers from the athlete pool –– are gar-

nered by these tournaments. Taking this catch into account, which one is better?

Our staff recommends picking the PGA tour as opposed to LIV golf. Although LIV golf offers more money and is easier on a golfer’s body (only having 14 events as opposed to PGA’s 47), by participating in the LIV League, players miss out on opportunities like the Ryder Cup, as well as the chance to compete at the Olympics.

Despite this, LIV golf includes an interesting feature: team play. This means that golfers will group together in a team and compete against each other. This is similar to the team idea in cups. However, they are very different.

By team playing in the cup, individuals are representing their own culture and country: competing head to head with other golfers for their national pride. The atmosphere of these cups are way more intense and the competition far fiercer than the LIV team format.

No shade to those who do join LIV, though. Every golfer has their own reason. Some professionals are past their

Following recent NFL events surrounding Damar Hamlin, many student-athletes have come to question the dangers of playing contact sports. “Was it Worth it?” (pg. 32) highlights the consequences of playing with injuries and the dangers athletes face as a result of it.

As always, be sure to check out Viking’s podcast, “Vikes on Mics’’ available on Spotify or through our website. Viking Multimedia Director Oliver Marburg brings on a new co-host for each episode to discuss both Paly and Professional sports, and, make sure to keep an eye out on our website (vikingsportsmag. com) for weekly sports beats, covering every home Paly sporting event!

Well, that’s about it Vikes! We hope you all enjoy this issue…and Sko Vikes!

prime and find it hard to compete, and make money, at the high level of cups. -

cessful golfer, spent most of his career competing at the highest level of golf. At one point he was in the top 50 players in the world, earning money left and right. However, in order to earn money from events, there is a certain “cut” each golfer must reach in order to qualify. Perez, who’s now in his late 40s, misses most of these cuts because he lacks the skill and youth to make it far enough. So when LIV offered him an easier schedule with guaranteed money, he didn’t hesitate to join the tour.

Although we don’t think joining LIV is as good as joining other tours, it can help golfers who repeat their peak. In the end, though, we recommend sticking with other tours and cups, as there are far more experiences –– and far richer experiences –– than joining the LIV league.

CONTENTS

06

ZOOMS

Photos from Paly sports this past winter season. Featured is our girls soccer, wrestling, and girls basketball teams.

14

STATiSTiCS SURGE

Behind the scenes and off the court, numbers drive the world of athletics. This story explores how data analysis influences all of the factors of a sport.

18

TUMBLiNG TO NATIONALS

After overcoming many trials, it’s the cheer team’s time to be in the spotlight as they begin their journey competing around California.

24 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

We know many of you football fans are products of the recent Qatar World Cup, and may not know much about club football situation, so we’re here to break down what the Champions League really is.

26

HESiTANT TO HUNT

Nearly 15 million people hunt in the United States. However, with millions of animals getting killed every year, the ethical side of hunting has been brought into question.

30 I LOVE MY COACH

On this story, Paly athletes were given the opportunity to express their gratitude for a coach that had a significant impact on their lives.

32

WAS iT WORTH iT?

Athletes face a multitude of risks when they’re playing and training. How do they avoid injuries, and what are the dangers of ignoring the pain?

36

LOSiNG TO WiN

In order to gain a competitive advantage over opponents, some wrestlers choose to cut weight. This practice raises questions of how to balance competing at the best of your ability and staying healthy.

42

YOU HAD TO BE THERE

Paly students recap the most memorable sporting evens they have seen in person.

45

ViKiNG TRiES

In this issue’s Viking Tries, four members of the Viking staff attempt a staple challenge in basketball — a three-point contest.

DRIBBLING

FOR GOALS

Paly girls soccer lost to Santa Clara 2-0. “We all played really well together as a team and created a lot of opportunities but unfortunately we were not able to get the outcome we wanted,” Willow Steele (‘23) said. Pictured: Areet Rau (‘26) dribbles the ball up the field, attempting to score against Santa Clara.

Photo by Caleb Wong

Photo by Caleb Wong

HOME

COURT SUPREMACY

Paly wrestling dominated Cupertino on senior night, winning 66-10. “It felt good to see some results from all the hard work we’ve put in,”

Joseph Rose (‘23) said.

Pictured: Josh Wilde (‘23) looking to use a move against the opposing Cupertino wrestler.

Photo by Caleb Wong

DON’T

JUMP!

Paly girls basketball defeated Homestead 68-25. It was all Paly from the get go, on both ends of the court. “We brought a lot of energy on and off the court which fired us up to play better as a team,” Nadia Brown (‘24) said. Pictured: Kaella Peters (‘23) using a pump fake against a Homestead defender.

Questions

Questions

How well do Katie’s teammates, friends, and teachers know her?

Photo courtesey of Katie Dorogusker

Photo by Cameron Toland

Photo courtesey of Evie Kramer

PRE-RACE MEAL

RECIPE

• Toast the two slices of bread

• Take the half avocado and mash it up in a bowl

• Spread it onto each of the toast slices

• Put two slices of turkey on top of each

• Sprinkle with black pepper

• Heat up a kettle of hot water

• Pour the hot water into a mug

• Put the tea in the mug

• Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• Two slices of Dave’s whole grain bread

• Half of an avocado

• Costco turkey slices

• Caffeinated tea bag

STAFF VS . STUDENT Game

STAFF VS . STUDENT

VERBATIM

“I’m not a sport person so I just ran back and forth [but] I had fun. The staff tends to win because of our superior skill and finesse on the court…[also] Mr. Bloom for the win!”

- Librarian Sima Thomas

“It all started with the jump ball. The ref threw it to the staff side, which spiraled into probably the worst reffing job I’ve ever seen.”

- Coach Mert Yanar (‘23)

“I saw the staff vs student game in my freshman year and ever since then I wanted to play. It definitely felt weird to be playing an aggressive sport against teachers and obviously it sucked to lose but I think with the teachers had won before we even started.”

- Hillary Studdert(‘23)

“I wasn’t there but I heard Mr. Wilson was straight balling and had mad hops”

- AP English Literature teacher Richard Rodriguez

“Hooray for Mr. Bloom!”

- Assistant Librarian Deborah Henry

“The reffing was pretty unfair but overall it was a really fun experience and I am glad that we got to do it. The energy from the seniors in the bleachers was amazing and it made the game even more fun.”

- Grace Corrigan(‘23)

Photos courtesey of Kyle Park

Photos courtesy of Tyler Wong

Statistics Statistics

by ELIZABETH FETTER, TYLER FRICK, OLIVER MARBURG, and TYLER MARTIN art by YASMIN FRIEDRICHOWITZ

SURGE SURGE

Behind the scenes and off the court, numbers drive the world of athletics. Data analytics are used to better understand the true value of a player’s skill, aid in helping teams determine what they should focus on in a game or practice, and even direct the long term evolution of a sport.

Last year, Aaron Judge –– a world renowned baseball player for the New York Yankees –– led the MLB in a very meaningful statistic: wRC+, garnering a value of 207. This, among other achievements, helped lead him to win the 2022 American League MVP. This is because analysts, scouts, coaches, and managers use seemingly meaningless (at least to most fans) statistics –– like wRC+ –– and numbers to divide a good player from a great one, to separate the mediocre from the excellent, and to know who they want playing for them and who they definitely don’t for their next season’s lineup.

To a non-baseball fan, or even a casual fan, Judge’s number of 207 wRC+ means nothing: 207 out of what? 207 balls hit?

207 bases stolen? 207 pieces of gum chewed and spit on the floor of the dug-

out? It is arbitrary unless a deeper dive is taken into “sabermetrics,” the intricate new world of data statistics and numbers –– a world that is increasingly helping teams accurately determine the value of a player, as well as where and on what a team should focus its energy.

Popularized by media like the nonfiction book Moneyball by Michael Lewis, “sabermetrics” is the use of numbers to determine the value of a player. In baseball, for example, as opposed to calculating simple statistics like “batting average,” “runs batted in’’ or “bases stolen” –– values that were considered golden numbers before the statistic revolution ––analysts center their energy on statistics that are supposed to more accurately reflect the talent of an individual player, as opposed to the luck of a player at the error of others.

The aforementioned wRC+ is one of these new statistics. It stands for “Weighted Runs Created Plus.” Simply put, it eliminates the external factors that help or harm a player’s ability to score runs: ballpark elevation and stadium di mensions. It even takes into account the time period in which an athlete played (stadiums in different time periods had different regulations and thus different outfield boundary walls: unfairly inflating or deflating home runs scores). Then, the metric “weights” a run so that the league average is 100 runs. Thus, anything higher than 100 is considered above average –– putting Judge’s score of 207 in a new light.

wRC+ is an example of the intricate statistics that strive to eliminate the uncertainties of athletics and highlight the true value of an athlete. Moneyball provides

NBA Three - Point Timeline

1891 - James Naismith created the sport basketball using peach baskets and a soccer ball

1946 - The NBA was created

1991 - NBA teams were taking an average of 7.1 threepointers per game

2023 - NBA teams are taking an average of 34.3 three-pointers per game

Freestyle stroke timeline

2000 B.C.Egyptians used an overarm stroke like a front crawl

1927 - Johnny WeissMuller broke the world record for 200m freestyle using straight arm recovery with a time of 2:08.0

2016 - Katie Ledecky implemented a new kick beat to minimize her race time

1902 - Richard Cavell implemented a combination of up and down kicks and an alternating overarm stroke

countless examples of statisticians –– often Harvard or MIT engineering graduates –– who tirelessly work to boil the game down to the true skills of a player as opposed to the chance error of others or the chance stadium they are in.

“Sabermetrics” and the new world of statistics provides another benefit for teams: the clarification of what they should focus their energy on. The obsession with numbers extends far beyond baseball, too. Many other sports have adopted the use of analytics to gain a competitive advantage, be it accurate player evaluation or knowledge about what the players should focus on in a game.

For example, in basketball, a major revelation came in the early/mid-2010s, with the rise of the three-point shot. Through analyzing shot-type overlaid with team wins/scoring, coaches and analysts slowly realized that the extra point gained from making a three-point shot exponentially increased scoring efficiently (and thus team wins) if implemented at a higher –– and more accurate –– volume. Because of this, they started focusing more of their energy on training players for three-pointers (as well as valuing players who could accurately sink them).

Famously popularized by Stephen Curry and his “splash brother” Klay Thompson, the three-point shot has risen to basketball glory and glamor. Prior to this, the focus was on getting “easy” points by driving to the basket, taking layups, and

2008 - In the summer Olympics, Michael Phelps broke the world record for 200m freestyle using bent arm recovery with a time of 1:42.96

mid-range jump shots. In the 1990-1991 NBA season, teams only attempted an average of 7.1 three-pointers per game. Now, however, as teams take this to another level –– largely taking only threepoint shots and layups, and eliminating the mid-range jump shot –– the number of 3-pointers attempted per game has increased to a whopping 34.3 shots per game.

As a result of this increase, NBA scoring is at an all-time high. Teams are averaging 114.1 points per game this season, a major step up from 96.3 just 11 years

Teams looked at data on where certain batters tend to hit the ball on the field, and from this, decide if it is worth it to shift their players to the side that player tends to hit the ball (note that it is considered a “shift” when three or more infielders are positioned on one side of second base). The purpose of this shift is to have a stronger chance of fielding a ball hit to a batter’s pull (i.e. strong) side and has proven wildly effective.

ago. This sharp increase illuminates how a deeper dive into seemingly innocuous numbers (the essence of “sabermetrics”) can cause the entire methodology of a sport to quickly shift.

The same can be seen in baseball.

This efficacy is measured by the decrease in the league-wide ground ball batting average on balls in play (Ground ball BABIP), as “shifted” outfielders can more easily return grounded balls because they are closer to them. During the 2017 season, teams were shifting on about 15% of all plate appearances, leading to a .241 ground ball BABIP. On the other hand, in the 2020 season, teams were shifting a staggering 30% of all plate appearances, leading to just a .229 ground ball BABIP. As this technique became more common, however, the baseball authority has

“Ultimately, I work with each group to make the game as competitive, safe, and well-officiated as possible to maximize our fans’ entertainment”

-Tom Bliss (NFL Data Analyst)

implemented new rules to limit or completely ban it for the upcoming 2023 season.

A similar evolution of using statistics to focus on efficiency can be seen in technique-heavy sports like swimming or running. Comparing the stroke of a swimmer 25 or 30 years ago to swimmers now highlights the stark differences. In freestyle, for example, it used to be believed that a “straight-arm” catch was the most effective, as it pulled the most water back. Now, however, thanks to computer-analyzed data showing the velocity of a swimmer in the water, coaches know that the drag added by pulling with a straight arm eliminates any benefit added by the extra water pulled. Thus, high-level swimmers can now be seen pulling with a 90-degree bend in the elbow, thought by analysts to strike the best balance between moving hydrodynamically through the water and pulling water behind you to propel you forward.

As swimmers continue to evolve and improve, even more changes will be seen. For the longer distance freestyle, for example, Katie Ledecky –– seven-time Olympic gold medalist in the 200, 400, 800, and 1500 meter freestyle –– has perfected a new technique. This one, however, is specific to kick. The kick rate of swimmers changes depending on the length of the race: the shorter the distance, the higher the kick rate. A 200m, for example, would be around a six-beat kick (i.e. six kicks per stroke cycle) and longer events, like the 400, 800, and 1600m, will see anywhere from a four-beat to a six-beat kick. Ledecky, however, constantly holds a two-beat kick or less during her event, until the last 50, where she ramps up the rate. This allows her to maximize the use of her arm strength while not tiring herself out (the legs suck up far more oxygen than

the arms). Only the future data analysis and swims will be able to tell if this is a particular skill to Ledecky or if this trend will expand out to all high-level distance swimmers.

Analytics and the deep diving into numbers have become so popular in recent years that sports teams and leagues have started hiring people whose sole job is to look at data –– like The Oakland A’s did with Paul Depodesta back in the

the NFL the best product it can possibly be, for players and fans.

“I help different departments within the office such as officiating, player health and safety, and football operations,” Bliss said. “Ultimately, I work with each group to make the game as competitive, safe, and well-officiated as possible to maximize our fans’ entertainment.”

Bliss outlined some of the ways that analytics are incorporated into the NFL. For example, a coaching staff may use historical data to determine when it’s most ideal to “go for it” on fourth down. Front offices can use data to evaluate a player’s skill, or how a player fits better with a certain team in free agency or the draft. Lastly, it can also be used to help athletes with workout routines, helping them not overwork a part of the body that is injured.

It is one thing to see the use of statistics grow nationally by large sports corporations like the MLB or NFL, and by highly competitive Olympic sports like swimming, but what about on a smaller scale? Does the same trend of the increasing importance of statistics hold true? Here at Paly, at least, it seems to.

early 2000s. Exemplifying this is NFL data analyst Tom Bliss, who told Viking how he spends 90% of his work day importing NFL data and analyzing it in code like python and R.

“I write code to calculate metrics such as means or rates and visualize the metrics in a table or plot,” Bliss said. “Additionally, I use code to create predictive models including a team strength model to measure how valuable days of rest are in terms of a team winning or losing a game.”

Bliss further explains his role in making

Jeff LaMere, head coach of boys basketball, feels that statistics are an integral part of his coaching. LaMere spends hours outside of practice studying an opposing team’s statistics and understanding their playing tendencies in order to help Paly’s team gain a competitive edge over them. He also thinks data can be important for analyzing and improving his own team as well.

“I want to look at numbers like “effective field goal percentage” versus ‘field goal percentage,’ so I want to know where I can value a three point shot, more than a two point shot,” LaMere said.

LaMere refers to “field goal percentage” compared to “effective field goal percentage.” Essentially, field goal percentage is the percentage of total shots

“I want to know where I can value a three point shot, more than a two point shot”

-Jeff LaMere

(Head coach of boys basketball)

Boys varsity basketball coach Jeff LaMere uses data and analytics to prepare for film reviewing session like the one pictured above

Photo courtesy of Brandon Byer

made out of shots taken, which is tracked both individually and as a team. Effective field goal percentage –– or EFG% ––tracks an entire team’s field goal percentage, but puts an extra emphasis on three point shots because they are worth more points. The reason this stat is so useful is that it allows a team to see if they should focus on scoring inside more, or if they’re more efficient when launching shots from beyond the arc.

Due to dynamics that differ game to game, no contest is the same. Sometimes plays run slowly and other times flow quickly one after the other. Thus, certain numbers for each game can change drastically. Because of this, some statistics can be looked at that disregard the change in pace. LaMere explains how this plays into which statistics he decides to look at –– versus analyzing simply “the numbers.”

“[I set goals based on] offensive rebound percentage,” LaMere said. “[I say] let’s rebound the ball 40% of our misses as opposed to just getting eight offensive rebounds. Analyzing the game using those metrics versus pure numbers is more accurate.”

With the rise of the use of sports data, technology to look at analytics is becoming increasingly accessible for coaches who want to look at them. For example, Coach LaMere uses the software company Hudl, which takes film from inputted games, and spits out lines and lines of basic to advanced statistics for the coaching staff to use.

“[If we’re] playing an unfamiliar foe I can [upload stats] and that’s going to give us a better feel of individual tendencies and personnel,” LaMere said.

Paly swimming coach Danny Dye also uses statistics and numbers, although in a slightly different way. He uses past results from swimmers and their trends to understand what to expect out of the opponent.

“Using those stats, you know how to prepare your athlete, and they know what goals to set based on those expectations,” Dye said.

He analyzes times from his own team and his competitors in order to figure out the best matchups for event placement or relay order, in order for his athletes –– and his team –– to win.

“So you look at what their swimmers

ALL TIme Single season home run leaders

can do and then, similar to a chess game, you place your athletes into a lineup based on the other teams’ past times,” Dye said. “Then you attempt to score out of the meet and get your team the win.”

By scoring out the meet, Dye means “playing” out different outcomes of races. For example, how many points will my team get if everyone places where they are seeded? Will we win then? What if everyone places on the place below they are seeded? Will we still win then?

Dye often goes through 10+ “meet scenarios” with swimmers in different events, different relay orders, and different potential placing in their individual races.

The use of intricate statistics has skyrocketed in recent years, with new technology making them easier to calculate, and prominent media showcasing them. Teams both nationally and here at play use statistics –– although in different ways –– to further their end goal: winning.

In sports, everything boils down to becoming faster, stronger, and more efficient. And statistics, especially as we head towards an ever-increasing digital age, will only be one tool in helping teams, athletes, and coaches get there.

All time Single season Wrc+ leaders

The common fan may believe that home runs are the only statistic that matters when measuring a baseball player’s strength. However, that is far from the truth. These graphs compare the top five single-season home run hitters to the top five single-season leaders in wRC+ [a statistic that analyzes a baseball player’s offensive production], to show that the best offensive players don’t just rely on the long ball. Data courtesy of StatMuse.

Na tu TO

art by JOSIE VOGEL

tionals mb li ng

by ABIGAIL KAREL, ASPEN STITT, and JOSIE VOGEL

The Paly cheer team season started in the summer consisting of long hours of practice and team bonding. Then came sideline games and competitions. Now it’s the cheer team’s time to be in the spotlight as they begin their journey competing around California.

team tryouts

he road to nationals has been a long one. It began nearly a year ago, with team tryouts occurring May 20 to May 25 of 2022. In advance of the tryouts, a new dance routine is planned for athletes, choreographed by the coaches. Last year’s routine consisted of a fast paced dance to a pop song in an effort to challenge and sort out which dancers can learn and keep up with a routine with little preparation.

For the first four days of tryouts, athletes spent their time learning and perfecting the routine for their auditions. The athletes were viewed for team cohesion and potential skills, but were not necessarily judged on skill level due to the many beginners present at tryouts. Over 40 hopefuls

showed up to tryouts, looking to join the team. However, due to the competitiveness of tryouts, over ten people were cut. On the fifth day of tryouts, groups of two to three girls performed the set routine in front of the coach. They were only given one attempt to perform and perfect the routine as the coach judges based on the precision of moves, projection of voice, and confidence of performance.

After they perform the routine, athletes were tested on their mat skills. This showcases other cheerleading skills like cartwheeling, flipping, and rolling, and learning how to do the triple jump, a crucial move needed to get full points when competing. Only seven days later, the roster was posted, consisting of 24 girls.

summer bootcamp

After a couple of months of summer freedom without meeting for practice, the team came together again in August for a three-day cheer convention in Santa Clara from August 5th-7th. At this convention, the team worked on the basics of cheerleading, which include stunts, jumps, cheers, signs, and pyramids. Additionally, the convention focused on trust-building exercises to build connections between the girls. These began with simple icebreakers and progressed to higher-stake

activities like trust falls. Later that night, the team participated in a Wizard of Oz-themed rally and attended a dance party at their hotel, helping to strengthen the bonds –– and foster the trust –– between them.

The importance of building this trust goes deeper than simply creating a “better team” –– it boils down to safety. “Trust is everything,” Kailia Leming, a freshman base said. “You are throwing somebody in the air and if you don’t trust who you’re working with, then something can go wrong and somebody can get hurt.” After the convention the team planned many bonding activities to gain trust, such as a beach day, fitness classes and a movie night.

Sideline season

Fast-forward to four weeks later. Post-convention, the girls stayed in touch, often sending photos they took at the convention and funny videos taken on the ride back. For the cheer team, the start of the school year marked a more important beginning: sideline season. In more colloquial terms, this means football season,when the cheer team lines up along the football field and helps to rally the crowd.

During sideline season practices, the team focused on different cheers and dances that furthered their ability to increase the emotionality of the crowd, including some quintessential ones like: ‘Sack the quarterback’, ‘Stand up for the kick-

off’, and ‘Paly Vikes Rule’. One important dance among these is the classic “band dance.” Performed at every game, this routine features the Paly fight song, played by the band, and pom poms and marks the beginning of the game.

Another important feature of the sideline season is the band dance. “The band dance is important because it’s how we boost the crowd’s energy, and it’s a Paly tradition to do the band dance to mark the beginning of every football game,” Leming said.

“If you don’t trust who you’re working with then something can go wrong”

- Kailia Leming (‘26)

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Throughout the sideline season, which ran in parallel to the football season, from August to November, the cheer team spent time preparing halftime shows to perform at each game. While most routines are choreographed by coaches, sometimes the captains work with other teammates to create them. The most important among the five shows the team performed during the season is the homecoming halftime show. For this, they spent over a month learning the intense choreography and stunts.

This year, the performance included three difficult stunt sections, all choreographed to demonstrate each of the skills they learned throughout the season so far. The stunt sections were choreographed to be a unique visual for the audience, and push the team to their limit. The hardest part to choreograph, however, was the fast-paced, high-intensity dance section. For this, the team worked repeatedly on getting the

Hal ime shows Practice for competition

timing of each visual just right for each move to be synchronized with one another. This year’s routine was choreographed by the team captains, Natalie Karel, Euanche Hong, and Keely Washington. Senior Base Euanche Hong shares her experience choreographing this year’s routine. “This was a very hard process because I’ve never done anything like this before,” Hong said. “So it was really interesting to see how it all comes together and it was really fun to kind of bounce off of each other’s ideas.” Sophomore Lily McCue elaborates on the thrill of halftime shows. “Halftime shows for sideline season are high pressure because we don’t have that much time to learn the routine,” McCue said. “We sometimes have less than a week to learn the whole routine and perfect it and it can increase a lot of stress.”

Even as they worked through the various sideline shows and practiced their halftime show routine, the cheer team was already looking towards the future: “comp season.” At the beginning of October –– halfway through the sideline season, the team starts practicing their set 3-minute competition routine. The competitions began in early December and they competed every few weeks at new competitions with different teams.

Cheer mainly competes in USA Cheer and CCS competitions, where each program has a unique grading system with new teams competing each year .In order to qualify for the National competition, they first needed to perform well at their first USA Cheer competition in February. Then while competing in CCS, the team had the opportunity

to qualify for states. Practices leading up to and during competition season ran five days a week for two hours, with the occasional addition of a weekend practice. Attendance is prioritized, as it takes everyone working together to learn the routine. “[Having everyone there] is important because if you don’t show up then you can miss a lot, and you need to work as a team to get better,” Leming said.

Senior Captain Natalie Karel highlights how even a 150-second routine shows the cumulative effect of hundreds of hours of work and thousands of repetitions of the same movements. “We have to spend weeks teaching and getting the timing right,” Karel said. “Most people watch a routine for two minutes, then they never think about [the work put into it] again.”

For the cheer team at Paly, senior night is the most memorable game, because it’s where they say goodbye to the seniors who will not be returning for the competitive season as they prepare to graduate.

All of November this year was filled with traditions like the senior kidnapping, where the underclassmen wake the seniors up in their beds and dress them up in costumes. Then, the team brings the kidnapped seniors to get

breakfast.

Senior night is something every Paly cheerleader looks forward to as they age through the program; it is a rite of passage in which the underclassmen show their appreciation for the seniors. “We connect [with] the seniors and dress them up in really weird outfits and then we take them out to a breakfast place and surprise them there,” McCue said. “And then we also did a big dinner for them, which was nice.”

senior night game competition season

While the cheer team continued to spend afternoons working through their competition routine, they still had to keep working for the sideline season. The last game of the season is a bittersweet game for the senior cheerleaders, since many have been to every game since their freshman year. The game was a poignant moment for all as the team appreciated the many memories made with the seniors over their time at Paly, and prepared to say goodbye as they prepared to move on from Palo Alto High School.

The team purchased crowns and sashes for the seniors to wear during the game to show appreciation for the great leadership and positive influence each senior has shown on the team. “I don’t even have words to describe [senior night] because it was so amazing,” Hong said. “All the

underclassmen did such an amazing job of making it the most perfect night for me and the rest of the seniors.”

It wasn’t goodbye for most of the seniors, since the majority of the team transitioned into the competition team, but it still had a sense of finality as they celebrated the last time the seniors would step out onto the football field to perform. Senior night is a momentous moment for any Paly athlete who participates in a sport, and the cheer team worked hard to make it as memorable as possible for the seniors.

Photo courtesy of Lea Santini

Fundraising

ecause nationals is a non-CCS event, the funding for it does not come from the Palo Alto High School athletic department, much like invitationals for cross country or tournaments for basketball. Thus, the cheer team had to also devote hours to raising enough money to attend Nationals in late February.

The first fundraisers began December 16 and went through the 18th, including selling hot chocolate and cookies on Fulton Street, aka Christmas Tree Lane in the weeks before the Holidays. The athletes started right after school around 4:00 pm and worked until 9:30 pm that night. The team sold Christmas trees later in December in the Paly parking lot, completing over 100 hours of fundraising for this

season.

Another way the team raised money was through sponsorships from local businesses and by selling candy to Palo Alto residents. Because each athlete is required to participate in raising money for comp season entry fees, all cheer athletes divided up sections in Palo Alto and, after partnering with See’s Candies, they sold the boxes of goodies to local residents.

In addition to this, the cheerleaders also ran a camp called “Little Vikes” for elementary school kids interested in cheer, “We did Little Vikes, which was when we spent a whole day teaching these elementary and middle schoolers how to cheer to prepare them for a game they would perform in with us.” Hong said.

practice times

Once winter rolled around, the team shed their sidelines season mindset and dialed in for competition season. Because the cheerleading team and dance team share a practice room, they switch times every semester.

Practice began at 6:45 a.m. from Mon-Fri every week. With such a tedious schedule, athletes had to control time management in order to get enough sleep.

In addition to this, missing rehearsal could

seriously hurt one’s performance in the routine. Cheer Coach Lea Santini shares her feelings on the intense practice schedule. “Cheer is unlike any sport,” Santini said “Each team member must be present for a stunt group to have a truly successful practice.”

While there were online videos of the routine that one would practice from when missing practice, the players still would not receive the same instruction and preparation as they would when attending practice.

Photo courtesy of Lea Santini

A

fter months of preparation, the Paly cheer team gathered on a bus early in the morning on January 7, headed two hours away to Antioch, California, to compete in the team’s first competition,Spirit at USA.

nerves might have gotten the best of some people but I think everyone tried their best and I’m proud of what we did because it is super hard to go out and perform.”

The competition went well for the team, placing 8th with a score of 87, which qualified them to the CCS championships the following weekend. “I think it’s such a different experience to be on a team where only about five of the eighteen people have been on a competition mat,” senior captain Euanche Hong said. “So I thinkA week later, the team went on to CCS championships in San Jose on January 14. After a week of intense practice and nonstop fallout, where the team would do the full routine repeatedly throughout practice, the hard work paid off and the tournament ended in a victory for the team as they won first place and became CCS champions.

“Winning CCS was extremely exciting and rewarding both for the team and myself. It validated the team’s skills, teamwork, and commitment,” Santini said. “I was filled with a sense of joy, excitement, and pride.” The team would later be sent to compete in states on January 28 in Sacramento.

“Each team member must be present for a stunt group to have a truly successful

-

7 january february

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

T

he team is currently still working to perfect their routine for nationals, coming up on February 21 in Los Angeles. The team will arrive in Anaheim on Thursday and will compete in the first round on Friday morning. If the team makes it to the finals by placing in the top five of their division, they will compete against the top five teams in the nation on Saturday to find out who this year’s national champions are. “We are preparing by reviewing and perfecting our routine, physical conditioning, mental preparation, and performing in other competitions and

The team has very high expectations for nationals after competing and winning CCS. “I’m the only one on the team right now that has ever been to Nationals and it was probably the best weekend of my high school career,” Karel said. “It’s just a crazy experience being in one place where everyone’s so passionate about the same thing as you are.”

practice”

showcases, and focusing on safety by cleaning up our technique and execution of stunts,” Santini said.@vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2023 | 23

by IVAN IJZERMAN

CHAMPIONS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE UEFA

Now we’re sure many of you football fans are products of the recent Qatar World Cup, and may not know much about the current club football situation, so we’re here to break down what the Champions League really is.

The FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions Leagues competitions are actually fairly similar, with the Champions League being equivalent to the World Cup for the club teams in Europe.

It began with the Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens in 1955, as a culmination of all the best teams in Europe’s best leagues. In its early stages it was dominated by the current champion of the competition, Real Madrid. Since then, 22 clubs have become champions of this prestigious competition, but enough with all the boring history, let’s get into how it works.

The Champions League begins with the previous individual league seasons. These leagues include the Big five leagues in Europe which are the Premier

League in England, La Liga in Spain, Ligue 1 in France, the Bundesliga in Germany, and Serie A in Italy, as well as 10 smaller leagues throughout Europe. Each league will have a certain number of spots to play in the Champions League, some having four spots like England’s Premier League and Spain’s La Liga, and others with only one spot like the smaller Eredivisie in the Netherlands. These teams who finish their season in the top positions of their individual leagues will be included in the following years Champions League Group Stage, which happens in November. The 202223 Champions League group stage occurred last year, and 16 teams proved themselves by finishing in the top half of their respective groups of four. These teams will now play in the knockout

stages of the tournament, which began in February of this year.

Each round will be decided by two legs, or games, played at each team’s respective stadium. For example, in the Liverpool v. Real Madrid matchup, the first game will be played at Liverpool’s Anfield in England, then the next leg will be played at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Spain. The team who advances is the one who scores more goals in the two games combined. However, if the score is tied after the two games, there will be an extra 30 minutes played at the end of the second leg, and ultimately a winner is decided after extra time or penalties. The winner of this competition will be crowned the Champions of European football, which the remaining teams look to accomplish.

Manchester City has been in great form recently, currently sitting in second place in the English Premier League, only five points behind Europa League team Arsenal, and six points ahead of Newcastle United. Although winning the last two premier league titles in the 202021 and 2021-22 seasons, Manchester City has yet to finish the Champions League on top. “[Manchester City] will be one of the favorites and then crash out in an upset because they just don’t have the right chemistry like champions should,” Senior Gopala Varadarajan said. “They’ve gone from playing beautiful soccer to just giving it to Haaland and hoping he’ll score a hat trick, which won’t happen every game.”

Paris is home to arguably the greatest all-star team the world have ever seen.

PSG has a menacing front three, consisting of the undisputed greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, the world’s top talent Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar, the modern day Ronaldinho. Despite their strong team, they still have not been able to top the competition, having unexpected exits in recent years. After being up 2-0 on aggregate against Real Madrid in the second half of the second leg, they managed to concede three goals to Karim Benzema and lost their chance to win their first Champions League title. Now, this does not take away from the pure quality that PSG has, and this year they truly have a strong chance at topping European football.

Real Madrid is looking scary as ever going into the Champions League knockout stages. Led by 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, team-ofthe-year goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, and veteran Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, the team seeks to continue their title as Europe’s best team into 2023. As the club with the most historical success in the competitions, they are frequently the crowd favorites. Despite the loss of one of the world’s best players, Christiano Ronaldo, in 2018, the team has stayed in peak condition. With a plethora of young signings, experienced players, and the greatest comeback luck we have ever seen, other teams would hate to face up against these European giants.

POLLS POLLS PALY

The polls are in! Whether you like them or not, these are our Paly students’ predictions for the first round of the group stages. Now, don’t be too discouraged if your team isn’t predicted to win — especially you Leipzig fans — there’s still a chance! Survey conducted through Schoology with over 80 participants.

Complete the bracket, snap a picture, and tag us on

think will become champions of European Football.

Fill in your own hypothetical bracket to see who you Intsagram @vikingsportsmag!

by AVERY RELLER, JJ STOEN, and TAKUMI WEIMANN

art by AVERY RELLER and JOSIE VOGEL design by YASMIN FRIEDRICHOWITZ

Millions of years ago, early humans relied on the killing of animals for survival. The animal-based products that were collected were used to create food, cloth ing, shelter, and weapons. Through technological advancement and refined practices, industrial farming has increased, eliminating the need for indi vidual hunting. Thus, the motive behind hunting has recently moved towards becoming more of a sport or hobby practiced on a personal level. An interesting trend with respect to hunting are the geographical divi sions. In the same way that urban com munities tend to be more liberal and rural areas are more conservative, hunting is more common in the latter and less so in the former. Because of this, many people are wrongfully demonizing the hunter as an ultra-right-wing, nature-hating conservative person who has little care for regulation. And although there are hunters that abuse the practice and fit into this toxic category, there are also some who use the sport as a way

Nearly 15 million people hunt in the United States. However, with millions of animals getting killed every year, the ethical side of hunting has been brought into question.

to better connect with nature and their food, and adamantly adhere to the various hunting regulations. The first point of contention, derived from the stereotype of hunters as careless nature-haters

“Hunters are some of the best conservationists and understand the reasoning behind maintaining healthy population levels.”

- Will Moragne

Will Moragne explains the truth.

“People believe we are doing harm and are be ing cruel towards certain species,” Moragne (‘20) said. “Hunters are some of the best conservationists; they understand the rea

soning behind maintaining healthy population levels.”

Exemplifying this understanding is former president Theodore Roosevelt. Avid conservationist, known best for his efforts to expand the national parks system and the sustainable use of resources, he enjoyed being out in nature and the ad

think people should do it,” Greenlaw said.

A second point of contention among hunters and non-hunters is the cruelty to wards animals. Critics of hunters point out that hunters are cruel towards animals: they kill them or leave them injured.

To some hunters, however, the kill ing part reeks of hypocrisy.

On average, hunters kill 100 mil lion ani mals on average per year, whereas the meat industry kills an estimated 80 billion animals yearly. On top of this, animals in slaughterhouses are kept in cramped, unsanitary conditions for their entire lives. By contrast, animals hunted in the wild live their lives essentially free of boundaries.

Hunters argue that the turkeys sold in grocery stores had far less enjoyable lives than a turkey that was shot by a hunter in the

wild.

In the eyes of Joey Pasarello, another Paly alum, hunters can decrease animal cruelty by eating sustainably –– only what they kill –– and not supporting the unstable and cruel meat industry.

“When I hear criticism, I tell them I know exactly where my food is from,” Passarello (‘20) said. “I have gained a greater understanding of food and the balance of the ecosystem.

Hunting critics note that although there is cruelty in the meat industry, and that small-scale hunting may be more sustainable, its practice is still cruel.

“Yes, it is not factory farming,” Greenlaw said. ”But you’re still unnecessarily killing an animal who doesn’t want to die.”

And even when the hunted animals do not die by the hunter’s hand, the alternative has the potential to be worse for the creature. Based on estimated data from PETA, 50% of animals shot with a crossbow survive, meaning they are left injured. On top of this, 20% of foxes that are hunted remain wounded. Furthermore, hunting can be cruel to animals in

other ways. It can disrupt migration and breeding patterns and the loud gunshots can put the animals under stress, disrupting immune systems and hunting their chances of survival. A third point of contention is over hunting regulation. Many feel that hunting is unregulated or that hunters have little lack for the regulations that do exist. Pasarello and Moragne are among the estimated 15 million people who hunt legally in this nation. What does this mean?

In order to hunt, individuals must apply for a license. This process consists of a weekend-long course and a 100-question test, much like the one taken when receiving a driver’s permit. Additionally, many states have adopted policies

“When I hear criticism, I tell them I know exactly where my food is from. I have gained a greater understanding of food and the balance of the ecosystem.”

- Joey Passarello

Paly alumni Joey Passarello and Will Moragne stand beside birds they have hunted.

Photo courtesy of Joey Passarello

to moderate hunting.

Joey Passarello, a Paly alum and seasoned hunter, explains some of them.

“Buying hunting licenses and tags supports conservation efforts on public land, and there are bag limits that restrict the amount of game you can harvest,” Passarello (‘20) said. “Hunting is also open to invasive species which can help protect native species.”

In conjunction with the policy limiting hunting land, the Bay Area designated hunting ranges such as the Staten Island Nature conservatory near the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Many are over an hour away from where most

people live, but many are dedicated to this drive in order to hunt on legal land. Despite this inconvenience, as well as the negative stereotype of hunters, Mor agne notes that there is a large com munity of hunters in the Bay Area. However, he admits some of these negative feel ings towards hunters steer some people away.

“Overall the places where hunting is more com mon among most peo ple, there is a more accept ing culture,” Moragne (‘20) said. “The probability that someone grows up in Palo Alto and does not understand why peo ple hunt is high due to the chance they will not be exposed to it in their younger years.”

make it mor ally right,”

Greenlaw

“Yes It is not factory farming. But you’re still unnecessarily killing an animal who doesn’t want to die.”

- Morgan Greenlaw

Hunters like Moragne and Pasarello feel as though hunting is a hobby that allows them to better connect with nature, their families –– through shared meals –– and themselves. On the other hand, activists like Greenlaw see hunting as a dangerous act that hurts animals. She notes that dismissing the concern for the animals because “it is a hobby,” is no excuse.

“[Saying] it’s ‘a sport’ or [it’s] ‘fun’ doesn’t

Although both sides of the discussion are likely to continue to be in disagreement, they both can acknowledge the potential existence of a healthy gray area: in which hunting is a sustainable alternative to factory farming, one which brings together families and increases the love for the environment, much like the early 20th century aforementioned Theodore Roosevelt.

Moragne notes that in the end, the most valuable idea to him is that people see his good intentions behind his actions, as opposed to instantly judging and dismissing him as one type of person or another.

“The importance is that they understand why we do it,” Moragne (‘20) said.

Paly alum Lou Passarello holds up a bird he hunted.

Photo courtesy of Joey Passarello

I My Coach.

by YASMIN FRIEDRICHOWITZ and LILY JEFFREY

Valentine’s Day does not just have to be for romantic interest; showing love and appreciation for other aspects of life can also be done on this special day. Athletics, of course, is a huge part of Paly culture. We gave athletes the opportunity to express their gratitude for a coach and their sport.

Dear Coach Kessler,

“Those who stay will be champions.” We have heard you say this since the beginning of our time in wrestling. No matter how long each of us has been on the team, you have believed in us and wanted us to be successful. You always bring out the best in us and constantly push us mentally and physically to get better and stronger each practice. The resilience and grit that you have instilled in us will help us to be successful not only in this sport but in the future as well. We wouldn’t be standing as strong as we are without your incredible dedication to wrestling. We learn from your leadership, dedication, and stoicism. Thank you for always being fair, compassionate, and responsible. You have created an excellent environment for us to learn and grow. Wrestling is one of the hardest things we will ever do and you have prepared us for life. As we reach the end of our senior season, you have given us the power to be champions on and off the mat. You have fostered unbreakable friendships throughout the team. We couldn’t express our gratitude enough. This sport has been genuinely life changing. Thank you. Love, your seniors, Philip, Josh, Ian, Joe, & Hailey

Dear Coach Knight,

We are beyond grateful for what you have done to keep the Paly golf team running. We appreciate the time you have spent making the team’s season as enjoyable as possible. Thanks for accomplishing everything from scheduling our season, leading practices, and bringing candy to our matches. Most of all, we are thankful for your careful driving in the van and agreeing to take us to In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A after matches even though you prefer eating the Filet-O-Fish meal. You are by far the most serious mini-golfer we know, and our hearts go out to the underclassmen who will have to endure your 1ft-2ft-3ft drill for the 1000th time. Thank you for being a reliable coach and friend; the success of the Paly teams would not have been possible without you. Love, The Golf Team.

Photo courtesy of Hailey Oshita

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Dear Lea,

Thank you so much for all the knowledge you’ve given us throughout the years. As a coach, you have helped us increase our athleticism and taught us some life lessons. We will definitely know how to get around NYC! You have taught us to always stand up for ourselves, work hard, and most importantly, always put our best foot forward. You have also been a fantastic listener and advice giver. We always know that we can count on you when we need help with anything in our lives. Thank you for believeing in our team, and even working with us when times got tough. With your coaching, we have been able to gain a CCS Championship and we cannot wait to kill it at Nationals! We are so lucky to have you as a positive influence in our lives, we love you! Love, Your Cheer Captians.

Dear Bob,

We can’t thank you enough for what you have done for us. To be honest, we had no idea what to expect when Coach Look left, but we were pleasantly surprised with your arrival. Your beaming smile and welcoming nature caused a seamless transition into two seasons we will never forget. You believed in us from the very start, you saw a team in us that we didn’t even see in ourselves. Without your commitment to us and your vision we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near what we achieved. We seniors are forever grateful for the guide you have been in both our water polo and personal careers as well as the impression you have left on our lives.

Thank you Bob! Love, The Paly Boys Water Polo Team.

Dear Coach Davidson,

The seniors and I want to thank you for being such a fantastic coach throughout high school. Everything from your compassionate attitude to your incredible coaching has somehow kept us in this agonizing sport for a whole four years. Your constant emphasis on academics over athletics and empathy for our personal issues has helped us grow as students, athletes, and people. For example, each time we came to practice, your motto: “student first, athlete second” —while cheesy— helped us recognize the importance of balancing our athletic and academic lives. In a way, you helped us truly enjoy running as a team. As we enter college and take these memories with us, we want to thank you because your incredible leadership created a team of runners that we are honored to be a part of. It’s been a pleasure to train with you these past four years. We’re looking forward to tearing up the track one last time :) With Love, The distance team.

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey

By ASHTON CHOW, GRACE GORMLEY and JASON HU • Art by GRACE GORMLEY

Athletes face a mulititude of risks when they’re playing and training. How do they avoid injuries, how do they recuperate, and what are the dangers of ignoring the pain?

Contact is a part of nearly every sport but it always looks a little different. In football, players tackle each other. Water polo players battle for position. Runners have repetitive contact with the ground. Soccer players head the ball. However, across all sports, contact has a similarity: risk. Concussions, torn muscles, and damaged bones or joints are ubiquitous parts of athletics. But how do Paly athletes deal with injuries that come with their sports, be they acute or chronic?

Football is generally the first sport people think of when they imagine contact sports. In football, collisions are an unavoidable and essential part of the sport. There has been controversy about the safety and concussion protocols of football for a long time. But recently, with the shocking cardiac arrest on field of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin in January, more serious questions are being raised about the sport’s safety. How can we keep athletes safe while preserving the nature of football?

Here at Paly, one football player estimates that each player on his team gets concussed once every two seasons, meaning on average the athletes are getting two concussions over the four years in high school.

One concussion on developing brains is bad enough. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, concussions can leave lasting damage like irregularity in mood, insomnia or memory loss.

However, if someone gets more than

one concussion, especially if the brain has not fully recovered, these symptoms can worsen or last for longer. If the two concussions are close enough together in time frame, an athlete can develop Second Impact Syndrome (SIS). According to RevereHealth, (SIS) causes the brain to swell rapidly and press against the skull, which can cause death in a manner of minutes following the concussion. It is a rare injury, but it is fatal around 50% of the time and will almost always lead to permanent brain damage and disability. Shockingly, the people at highest risk for SIS are high school athletes who play high contact sports. Around 95% of people with SIS are under 18.

It is crucial to avoid concussions, and if athletes do get a concussion, it is crucial that they observe proper protocols to ensure their safety. These kinds of acute injuries are generally common in intense contact sports like football.

Isaiah Walker (‘25), a Paly football player, speaks about his experience with the safety protocols and concussions.

“We have to go to the doctor [if we get concussed] and then they give us a paper, basically working on our comeback,” Walker said. “It is tiny steps, starting with ten minutes on a bike, working up to full

practice again. I think [the doctors] are very effective because they are extremely cautious and force us to take our time.” Many people worry about safety in football, but here at Paly, Walker feels that his chances of injury are minimized.

“I think although football is a physical sport, there are ways that it is safe,” Walker said. “Injuries are gonna happen, but with all the new gear and stuff we have for protection, it minimizes injuries a lot.”

Water polo is another sport with a threat of acute injuries from contact. Many water polo players are constantly bashed around and kicked underneath the water, emerging with bruises and scratches.

Some safety procedures for water polo include rules that punish players for excessive violence. This call is called ‘brutality,’ which can occur when a player draws blood via a scratch or punch, indecently exposes another player, or hits another player on purpose. It leads to a player being excluded for the remainder of the game, and in tournaments, the suspension may last longer than just one game.

However, some of the most dangerous injuries in the sport occur above the surface. If a player gets hit in the head with a shot or a pass, concussions can occur.

Mary Henderson (‘24), a goalie on

the

Injuries are gonna happen, but with all the new gear and stuff we have for protection, it minimizes injuries a lot.

- Isaiah Walker ‘25

Paly girls water polo team, speaks to the frequency of concussions for goalies in particular, who sometimes get hit when a shot bounces off the frame of the cage at the wrong angle.

“Almost every goalie that I [have] talked to has … had multiple concussions,” Henderson said.

Water polo is a sport that lacks safety gear; players’ only form of protection is to wear a cap with plastic to protect their ears. Because of this increased risk for goalies, some wear a padded cap during practices.

However, concussions are still frequent, in water polo and sports in general. According to Head Case Company, one in five high school athletes will get concussed in a single season. For further protection against concussions, here at Paly, players check for concussions using the app HitCheck.

Developed by a software company in San Francisco, HitCheck is an app used by the water polo, lacrosse, basketball, and football teams at Paly, among others. The app has a video game design and administers a series of games (that double as tests) to determine whether a player has a concussion. With Hitcheck, the process is as simple as taking a short series of tests which check for memory, balance, reaction time, coordination, and many more. The athlete takes a baseline test before the season, when their brains are healthy. Then, if they get hit on the head, the athlete will take the same tests again.

The app then compares the results with the baseline test to measure whether cognitive function is intact. They are crucial in identifying concussions.

Paly athletic trainer Ms. E. thinks the app is a good way to protect athletes.

“I like Hitcheck because it’s portable, everyone has access to it, and then it hits those things that I want to see,” Ms. E. said.

Although the head is a very sensitive part of the body, in other sports, like soccer or running, the legs are what take the brunt of the activity. As captain of the

girls soccer team, Kiana Feldis (‘24) has had experience with the injuries afflicting both herself and her teammates.

“Torn ACLs happen a lot in soccer,” she said, “Also, ankle injuries happen a lot, and a lot of pulled muscles, like hamstrings and quads.”

According to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, one in 20 female soccer players will tear their ACL each year they play. This devastating injury to the tendon crossing the knee can often warrant surgery and will always require a long period of recovery, which keeps the athlete out of her sport, which can be emotionally devastating. Despite never having a torn ACL, Feldis has faced long recovery periods from a broken ankle.

“When I broke my ankle, I was out for almost three months,” Feldis said. “It’s definitely really, really hard to be watching your team play and not be able to play. I went to every single practice when I was injured and I couldn’t play. Spending time with my teammates … is prob ably the best thing that helped me get through it.”

To prevent injuries, soccer players must focus on cer tain aspects of their play.

“Warming up definitely is re ally important, stretching, do ing strength ening exercis es can help [avoid injury],” Feldis said. “Also don’t go into dangerous tackles. Don’t tackle someone late. Just try and keep your bal ance [to prevent] bad falls.”

Just like in soccer, runners can become injured from protracted impact. Each stride, a runner’s weight is slammed onto the knees and ankles, which, over long periods of time, can lead to injuries like shin splints, which are small tears in muscle tissue in the calves and ankles as a result of overuse, or stress fractures, which are minute breaks in bones. Usu ally these occur in a runner’s feet as a

result of the intense pressure put on those small bones upon impact with the ground.

Any sport with running can have injuries like this, but track and cross country runners are especially at risk of developing these types of injuries.

Cross country runner Brooke Threlkeld (‘23) describes the familiarity of being injured.

“Basically every season, most people have at least one injury for a little bit,” Threlkeld said.

The cross-country team can run as many as ten miles in a single practice, usually running around 36 miles in a week. These large practices create a high possibility of chronic injuries developing, especially if athletes go from not running at all to running long distances.

Because of this, warming up and stretching in cross country are important parts of the routine to stay healthy.

“We do a lot of stretching and a lot of warming up,” Threlkeld said. “We usual

It’s definitely really, really hard to be watching your team play and not be able to play.

- Kiana Feldis ‘24

rapidly kicking into gear, creating unnecessary strain on your heart. It also protects your muscles, by literally warming them up: increasing the temperature and the oxygen flow. It also has been found to help stem the excessive buildup of chemicals which can be associated with pain felt during a workout.

Since it is a high impact sport, it is difficult for runners to continue working through injuries if they do get hurt.

“In running, there’s so much pressure and it’s a lot harder on your bones and joints, so people can’t really run through [injuries],” Threlkeld said.

Because of this, the cross-country coach is vigilant in the maintenance of the athletes’ health.

“Our coach is very good about being like, ‘Hey, if you feel anything, you have to tell me because I’ll work with you to work around it and recover,’” Threlkeld said. “People know that he will listen to them and help them through it.”

The positive culture encouraging recuperation helps the athletes return to form as quickly as possible.

However, not all teams place health above performance. In many teams, it is a mix between athletes not alerting their coaches about injuries and coaches not being adept at identifying injuries. The result of this is athletes playing in games despite being injured in order to not miss out on playtime. This is most commonly practiced in sports like baseball and basketball.

In baseball, stress fractures in the arm are frequent among players. Many players try to forget the sharp pain in their elbows or shoulders in hopes of playing a game. Advil is used to numb players’ pain, but playing on these injuries often leads to exacerbation of injuries, sometimes warranting surgery. Because athletes keep their pain hidden, it is hard for coaches to know that players are injured, and harder still to help them heal.

This practice of discounting pain is commonplace in many sports. Basketball is another sport where athletes often ignore injuries to continue playing.

Paly senior Mert Yanar is one basketball player who knows the consequences of playing through pain.

“In [a recent] tournament, I got injured with a few minutes to go,” Yanar said. “Since it was a tight game, I fought through the pain and finished the game. However, I wasn’t able to play in the tournament championship the next day because of it.”

Although playing on an injury may seem beneficial for playtime in the short term, not only is the tradeoff not worth it, but longterm effects can be devastating. A simple ankle sprain, under appropriate care, can be healed in one to three weeks, but if not properly cared for, the injury can worsen, according to Paly’s athletic trainer, Ms. E.

“Someone who doesn’t let [their ankle] fully heal just loosens the ligaments to where they would have to surgically get it tightened,” Ms. E. said.

Prolonged use of a sprained ankle puts athletes at risk of developing chronic ankle pain and arthritis. Severe injuries like chronic pain and arthritis could take three to six months to heal.

“A small injury could progress to something worse because you start to develop an instability,” Ms. E. said.

According to the National Library of Medicine, ankle sprains account for 13.2% of all injuries in the NBA. However, ankle sprains are only 8.8% of the reasons players miss games, meaning players play on their injured ankles and risk worse injuries.

This pressure to play doesn’t only exist at the professional level, in the NBA. Yanar feels it in high school basketball games as well.

“There’s definitely some pressure [to keep playing] with minor injuries from coaches and teammates,” he said. “For example, I sprained my finger in the first quarter of our Saratoga game, but I knew I couldn’t sit out because of a finger injury, so I just taped it up and kept going.”

But it’s not just basketball and baseball. Water polo players frequently play

through injuries as well.

A common injury for goalies is jammed fingers, which can lead to developing stress fractures as a result of blocking hard shots. However, for this specific injury, most doctors will say that goalies can continue playing with the broken finger because stress fractures in fingers generally don’t get worse after they have been formed.

Henderson, who plays water polo, has been playing with a fracture in her finger for many games and practices ever since she was injured in January.

“I had to keep playing, which was more difficult,” Henderson said. “There’s a lot of pressure to continue to play on the injury because when you take a break, it definitely feels like you’re [falling] behind.”

Many goalies play with this kind of injury, as well as others.

“Almost every goalie that I talked to has broken at least one finger, if not more,” Henderson said. “The same thing with concussions; they’ve often had multiple concussions.”

To avoid these actions and promote safe play, awareness should be spread about the dangers of ignoring injuries. This could help build a culture where safety is placed above performance, the result of which will be healthier athletes and a stronger team.

Athletes should also take time to recuperate from their injuries. Many athletes use tactics outside of practice and games to prevent injury and help injured joints recover.

“I spend a lot of my time stretching my shoulders and stretching my hips to try to prevent injury,” Henderson said.

Overall, athletes across all sports can face chronic injuries that can inhibit performance. It can be heartbreaking to take a break from one’s favorite sport, but it’s not worth it to risk exacerbating an injury and facing a longer recovery period just to play. As soccer player Feldis said, “40 minutes [of playtime] isn’t worth 40 days,” meaning, though it can feel awful to sit out of a 40 minute half to stretch and prevent injury, it’s better than forcing a longer recovery. In athletics, it is absolutely crucial to care for your body to be able to continue playing, so remember to take a break if you need it.

There’s definitely some pressure [to keep playing] with minor injuries.

- Mert Yanar ‘23

People know that [the cross country coach] will listen to them and help them through it.

- Brooke Threlkeld ‘23

Tips from Paly students and staff on how to avoid injury and recuperate well

“A small injury could progress something worse because you start to develop an instability [if you don’t rest].”

“The combination of doing dynamic stretching really helps to muscles prepared to work out.”

- Brooke Threlkeld ‘23

“Doing strengthening exercises help [avoid injury]. Also, don’t go into dangerous tackles

- Kiana Feldis ‘24

- Paly Trainer Justine Iongi

ING TO WIN ING TO WIN

In order to gain a competitive advantage over opponents, some wrestlers choose to cut weight. This practice raises questions of how to balance competing at the best of your ability and staying healthy, both physically and mentally.

by CLAIRE CHO, GRACE LI, SIRISHA MITRA, and BEAU REVENAUGH photos courtesy of CELESTE BATES and KEVIN NEELD art by CLAIRE CHO and GRACE LI

Athletes are familiar with doing anything it takes to get better at their sport. Early morning practices, difficult workouts, and long hours are devoted to improvement by athletes across all sports.

However, for many people, their quest for athletic success is not constrained to just training hours. Athletes stretch and do physical therapy to keep their mus cles in prime shape. They watch films about their sport to learn new strategies. And for some, everything they eat be comes a part of their athletic regimen as well.

Many athletes watch their diets, mak ing sure to eat healthily and consume enough protein to build strength and en durance for their season. But for athletes who row, box, or wrestle, body weight di rectly affects the entire system of play, so diet makes an even bigger impact than in other sports.

The notion of dieting in these sports means more than simply what or how much you ingest. Dieting in this con text can often involve “cutting weight” in either the short-term or long-term, in preparation for a match or race.

The cutting for wrestling can resemble that of the cutting in the weightlifting and bodybuilding industry: the focus is on losing fat and preserving muscle. Arpan Das, a sports medicine doctor, elaborates on this.

“Cutting weight for weight class re quirement sports such as wrestling, boxing, and bodybuilding is the pro cess of significantly reducing your cal orie intake while increasing your calorie output in order to create a calorie defi cit,” Das said. “When done successfully, this will result in a gradual, consistent loss of fat mass while muscle mass stays intact.”

However, cutting weight can be a con troversial, sensitive subject because of its potentially harmful side effects ––both physical and mental.

“It’s tiring,” an anonymous wrestler said. “You’re thirsty, you’re hungry but you can’t eat.”

In society today, it has become in creasingly desirable to seek ways to lose weight, whether due to health reasons, societal pressure, or personal drive. When an individual wants to lose weight, they tend to focus on long-term, sustainable loss. This means keeping a slight caloric deficit of 200-500 calo ries; but no more than 10% of one’s typ ical calorie intake, for several months or even a couple of years (depending on

the total weight they want to lose).

The notion of cutting weight in the bodybuilding industry generally is more short-term than the average person. For example, athletes will “bulk” (eat in caloric excess) and prioritize weight lifting to gain muscle. Then, around two to four months before a bodybuilding competition, these athletes will increase cardio

look a little different than both of these methods: it can mean “making weight.” This notion is more short-term than the previous methods. Cutting means dropping a lot of weight (especially weight taken in by drinking fluids, called water weight) in the days or even hours before the “weigh-in” of a competition in order to be placed in a lower weight class, thus

The wrestling team has had a very successful season overall. For example, so far, wrestler Tasman Johnson (‘25) has had a varsity record of wins and seven losses.

Tasman Johnson

maintain a normal body weight slightly above or the same as their competition weight.

In boys wrestling, there are currently 14 weight classes approved by the CIF: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220, and 285 pounds. These numbers were determined in 1999 by analyzing data in order to have approximately 7% of wrestlers in each weight class. Players are weighed and placed into different weight classes before each meet so each athlete is competing with someone comparable to their own weight, promoting fairness and safety in the sport.

With this rule in place, wrestlers must compete at the weight they weigh in on the day of the meet. Thus, it is desired to be as close as possible to the competition weight cutoff, but not over. If you are over the designated weight class, you cannot compete in that class. You would then be forced to compete in the next highest weight class. This would almost certainly mean a loss in the match because of the weight deficit of the athlete at the high end of the spectrum versus the athlete at the lower end, so oftentimes those who do not make the weight class choose not to compete instead. Furthermore, because the varsity team can only have one athlete per class, not making weight can lead to the loss of a varsity spot.

“If you weigh in at a meet and you’re not light enough, then you don’t wrestle,” an anonymous wrestler said. “Or, if you are weighing in and barely over the weight –– like 0.1 pound –– then you go run sprints for the next five minutes

[to sweat it off] and then weigh in again.”

Like this athlete mentioned, people can take various measures to ensure that they weigh the highest for their weight class, but not over, in order to gain the largest competitive advantage over the opponent.

In recent years, the strategy of weight-cutting has become more prevalent for many wrestlers. Due to this, tools have been created to aid the assessment of weight for a specific athlete, namely, the weight certification process. This is an attempt to mitigate the extreme forms of unhealthy weight loss behavior. Jonathan Kessler, who has coached wrestling for 17 years, the last eight of them at Paly, has seen the implementation of these tools firsthand.

“Prior to the 2000s, wrestling didn’t have a weight certification process,” Kessler said. “Since then, the weight certification process determines how much a wres tler can drop within a 3 to 4-month season.”

Weight certification is used at the beginning of the season to

measure wrestlers at their natural weight and to determine a healthy goal weight for them to strive for during the season. Kessler expands on the process itself which is much more intricate.

“The wrestlers get weighed in and their height is measured,” Kessler said “Then they use a wand to test body fat in the stomach, scapula, and triceps. From there, their info goes into a formula to see the lightest weight they are allowed to wrestle.”

This process is important because it helps wrestlers and their coaches decide what weight class will best fit their current body composition. The weight certification test calculates the healthy weight fluctuation of a wrestler based on height, weight, and body fat percentage.

Before its implementation in the 2000s, harmful forms of extreme weight cutting such as drastic dehydration and starvation were used in wrestling, often resulting in health issues. This test helps prevent dangerous forms of cutting to make the sport safer

Hailey

Oshita

“[C ut ting weig ht] is tiring. You're thirst y, you're hungr y but you can't eat.”

- Anonymous wrestler

for these athletes.

Despite the existence of this process, athletes still desire to have the highest weight below their competition weight. This leads to the manipulation of their weight leading up to the competition. It can be done in different ways, some focused on more long-term fat loss (similar to the cutting in the bodybuilding industry) and others focused on more short-term water-weight and foodweight loss (more particular to wrestling and other combat sports).

The first method focuses on longer-term fat loss. In order to lose fat, athletes, like bodybuilders who cut before shows, will live in a caloric deficit for a few weeks leading up to the competition in order to minimize body fat levels. While being in a caloric deficit, athletes will maintain mus cle if done properly, but extreme caloric deficits can also lead to muscle loss. A primary goal for this type of longer-term weight loss is to lose body fat, helping them maximize their own strength level for their specific weight class.

The second method is more short-term and particular to combat sports. It fo cuses specifically on water weight loss. This can be done by burning through glycogen stores in your body. One can do this by exercising on an empty stom ach for approximately 80 minutes. Gly cogen is made by connecting glucose (sugar) molecules together. When the body has extra glucose, those chains are stored in the liver, so when the body needs a quick boost of energy, glycogen is broken down into simple glucose and released into the bloodstream as fuel for the cells. When working out on an empty stomach, the body burns through glyco gen stores quickly. This forces

your body to then turn to burning fats. This process can help one drop weight at rapid levels. Losing water weight and particular food weight can also be done by weighing the physical food and sweating off the water. Heat and exercise both help you release water by sweating, therefore wrestlers cutting attempt to sweat as much as they can, attempting to lose the physical presence of food and water as opposed to actually losing muscle and fat.

anonymous player said. “It wasn’t calories or anything, it was the physical weight. I had a kitchen scale and, for example, would weigh an apple. I would then take a bite and weigh the apple to see how much I ate and then calculate it and take another bite. Take another bite, see what it was.”

Paly graduate and wrestler Dara Heydarpour explains the ways he combines both methods (long-term fat loss and cutting water weight) in the healthiest, most effective way as a current wrestler at Rochester Institute of Technology.

“The most efficient way [to cut] is to be in a calorie deficit until [you are] as skinny as healthily possible and then hydrate a bunch two days before,” Heydarpour said. “Then work out until all the water is out of your system.”

For any method of cutting, athletes must focus on executing it in a healthy way to ensure their physical and mental well-being. This, according to the aforementioned sports medicine doctor, Das, means making it clear what is realistic and healthy as well as what is extreme and unnecessary.

In terms of the long-term

Christian Saleh

“T he healthiest approach is to eat cleanly and workout multiple times a day.”

- Dara Heydarpour (‘20)

dropping weight in a slow and sustainable manner and focusing on preserving muscle while doing so.

“Ideally, athletes should avoid trying to lose more than 1kg (or 2.2lbs) a week, in which case they are likely losing significant muscle mass too and affecting athletic performance,” Das said.

In terms of short-term weight loss, specifically water weight loss, this means not taking extreme measures that detrimentally impact health.

“Short-term extreme tactics such as extreme water manipulation (using saunas, diuretics or salt cutting to eliminate body water, laxatives to cause nutritional malabsorption or medication to increase metabolic rates such as thyroxine, catabolic agents and steroids) absolutely need to be avoided as they come with significant health risks for an athlete, especially increasing risk of heart attacks, kidney and liver failure,” Das said.

Dr. Stacey Kofman, the sports medicine teacher here at Paly, agrees with Das, noting that these extreme short-term mea-

also be more severe side effects that negatively impact the athlete later in life.

“[There can be] changes to the thyroid, making it harder to properly lose weight due to the cycling of adding and needing to take off weight,” Kofman said.

Furthermore, there are metabolic changes and chances of developing eating disorders, potential cardiac compromise, and long-lasting injuries. These compromising physical effects are enlarged by possible fogto weight cutting and lack of food and

However, as aforementioned, these effects can be avoided if wrestlers approach weight cutting in a more realistic, sustainable, healthy way. It is important that wrestlers work closely with their coaches and teams when cutting and making weight to ensure that it is done in a safe and sustainable manner.

Kessler agrees, making an emphasis on the prioritization of

“Of course we don’t force anyone to go down [in weight classes], “Kessler said. “Once the results [of the weight test] come in, wrestlers are typically allowed to lose [up to a pound every 3 days]. This is so wrestlers lose weight gradually and not all at once. Wrestlers are not allowed to compete lower than the weight that was original-

The athletes feel the same way, noting that focusing too much emotional

and intellectual energy on cutting takes away from the sport. As the athletes agree, the simplest approach of maintaining a healthy diet with balanced macronutrients, is the best, as it tones the body but maintains a healthy metabolism.

“The healthiest approach is to eat cleanly and workout multiple times a day,” Heydarpour said.

Heydarpour notes that aggressive cutting is not encouraged in the sport and that most wrestlers instead take the more sustainable approach –– of healthy, clean eating –– in order to make their weight rather than excessive cutting. While cutting can provide an advantage in performance, minimal weight loss to make weight can be much healthier for athletes in the long term.

While wrestling does require high amounts of skill and technique, this strength advantage can make a difference in the outcome of a match. Even so, the effects of cutting weight can differentiate from person to person.

This approach is seen here at Paly, where the wrestling team has been one of the most decorated teams at Paly, producing numerous national winners. Since they are a team full of dedicated and hard-working athletes, many do everything they can to advance that competitive advantage, including monitoring their eating. However, not everyone chooses to cut weight.

“Almost every coach will let you decide what weight you want to go,” Heydarpour said. “If a person decides to drop a bunch of weight the wrong way and develops a side effect, that’s not the coach’s fault. If someone cuts weight the right way every time none of the long-term effects would take place.”

The stereotype that surrounds wrestlers cutting extremely can bring a negative connotation around participating in

Jessie

Slafsky

“Some wrestlers are bet ter of f not dropping weight classes so they feel more energized.”

- Coach Kessler

the sport. But in reality, most wrestlers at Paly solely attempt to make weight rather than the drastic weight loss processes that many people believe are commonplace.

“It’s not like the majority of kids who wrestle cut weight dramatically, and that needs to be clarified,” said the anonymous wrestler.

Kessler agrees that not all wrestlers cut in aggressive, harmful ways, adding in-

stead that each athlete does better with a different strategic weight plan that keeps them at a healthy, optimal weight.

“Some wrestlers are better off not dropping weight classes so they feel more energized,” Kessler said. “Some wrestlers can wrestle on an empty stomach and be fine.”

Overall, weight is a big factor in wrestling. And while some athletes take this to a harmful extreme form of cutting,

here at Paly, sustainable healthy methods are encouraged.

In the end, athletes need to remember that nutrition and weight are only one aspect of athletics and that showing up to practice and putting in consistent work day after day will often make more of a difference than the three bites of apple two weeks before the next big match. One match won’t affect your future. Preserving your health and safety will.

WEIGH T CE RTIFICATION WEIGH T CE RTIFICATION

• weig ht

•

heig ht • body fat %

BodyMetrixWR

The BodyMetrixWR is a commonly used ul trasound system for wrestlers. The device calculates the amount of fat a wrestler has to determine their body fat percentage. This number, along with their height and weight, factors into a formula to calculate the minimum wrestling weight a wrestler is allowed to compete at. The device measures body fat at the triceps, abdomen and subscapula (muscle in the shoulder). Wrestlers undergo this weight certification at the start of the season to ensure safe weight cut ting throughout the rest of the season.

*Although used on other teams, Paly does not use this tool as it is not the most accurate form to measure body fat percentage

YOU HAD TO YOU HAD TO

THE GREATEST SPORTS MOMENTS

US V. JAPAN - 2015 US V. JAPAN - 2015

as told by Samantha Lee (‘23).

THE EVENT: 2015 Women’s World Cup Final between the US and Japan

FAVORITE MOMENT: Carli Lloyd’s celebration after her hat trick

“It was really cool to be so close to the field and the fans were so into it, which was great,” Lee said. “When Carli Lloyd slid on her knee after her third goal, I was like wow. And this was back when I still played soccer so I was inspired.”

SEAHAWKS V. 49ERS - 2023

SEAHAWKS V. 49ERS - 2023

as told by Jake Wang (‘26)

THE EVENT: San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Wild Card game

FAVORITE MOMENT: Every part of the game

“Going to the Niner’s game is always so much fun,” Wang said. “There’s something about supporting your town’s team that makes it so much more cool.”

GIANTS V. DODGERS - 2016

GIANTS V. DODGERS - 2016

as told by Charlie Bates (‘24)

THE EVENT: 2016 San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers during the regular MLB season

FAVORITE MOMENT: Brandon Crawford hits a walk-o home run

“As a baseball player, it is something that I’ll definitely remember forever,” Bates said. “The feeling in the arena was electric and that’s why I feel like it was one of my favorite moments I’ve witnessed.”

Photo courtesy of Jake Wang

Photo courtesy of Samantha Lee

Photo courtesy of Charlie Bates

TO BE THERE TO BE THERE

WITNESSED BY PALY STUDENTS

by Caleb Wong and Katie Yen

STANFORD V. CAL - 2022

STANFORD V. CAL - 2022

by Ishaan Batra (‘23)

THE EVENT: Stanford Football vs Cal Football in 2022

FAVORITE MOMENT: Cal storming back and taking the lead in the fourth quarter

“I remember the electric atmosphere and I could feel the rivalry between the two teams as it was di erent from any college football game I’ve attended,” Batra said. “Cal scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone to with the game was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen.”

WARRIORS V. NUGGETS - 2022

WARRIORS V. NUGGETS - 2022

as told by Shreyas Shashi (‘25)

THE EVENT: Game one of the 2022 NBA Playo s between the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets

FAVORITE MOMENT: Steph Curry checks in the game and the whole crowd erupts in the arena

“I remember entering the plaza at Chase and it was amazing,” Shashi said. “Full of unique people coming from di erent places, all coming together to support one team. The stadium itself was electric, like nothing I had experienced before.”

CHELSEA V. CRYSTAL PALACE - 2015

CHELSEA V. CRYSTAL PALACE - 2015

as told by Charlie Merkel (‘23)

THE EVENT: Chelsea vs Crystal Palace during the 2014-15 Premier League season

FAVORITE MOMENT: Eden Hazard scores the game winning goal o his missed penalty

“I remember the die-hard spirit of the stadium and the thunderous chants after the game winning goal was scored,” Merkel said. ”After a penalty kick was given up, Eden Hazard scored o the rebound and put the Blues ahead to clinch the 2015 Premier League Title.”

Photo courtesy of Charlie Merkel

Photo courtesy of John Martinez Pavliga

as told

Photo courtesy of Shreyas Shashi

3 POINTCONTEST

VIKING TRIES 3 POINTCONTEST

design

by OWEN BITTINGER, TYLER HARRISON, and CAROLINE MOSTOFIZADEH text by TYLER HARRISON and CAROLINE MOSTOFIZADEH

photos by GRACE GORMLEY

Four Members of Viking Magazine attempt a classic NBA tradition

The Three-Point National Basketball Association (NBA) contest occurs every year on the day before the annual All-Star game. This competition has been a tradition during All-Star Weekend since 1986.

When the NBA’s season reaches its midway point, the league stops all the games for the all-star break, where players participate in a variety of competitions, such as the all-star game and three-point contest.

The contest has recently been dominated by the Golden State Warriors’ revered back court known as the Splash Brothers, a group consisting of Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson.

The four-time NBA champs have won a combined three of the last eight contests, the most by any single team in that

Here at Palo Alto High School, five members of the Viking Magazine staff put their skills to the test and participated in a variation of this NBA tradition. Participants were select-

ed based on their desire to exhibit their basketball shooting skills, rather than pure shooting ability.

After a few minutes of warm-up time, where the athletes were able to practice their shooting form, senior Oliver Marbrug stepped up to the line to start the competition. Each participant was given 20 seconds to shoot five basketballs from five different spots around the three-point line: The right corner, right wing, middle, left wing, and left corner.

Marburg started the competition off hot, making his first three-point attempt. Despite the strong start, Marburg struggled to keep a consistent form, following his first shot with an air-ball.

“The challenge was tough time wise because of the 20 seconds. I was focusing more on grabbing the ball and less

on my form which was tough to deal with,” Marburg said.

Although Marburg had a tough time balancing the time limit and maintaining his form, he kept a good mentality and came out on top with a total of eight three points made, making him the winner.

“It felt good to be out there competing and it feels even better to come out on top,” Marburg said. “Coming in I knew I was up against some good competition and I think if I got a second chance I would do better, but I still came up on top which is all that matters.”

After Marburg finished his attempt, junior Beau Revenaugh stepped up to the rack to begin. Revenaugh struggled from the corner, air balling his first shot and going one-fifth from the corner overall.

As the competition continued Revenaugh struggled to get the ball to fall into the basket, but never showed a lack of confidence, as he returned to go on

“It felt good to be out there competing and it feels even better to come out on top”

- Oliver Marburg (‘23)

BEAUBEAUREVENAUGH REVENAUGH

CAMERONTOLAND CAMERONTOLAND

OLIVERMARBURG OLIVERMARBURG

SIRISHAMITRA SIRISHAMITRA

25% 12% 32% 4%

with the competition with his head raised high. Revenaugh showed he had the skills to be a tough competition against the first participant, Marburg, but his form was just not quite good enough.

“I feel like I underperformed. I used to be really good in middle school, and I haven’t played since then,” Revenaugh said.

Although Revenaugh was rusty, he manged to make multiple threes from the corner position.

“The challenge is way harder than people think and you have to practice a lot to be good at it,” Revenaugh said.

Senior Cameron Toland, the third participant, struggled to find enough power to get the ball fully to the rim. However, Toland did not give up, and even while wearing UGG slippers on the court, she managed to make several threes from the left and right wing.

“I think my shoes created a significant

disadvantage for me,” Toland said. Toland showed great enthusiasm throughout the competition, even though she was not performing to her best abilities.

“I have played [basketball] in the past and I wasn’t very good then, so I’m not shocked I didn’t do too well, but I’m satisfied with getting third place,” Toland said.

Toland finished the competition with a total of three 3-pointers made, making her fall behind Marburg and Revenaugh.

“I definitely thought it was harder than I expected and it makes me impressed by those NBA players that make it look so easy on TV,” Toland said.

Our last participant, Sirisha Mitra, came into the competition with a positive mindset, which helped create a fun and exciting atmosphere. However, a good mentality was not enough to get her the win. Mitra struggled to find enough

strength to get the ball toward to the rim, only making one three-point shot out of 25. Despite her struggles, Mitra did not give up.

“I felt that [the contest] wasn’t the best representation of my abilities,” Mitra said. “When we were practicing was making those buckets, but when it came down to the real competition, I felt the nerves get to me and I didn’t end up performing as well as I wished.”

Members of Viking put on their best performance to face off in a competition that professional basketball players have been doing for countless years. Regardless of their skill level, they went head to head and had to work through all the struggles that NBA players face, such as performance anxiety while shooting in front of a crowd, and maintaining a positive mindset.

Five Steps to Make Your OWN 3-point Competition

1. Arrange FIVE basketballs on a rack

2. Set a timer for 20 seconds

3. Shoot (and make) as MANY balls as you can from each of the five positions marked in red below

4.

5. Reset the timer, collect the balls, and set up in the next position Compare your score to that of your friends

Cross Town Rivalries: How far is too far?

Cross Town Rivalries: How far is too far?

text by JJ STOEN and design by YASMIN FRIEDRICHOWITZ

In the world of sports, rivalries emerge for various reasons. For example, our Paly-Gunn rivalry started due to the two being competitive public high schools in the same city. Our Paly-Los Gatos rivalry emerged due to decades of athletic dominance and fierce competition between the two schools. These types of rivalries also exist in professional sports, such as the NFL’s Eagles-Cowboys rivalry.

Rivalry games are truly electric. In the days, weeks, or even months leading up to these games, anticipation builds as fans and players from both sides know that they are to experience some of the most intense competition they will ever encounter. This results in massive profits for sports organizations, as everyone wants to see two opposing juggernauts battle it out. Stadiums sell out, nosebleeds fill up, and ticket prices skyrocket all thanks to the presence of rivalries. It is no doubt that rivalries raise the stakes and the drama within the sports world and make the game more entertaining overall.

However, oftentimes rivalries are taken too far. Vigorous team spirit causes fans to riot, fight in the stands, and disrupt play. A quite extreme situation in which a fan took it too far took place after the 2022 NFC championship between the Los Angeles Rams and our San Francisco 49ers, in which a Niners fan was struck by a Rams fan in the face and was sent into a coma. While it can be frustrating to see your team lose, sportsmanship is always the number one concern in sports. What makes this story even more disturbing is that the Rams had actually come out on top during the contest –– there was no reason for that fan to be angry. Always respect your opponent, whether you win

or lose.

This is the main problem with rivalries, and it’s a big one. Publicly, sports organizations frown upon this sort of violence. However, like the phrase “any publicity is good publicity,” says, violence between rivalries puts even more stake into said rivalry. After scuffles between fans or players, the next game between the two teams will be even higher-stakes because both teams will feel as though they have even more to prove. We saw this in the Grizzlies-Warriors series of last year’s NBA playoffs. The young Grizzlies team talked a lot of trash and played extremely dirty throughout the series, which caused the Warriors to play with extra heart and energy for the whole series. A rivalry was born that day. This season, every game between the two has been nationally televised, as the rivalry has brought so much attention to the two teams, and in turn, the entire NBA. Sports organizations are profiting off of bad sportsmanship and although they may overly denounce it, covertly, they fan the flames.

But let’s bring it back home, back to a local level. Five months ago, the PalyGunn football game ended in an absolute blowout, Paly came out on top by 41 points. Due to our historical rivalry, a large portion of our Paly student section decided to go across to the Gunn section to rub it in their faces. This sparked concern to staff overseeing the game, and the referees called off the play with minutes still left on the clock. Players were frustrated at the premature end and viewers were mad they didn’t get to see the entire competition pan out.

Fans should never cause such a dis turbance that a game would have to be called off. It doesn’t matter if you want to crush your rivals, sportsmanship comes first because it decides reputation. I have had people from other schools come up to me asking “why did you raid their stands?” or to tell me “you guys have such terrible sportsmanship” even though I wasn’t even at the game. Our actions have consequences. A rivalry game isn’t an excuse to be arrogant, and it’s unfair to the players from both teams as well as the well-behaved fans who didn’t participate in these actions.

But how can rivalries become less violent? For players, put your head down and play your game. If you’re frustrated, take it out by playing harder. If you lose a game, there’s always the next one. If you lose in the playoffs, get back on the line or out on the field, and get to work. There’s always next season and there’s always something to look forward to. For organizations, do more to protect your integrity. For fans, it’s never that serious. You’ll probably win a championship at least once, so take a chill pill, sit tight, and wait your turn. Unless you’re a Cleveland Browns fan.

Photo by Caleb Wong

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL

50 EMBARCADERO ROAD

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA 94301