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The balance between mental and physical health is a prominent struggle that countless athletes face. Our cover story “Healthy Body Healthy Mind” (pg 18) discusses the importance of finding balance, and profiles athletes at Paly about their experiences. (Art by Greg Laursen)
LINEUP Zooms
4
Intro Package
12
Dancing with the Stars
15
Healthy Body Healthy Mind
18
Iconic Celebrations
24
EduCOACHers
26
Vax to the Max
29
Viking Top Tier Gear
32
Toxic Coaches
34
Ski Tahoe California
36
Viking Tries: Homerun Derby
42
Social Media Athletes
44
Final Word: Super Bowl Swindle
47
Senior Katherine Thomsen evades a defender during the girls soccer game against Los Gatos. The team defeated Gatos 5-1, and currently are placed fourth in league. (Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey)
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R RA AC CE E
TTO O TTH HE E
F FIIN NIIS SH H
The track and field team is full of hard working individual in preparation for s. They train diligen the upcoming seas tly at each practice on and are looking fo Periyannan (‘23), To rward to a successf rii Kaleba (‘24), Jane ul year. Arati Butler (‘25), and Ev Photo by Grace Li ie Kramer (‘23) prac tice sprinting.
PP
W O T N I
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WIN
The w man restling y Jaur section team h a egu i (‘22 titles ov s been by C de ) er aleb Won pins do the yea corated w g rs n an w opp . Senior ith one nt. P Ella hoto
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COORDINATED
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CHOREO
The dance team has been thriving during their season. In a recent competiti o n, they placed third in Xsmall and Cha racter. From left to right : Rachel Ho (‘24) , Bella Daly (‘23), Marily n Yin (‘22), and V ic toria Senderzon (‘23). Photo by Grace Li
@vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 9
Viking
Volume XV, Issue 3 February 2022
Editors-in-Chief Hailey Callan, David Gormley Greg Laursen, Madhu Ramkumar
Meet our Staff!
Online Editor in Chief Anika Chang Creative Director Sofia Leva
Multimedia Director Zach Hayward, Jake Foster Social Media Manager Hailey Beck, Emily Neumann Business Manager Parker Bates Photo Editor Grace Li Head Columnist Roei Ziv, Henry Bolte Staff Writers Caleb Wong, Cameron Toland Caroline Mostofizadeh, Elizabeth Fetter Harrison Williams, Ivan Ijzerman Jackson Martin, JJ Stoen Josh Donaker, Oliver Marburg Owen Bittinger, Sebastian Chancellor Sophia Cummings, Josh Butler, Hillary Studdert, Yasmin Friedrichowitz, Trey Collins, Josie Vogel, Grace Gormley, Katie Yen
Viking Magazine Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 Email contact: vikingeds@gmail.com Follow us @vikingsportsmag or go to vikingsportsmag.com for current game updates/scores. Viking, a sports magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Advanced Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Viking is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Advertising in Viking The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with The Viking, please contact the The Viking by email at vikingeds@gmail.com Printing Services 2,500 copies of The Viking are printed, six times a year (barring restrictions due to remote learning) by Folger Graphics in Hayward, Calif. Logo Font Courtesy of Måns Grebäck
Letter From the EDITORS Hey Vikes! Buckle in, because we’ve got the first issue of Viking in 2022, and it’s full of exciting new stories. But first, we wanted to congratulate all of you on completing your first semester back in person. We hope that you enjoy all that Viking has to offer this year. Success in sports is a result of perfecting the balancing act between school, sports, physical health, and mental health. Our feature story, “Healthy Body, Healthy Mind,” (pg 18) talks about the countless mental health struggles many athletes face, and describes the importance of finding a balance between sports and daily life. Have you ever seen the dance team perform during halftime at a football or basketball game? Or maybe you’ve seen them perform at one of their competitions. Either way, the dance team
is an integral part of the Paly community, not only supporting our various athletic teams, but consistently placing high in their own competitions. If you want to learn more about the team, check out “Dancing with the Stars” (pg 15). With the winter Olympics in full swing, and ski season at its peak, we wanted to give you a little insight into some of the snow athletes at Paly, as well as California’s best ski locations. If you’re planning on making a trip to Tahoe, be sure to check out the “Ski Tahoe California” (pg 36). This semester, Viking launched its new and reinvented podcast, “Vikes on Mics!” Our multimedia managers Zach Hayward and Jake Foster spend episodes interviewing Paly athletes, and debating hot topics in the world of sports. Be sure to check it out on Spotify! Well, thats about it Vikes! We hope you enjoy the issue..and sko vikes!
Hailey Callan
David Gormley
Greg Laursen
Madhu Ramkumar
Staff View:
Olympics Controversy A child acts up at school, and their parents reward them when they get back home with ice cream and pizza. If you think that sounds weird, you’re right. It doesn’t make sense. If this situation makes no sense to the rational person, then why do the world’s worst human rights violators get rewarded for the atrocities they commit? It’s not just one that gets to host an Olympics or a FIFA World Cup. It has become a trend in the past few decades to provide countries such as China, Russia, and Qatar with the opportunity to host these events. The most recent case of this is the 2022 Winter Olympics, which is currently being held in Beijing. In recent years, it has come to light that the Chinese government has been imprisoning Uighurs, an ethnic Muslim group of people from the Xinjiang. The camps they have been holding the Uighurs in have even been categorized as “concentration camps” by foreign policy experts. In light of this news, and the fact that the Winter Olympic games are in
Beijing, the United States government decided to place a diplomatic embargo on the games, meaning that American athletes would be allowed to compete but they will not send any diplomatic representatives, which is a tradition. It is understandable that the United States government wants to make sure that the athletes themselves are not the ones that are being punished, but at the same time, it is important that they take a stand against what is happening in China to the Uighur population, specifically in the Xinjiang province. The issue is not what specific governments did or did not decide to do, rather that these countries are allowed to host such an amazing competition for sports. Politics and sports are undoubtedly connected, so the argument that they should stay separate simply isn’t realistic. With Qatar, which has seen thousands of migrant workers die while building infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup in 2021, getting to host the most coveted
soccer competition in the world, and Russia, which silences and imprisons anybody who dares speak against the government, doing the same in 2018, there seems to be a bigger problem than just the 2021 Olympic games. Normalizing rewarding human rights violators with the platform to distract the world from their actions is not only wrong, but dangerous. A lackluster response in the sports world to human rights violations sets a dangerous precedent, one that signals a lack of caring. Sports should bring people together, but by holding major competitions in countries that have a poor record on human rights, it is bound to only tear people apart.
Viking @vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 11
Girls Varsity Soccer
by SOPHIA CUMMINGS
Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey
WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO... We sent the girls varsity soccer team a survey of superlatives... here’s what we got
X
O
X
Forget their gear
Get fouled
PAYTON ANDERSON
ELLA HWANG
O Become a coach BRIGHID BAKER
VIENNA LIU
RACHEL NORTH
O
NATALIE CHEUH
X
ISABELLA JONES
CASSIE TALENO-DEE
Argue with the referee
X
Become a soccer mom
MARIANA KESSINGER
O Be late OLIVIA MILNE
SOPHIA CUMMINGS
Go pro KAT THOMPSEN 12 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com
Sleep through morning practice
Get a card
Be the most spirited Trip on themselves
X
Get injured
X
PreGame Rituals With Dominic Defeo and Thea Enache by SOPHIA CUMMINGS
PB & J
El Animal by Gente De Zona
Food
Song
Always ties left cleat first
Superstition
“Replicating the same thing before every game allows me to get my head right and play my best.”
Dominic DeFeo ‘22 Baseball and Football Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey
Avocado Toast & Fruit
Player Anthem by Pure Luxury
Food
Song
Special socks for games only
Superstition
"I have a specific playlist I listen to. If I don't, it usually results in poor performance and mental game."
Thea Enache ‘22 Volleyball and Basketball Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey @vikingsportsmag @vikingsportsmag || FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 2022 2022 || 13 13
Viking comic strip
art by MAX BARTHELEMY
Winter sports word search Word BaNK: Ski Snowboard Hockey Soccer Basketball Wrestling Winter Skating Viking
Olympics Black diamond Moguls Apres ski Alpine Palisades Sugar bowl Lake Tahoe Three pointer
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the dance team, One of Paly’s most decorated programs, IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE Paly ATHLETIC COMMUNITY. Take a LOOK INTO THEIR JOURNEY THUS FAR — FROM STARTING OUT AS A SCHOOL CLUB, TO BEcoming A STATE-WIDE RECOGNIZED TEAM.
DANCING STARS
WITH THE
Photo of Theresa Hart courtesy of Karen Hickey
by GRACE LI, OLIVER MARBURG, and JJ STOEN @vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 15
T
he crowd roars as the dance team takes the field. Energetic, they start dancing to their wellchoreographed routines before halftime. It’s hard not to get excited with the hype that the dance team delivers. There are few sports like dance, that require mental toughness, intense coordination, and strength. Watching them work together as a unit shows the great training and time they have put into the sport they love. Dance is truly unique in its execution and events. Throughout the past decade, Paly dance has been a staple program in Paly’s deep athletic history. The team started when a group of dancers proposed to Coach Hilary McDaniel, who was the coach only for varsity cheer at the time, that Paly should have a dance team. The current coach, Alanna Williamson, started coaching for the team in 2015 as the assistant coach to Hilary McDaniel. Leading up to when Williamson took over as head coach in 2018, the team transitioned to a more intense training
regime where they moved from practicing only twice a week to four to five days a week in addition to with competitions and routines. “The transition to establishing our team as a professional, competitive and rigorous team took some time, but the dancers now are extremely talented, hard-working and dedicated,” Williamson said. The team is yearround and trains on a grueling schedule of 1015 hours a week. Auditions open in May or April and the season starts by hosting dance camps and attending the USA Dance Camp during the summer. Right before the school semester starts, they begin their in-season practices. As a year-round sport, the team does different activities for each season. During the fall season, the team captains choreograph, practice, and perform a new routine for each home football game. These unique routines not only rile up the audience but also cultivate Paly pride. “For games, it’s typically the captains... and officers help out sometimes...
From left to right: Marilyn Yin, Riley Herron, Anna Hagan, Victoria Senderzon, and Theresa Hart. Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey.
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a lot of the choreography during football season comes from a four-day workshop we do over the summer where we learn a ton of different combos which we repurpose & amend,” Marilyn Yin (‘22) said. In addition to choreographing routines for the football games, they also work together with professional choreographers to plan their competition routines. During the winter season, they prioritize practicing for the competitions that start in January. “ O u r competition pieces are c h o re o g r a p h e d by myself and other outside p ro f e s s i o n a l s , ” Williamson said. “This year we worked with Shiyo Yamamoto for our Pom routine, Sarah Kucina for our Character routine, and Jia Huang for our Contemporary routine. Our seniors also worked with outside choreographers as well.” To end off the year with a bang, the team holds their annual spring show that consists all the routines they have performed during the past year. Through their rigorous practice since summer all the way to the spring, they are able to create an end product that they all are proud of due to not only their applaudable efforts, but also their deep chemistry. As their team is smaller compared to other sports teams, the members are able to create a strong team bond. “It's like one big group of friends...we have our inside jokes & memories, and we’re all united by the fact that we love to dance,” Yin said. Yin has been the co-captain since the start of this school year and has been working together with the other captain, Riley Herron (‘22), to make sure the team environment is positive and supportive. “Since we spend so much time together, we’re like a family,” Yin said. “We also don’t just see each other at practice... we have events outside of school, like holiday parties, where
“Since we spend so much time together, we’re like a family.” - Marilyn Yin (‘22)
Captains
Meet The
Riley Herron
has been a dancer for as long as she can remember, beginning at the young age of three. Riley has been dancing for Paly since freshman year, and she is now a senior captain. As a captain on a year long
sport, lots of hard work goes into creating the dances for each special occasion. Team bonding and unity are the prime concerns for the captains, as it helps in competitions. She uses dance as a way to express herself non-
verbally and to wind down from other activities. Riley sees dance as a keystone piece in her future, and plans to audition for her college’s dance team.
Marilyn Yin
her role as a captain and prioritizes setting a good example. Being a spokesperson for the team, Marilyn represents the individuality of the team members, something that is really important to her. Creating a welcoming
environment as a captain is crucial, and Marilyn makes sure she creates these surroundings. She hopes to incorporate dance in her future, whether it’s in college or beyond.
has been dancing since she was three years old and dance has always been something that’s interested her. Marilyn is a four year member of the Paly dance team, and a first year captain. She embraces
Photo courtesy of Riley Herron
Photo courtesy of Marilyn Yin
From left to right: Sarah Crystal, Bella Daly, and Sam Yamashita. Photo courtesy of Karen Hickey.
we can hang out and interact in less of a structured setting.” These events are planned by Coach Williamson to help maintain their close friendships. “We work very hard to embed in bonding activities throughout the year, and that helps us be better teammates to each other at practice as well,” Williamson said. “[The team] has a great understanding that we only succeed when everyone succeeds; we rely completely on each other.” With their unshakable team dynamic, they feel as if they represent a variety of different things. “I feel like our team represents such a different aspect of Paly,” Herron said. “Dance and cheer are one of the few teams who are in the gym year-round. We’re also there to support and cheer on other teams which is super unique.” Moving forward, the dance team is sure to remain an established, iconic
program at Paly. With the sport becoming more popular in the past few years, Paly should have a plethora of new dancers ready to adopt the team culture. “I look forward to the team continuing to be a supportive, kind community within Paly,” Sam Yamashita (‘22) said. “In the future, I hope many Paly students will take advantage of the opportunity to perform, create, and raise school spirit all at once.”
@vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 17
HEALTHY BODY
HEALTHY by OWEN BITTINGER, ANIKA CHANG, GRACE GORMLEY, and JACKSON MARTIN art by ALEX YAN
S
he had trained over 18 years for this moment. With a total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, eager fans from all over the globe anticipated that yet another Olympic medal would be added to her total. But with the eyes of the world upon her, renowned American gymnast Simone Biles used her spotlight not to perform her signature dazzling twists and flips, but instead for an even more courageous act: to take a step back from the Games for her own mental health. At the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, Biles made the decision to withdraw from the women's team final as well as the individual all-around competition. In a news conference following the event, Biles further opened the conversation of mental health in sports, including the pressure that athletes have become accustomed to but rarely speak out about. “It’s been a long week, it’s been a long Olympic process, it’s been a long year,” Biles said in a press conference regarding her withdrawal. “I think we’re just a little bit too stressed out… we should be out here having fun, and sometimes that’s not the case.”
Mental health has captured headlines in sports media recently and all the negative coverage has left athletes wondering whether the benefits of sports outweigh the harms. We dove into the Paly athletic experience to determine whether sports really help or harm mental health.
Biles had arguably become the face for the 2021 Olympic games. Her fame and success had only grown since the 2016 Olympics, where she won four gold medals and one bronze. With that came the pressure of being perhaps the most h i g h l y t o u t e d gymnast e v e r leading up to the Games. Leading up to the moments before she withdrew, Biles had received encouragement from those that were watching her, including her coaches and teammates who at first didn’t understand why Biles was pulling out. In the press conference, Biles recalled what her coaches had said after she told them that her team needed to continue the competition without her. “They were like, ‘I promise you, you’re fine. We watched you warm up,’” Biles
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said. “You usually don’t hear me say things like that, because I’ll usually persevere and push through things. So they were like, ‘Okay, well, if Simone says this, then we need to take it pretty serious.’” While at first Biles’ decision was met with some disappointment and confusion from viewers across the world, she was ultimately applauded for her decision to prioritize her mental well-being. “It's okay sometimes to even sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are — rather than just battle through it,” Biles said. The mindset that “pain makes you stronger” has been used for years in
“[Sports can be] really competitive. … and it can be kind of toxic in that way.” - Lydia Mitz (‘25)
sports to dismiss mental and physical blocks, and while it can be motivational to a certain extent, it also can cause a lot of harm for athletes who are in need of help and choose not to seek it because of the ‘no pain, no gain’ mindset. Biles is now one among a growing number of people who have broken the generations of athletes “toughing it out,”and instead focusing on their mental health. A n o t h e r p r i m e example of this
phenomena came in the 2021 Tennis French Open, where decorated player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the competition and declared she would be taking a break from tennis. She also withdrew from Wimbledon in the same year, attributing these sudden withdrawals to her continuing mental health issues. In a social media post, she spoke on her social anxiety and the pressure from the media causing her to enter into long bouts of depression. Jamie Pardini, PhD, a neuropsychologist with Banner - University Sports Medicine and Concussion Specialists in Phoenix, said that when an athlete
is hyper-focused on a single sport and is subject to rigorous year-round training regiments, the levels of stress can become unbearable and lead to unhealthy mental states, especially in young athletes. This may explain how these young professional athletes can easily develop mental health issues, especially as they are thrust under the public eye due to their newfound fame. Environments where expectations and pressure to perform well are high often leads to anxiety and depressive symptoms. The sudden wave of professional athletes opening up about their mental @vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 19
33% of all college students experience significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions. Among that group, 30% seek help - Information from Athletes for Hope
Survey results based on 96 Paly students
health has sparked an influx of media coverage on the negative impacts of sports on mental health. But all of this begs the question: are sports actually bad for mental health? To answer this question, we must look into how sports affect not only professional athletes, but also student athletes here at Paly. Some of the student athlete population does feel negative mental health effects due to their sports. For example, competition and comparing oneself with other athletes in one’s field causes stress for many student athletes. “One thing I just find hard, especially in swimming, is that it's really competitive,” swimmer and water polo player Lydia Mitz (‘25) said. “It is a solo sport and you're just trying to get better, but there are other people in the water, and you're going to think, ‘oh, I just want to be faster.’ And it can be kind of toxic in that way.”
Competition can be an enormous player has on everybody else. source of stress for athletes. Pressure Water polo player and swimmer Anne placed on performance can Threlkeld (‘24) finds this to often cause athletes to feel be stressful in the pool. inadequate when they “The team aspect [of do not succeed, water polo] puts and unhealthy more pressure on competition can me because I cause jealousy really want to or anger do well for towards their my team. I peers who don't want do succeed. to let people A toxic and d o w n , ” competitive Threlkeld environment said. c h a n g e s This stress, l e a r n i n g caused by David Evans ('21) and growing a myriad of opportunities into different things, spite, and inhibits often makes it hard cooperation and a for athletes to fully positive team dynamic, enjoy their sport. Although while lowering the self esteem kids often join sports when they of athletes. This takes away from the are young to let off some steam and have achievements of those who excel and fun, many find that the stress of sports inhibits the growth of all those on the becoming more intense takes the fun out team. of their sport at times. Even when there is a positive “Those nerves do get to me a lot, and environment, team sports can cause it makes it harder to be completely stress as well. With so many people focused, and it makes it hard to enjoy the relying on each other, when one sport as much as I would if I was more person makes a mistake, it affects relaxed,” Threlkeld said. the overall game and the whole Another major area where student team. Therefore there can be a athletes can experience high levels of lot of pressure in team sports stress is during the college recruitment because of the impact one process. While this doesn’t affect all high 20 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com
"[College coaches] will openly tell you that you aren’t fast enough, or that you aren’t smart enough.”
enough, or that you aren’t smart and after school hours. This can lead to enough for their program,” he said. a loss of sleep, which affects mood, and This toxic attitude surrounding less time to spend relaxing or hanging recruitment can harm the self out with friends, which can esteem of athletes, and also harm mental health. may cause them to dive In the stressful down a rabbit hole environment of school of questioning their a competitive athletes, self-worth. High school, the those who do undergo this experience level athletes p re s s u re often find it very stressful and such as college to excel overwhelming. Potential recruits are recruits, college in difficult required to do very intense training athletes, and classes and to hone their skills to the level where professionals all also devote recruitment is within the realm of feel the effects hours of time possibility, however, as mentioned of this pressure. and effort earlier, intense pressure and overfocus Athletes for into thriving on sports does lead to worsening mental Hope finds that in any given health. “33% of all college sport can be a Jamie Pardini Beyond just intense training and focus students experience huge demand, on one sport, there is significant especially in also competition in s y m p t o m s teenagers, who need this field as well, of depression, time to relax, hang out with and sometimes anxiety or other mental friends, and sleep. f e e d b a c k health conditions.” Clearly there are downsides to playing can be Beyond just the stress sports, not just at the professional level demoralizing of playing a sport to a like we’ve seen with Biles and Osaka, but and harsh. high level, the pressure also here at Paly. However, playing sports Former Paly of supporting a team, is not all bad. In a positive environment, runner David and at times facing sports can also provide a plethora of Evans (‘21) toxic competition, positive benefits, and many athletes underwent student athletes also find their sport to be an outlet to relieve t h e have to deal with the stress. recruitment responsibilities of the Soccer player Elsie Parigi (‘24) finds proccess and former part of that title: relief in her sport. “Once you’re playing, understands this being a student. School can you're on the field and nothing else really pressure. “Coaches be extremely stressful for people matters. You kind of forget about all that will state that parts of who don’t play any sports. But student [stress] for however long you're playing your application aren’t good athletes must find time for homework, for. I think that's nice,” she said. enough and need to be improved. They schoolwork and studying outside of their Parigi enjoys the break from the will openly tell you that you aren’t fast long practices, sometimes both before stresses of school and home when she’s playing soccer, similarly to many other athletes. “It really helps when you can just go to your sport and take a break from your homework or your social life,” Mitz said. Information from a Banyan Mental Health blog For many athletes at Paly, sports can be a great outlet to relieve stress and forget about external stressors. With the pressure placed on academics at Paly, playing sports can be a crucial booster to mental health. Sports not only relieve stress from external factors, College athletes that experience depressive symptoms that they can help empower have moderate to severe depression athletes during College athletes that experience depressive symptoms that
“This hyperfocused, yearround training is associated with stress ... and even early withdrawal from sports.”
Levels of Depressive Symptoms
6.3%
23.7%
reach clinically relevant levels
@vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 21
common goal, and this creates a lot of camaraderie and cooperation among teammates. There are their scientific benefits, events. In too. Exercising terms of recruitment, and playing the oftentimes stressful process also sports releases can create motivation for an athlete to e n d o r p h i n s , improve themselves and become the as well as best they can be. serotonin and “On days that I really didn’t feel like d o p a m i n e . running, I would remind myself that T h e s e if I wanted to run in college [then] I hormones can would have to work harder than my help relieve competition,” Evans said. physical and Sports can create motivation and mental pain and drive for athletes to improve their create a sense of performance, not only in the sport itself, general well being in but also in applying that motivation to the body. This can have an other parts of their lives. enormous effect on the mental More than just stress relief and health of individuals. Many health motivation, Paly sports teams can be professionals suggest physical exercise a safety net for many Paly athletes who as a treatment for depression and find their connection to their team to be anxiety, as working out has shown to beneficial to their happiness. ease symptoms. “Everyone supports “Playing a sport in general each other, [so] releases a lot of endorphins. the environment So I think that exercise of a team is a and creating a team special bond. "I say put mental with that sport just I feel like makes it 10 times health first. Because if it's almost better,” Gaither you don't, then you're different said. than just not going to enjoy your In a Banner friends. Health article, sport and you're not It's almost which featured going to succeed as more than healthy tips for f r i e n d s ,” much as you want to.” athletes, Dr. Jamie Parigi said. Pardini emphasized Simone Biles Eliza Gaither, that, “When kids play a sophomore different sports, they are water polo player, exposed to different peer swimmer, and lacrosse groups in activities that require player has a strong different types of teamwork and connection to her teammates. “I think collaboration- skills that transfer well into the connections you make on teams adulthood.” improve your mental health. Whether it But Dr. Pardini also noted the dangers be with your coach or your teammates, of becoming too invested into one sport those relationships just make you enjoy at a young age. the sport more,” she said. “Unfortunately, early specialization can Team players are all united around a be linked to negative psychological as 22 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com
well as physical effects,” Pardini said. “This hyper-focused, yearround training is associated with stress, burnout and even early withdrawal from sports. These athletes experience less fun and perceive increased criticism.” So how do team sports affect mental health differently than individual sports? Evelyn Pluhar, a philosopher who specializes in philosophy of the mind, helps shed light on the two sides of this debate. “Team sports are sometimes stressful as a result of competition, team dynamics or coaching issues, but individual sports may cause greater i n t e r n a l attribution such as shame after failure, which is linked to depressive symptoms,” said Pluhar in a Trine University article on Mental Health in Team Sports Compared to Individual Sports. The expert opinion is essentially that it’s complicated. Sports can emotionally deprive student athletes and harm their mental health, but there also can be extraordinary benefits to playing a sport and having a team. Most professionals agree that too much pressure and focus on a single sport will often harm mental health, however this mainly affects only professional athletes who spend all their time training. Student athletes instead must handle balancing schoolwork and training, and deal with toxic competition and high expectations. So how can student athletes maintain a healthy level of competition, focus, devotion and effort in their sport? Paly athletes have their own techniques and strategies for approaching their sports in order to make them as emotionally fulfilling (and least stressful) as possible. “I think for me, positivity is probably the most important,” Gaither said. “You just have to go into practice every day with the most positive attitude you can have, because no matter what, other people on your team could also be going through a tough day, or [they] could be dealing with struggles, and you kind of just have to go in with a positive attitude and tell your teammates that you're there
for them.” Parigi suggests taking up leadership to empower other teammates. “I feel like being a leader and supporting o t h e r people a l s o kind of helps you because y o u ' r e encouraging other people to do well, and it kind of rubs off on you,” she said. Another thing Parigi tries to remember is that the only thing she can control is her effort. “I used to get super nervous, but you have to remember to go out there and try your best,” she said. “As long as you're doing your best, the other stuff comes in [after].” Kindness and patience, to one’s teammates and to oneself, is also crucial to enjoying your sport. “The downfall of sports is when your teammates yell at [each other] because you don't know what other people are going through,” Gaither said. “So you have to make sure you give them good words of encouragement, words of validation, and just kind of work as a team all together to make sure everyone's okay.” Kindness, positivity and leadership can all be ways to keep an athlete’s spirits up during a tough game, race or match. Sports have become increasingly competitive, even at the recreational level. Often, the students playing sports at the high school level are seeking recruitment or looking for a spot on the varsity lineup. Physical injuries among high school athletes are extremely prevalent. Just as recovering from a torn ACL or a sprained wrist is vital, emphasis on mental health care is essential to address as well. Not always evident on the outside, mental health issues are often overlooked, especially within the athletic community. Before games and meets, high school athletes are often primed with warms-ups, stretches, and drills. Words of encouragement are sometimes sprinkled into the mix but
rarely is a serious mental health check incorporated. Sometimes, high school athletes may put pressure on themselves to “tough it out” or “suck it up”. However, open discussion about mental health from professional athletes like Osaka and Biles can increase the awareness surrounding these issues, and can also increase the availability of support for athletes of any level who may be struggling with similar issues. Simone Biles stated in a press conference regarding her withdrawal from the Olympics, “I say put mental
health first. Because if you don't, then you're not going to enjoy your sport and you're not going to succeed.” At Paly, having that type of environment where mental health is put first is essential. Where athletes are supported physically as well as mentally. Where sports can be a solution to stress instead of the cause of it. Where athletes can enjoy their sport and reap the mental health benefits that playing a sport can provide. That is the type of environment we should strive towards. @vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 23
ICONIC
CELEBRATIONS by PARKER BATES and HAILEY BECK art by SOFIA LEVA
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THE “BRANDI”
THE GRIDDY
Ja’Marr Chase was introduced to The Griddy by his friend Allen Davis, who he trained with in New Orleans. Davis — who created the Griddy as a freshman in high school — originally called it “Lil’ Griddy.” Chase played with Justin Jefferson at LSU, which is where he first showed Jefferson the dance. The move has rapidly gained popularity in the NFL.
The intensity rose throughout the stadium as US Women’s Soccer player Brandi Chastain stepped up to the goal line at the 1999 World Cup Final against China. With a brilliant strike, Chastain scored the game winning goal for the US. She then ripped off her jersey in elation. Iconic to say the least. The post goal celebration continues to serve as a reminder of female growth in athletics.
With huge crowds of fans watching professional sports, many athletes have developed iconic celebrations that follow their home runs, touchdowns, goals, and victories.
“TO DI WORLD”
THE BAT FLIP
Bat flipping is an iconic tradition in South Korea dating back to the 1990s, but many American baseball players and fans consider it against baseball etiquette. However, it has become increasingly accepted recently as the game has focused on reaching younger audiences. Perhaps the most famous bat flip was Jose Bautista’s bat flip during game five of the ALDS playoffs. When Bautista hit a home run in the 7th inning, he stared down the crowd in contempt and tossed his bat in the air. The bat flip celebration matched the energy in the stadium and popularized the move.
After a race, Usain Bolt bends one elbow and extends the other pointing it at the sky. Most Americans know this move as the “lightning bolt,” but to Jamaicans, it is referred to as a move called “To Di World.” The move originated from dancehall: a variation of Reggae music that is widely popular in Jamaica. Usain Bolt is known in Jamaica for his love of dancehall so when he brought the move to the 2008 Beijing Olympics it quickly became a crowdpleaser. While Bolt is not shy about letting his competitors know he’s there, he has never failed to back up his celebrations with a victory.
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eduCOACHers by ELIZABET
H FETTER, H ILLARY STUD DERT, and CAMER ON TOLAN D
Here at Paly we have many teachers. We also have many coaches. We also have a select few who choose to dabble in both. Some of these super educoachers are DJ Shelton, Aparna Sankararaman, and John Bungarden. The following profiles delve into their lives as both teachers and coaches, and their thoughts. These are their stories.
Shelton uses similar strategies in both coaching and teaching. His techniques help his students and atheletes alike enjoy classes and practices. During school hours, Mr. Shelton can be found in his classroom engaging w i t h
SHELTON.
students and sharing his love for history. What separates him from other teachers, though, is his education for the day doesn’t stop there. After school and into the night, Coach Shelton can be found under lights, directing and coaching the Paly boys lacrosse program. Shelton started coaching at Paly in 2013 and later joined the faculty as a history teacher in 2015. As a student-athlete through high school and college, he has learned how crucial playing sports can be to one’s development as a person, and emphasizes the importance of participating in them throughout life. “What you get out of playing sports will often determine how successful you are in life,” Shelton said. “The way you approach your extracurriculars…and your dedication to improvement and dealing with team members, bosses, captains, or coaches, are life lessons you will take for the rest of your life. I don’t think the classroom necessarily provides real world experience the same way.” A full time teaching job alongside the Photo Courtesy intensive work of coaching a team can of Karen lead to struggles in time management. Hickey While Shelton is able to balance both 26 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com
without major issues his dedication to students in the classroom and on the field leave him little free time. “I don’t usually leave Paly till 9 p.m. or so and on game days 10 p.m,” Shelton said. Part of Shelton’s approach in the classroom can be accredited to his experience coaching. He is known for bringing enthusiasm and his classes have a reputation for being engaging and fun. “I think that his coaching has made him very good at pep talks and keeping a good community within the class,” freshman Briar Dorogusker, a current student in Shelton’s world history class, said. The feedback loop works in the other direction too. Many of Shelton’s coaching methods have stemmed from his work as a teacher. Although Shelton mainly keeps his works separate, sometimes the history nerd within him slips out. “He likes to throw in some history trivia into some competitions to see who gets to start off on offense,” junior Asher Friedman said. Whether you are listening to Mr. Shelton at a desk or in a huddle you can be assured his experience in both coaching and teaching will shine.
“
“WHAT YOU GET OUT OF PLAYING SPORTS WILL OFTEN DETERMINE HOW SUCCESSFUL YOU ARE IN LIFE” SHELTON
Photo Courtesy of Karen Hickey
SANKARARAMAN. Sankararaman embraces the true spirit of a full-time football geek. She toggles between teaching chemistry and exhalting in football, both watching and talking about it. Aparna Sankararaman, chemistry teacher, is known for starting class every week with a recap of the fantasy football of the weekend before. Sankararaman is new to the froshsoph football coaching staff but has managed to find a family among her fellow coaches and her players while coaching a sport she loves. But Sankararaman did not always love football as much as she does today. “Before I met my wife, Alyssa, all I knew was that a touchdown was worth six points and then there was a point after,” Sankararaman said. Once she started dating her wife, she learned more about the sport and the strategy behind it. “I found myself loving football more as she explained the rules of the game, the strategies, etcetera,” Sankararaman said. “After my first football game at Kyle Field [which went into double overtime], I was addicted.” Since then, Sankararaman has become an avid football fan. “My favorite college team is the Texas A&M Aggies,” Sankararaman said. “Every Saturday, during football season, my wife and I set up five different screens in our
“
living room so we can watch five different games simultaneously.” Sankararaman has also been able to use her football knowledge to connect with students in her classes. Her intimate intelligence of fantasy football is what allows her to do this. “I started doing that a few years back because I realized I had students who were also in fantasy leagues,” Sankararaman said. “It helped with our classroom interactions because we had something in common that we were invested in.” Her love of fantasy football has allowed students to form stronger relationships with her, and for those who don’t participate in fantasy football, they feel that they know her better as a person regardless. Junior Ryan Hudacek can tell how much she genuinely loves Photo the sport of football. Courtesy “We should never of Karen expect her to respond toHickey emails on Saturday because she is watching college football, and if the game goes bad, we shouldn’t expect a response on Sunday either,” Hudacek said.
“IF YOU WANT TO BE THE BEST ON THE FIELD, YOU CAN’T JUST DO THAT ON FRIDAY NIGHT DURING THE GAME” SANKARARAMAN
Sankararaman’s passion for the sport is what got her into coaching in the first place. She did not come to Paly with the intention of coaching, but when Coach Gifford offered her a position, she accepted it. “Although I was hesitant at first about accepting his invitation, I finally decided to try it out,” Sankararaman said. Sankararaman sees teaching and coaching as the same thing, just regarding different subjects. “During the day, I am coaching my students how to apply concepts of chemistry to their lives…during practice, I am teaching students on how and why they need to block a certain way,” Sankararaman said. Sankararaman has not found it difficult to distinguish her students both on and off the field, but does believe the importance of recognizing her players as both a student and an athlete. “All the football players I have had in my chemistry class have been excellent at focusing on chemistry during the class period and football during practice,” Sankararaman said. “This way, I get to treat my student @vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 27
Photo Courtesy of Karen Hickey
athletes in my class just like all my other students.” As a woman coaching an all male team, and the sole female on the coaching staff, Sankararaman has relied on her fellow coaches to learn specific parts of the game that she didn’t already know.
“They have helped me learn things about football I could not have known unless I played the game,” Sankararaman said. “Of course, being female in my generation means we didn’t have the opportunity to play the game. I think the other coaches understand that and are thrilled that I am interested to learn.” Sankararaman’s favorite part of coaching is the feeling of being part of a family with the players she coaches. “Most days, I forget that I am the only female on the field because of how welcoming everybody has been,” Sankararaman said. Sophomore Declan Packer has had
BUNGARDEN.
At the helm of AP US history, arguably one of the hardest classes at Paly, sits its teacher: John Bungarden. A wearer of fiercely unique ties, a teller of dramatic war stories, he is famed across campus for his difficult yet engaging curriculum. Little known to these idolizers, though, is the fact that Bungarden also teaches soccer in the spring, on our very own Paly frosh-soph boys soccer team. Bungarden started coaching soccer because of his son, who began playing at six years old. “The father that was coaching his team was coaching all the kids’ teams, and there were five teams, so I said ‘oh I’ll help you,’” Bungarden said. Despite starting as a coach by nothing but good will and a little chance, Bungarden has continued to do it for over a decade, transitioning from his son’s team to the Paly team. “Like anybody else that coaches, you like it and you keep going,” he said. “Coaching is like teaching; it’s just a different form of teaching.” And, for both coaching and teaching, his favorite part is the same: the people.
“
Bungarden appreciates the similarities between coaching history and teaching soccer, exemplefied by his idiosyncracies.
“[For soccer,] it’s the kids,” Bungarden said. “We get pretty good players and they show up and they’re fun to be around. I try to take all that and turn it into some sort of cohesive group for the duration of the season.” Based on the amount of time and effort Bungarden spends making that cohesive group, it is clear that he really believes in them, just like they believe in him. “My favorite part about him as a coach is his altruism,” sophomore Dominic Profit said. “He always wants the best for us and our school… he is such a passionate coach.” Bungarden shares that passion in his teaching. To him, teaching, like soccer, is interesting, entertaining, and worthwhile, because of the students and their emotional and intellectual growth through the school year. “The folks that stay are part of what makes [APUSH] fun,” Bungarden said. “The course has a reasonably established reputation for being challenging and folks sign up for that and they stay to confront the challenge. That’s impressive to watch…I don’t think students have a
“COACHING IS LIKE TEACHING; IT’S JUST A DIFFERENT FORM OF TEACHING” BUNGARDEN
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a positive experience playing for Sankararaman on the frosh-soph football team and believes she has made a positive influence on the team. “She is a great communicator and would motivate us before the game,” Packer said. “She said that if we could focus on reducing our errors, we could win every game, and she was right.” Although she has not been coaching for long and has not fully developed her personal coaching style, Sankararaman believes that perseverance and dedication are the most important skills to teach athletes. “If you want to be the best on the field, you can’t just do that on Friday night during the game,” Sankararaman said. “What you do during practice … is what is going to determine how good you are as a player. That takes dedication and perseverance to show up to practice regularly, work hard, and train.”
Photo Courtesy of Karen Hickey
clear appreciation… of how impressive they are as learners.” Mr. Bungarden’s characteristics that make him a fantastic teacher are exactly what make him a passionate coach: his love for the students, his necessity to see them grow and work together, and his undying passion for hard work and dedication, both coming from himself and students. So, next time you see him strutting across campus or systematically setting up on the soccer pitch, remember that he isn’t just the teacher of one of the hardest classes at Play and coach of one of the most complex sports; he is also a dedicated, heartwarming, funny, quirky person. Remember that he loves the individuality of his students. And, above all, remember that he loves his ties.
VAX
by SOFIA LEVA and ROEI ZIV art by SOFIA LEVA
to the
MAX
A
It is no secret that the issue of vaccination has had a huge impact on the sports world. With the story of Novak Djokovic making global headlines, even more attention has been put on this topic in the realm of sports.
s a society, we have become accustomed to athletes getting away with just about anything they wish. While we often see players being convicted of domestic abuse, sexual assault, driving under the influence, and many more horrible crimes, it’s rare for them to make global news, with the misconduct of professional athletes going under the radar time after time. In recent news, however, it was hard to miss the story of Novak Djokovic, one of tennis’ all-time greats, who created one of the biggest sports sagas of all time. But it was not about an imprisonable offense, rather it was about a hot topic in today’s world: vaccination. Prior to his arrival for the Australian Open, one of the four major tournaments in tennis, Djokovic filed for an exemption for the COVID-19 vaccination mandate in place for all participants of the tournament. It was clear to many from the start that the Australian government was not going to give in to just about anything to do with vaccination statuses, as they have been one of the strictest countries in the world throughout the pandemic. Djokovic arrived in Australia but was denied entry into the country by border
security and was placed in custody by the Australian officials, who cited that the tennis player did not have the authorized exemption from receiving the vaccine. He was then seen by a judge who approved his exemption but was taken back into custody by Australian authorities, after which he was sent to another judge that ended up denying him access into the country, inhibiting his ability to play in the tournament. Not only was Djokovic deported, but he was also banned from the country for three years, which means that he will not be able to participate in the next Australian open either. Girls varsity tennis senior Iris Li took the side of the Australian government in the case against one of tennis’s biggest stars. “I think it makes sense that Djokovic was denied entry to the [Australian Open],” she said. “Since he is the number one player in the world, he should take more responsibility in following the rules and setting an example for other players and people. I know that Australia requires everyone to be vaccinated, and Djokovic was trying to find a way out of it. If he ended up playing, I think more individuals who are not
vaccinated would excuse themselves for being unvaccinated.” It was later also found that after Djokovic had tested positive for COVID-19 several months ago, he attended a press conference knowing he was positive. Not only did Djokovic put the reporters and other staff in the room with him at risk after the press conference, but he simply
“Since he is the #1 player in the world, he should take more responsibility in following the rules and setting an example for other players and people.” -Iris Li (‘22)
@vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 29
“Ultimately,
Djokovic earned the name of “Novax” a play on his first name. Jokes aside, it has been made clear over the last half-decade or so, that sports and politics go hand-inhand. Even though a few years ago vaccines would not have been such a politicized topic, they are now, which means that they are also a part of sports culture in the United States and around the world. Almost every league in the world was in a frenzy when the coronavirus pandemic first started. When these leagues shut down and the athletes were forced out of competing, the phrase “anything to get back to playing” was extremely popular among professional and even amateur athletes, like high school students. But as time grew on and the world began to open back up, it seems like that idea of doing just about anything to get back onto that field, diamond, or court was completely forgotten. Take for example Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley, who is one of the most outspoken athletes in the United States about vaccination. Before the NFL finalized its COVID protocols for the 2021-2022 season, Beasley was interviewed and stated that he would retire before being forced to take the vaccine, if that was what the league would decide. The NFL decided not to mandate vaccination for its players and staff but they did heavily recommend it, giving vaccinated players the freedom of going about their life like it was a normal season pre-COVID, while
it’s people understanding
and trusting the
science.”
- Boys Soccer Coach
Rusty Millard
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
failed to isolate himself and went about his life as normal. With this lack of regard for other humans along with the story that transpired in the land down under,
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unvaccinated players had to wear masks indoors, not go out with their teammates when playing an away game, and quarantine if found in close contact with someone that had tested positive. Not to mention that they also had to get tested frequently while vaccinated players did not. Some leagues, however, showed the world that vaccination doesn’t have to be a contested and ferociously-debated idea, managing to vaccinate almost 100% of all its personnel, including players and staff. One of these leagues was the WNBA. The league showed exactly how to put athletes and staff into a position where they were not forced into taking the vaccine, but chose to on their own. They did this by getting ahead of all the misinformation circulating online, bringing in professionals that did the research, were not a part of a company that had an interest in getting people vaccinated, and knew about the science behind the vaccines. By educating all personnel in the league, they were able to create a safe environment for people to feel comfortable to ask questions, and therefore people chose to get vaccinated. The idea that getting vaccinated is far beyond a personal choice when you are part of a professional sports team has grown in recent times. Professional coaches such as one of the top soccer managers in the world, Jurgen Klopp, said he would not sign any players to his team that were not vaccinated. Paly’s very own soccer coach R u s t y Millard
WNBA is
99%
vaccinated. a big issue in professional sports, but also in high school sports, and even more specifically at Paly. To all of those in the Paly community, the weeks following winter break were known to be some of the most devastating COVID-wise the school had ever seen, with hundreds of students and faculty - many of whom are involved in athletics. Li believes that the necessary course of action is more extreme than what exists as of now. “I personally would be more comfortable if [people that refuse to get vaccinated] have a reason but other than that vaccination (in high school sports) should be mandatory,” she said. Even for high school athletes that play a socially distanced sport like tennis, the feeling is that more needs to be done to protect high school athletes while competing. Although it is not as controlled of a setting, high school sports leagues can learn a lot from how the WNBA was able to protect its personnel. The idea of vaccination in sports has become a highly-contested topic just as it has in the rest of society. There is not a concrete solution to the debate but both professional and amateur athletes have been sure to make their voices heard. The future reality of vaccination in sports lies within the players themselves. Whether it comes down to being a good teammate, sacrificing for others, or maintaining the mindset of freedom of choice, one thing is for certain: the debate surrounding vaccines in the sports world isn’t going away.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
also has opinions on what can change in terms of mandates and rules relating to COVID-19 in his own sports space at Paly. “Ultimately, it’s people understanding and trusting the science,” Millard said. “I think again for us, even on the back of their training jerseys, it says 11 playing as one…everything we try to do is collectively… so it comes down to taking care of our bodies and being healthy.” That brings forward the idea of separating getting vaccinated from a personal choice into being a good teammate and a good team player onto an extreme level. For a coach to directly say that he would not seek to sign unvaccinated players and would reject them from his squad indicates that there are coaches that believe that you have to make sacrifices to be part of a team and that getting vaccinated is one of those things. While many leagues are still uncertain about vaccine mandates for their personnel, Coach Millard is focused on another aspect of the pandemic for high school sports. “I don’t think I would go that far and say that vaccines should be mandated, but I have been very surprised that there has not been mandated testing weekly,” Millard said. Vaccination and mandates are not just
@vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 31
SWIMMING: BEST GOGGLES Speedo Speed Socket 2.0 Courtesy of Speedo.com
“Speed Socket 2.0s are super streamlined but also comfortable enough for practice use. They never fog up and they come in lots of fun colors.” —David Gormley (‘22)
ARCHERY: BEST RISER Hoyt Satori 17 Riser
by HARRISON WILLIAMS and CALEB WONG
Courtesy of Hoyt.com
Every athlete has their favorite gear — from gloves to goggles; here are Viking’s picks for the best equipment to maximize your potential.
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FOOTBALL: BEST GLOVES Nike Vapor Jet 6.0 “They’ve been the most comfortable and provide a good stick that doesn’t fade away over time like other gloves.” —Oliver Marburg (‘23) Courtesy of Nike.com
BASKETBALL: BEST BALL Spalding TF-1000 Platinum “I’ve tried other risers and I think Hoyt is better because it’s more durable and more reliable. And I think it’s easier to use in general.” —Grace Li (‘23)
“The ball feels nice and has more grip to it compared to the other basketballs I’ve used.” —Caroline Mostofizadeh (‘23)
Courtesy of Spalding.com
TRACK AND FIELD: BEST SPIKES Nike ZoomX Dragonfly Courtesy of Nike.com
“They look super slick and they are very light. They are also very comfortable to run in and the spikes look super cool.” —Elizabeth Fetter (‘23) @vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 33
A coach can make or br eak an athlete’s play ing experience, but what specifically makes for a toxic co ach? Although what constitutes toxi city varies from athl ete to athlete, there are some tellta le signs that you can lo ok for.
C
oaches are capable of completely changing athletes’ lives, in both positive and negative ways. Coaching is something that everybody has experienced in life, but we are going to focus on coaches particularly in sports. As it turns out, the quality of coaching typically correlates with the success of the team. Great players may win games, but great coaching wins championships. There are an infinite amount of coaching strategies that are used out there, and it is up to each to decide which route they want to take. Choosing an identity as a coach is a crucial decision that can
by Sebastian CHANCELLOR, Josh BUTLER and Henry BOLTE Design by Sophia Cummings change the course for their team, and there are universal traits that can set a great coach apart from a bad one. Let us take a look at how coaches can impact the individuals, and the spirit of the team. What some non-athletes fail to realize is how much power a coach can have over a team. Their actions and behaviors dictate a team’s motivation, and ultimately decide their future as a program. There are a variety of traits a coach must have to lead a team in the right direction such as being uplifting, encouraging, and transparent. I have been fortunate enough to always
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have strong, motivational coaches and that has seriously aided in my confidence towards the sports I play. Coaches are meant to expand your limits as a player by pushing you out of your comfort zone, and they do this by lighting confidence within yourself through these traits. Equally as important, a coach needs to have a clear mind through the year. Despite going into the thick and thin parts of the season or dealing with personal player troubles, a good coach needs to keep a mature, clear perspective. Coach Gifford, the Paly varsity football coach, is a great example of this trait. He always detailed to us the idea of ‘one
ship’. The team’s goals need to be united things show the kids whether they’re in and heading in the same direction. We college or high school, that you are in it are all Vikings on a single collective ship, for them. And I promise you, they will buy heading down the same path. in if they know you care about him and Coaches also have to fight against you’re sincere, you’re genuine, if you’re getting sucked into the blurred, stressed yourself. That is truly a key thing that vision of their separates a good players as they coach from a bad are looked coach.” Coaches need to be crutches for up to as the A coach that is backbone not passionate will their players while providing of the team. never succeed. A an environment where players There was a coach that is not time earlier willing to go the can be vulnerable and push in my high extra mile in order school career to see their team themselves to achieve their where I had flourish is a coach best. a coach who that is actively struggled lowering the ceiling to keep an of a team’s success. objective mindset. The coach let the A good coach wants to give them the emotions and the minor details of the tools to get their themselves there as season distract themself from the team’s well. Teams goals. without a Coaches need to be crutches for their dedicated players while providing an environment coach will where players can be vulnerable and s t r u g g l e push themselves to achieve their best. with discipline, Right off the bat, negative motivation, self reinforcement is a clear indicator of a confidence, and bad coach. Coaches that are unable to will be detrimental to take a negative outcome and flip it into both an individual’s and a constructive, positive experience lack the team’s success. the ability to encourage players. There The line between pushing athletes is a time and place the way that for talking about a they need to player’s mistakes, be pushed but what separates and pushing the good coaches them over If you are going to break a from the bad ones, the edge is a is their ability very fine line. kid down, you better make to know what a It ultimately player needs to comes down an assertive effort to build hear to avoid the to a coach them back up. mistake next time, having an and grow from understanding -Columbo their mistakes. of each player Paly basketball and their limits and baseball as individuals. coach Peter Columbo believes in the Additionally, the coach needs to importance as a coach to become close understand the team’s limits as a whole. with his team and build trust and respect Every person is wired a little bit with his players. differently and will respond in a different “If you are going to break a kid down, way to criticism and feedback. A lesser you better make an assertive effort to coach will not pay attention to how build them back up,” Columbo said. their players are responding to the way “As a coach, it’s important to focus on that they are coaching. Many times, the little things, maybe you show up to these coaches are too set in their ways something that they’re doing off the and believe that their way of thinking is court like a presentation. All those little the only correct way. For a player that
disagrees, instances like these can harm the trust in a team and push players past their limits Throughout my years of playing sports I have been extremely fortunate to have strong relationships with great coaches who understood me as a person and knew how to work with me in a productive way. I experienced the benefits of having a coach who knows how you operate and managing their coaching style around that knowledge. Having a great coach like that has been one of the most beneficial things in my athletic career and has allowed me to grow as a person.
@vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 35
ADEH STOFIZ O M E ROLIN AKER , and CA H DON S N A JO M d R n N IJZE MAN a ITZ, IVA Z, IVAN IJZER W O H DRIC OWIT IN FRIE DRICH by YASM YASMIN FRIE s by graphic
With ski season in full tilt, we have created a ski guide with commentary from Paly students about the most popular ski mountains, equipment, and general tips for beginner skiers, while also taking a deep dive into a couple talented skiers and snowboarders at Paly.
Tahoe SKI GUIDE As the winter season comes to its peak and the best hill is for you. If you like to roam free snow continues to fall on the stunning Sierra on lots of varying terrain, Palisades Tahoe is Nevada mountain range, Tahoe skiing and the place to go. snowboarding is becoming more and more With 100 km of slopes, each with its own intriguing for many Paly students. unique qualities and challenge, you are sure If this winter season brings you to the to never run out of options. But Palisades mountains and you are worried about where Tahoe also possesses other positive attributes to go, what to bring, and the best ways to get such as the Village attached to the resort with around the mountain, lots of lively restaurants and don’t stress; we’ve a warm community. put together the As the most well known “The competition best Tahoe ski and resort in Tahoe, mainly due and adrenaline snowboard guide so to them hosting the 1960 you can enjoy your Winter Olympics, Palisades were completely time in the mountains. has become the holy grail unmatched to any One of the most for Tahoe ski trips. other sport I’ve done.” important things Although it may be when planning a expensive, Palisades might - Lauren Sung ‘22 trip to Tahoe is what just be the most enjoyed mountain to choose. mountain in Tahoe, but With so many there is so much more to wonderful options ranging in difficulty, size, explore when it comes to picking the best and variety, you may be unsure about what resort. 36 | VIKING MAGAZINE | vikingsportsmag.com
In conjunction with Palisades, Alpine Meadows is also a wonderful choice for skiing this winter. Think of Alpine as a less well-known and smaller Palisades with shorter lines and more expert runs. 13 lifts span across the meadow, and lines are sure to be shorter than those at its neighboring resort Palisades. Alpine also has a tightly knit ski program with a low racer to coach ratio, which allows for more individual attention from coaches and trainers. Popular for its long terrain parks with hundreds of different boxes, rails and jumps, Northstar tops the list for Tahoe’s best resort for freestyle skiers and snowboarders. From easy boxes to some of the most intricate rails and jumps, Northstar has every level of terrain parks — perfect for any rider. When it comes to villages, Northstar tops the list for Tahoe with its large and welcoming village consisting of live music, a theater, and an ice skating rink. Although infamous for being the “Flattest Mountain in Tahoe,”
Northstar is still a great option for people who live for terrain parks, as well as families who enjoy a place after skiing to relax by a warm fireplace. Heavenly, located at south Lake Tahoe, is famously known for its heavenly views that attract tourists from everywhere. With access to the mountain from three separate locations, this resort is one of the biggest in Lake Tahoe. It is accessible with two entrances from California and one from Nevada. Heavenly has a large gondola at the middle base station that takes non-skiers up to huts at the top of the mountain for people to enjoy the views. Other than the views, Heavenly comes with a range of different slopes. It has easy groomed trails for beginners as well as slopes for daredevils who want to hike up a hill to make their own tracks. This resort has a little bit for everyone who wants a Tahoe experience. Sugar Bowl is a well known ski team and academy. When skiing at Sugar Bowl, it is hard to ride around without seeing a group of kids absolutely ripping it down the mountain. The academy at Sugar Bowl allows for students who are looking to go onto the next level of freestyle or race skiing to practice and learn at the resort. These students will spend hour after hour on the racecourse perfecting their technique. Despite the large population of ski team members at Sugar Bowl, the mountain will never be too crowded, and is still a great option for a trip to Tahoe. An add on to the Tahoe experience that can be found near Sugar Bowl is the Royal Gorge. The Royal Gorge area is used for cross country or nordic
skiing. photos in front of lake Tahoe. Boreal may be small with only 380 acres of Although the farthest resort from the Bay slopes and only six chairlifts, but it is home Area, Mt. Rose is a solid option when choosing to Woodward Tahoe, as well as its extensive a mountain to take on this winter. With 60 km parks. Although Boreal is often overlooked of total terrain, half of it being for experts only, when choosing a mountain to ski at, it only the biggest and bravest athletes chose to provides an inexpensive take on such a high experience for beginner level mountain. “I have been going to Mount skiers. Located near With the addition of Reno, Nevada, Mt. Rose as my skill level Woodward, Boreal gives Rose is exceptional increases because of its wide Tahoe park rats space for those looking range of terrain on and off-piste.” to practice in their large for a challenge warehouse consisting of and are looking to - Max Schrage ‘23 a ramp into a foam pit, conquer the next many trampolines, and an step to improve indoor skate park if you their skiing ability. want a break from the slopes. On the slopes, Another hill great for expert skiers who are Woodward has set up some of the best looking for a challenge is Kirkwood. In contrast parks in Tahoe, and is heaven for current and to Mt. Rose, Kirkwood is the closest mountain aspiring freestyle skiers and snowboarders. to the Bay, just off Highway 88 in South Lake Another feature that is unique to Boreal Tahoe, and provides 65 km of slopes, 15 km is night skiing, where you can ski under the of them being for experts lights, a truly exhilarating and one of a kind only. experience. “My favorite mountain is As Tahoe’s only community owned resort, Kirkwood by far, the pros Diamond Peak prioritizes the interest of the being less crowds, better community over anything. Rather than a snow and better terrain,” big company whose interest is a large profit Kalev Vaska (‘23) said. margin, Diamond Peak serves to provide its Kirkwood has many steep CONTINUE members with the finest experiences at a runs, with an elevation ON NEXT PAGE great price. change of 610 m. “Diamond Peak has a really great view over “Out of those my favorite the lake and has an awesome park and an is definitely Kirkwood expert only glade area,” Max Schrage (‘23) because of its terrain and said. elevation,” Isaac Kirby (‘23) Diamond Peak is a great spot for beginner said. skiers, and has a gorgeous view to pose for
Match the Mountain logo to the tahoe resort
Palisades
Heavenly
Northstar
Mt. ROSE
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On a day out in Tahoe it is always important to check the weather before deciding what to wear. Tahoe weather can be as warm as 50 degrees in the winter and as cold as seven degrees. It is always important to pack extra layers if possible and to wear loads of sunscreen because you don’t want a goggle tan! Be sure to wear ski/snowboard specific socks. Depending on the fit of your ski boots, you can find socks either thick or thin that make the fit of your boot as comfortable as possible. When it comes to gear for skiing the options are endless. Brands such as Patagonia, Arc’teryx, The North Face, Columbia, Stio, and Gore-tex all offer a great selection of winter gear. “My favorite clothing brands for skiing would be Patagonia and Arc’teryx,” Senior Sydney Sung said. With ski equipment such as helmets, brands such as Smith, POC, Giro, Oakley are often worn. “My favorite brand of ski gear is Smith. They make really good helmets and goggles,” junior Max Chang said. An important thing to think about before heading to the slopes in Tahoe is to wear the right type of goggle lenses. With a sunny day you will want to wear dark or mirrored lenses such as platinum, gray, black, green, or red. Light colored lenses all offer increased VLT (visual light transmission) and are good choices to wear on cloudy days. It is important to pay attention to what lenses you are wearing to ensure your visibility is clear. When backcountry skiing, it is important to have avalanche training and the right equipment. A beacon is a very useful tool when skiing. It is an electronic device worn on the body to help quickly find buried avalanche victims. “If I’m skiing by myself I will bring a backpack with an avalanche beacon in it to avoid potentially dangerous areas,” Schrage said. It’s always good to pack a few snacks before heading to the hill, as they become necessary
when riding around. mountains and nature with all the views, and “Best snacks to bring when skiing would the exhilarating feel of going fast on skis is have to be Cliff bars, Nature Valley bars, incredible,” Kirby said. or goldfish,” junior Isabelle Jacobi said. The natural beauty of Tahoe along with the “Everything else doesn’t really fit in your countless activities is what really makes Tahoe pockets. Also, always gotta bring chapstick.” so special. “Instant ramen is essential,” senior Lauren “My favorite part about the mountains is Sung said. “It keeps you warm and is easy to being in nature, exploring all of the terrain, make when you’re on the mountain.” challenging myself while also enjoying the The two main passes for ski resorts in Tahoe peacefulness,” Vaska said. “Being able to are the Epic pass and the Ikon pass. The Epic experience it with friends makes it even provides more access to mountains in Tahoe better.” while the Ikon pass Tahoe also allows gives more access for friends and family to mountains “Skiing brings an adrenaline to spend quality time outside of California together embraced rush that is exhilarating and in the picturesque and Internationally. gives you a sense of freedom topography As a beginner it that is important to test Tahoe has to offer. you can’t find anywhere out what boots and “Skiing and else but in the mountains.” snowboarding with skis feel the most -William Backstrand ‘25 comfortable when friends is the best skiing. Tahoe offers because you get to a great selection be challenged in of rental places. new ways and have Multiple ski mountains have rental stores as a new adventures that can only be acquired part of their village making it extremely easy to on the mountain,” Evie Kramer (‘23) said. “I rent before heading up to the hill. Tahoe also think skiing and snowboarding is a great way offers boot fitters where they mold your foot to bond with family and friends and have so to the boot liners so the ski boot is customized much fun which is the main reason I keep to your feet, providing the most comfortable doing it.” fit to your foot. There are no ways to go wrong when “Tahoe Dave’s is my favorite place to rent planning a trip up to the mountains, especially skis because the workers are all so nice and when there is a vast amount of options and they make sure to find the right boots and skis opportunities around the area of Tahoe that for you,” senior Rachel Ellisen said. don’t just span across skiing or snowboarding. But what makes Tahoe skiing and Now that you know what to look for when snowboarding so attractive and exciting? embarking on a Tahoe trip, go out there and Whether it’s the gratification of finishing your do what you think is best for your abilities. first run ever, or the thrilling feeling when This ski guide can only help you to a certain you’re shredding through powder, Tahoe extent, and now it’s your job to explore the provides such a unique experience for every mountains and see what Tahoe is all about. skill level. Tahoe is really built to fulfill anyone’s Skiing and snowboarding may not be the day from their first time riding to their most accessible of sports, but with options hundredth day riding, it allows for everyone for every skill range and every price range, to enjoy the sport. Tahoe is one of the best places to find your “I really enjoy just being out in the new passion.
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SKI and SNOWBOARD
SPOTLIGHT Take a deeper dive with Lauren Sung and Phillip Santiago to learn about what Tahoe skiing is all about. With both being complete opposites in the snow sports community, one being a former ski racer, the other being a snowboard park rat, you are sure to learn both sides to their skiing adventures. While Paly offers a wide variety of sports for all kinds of athletes, many students find their passion off campus in winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. But no two athletes have quite the same experience or approach on the slopes; some find the thrill of competition alluring while others seek to express themselves and push boundaries in terrain parks. Senior Lauren Sung has been skiing with her twin sister Sydney since they were five years old. Since her father is a natural athlete and has always been into skiing, he didn’t wait long to bring them to the slopes to teach them. She started on the magic carpet, which is an escalator ski lift, and was taught the basics, like how to speed up and slow down. “Once we got the basics down my parents took us up a lift,” Sung said. “Shortly after getting off the lift I ran right into a fence, but I haven’t run into any since then.” Sung joined the Alpine ski team the year after she started learning which led to trips to Tahoe every weekend for races. Her family would stay at her parents’ cabin to maximize their time in the mountains. While races happen every weekend during the winter season, much of the hard work came when the spring season began. Her ski team would train in the morning for hours, completing lap after exhausting lap in an effort to improve their times. When Sung was on the ski team, she was a lot younger so it wasn’t particularly serious. Much of her time on the slopes was spent messing around with friends until her coaches would stop on some trails for them to do drills. Sung’s experience on the ski team was overwhelmingly positive mostly as a result of the people she met who loved skiing as much as she did. She was able to make friends who came from a variety of backgrounds all across the state of California. For Sung, the thrill of
training was also unlike anything else. When “At the start it was tough because I spent her friends wanted to take free runs, she most of the time falling down and getting up, would do another lap on the course before but eventually I got the hang of it,” Santiago joining them. The wind blowing across her said. face and the adrenaline rush is what made His transition from skiing to snowboarding racing exciting for Sung. was much quicker than he expected, and “The competition and adrenaline were after only a few trips to Tahoe, he was able to completely unmatched to any other sport I’ve cruise down the slopes. done,” Sung said. For Santiago, the experience and memories As an advanced skier, Sung can do any run are what matter most on the mountains. He down the slopes, but she especially enjoys likes to bring a GoPro camera and speakers straight-lining groomers as fast as she can so that he can take videos of himself and his with her sister. friends. Santiago goes to Heavenly at Tahoe One season, one of her close friends was ski resort and he loves the diversity of runs seriously injured and had to take the rest of they offer. the season off. The Santiago has learned danger of the sport a variety of tricks on became brutally “It feels like you’re the snowboard in the apparent and Sung floating in the air and few years he has been decided to quit boarding — from front and the ski team in 7th the world slows down.” backflips to twists. grade to pursue her - Phillip Santiago ‘23 “It feels like you’re future in golf. floating in the air and While some, like the world slows down,” Sung, developed Santiago said. a passion for the slopes at a young age, Santiago learned to do flips on land long junior Philip Santiago found a knack for before he started learning how to do tricks snowboarding only three years ago. Santiago in the terrain park. His experience on land had skied for seven years prior to switching made him very comfortable in the air and over, but he quickly learned he had a natural to understand the rotation of the flips. Tips talent for snowboarding and grew to love the from his cousins and friends also helped him mountains even more than he previously did. get over mental blocks. However, Santiago Santiago was introduced to skiing by his generally avoids rails because of previous father who was very athletic and took him bad experiences. Rails are made of metal and to the mountains frequently. He thought it on his previous attempts he hurt his back. looked interesting because his cousins all While many Paly students have been skiing snowboarded and made it sound exciting. and snowboarding for most of their lives like Since Santiago had been skiing for so long Sung and Santiago, some don’t have any he and his dad decided to start learning experience at all. Whether you’re looking snowboarding. to try winter sports for the first time or just Snowboarding is distinctly different from want to fine tune your skills, take a look at our skiing so Santiago’s recent transition was an ultimate guide for Paly students. interesting experience.
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Viking Tries... Going, going, gone! On a sunny Saturday morning, eight Vikes gathered to showcase their power hitting in a classic competition: the Home Run Derby.
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By ZACH HAYWARD and JAKE FOSTER Design by SOPHIA CUMMINGS
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aseball: America’s pastime. The sweet smells of freshly cut grass, the crisp crack of a bat, and the smooth pop of the glove are just some of the things that make baseball great. It is quite hard to think of baseball without hitting. Often referred to as the most challenging feat in all of sports, hitting the ball is directly tied to success in the overall game. A popular way for hitters to assess their power hitting ability is through Home Run Derbies, where they compete for who can hit the most balls over the fence. Paly baseball season is right around the corner, so the Viking staff decided to test our own hitting abilities by way of our own Home Run Derby. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, we gathered eight Viking members at Hoover Park to take part in the Derby: sophomores Trey Collins and Josie Vogel, and seniors Anika Chang, David Gormley, Sophia Cummings, Jake Foster, Sofia
Leva, and Roei Ziv. We set up a head-tohead style tournament with quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final round matchup to determine the champion. Each batter got unlimited pitches to score as many points as possible before they reach eight “outs.” While homeruns obviously counted as points, we adapted the rules so that hard hit balls that approached the fence counted as well. If a point was not gained, the hitter received an out. If, after eight outs, the two competitors were tied, a swing off ensued where whoever gained more points in five pitches would advance to the next round. To keep the competition fair, no current baseball players were allowed to compete. The first quarterfinal matchup between Collins and Foster, two former baseball players, was expected to be an explosive contest. Collins got out to a hot start with three points, forcing Foster to step up and perform. However, despite back to back moonshots, he failed to defeat
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Collins. “I really underestimated Trey’s ability,” Foster said. “As a former baseball player, I thought I had it in the bag.” The next matchup was supposed to be between Ziv and Viking EIC Hailey Callan. After Ziv claimed that facing Callan would be like facing his little brother due to her coordination, he proceeded to gain three points. Callan then stepped up to the plate, and to all of our great surprise, missed three balls in a row and called for Leva to step in. In the face of uncertainty, Leva defeated all odds and tied Ziv with three points. In the following swing off, Ziv barely prevailed to advance. After a close call with elimination, he felt like he got his bell rung. “It’s been so long since I’ve played baseball that I got a little bit too confident before I even took a swing,” Ziv said. In the third quarterfinal contest, Vogel defeated Cummings two points to one
to advance to the semifinals. The final matchup of the first round, between Gormley and Chang, was perhaps the most entertaining. Prior to the contest, Chang informed everyone that she hadn’t played baseball in 16 years, a curious statement from the 17-year old. Gormley, on the other hand, had a different mindset. “I was excited to have some fun and shake off the five years of rust that has accumulated since I last played Little League,” he said. Gormley’s positive mindset did not immediately pay off though, as he and Chang tied with two points to force the second swing off of the first round. Luckily for Gormley, Chang’s hitting faltered out and he was able to squeak by and advance. The semifinal round brought forth more exciting competition. The first contest, between Collins and Ziv, was perhaps the best matchup we’d had yet. Collins continued to launch bombs, netting another three points in the round. Facing elimination, Ziv put up a strong fight, but ultimately fell short a point to his younger competition.
“I feel like I went out there and did my best and took care of what I could take care of,” Ziv said. “The rest was out of my hands.” The second semifinal matchup saw Vogel take on Gormely. Vogel, a soccer player, was considered an underdog heading into the derby, but impressed with her first round performance. Unfortunately, her one point was not enough to overcome several lasers hit by Gormley on his way to three points. “I went into the game with an open mindset and ended up having a lot of fun,” Vogel said. Next came the eagerly awaited final round between Collins and Gormley. Collins looked to continue his dominant day of power hitting, while Gormley was aiming to take down a competitor coming off of back to back upset wins. The round began with Gormley struggling a bit before settling in and launching balls for three points. Collins followed with similar troubles, struggling to hit the ball in the air. However, with two points on the board and one out remaining, Collins put a ball deep over the left field fence for the tie. The final
Trey Collins
swing off of the day was set. Ten total pitches to determine the winner. Five pitches per person. With a victory in sight, Collins stepped into the box and unloaded on two pitches for deep homeruns to gain two points. In response, Gormley hit a few liners with not quite enough distance before rolling a ground ball to end it. Game. Collins prevailed as Viking’s Home Run Derby champion, finishing the day with a total of 11 points. Despite losing after coming so close, Gormley still had a great time. “It was good to see all of the Viking members out here playing some good baseball and having fun,” he said. For Collins, the derby might not be his last time step ping on a baseball field. After his performance, he seemed to be seeking more. “I’m thinking there might be a spot for me on the baseball team,” Collins said. Whether or not he does in fact don the green and white, Collins can go on with the knowledge that he is the Home Run Derby champion of the Viking staff.
Josie Vogel
Sophia Cummings
Trey Collins
Josie Vogel
Jake Foster Trey Collins
Hailey Callan
David Gormley
champion Roei ziv
Roei Ziv
David Gormley
David Gormley
Anika Chang
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Social Media
@thletes 3 Posts
83K Followers
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by TREY COLLINS, EMILY NEUMANN, JOSIE VOGEL and KATIE YEN In our generation, there is a growing popularity of young, aspiring athletes’ presence on social media. The creative use of these applications is creating countless door openers whether that be related to recruitment or sponsorships.
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he use and application of social media is constantly evolving, giving users access to a variety of benefits to further their own progress on and off the field. High school and collegiate athletes of Gen-Z have begun to use their social media platforms to expand their following, inspire young athletes, and increase opportunities within their sport — whether for recruitment or athletic advancement. The outsized influence that these athletes have comes with the opportunity, and responsibility, to advertise products and receive sponsorships for financial gain. Here’s a look at how social media has reshaped the collegiate sports landscape from the perspective of a select few elite NCAA athletes.
Claire Hauf, a sophomore on the Dance Dawgs spirit squad at the University of Georgia, has taken advantage of the NCAA’s recent decision to let athletes profit off of their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Hauf has partnered with Liquid IV, a beverage company, and receives monthly income from the University of Georgia. “Most athletes [at UGA] get a stipend and other sports actually get more,” Hauf said. “I think it depends on how much money the sport itself brings in for the university.” UGA implemented this program to help give student athletes a source of income because they don’t have time to work a job with their sports commitments and school work. “My sport is basically my job,” Hauf
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said. “UGA supports us because we can’t have a real one.” However, with financial endorsements comes responsibility. Hauf takes her sport more seriously now that the school she dances for is supporting her financially. “I have to always make sure I come to practice prepared and that I'm doing everything I can outside of practice to keep up my personal health and fitness,” Hauf said. She also has to be responsible about her presence on social media through her team Instagram page as well as her personal use of social media. Hauf is always conscious of how she represents the team and makes sure that while she’s out, she is aware of the photos that are being taken and posted. The Dance
@charliebates
Photo courtesy of Celeste Bates
@evelienapassmoji
Photo courtesy of Eveliena Passmoij
@clairehauf
Photo courtesy of Katherine Villiluz
Dawgs also have a team account that they use to post dance videos, game recaps, team shoots, and workouts so that they can grow their following and people can see what they do behind the scenes. “I think a lot of people don’t realize the preparation and practice that we do, so social media allows us to shed light on that a little bit more while also bringing attention to our program,” Hauf said. While being a paid athlete with a social media presence can be a big commitment, Hauf is proud of what she does and believes the new rules are certainly for the best. “I think it’s a huge step in the right direction to finally allow athletes to earn money for their name, image and likeness,” Hauf said. “It’s been a long time coming so it’s super cool to see history change while I am an athlete in college.” While not at the collegiate level, Paly junior Delaney Ball has also received sponsorships that are mostly credited to her savvy use of her instagram page. She first created her platform in 2019 to document her scootering and inspire other girls to pick up scootering. Excelling at a maledominant sport, Ball quickly gained a following and different companies began reaching out to her. She was able to pick up two sponsorships with Tilt and HellaGrip who send her gear and scooter parts that she reps in her posts. “Once I got sponsored, I started taking scootering more seriously because I realized I could actually make money off a hobby I
loved,” Ball said. Trying to grow her following even further, Ball expanded her social media presence to another platform: TikTok. The start of her new account increased her following on both platforms exponentially. She became a scooter icon, and her sponsors began flying her out to different scooter
hours every day and waking up early for workouts. Instantly she was drawn to the intricacies of the lacrosse stick, and how the stringing of a stick changed the way one catches and cradles the ball. She bought strings and began experimenting with different knots and adjustments and used Instagram to post her results and progress. Kim slowly gained recognition and younger athletes began reaching out to ask Kim if she could string their sticks. “I ended up stringing more than 100 sticks for girls around the country for free,” Kim said. “The sport of lacrosse already has many disparities for girls with lower socioeconomic status and I wanted to lessen this by providing high quality lacrosse sticks to as many people as possible.” She was excited to inspire young athletes to pick up lacrosse through her stick stringing and also help those who couldn’t afford sticks still be able to play. Through her platform, she created a network within the girls lacrosse community to inspire other girls, and grow the game of lacrosse. As Kim became more serious about her sport, she began using her account to post videos of her practices. She took video compilations of all her workouts, challenging other athletes to try her tricks. As Kim grew her following and skill, she realized her potential to play in college. Her platform became a
“It was a big step because it was the first time I was exposed to the collegiate level.” - Charlie Bates events in Chicago, Boston, and even Barcelona. “Now when I go to local skate parks, kids come up to me and ask for photos and autographs,” Ball said. “It feels good that people love what I'm doing and that I'm inspiring the younger generation to continue scootering.” Phoebe Kim, a senior at Sacred Heart Prep and
“I realized I could actually make money off a hobby I loved.” - Delaney Ball Stanford University commit, also began using social media to inspire young athletes and encourage them to begin lacrosse. Kim picked up lacrosse in 8th grade and fell in love with the sport immediately. She spent the entirety of that summer practicing for
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resource for competitive lacrosse programs and college coaches to reach out to her. When Kim began her recruiting process, many coaches began following her lacrosse and main account. “Almost all of the Division 1 programs I was seriously considering followed my social media profiles,” Kim said. “My recruiting process was heavily online based as we were in the height of COVID, so my lacrosse account was a topic that came up a lot on my zoom and phone calls with many coaches. They loved my account and wanted me to talk more about it.” Like Kim, Eveliena Pasmooji also utilized social media to help with her commitment through COVID. As a Castellija senior and New York University volleyball commit, she used social media as a media to attract attention, interact with recruiters, and ultimately commit to a stellar program. Pasmooji went through most of the recruitment process during the COVID-19 pandemic, which added another challenge to the recruiting process. Social media became one of the main ways to connect with colleges across the country. Since college coaches weren’t allowed to attend Pasmooji’s tournaments and many camps were
closed, platforms for sharing video with coaches became crucial. “YouTube became so much more important because it provided a way for coaches to see us in action even if it wasn’t live,” Pasmooji said. “All I had to do was send a link to the videos.'' Pasmooji took advantage of the new approach to recruiting by giving coaches the opportunity to see as much film as possible. “I would post highlight videos from tournaments and practices almost every week and then would send them to every college that I was talking to,” Pasmooji said. Despite the challenges that COVID presented, her passion for volleyball was stronger than the pandemic. Social media allowed Pasmooji to harness her passion for the sport and landed a commitment to New York University. While some, like Pasmooji, made extensive use of YouTube during the recruiting process, the social media of choice for Palo Alto High School sophomore Charlie Bates was Twitter. The NCAA prohibits college scouts from directly reaching out to athletes until September 1st of their junior year — which poses
a challenge for hopeful high school athletes dreaming of receiving offers. In order to get around this obstacle, Bates made use of the social media loophole. “Usually I’ll post a highlight or two from the tournament and then I’ll provide a comment under [the post] saying my stats for the games,” Bates said. By using social media as a conduit for early communication between recruiters and recruits, athletes are able to secure early verbal commitments — as Bates did to Stanford. Social media has given coaches access to scout younger and younger athletes; Bates created his Twitter handle in seventh grade. “It was a big step because it was the first time I was exposed to the collegiate level,” Bates said. Questions about the mental health challenges that come with increasingly early exposure for young athletes abound, but there’s no doubt that the next generation of great athletes will grow up with the eyes of the world upon them on social media.
"It’s been a long time coming so it’s super cool to see history change while I am an athlete in college.” - Claire Hauf
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The most exciting moment as a sports fan is seeing your favorite team win the championship in person, but sky-high ticket prices to this year’s Super Bowl is robbing fans of these memories.
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magine, after decades of heartbreak and despair, your favorite sports team finally makes it to the coveted championship game, whichever sport that may be in. The pure elation in that moment you have waited your entire life for creates anticipation and nerves like no other. The second instinct and thought that comes into your head is “I have to go.” You open up your device to go look up tickets, and all of that excitement is shot down. You realize that you won’t be able to go because of how unbelievably expensive the tickets are. This year, with the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, there are fans that have not seen their team in the coveted game since 1989. There are many fans who weren’t even alive when their team last made it to the game. With the game being in Los Angeles, it was to be expected that the tickets were going to be more expensive. But when one ticket in the nosebleeds costs the amount of money equivalent to an in-state college tuition, there is something obviously wrong. With a $4,500 ticket being the cheapest on the market and the price rising each day, there is no way for all of the most die-hard Bengals fans to make it to the game. It is unreasonable to make people pay thousands of dollars, money many don’t actually have, to see something they have been waiting decades for. For Bengals fans that have been at every home game, spent their hard earned money on s e a s o n tickets and
merchandise, and not to mention the countless hours of their free time, it is unfair to jack the ticket prices up to the point where only the ultra-wealthy sports fans are able to attend the game. A few weeks ago, 86 year-old lifelong Bengals fan Jim Lipscomb went viral for a video of him crying after his beloved team beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game to advance to the Super Bowl. After the video “blew up,” many people wanted to know if he was going to end up going to the game to see the Bengals fight for a championship, but he would not be able to go due to the insane ticket prices. Fortunately, a “GoFundMe” was created to raise money for Lipscomb and his caregiver to attend the game, and in the end they were able to raise enough money. The story is incredibly heartwarming, but at the same time pretty saddening. The fact that the only way for this lifelong Bengals fan to attend the Super Bowl that his team is playing in for the first time for decades is by the donations of kind people around the world is a disheartening reality. The question of how to go about lowering the price of tickets is something
that the NFL has struggled with for a while. The reason many of the tickets are so expensive is because the initial tickets that are bought from the league are being resold. And you can’t blame the resellers. They sell the tickets for as much as people are willing to pay for them. The problem is the people able and willing to pay for them many times aren’t the people that should be getting them. A social media influencer from LA should not be taking the place of a lifelong fan of either one of the teams playing in the Super Bowl. The answer to how to solve this problem may lie in a different football. In football, or soccer, when there is a major final that has a game played at a neutral venue, the league commissioners supply each team with a percentage of the tickets, say 30% per team, and the remaining for anybody else that would like to go to the game. At least that way, the teams themselves will be able to control ticket prices, and the fans that ultimately miss out on the game will miss out because they weren’t selected from the lottery or picking system each respective team chooses, and not because they couldn’t pay as much as other fans. This brings a level of fairness to ticket distribution that just does not exist as of now. It doesn’t have to be the solution that the NFL chooses, but there does need to be some kind of solution that is decided upon. In a world where sports are inequitable, the least that the NFL can do is give fans a level playing field when it matters the most: the biggest game of the season. @vikingsportsmag | FEBRUARY 2022 | 47
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