ONE CHOICE FOR CARE Stormont-Vail HealthCare, Cotton-O’Neil Clinics and PediatricCare
• Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center 1500 S.W. 10th Ave., (785) 354-6000 The public entrance to the Stormont-Vail Emergency and Trauma Center is just west of Eighth and Washburn. • Stormont-Vail Behavioral Health Services 3707 S.W. Sixth Ave., (785) 270-4600
Primary Care Clinics • Cotton-O’Neil Clinic 901 S.W. Garfield Ave., (785) 354-9591 • Cotton-O’Neil Clinic–Croco Road 2909 S.E. Walnut Dr., (785) 267-0744
• Cotton-O’Neil Digestive Health Center 720 S.W. Lane St., (785) 270-4850 • Cotton-O’Neil Heart Center Cardiologists, 929 S.W. Mulvane St., (785) 270-4000 Vein Center, (785) 290-VEIN Women’s Heart Clinic, (785) 270-4HER • Cotton-O’Neil Clinic Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeons 830 S.W. Mulvane St., (785) 270-8625 • Cotton-O’Neil Clinic General Surgeons 823 S.W. Mulvane St., (785) 354-9591
• Cotton-O’Neil Clinic–North 1130 N. Kansas Ave., (785) 354-1777
• Cotton-O’Neil Clinic Orthopedic Surgeons 823 S.W. Mulvane St., (785) 270-8880
• Cotton-O’Neil Clinic–Urish Road 6725 S.W. 29th St., (785) 478-1500
• Stormont-Vail ExcellENT Surgery Center 920 S.W. Lane St., (785) 231-1800
• PediatricCare 4100 S.W. 15th St., (785) 273-8224
• Jane C. Stormont Women’s Health Center 823 S.W. Mulvane St., Suite 102 (785) 354-5960
• PediatricCare–Urish Road 2860 S.W. Mission Woods Dr., Suite B (785) 273-7571
Specialty Clinics • Stormont-Vail Cancer Center 1414 S.W. Eighth Ave., (785) 354-5300 • Cotton-O’Neil Dermatology 6650 S.W. Mission Valley Dr. (785) 272-1250
• Kansas Orthopedics & Sports Medicine 909 S.W. Mulvane St., (785) 357-0301 Toll-free (800) 332-0016 • Stormont-Vail Sleep Center 920 S.W. Washburn Ave. (785) 270-8090 • Stormont-Vail WorkCare 1504 S.W. Eighth Ave., (785) 270-8605
• Cotton-O’Neil Diabetes and Endocrinology Center 3520 S.W. Sixth Ave., (785) 354-9591
• Stormont-Vail Single Day Surgery 823 S.W. Mulvane St., Suite 101 (785) 354-8737
• Diabetes Learning Center (DLC) 3520 S.W. Sixth Ave., (785) 368-0416
• Stormont-Vail WoundCare 823 S.W. Mulvane St., Lower Level (785) 368-0400
Health Services • Health Connections’ Nurse Info Line (785) 354-5225 • HealthWise 55 Clinic 2252 S.W. 10th Ave., (785) 354-6787 • Medical Arts Pharmacy 2252 S.W. 10th Ave., (785) 235-8796 • Medicare Wellness Clinic 901 S.W. Garfield, Lower Level (785) 354-6545 • Stormont-Vail Rehabilitation Services 4019 S.W. 10th Ave., Fleming Place (785) 354-6116 • Stormont-Vail MRI Center of Kansas 731 S.W. Mulvane St., (785) 354-5545
Urgent Care - Urgent care for minor illnesses and injuries. No appointment necessary.
• Cotton-O’Neil ExpressCare–North 1130 N. Kansas Ave. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Cotton-O’Neil ExpressCare–Croco Road 2909 S.E. Walnut Dr. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Cotton-O’Neil ExpressCare–Urish Road 6725 S.W. 29th St. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Go to stormontvail.org for a complete listing of all services and physicians.
Julie Snyder, RN Critical Care Stormont-Vail HealthCare is proud to be recognized as a Magnet™ organization by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
stormontvail.org
CONTRIBUTORS Publishers Braden and Tara Dimick Editor-in-Chief Tara Dimick Photographer Rachel Lock Designer David Vincent
MVP Sports Magazine welcomes the sixth grade class at Tecumseh South Elementary in the Shawnee Heights School District to the Future MVP Club. Learn more about the Future MVP Club at mvpsportsmagazine.com.
Contributing Writers Mark Elliott Jake Lebahn Darin Loewen, DDS Lisa Loewen Adam Vlach
Account Executive Tara Dimick 785.217.4836
Subscriptions 785.217.4836 or taradimick@gmail.com MVP Sports Magazine PO Box 67272 Topeka, KS 66667
MVP Magazine's photographer, Rachel Lock, was a guest presenter for Highland Park High School's journalism department on September 25. She did a hands-on photography workshop on how to set up group photos quickly and artistically in any given environment. There were 16 students in attendance who one day hope to document everything from weddings to warzones. The students in attendance were: Tori Cornwell, Isaiah Nance, Paulina Rodriguez, Yiovanna Alvarado, Brianna Stamps, Analisia Galicia, Keimara Darr, Rosa Flores, Phantasia Greene, Jesus Gallegos, Justice Wallace, Watson Samuelson, Alexus Lacy, Avae Peppers, Guliet Diaz, and Kameron Emery. Highland Park's journalism teacher, Heather Hooper, did an externship this summer with MVP Sports Magazine, which included writing and researching various stories for MVP. Thank you for the invite, Highland Park! It was a blast!
MVP Sports Magazine is published by E2 Communications, Inc. Reproduction or use of this publication in any manner without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of the information in the publication as of press time. The publisher assumes no responsibility of any part for the content of any advertisement in this publication, including any errors and omissions there in. E2 Communications, Inc. makes no endorsement, representation or warranty regarding any goods or services advertised or listed in this publication. Listings and advertisers are provided by the subject companies. E2 Communications, Inc. shall not be responsible or liable innaccuracy, omission or infringement of any third party’s right therein, or for personal injury or any other damage or injury whatsoever. By placing an order for an advertisement, the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher against any claims relating to the advertisement.
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MVP Junior Board Alec Beatty, THS Justin Bibler, WRHS Logan Bledsoe, SLHS Alex Brun, SHHS Meredith Bender, TWHS Laura Dicus, TWHS Lindsay Dunekak, THS Zach Haney, SHHS Madeline Hill, WRHS Michael Houghton, HPHS Jeremy Hurla, SHS Kylie Loewen, WRHS Kirah Lohse, HHS Mandy Madden, THS Katy Trupp, HHS Madi Wegner, SLHS Alisha White, HPHS
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Sophomore Joah Hickel
instructions for the next drill, all eyes are on him and no one talks. This is serious business and the players take it seriously.
calling out instructions like a drill sergeant. As the players kick the ball back and forth around him, working on a passing drill, he openly participates in the camaraderie, shouting encouragement when he sees a sudden burst of speed and chastising a lackadaisical response. “Go! Go!” he shouts. “Get there. Don’t let him beat you to the ball!” As he signals the end of the drill, he calls everyone into the middle of the field. “Losers, you owe me 17 pushups!” Half of the players immediately drop to the ground without argument; they knew it was coming. As he dismisses the group for a water break, he heads to the end of the field where the goalie is defending penalty kicks. Always with a ball in his hand or dribbling with his feet, he belongs on this field as much as—maybe more than—his players. As he delivers
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In his 17th season with Washburn Rural High School men’s soccer, and his 9th as head coach, Brian Hensyel knows what it takes to win. Hard work. And work hard they do. His players put in hours of conditioning, running and speed work every week working toward the goal of being in the best shape possible.
they join the brotherhood of hard work where expectations are passed down from class to class. “We don’t shy away from history,” Hensyel says. “We want them to know they are supposed to live up to all of the expectations of the people who played before them.” Those expectations can be overwhelming at times. Especially when you are ranked No. 1 in the state and trying to pull off a state championship repeat.
“If a team is going to beat us, it should never be because they played harder than us,” Hensyel says. “We want to play as hard and fast and as aggressive as we can. At the end of the day, if someone beats us when we do that, congratulations to them.”
“This year, with so many of the guys back, the expectation is that they should just do it again. It’s actually probably tougher to be the top dog than it is to be the underdog,” Hensyel says.
But Hensyel believes that if they walk off of the field having been the hardest working team, they will walk away with a win.
But being top dog in the state, Hensyel admits, doesn’t mean Washburn Rural has the luxury of taking any match up for granted.
Getting his players to buy into the hard work mantra isn’t as difficult as one might think. Most of his players have grown up watching Washburn Rural soccer. Many of them have older brothers or sisters who have played on the team. And they all really want to play. When they come in as freshmen,
“Our name may mean something to people in other cities, but the teams in Topeka aren’t really that intimidated by us because they play us every year.” Coach Hensyel knows it takes hard work to win. And his players know it as well.
(L-R) Senior Caleb Cowsert, Freshman Brayden White, Sophomore David Granada, Freshman Ross Boyd, Senior Chance Lucas
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attacking the ball. Dripping in sweat, breathing hard, he ignores the heat and the exhaustion. His mind keeps replaying coach’s words in his head, “It’s Ok to make a mistake. It’s OK to miss a shot. It’s OK to not make the best pass. But it’s NOT OK not to play hard.” So play hard he does. Washburn Rural’s high-pressure style of play has the team running all out across the field, attacking the end line and fighting for the ball at all times. At 17, Co-Captain Chance Lucas understands his role on the team. As a senior, it’s his turn to step up and make sure the younger guys are staying focused and not slacking off. The intensity of play is outmatched only by the intensity radiating from the coach on the sidelines. Screaming with enthusiasm when they leave it all on the field, yelling with disappointment when they come out flat. “Coach wants us to be the hardest working team in the state,” Chance says. “And we aim to live up to that expectation.” Playing soccer since he was four years old, Chance revels in the atmosphere of the games, the fans—that adrenaline rush. His goal of playing soccer at the next level looks pretty good, especially if Rural can pull off the repeat. From Top: Junior Austin Halsey and Freshman Ross Boyd, Ross Boyd and Senior Caleb Cowsert, Senior Walker Farrar, Senior Captain Chance Lucas
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Senior Zach Mryyan
arms folded, quietly observing the scrimmage unfolding before him. The chatter from the young men as they call for a pass or rush to block a passing lane is met with a wave of his hand or a simple nod of the head. “Come on!” “Good touch.” “Finish it now.” “Head it in.” Cheers go up as the ball gets past the goalie. From the sidelines, he waves it off. “No Goal. Off sides.” “What?” comes the instant retort from the player who was just robbed of a goal. “You heard me. Keep playing.” Coach Klaus Kreutzer calmly walks up and down the sideline, acting as referee and traffic cop. Every now and then a soft-spoken “Nice pass,” or “Good idea,” reaches the ears of players running by. He never really yells. But he does get uptight if players aren’t giving their all. It’s 88 degrees on a windy afternoon, and after more than an hour of practice, Hayden’s soccer team is still
going strong. The players understand that they earn their playing time on the practice field. For Coach Kreutzer, you work hard or you don’t play. “Two kinds of kids come to practice: Those who want to know when practice is over so they can go do something else, and those who want to get better.” Learning to play under intense pressure during practice helps those who want to improve perform better in games. His philosophy is that even if his team doesn’t have as much talent as their opponent, they should always outwork them. Success is about effort, not about winning. For that reason, he expects his team to play with the same intensity every time they take the field, regardless of the opponent. “No matter what team you go up against, you play hard to show respect for yourself and respect for the other team,” he tells the boys. After a tough loss to league rival Washburn Rural, Kreutzer wasn’t disappointed. In fact, he was the happiest he had been with his team all season because of how hard they
left everything on the field. “I told the boys, ‘you have nothing to hang your head about; you gave it everything you’ve got.’” Growing up in Germany, Kreutzer played soccer but never really had a formal coach. “I had no clue what I was doing when I started coaching,” he chuckles. Now, after 13 years of coaching Hayden soccer, Kreutzer says he is still learning by watching other coaches and watching professional soccer. His coaching style is simply to treat his players like his own kids. “I make sure they know my expectations and what happens if they don’t give the level of effort I expect on the field,” he says. Understanding those expectations makes dealing with parents a little easier as well. “If I have parents come to me asking why their kid isn’t getting more playing time, all I say is ‘ask your son, because he knows why.”’ For Coach Kreutzer, you play hard or you don’t play.
(L-R) Coach Klaus Kreutzer, Senior Edwin Martinez, Senior Ryan Kinman
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calling out instructions and keeping his fellow players focused. He understands that as a senior it’s his job to manage the players on the field. To give advice. To be where Coach can’t be—on the field during the game. “Coach’s job is on the practice field. My job is out on the field on game day.” Senior Jacob Keck, 18, takes his role as team captain seriously. As a member of the Hayden soccer team for the past four years, he feels comfortable in this leadership role. “I’ve played this game so long, I love everything about it,” he says. “I love how simple it is, yet the game is so challenging at the same time. It is almost like chess. One mistake can cost you the game.” Fortunately, Jacob and the rest of the team understand that mistakes are not the end of the world to Coach Kreutzer as long as those mistakes aren’t a result of lack of effort. “Coach has a laid-back personality,” Jacob says. “As long as we do our best, he will give us the benefit of the doubt. If we aren’t playing well, as long as we are playing hard, he is good with that.” For Jacob, and the rest of the team, Coach Kreutzer is a role model both on the field and off. “He is just a good man overall—a really good example of what I want to be when I grow up.” Jacob says. “He’s a super nice guy, yet he is very goaloriented, and you can tell he works hard for everything he does in life. I really love that about him.”
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From Top: Senior Nick Smith, Senior Ryan Spellman, Senior Ryan Anderson, Senior Captain Jacob Keck
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n the late afternoon on a crisp Fall day, a director of special education, an employee from Jetz Service Co. laundry service, an employee from the Kansas Lottery, a civil engineer, and the Director of Shawnee County Parks and Rec pile into a green minivan in North Topeka. They hit the highway and begin their forty-minute journey to a small town in Atchison County. They are heading to a Friday night high school football game—not to watch it, but to officiate it. As the van pulls out of the parking lot, conversation jumps to sports. Some of the referees officiate more than football, including umpiring for Division I college baseball. There is talk of baseball stats and records, and a sharing of one another’s recent experiences in umpiring. The discussion turns to football when one of the men recounts a scenario from a recent game. He explains the situation and his uncertainty as to the call he made. He soon gets his answer when one of the other men pulls out a thick laminated binder full of high school football rules. The size of the binder might make one think it would take forever to sift through to find the rule for the very unique call in question, but this man, who also officiates MIAA college football, flips right to the page and reads aloud the answer to the riddle. With that issue resolved, the referees begin reminiscing. One of the refs once wore sandwich bags over his feet to keep them dry during a game in which
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it was raining heavily. Though his colleagues give him a hard time, they do admit he was the only one to finish the game with dry feet. Another tells a story in which he disallowed a player from returning to the game after suffering an injury that seemed to be a concussion. The ref told the coach and the father of the player, both who were arguing to let the young man return, that unless he received a doctor’s note, the player could no longer participate in the game. When it was discovered that no doctor was present, the father of the injured player asked the ref if a veterinarian could evaluate his son. This draws great laughter from the whole crew in the van. The van rolls into the parking lot of the high school. The athletic director of the home team meets the referees and ushers them into the school and into a small, stuffy nurse’s office with no chairs. They make do and begin to suit up in their black and white. After all of the referees are suited up, they go over the rules as a precaution. They decide matters such as who will place the ball after a play is over, who blows the “down” whistle in which situations, where to line up for kick off, and where to throw the penalty flag if an on-sides kick goes out of bounds. All the while the men have what looks like a plastic rolling pin that they roll across the muscles of their legs to warm up. Once everyone is on the same page, the referees head out to the field.
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Stepping out of the school hallway, a cool breeze hits their faces and relieves them of the stuffy indoor atmosphere. They cross the pavement, through the gate, and onto the grass. They talk to each of the coaches, reassuring that the rules are clearly understood and asking for a guarantee of good sportsmanship. Once this is finished, the captains of each team meet with the refs for the coin toss. The crew has been working together for a long time, and it is evident as they need few words to communicate. The game goes smoothly until the beginning of the second quarter when lightning is spotted. A rain delay is called and the players return to the locker room. The referees are shown to a large maintenance shed with one working light and no chairs. The next hour is spent watching the lightning meter, examining the giant tools on the shelves, listening to the hip-hop blaring from the locker room next door, and even singing “O Canada.” Finally, an hour and a half after the delay began, the coaches and referees deem it safe to play. To make up for lost time the remainder of the game is played with a running clock. As soon as time expires, the third team heads straight back to their “office.” A special thanks to Linesman John Knight, Referee Greg Harmon, Back Judge Kevin Raine, Umpire Mike Stock, and Line Judge Scott Schenk for the opportunity to share a behind-the-scenes experience of the third team on the football field.
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November 2013 MVPSportsMagazine.com
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Coach Talk With Mark Elliott
Mark Elliott WIBW 580 AM SportsTalk Silver Lake High School Graduate ELLIOTT: 2012, first ever playoff win in Topeka High history. This program has come a long way. What did it mean to Topeka High? HASENBANK: The pride that people have in this school is just amazing. The fun part of coaching is motivating those kids and seeing them start from an infancy stage and bloom to become mature—learning how to win and learning how to maintain it. Kids from the last couple of years come
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Mark Elliott talks with Rod Hasenbank, Topeka High School’s Athletic Director, Football Defensive Coordinator, Track & Field Head Coach about Topeka High Athletics and the USD 501 Sports Audit. back and are proud of what we have done. ELLIOTT: Even bigger maybe, would be the state championship in track and field last year. You have state championships for track and field at the other schools you coached as well, Marysville and Mission Valley. HASENBANK: It has really been a program that had not seen the success that it really should have, in my opinion. A lot of people do not realize that this is the fifth state title
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we have won. However, the last one was in 1973, and Clardy Vincent was coaching at that time. I think people around our school and even on our team did not see it coming. We were only fourth in the league, but we did not have the numbers compared to Manhattan High, Washburn Rural, Shawnee Heights and Seaman. So our points were more quality points than quantity points. When we got to regionals and took second, I knew going into that state track meet that we could bring home hardware. Sure enough our goal was to make it into the finals that first day, and everyone pretty much made it in. We took seven kids down, six of them placed.
He did not leave a stone unturned, he talked to everyone. Right now, I just feel like we have a voice; we have someone starting to take a lead on things, someone able to present to the board concrete information. And now it is in our hands with what we are going to do about it. ELLIOTT: If you go back to the 70’s and 80’s, Topeka West, Topeka High, Highland Park, those three schools were at the top of the league they were in. Phil’s report shows Topeka High as number eight, Highland Park as number nine and Topeka West as number ten out of the ten teams in the Centennial League.
ELLIOTT: Earlier this summer, Phil Laurie did the 501 audit, looking into athletics in middle schools and high schools. What is the main thing you took away from the audit of 501 sports?
He pointed back in his reports to the 70’s and 80’s where middle schools deemphasized the importance of athletics and activities. Because of this there is no direct path for students from middle school to high school. How does that work for coaches when they do not know who is coming from middle school?
HASENBANK: Phil came in and looked at the situation.
HASENBANK: For the most part, we know our kids
are probably coming from Robinson or Jardine. We cannot control if they are coming from Eisenhower, French, Landon or wherever. So for our coaches they really do a great job of focusing on what we have here and to develop the kids when they walk in our doors. Yeah, we feel like we are a little behind in fundamentals, but the coaches cannot control that. Ken Darting gets around to the schools and watches, and that is great. But, a lot of coaches are afraid to do that because they are all of a sudden accused of recruiting. Also, they do not want to take time away from their current kids because they do not know which of those kids is coming. ELLIOTT: There are six middle schools, Chase, Eisenhower, French, Jardine, Landon and Robinson and they only play each other. HASENBANK: Correct.
ELLIOTT: They have talked about a Centennial League for middle schools, but 501 did not participate in that. HASENBANK: Correct. That is a decision that was made long ago, before I got here. From an athletic director and a competitive coach, it hurts our program as much as anything right now. Our kids are not seeing what it takes to compete at our league level. ELLIOTT: Do you think there is going to be a time where the boundaries are strict? HASENBANK: I do think there will be a time where that is going to come. Right now it just has not been talked about much. ELLIOTT: At the same time, one of the other challenges is that there are so many transfers within the same three high schools it makes it difficult to develop a consistent team. Do you think that will be changed?
HASENBANK: It could and the High School Activities Association makes those rules for all the high schools and all the middle schools. With a true transfer, one that does not make a physical move but they choose to go to another school for other reasons, the best thing we have to follow is what we call PLE, Partial Limited Eligibility. PLE limits you to non-Varsity for 18 weeks if you were on a roster that previous year. So, they are not going to get an immediate benefit. They are still going to have to wait their turn so they can earn their way. ELLIOTT: Yeah well Topeka High is 6A, Topeka West 5A, Highland Park was dropped down to 4A, now it is back to 5A again but, you are bigger, you have more students. Are you controlled by what the other 501 schools are doing in athletics and activities?
HASENBANK: We are much larger and with different kids and different issues. I guarantee Topeka West and Highland Park have different issues as well. So, sometimes I think we worry about keeping everything equal all the time instead of equitable. ELLIOTT: It is clear that Hayden, Washburn Rural, Shawnee Heights, and Seaman kids probably do way more of the summer clubs and all of that. But one thing that the High School Activities Association has changed is allowing more involvement by the high school coaches during the summer. Has that been a benefit for Topeka High? HASENBANK: Absolutely. Our kids may not have the opportunity to go out and play competitive ball all over the country, but we can now at least work with them and they have a greater chance of success. Not just in athletics, but success in life
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because they are around good role models and mentors. From what I hear from other ADs in the league, I think everyone is handling it very well, and that it has been really beneficial. There are some differences between schools, but that rule has closed the gap a little bit in my opinion. ELLIOTT: Now that the athletic directors and the school district administration has reviewed the audit, so now, how long before changes start happening. HASENBANK: Nothing is going to happen over night, we all know that. But, if we can start making some strides towards some of our issues that Phil pointed out then that is a good thing. I tell my team to worry about the kids they have, worry about the coaches they have, worry about what they can control. If we do that—put all of our efforts into them and be positive, good things are going to happen. We may not catch the rankings of all the schools from the Centennial
league but we are going to close that gap. So at least control what you can control. That is what we have done with football. It is what we are trying to do with track. ELLIOTT: My mom was a Topeka High alumni and she loves this school. I was here for a year or so teaching and I think this is an incredible school. HASENBANK: It is. We often call it a Microcosm of society. You have everything right here, and our kids are so accepting of everyone. There are so many types of kids and it is a really welcoming place. ELLIOTT: Well we appreciate you taking the time. Continue in your success here at Topeka High. HASENBANK: Thank you, I appreciate it and I appreciate all of your support and all that MVP does.
School Feeder System Based on the established boundaries
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USD 501 Sports Audit Completed by Phil Laurie Recommendations: • Form a strict attendance area for each school and do its best to enforce those boundaries. • Treat people with more respect that attend sporting events. • At the middle school level they include: • Add soccer and cross country. • Focus on good sportsmanship and competitive spirit. • At the high school level they include: • Boost recruiting efforts. • Make it harder to switch schools. • Offer the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. • Find funding for inner city schools to provide students playing outside of high school athletics. • More training for coaches. • High school coaches and middle school coaches to work together. • Fundraise.
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Q: I JUST GOT MY BRACES OFF—CAN I BLEACH MY TEETH? Bleaching is not recommended for A: kids under the age of 16. Because the tooth enamel has not completely matured at this age, it could result in excessive sensitivity, and in extreme cases, possible nerve damage. Older teens interested in whitening their teeth, should discuss options with their dentist. Many overthe-counter products provide reasonable results with minimal risk of sensitivity.
Q: WHY DO I HAVE BAD BREATH? the absence of underlying medical A: Inconditions and/or medication, the majority of bad breath is caused by poor oral hygiene. Food particles left on and in between the teeth rots and stinks. To prevent this, you need to brush and floss your teeth thoroughly after every meal. In addition, you need to brush your tongue. If brushing your tongue causes you to gag, many products exist (scrapers, small brushes, etc.) to help you clean your tongue. Mouthwash can help by killing some of the bacteria, but if your mouth is not clean, you are merely masking the underlying odor.
DO DENTIST ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS WHEN Q: WHY THEY HAVE THEIR HANDS IN OUR MOUTHS? we think it’s funny to listen to A: Because you try to talk with our hands in your
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mouth. No, seriously, when you are sitting in the dental chair, we enjoy catching up with what is happening in your life. Sometimes we get caught up in the conversation and forget that we have your mouth full of mirrors, drills, gauze, and yes, our hands.
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Sarah vicory Year: Freshman College:: washburn University High School:: washburn rural High School LEBAHN: Take me through the recruiting process. VICORY: I got letters from universities, and the ones that I was really interested in I would send information to. You also have to send a lot of emails to coaches, and fill out questionnaires and send them everywhere. LEBAHN: I went on a lot of visits and every visit I went to I loved it and I was like “that’s where I want to go” and then I’d go to another school and it was “THAT’S where I want to go,” so when it came down to the final couple schools what was the hardest part about deciding on Washburn? VICORY: I went to probably six or seven visits. I’ve known since the beginning that I wanted to do physical therapy, so I had to make sure it was a school that had the PTA program. Washburn
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felt like home to me. My dad went to school here, so I’ve grown up on campus, coming to basketball and volleyball games. LEBAHN: Any advice you’d give to a senior volleyball player about the recruiting process? VICORY: Just put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid. Send emails. Send videos. Try to be seen by everyone. LEBAHN: Now the actual aspect of the sport, what is the biggest difference between high school volleyball and college volleyball? VICORY: You have to be a lot quicker. The game goes at a lot faster paced. You need to get up on your block, get off in transition and make sure you’re available so you can open up your other hitters as well. You need to make sure
MVPSportsMagazine.com November 2013
you remember where you need to be and what you need to do, and do it fast. LEBAHN: Are practices any different? VICORY: Practices are more intense. You have to try to do your best every day. Bordewick had very intense practices too, so he really got me prepared for Washburn and the intensity of Coach Herron. LEBAHN: How is the school aspect of things with college athletics? VICORY: School’s been kind of difficult because we are gone all the time, and I don’t have much free time at all. I spend my time either eating, sleeping, playing volleyball, studying, or in the classroom. I just have to really make sure I balance my time.
WASHBURN UNIVERSITY HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH
CHRIS HERRON LEBAHN: How has Sarah handled the transition from playing as a high school senior to playing as a middle hitter for Washburn University? HERRON: Well each kid goes through some growing pains as a freshman. In our conference, each night you play with the understanding that anybody can get you at any time unless you are locked in. Sarah was fortunate to be in a great high school program, and she got to play in a high level club program. But even in high school and club, there are matches where you can just kind of take off and still be successful. You cannot do that here. We do not even allow you to do that during a practice session, we want you to think that every point and every match is a battle because it kind of is. I think that is where Sarah has excelled—she has taken that to heart. She values every opportunity she can get, even in the practice situation. That is what has made her successful.
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