For this week, enjoy some of Timmy's finest moments. The season finale of Epic Video will drop next week.
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Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Slidesow
Yes, I spelled slideshow wrong, but I'll just leave it as that for now, or maybe forever.
Here is the much anticipated Class of 2011 slideshow from the graduation dinner.
Here is the much anticipated Class of 2011 slideshow from the graduation dinner.
Friday, June 24, 2011
So excited for Saturday...
So in case you haven't seen this...And most likely you haven't, the United States men's soccer team beat Panama 1-0 in the semifinals of the Gold Cup earlier this week.
Beautiful goal, take a look. Watch the setup by Freddy Adu to Landon Donovan. He makes this play happen -- just a picture perfect pass.
Here is a live view from someone in the stands.
The finals are Saturday night at 6 p.m. against Mexico. You can watch on Telemundo. Ch. 14 on regular TV, and then whatever Telemundo is on your cable system. Ch. 11 I think?
Beautiful goal, take a look. Watch the setup by Freddy Adu to Landon Donovan. He makes this play happen -- just a picture perfect pass.
Here is a live view from someone in the stands.
The finals are Saturday night at 6 p.m. against Mexico. You can watch on Telemundo. Ch. 14 on regular TV, and then whatever Telemundo is on your cable system. Ch. 11 I think?
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Hi, I'm Precious
Precious Listana, one of the girls from DeMarillac that played for St. Mary's this season, reflects on how it felt to be an outsider coming in to St. Mary's.
By Precious Listana
Coming from a different school and joining St. Mary’s Athletics isn't the typical sports team you receive in your school. Being one of the "noobies" in volleyball and basketball meant that I had to work extra hard.
Coaches like Heather and Thomas made my volleyball experience challenging, but also amazing at the same time. After every practice, I’d arrive at my house with sweat on my face knowing how this practice would improve the team and bring myself to a higher standard.
I thought that the St. Mary’s girls would be snobby and stuck-up, but Marissa, Serina and Catharine were far from that. They were welcoming, funny and dedicated to volleyball. I couldn’t ask for better teammates because I received the best.
The rest of us from De Marillac learned quickly we would need to suck it up and be at their level if we wanted to win. I will never forget the crabs and bunny hops we did for punishment or for fun so coaches could see us suffer.
The hardest part of volleyball for me was losing. I remembered how every loss impacted all of us in some way and it would make our days "down". But in every game, there is a winner and a loser; we just needed to decide which side we were. In the end, I can recall that I had one of the best volleyball experiences because we gave the best they had, and did the same for basketball.
Although basketball is much more intense than volleyball, because every stupid shot you choose to take also comes a yelling from Bryan. Since this was the first team I was on since 5th grade, I guess I was below a rookie, maybe a noob in a basketball team. With the very first game against St. John’s, I realized the skills I learned in basketball wouldn’t mean anything if I wouldn’t learn to be a teammate. I felt like every time I got the ball, it was a game of hot potato where I needed to pass the ball back to my teammate.
I lacked confidence, but with the help of all of my coaches and teammates, I built confidence and learned that passing is not the only option, but shooting was too.
I would make those layups and out of nowhere and even received the nickname Kareem from the guys. I guess St. Mary’s not only helped me with athletics, but also opened up new friendships.
Without James and Bryan, we wouldn't have become the successful team we were. So we didn’t make to championships, but from what I learned, there is always a winner and a loser. We weren't the losers, but the winners because we managed to become a team even though we had players that went to four different schools.
We weren’t just teammates, but we became great friends. Like what Beverlyn said before, we're the "amazing seven" and nothing will ever change what our team has.
I envy that the St. Mary’s sports program has their own BlogSpot, and Timmy's Corner bit. I will remember the jokes Bryan tells in epic video and the stupid things he would make people do, especially in Timmy’s Corner.
For example, the time I remember the most is when he told Timmy to tell Marissa he had a crush on her. I really think the blog and Epic Videos bring everyone in the sports program together.
Lastly, I just want to thank the St. Mary’s sports program for letting De Marillac kids play. Without that opportunity, there wouldn’t be sports in our school.
I’m grateful and will cherish the experiences forever.
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| Precious won the 2011 Girls Basketball Hustle Player of the Year Award |
Coming from a different school and joining St. Mary’s Athletics isn't the typical sports team you receive in your school. Being one of the "noobies" in volleyball and basketball meant that I had to work extra hard.
Coaches like Heather and Thomas made my volleyball experience challenging, but also amazing at the same time. After every practice, I’d arrive at my house with sweat on my face knowing how this practice would improve the team and bring myself to a higher standard.
I thought that the St. Mary’s girls would be snobby and stuck-up, but Marissa, Serina and Catharine were far from that. They were welcoming, funny and dedicated to volleyball. I couldn’t ask for better teammates because I received the best.
The rest of us from De Marillac learned quickly we would need to suck it up and be at their level if we wanted to win. I will never forget the crabs and bunny hops we did for punishment or for fun so coaches could see us suffer.
The hardest part of volleyball for me was losing. I remembered how every loss impacted all of us in some way and it would make our days "down". But in every game, there is a winner and a loser; we just needed to decide which side we were. In the end, I can recall that I had one of the best volleyball experiences because we gave the best they had, and did the same for basketball.
Although basketball is much more intense than volleyball, because every stupid shot you choose to take also comes a yelling from Bryan. Since this was the first team I was on since 5th grade, I guess I was below a rookie, maybe a noob in a basketball team. With the very first game against St. John’s, I realized the skills I learned in basketball wouldn’t mean anything if I wouldn’t learn to be a teammate. I felt like every time I got the ball, it was a game of hot potato where I needed to pass the ball back to my teammate.
I lacked confidence, but with the help of all of my coaches and teammates, I built confidence and learned that passing is not the only option, but shooting was too.
I would make those layups and out of nowhere and even received the nickname Kareem from the guys. I guess St. Mary’s not only helped me with athletics, but also opened up new friendships.
Without James and Bryan, we wouldn't have become the successful team we were. So we didn’t make to championships, but from what I learned, there is always a winner and a loser. We weren't the losers, but the winners because we managed to become a team even though we had players that went to four different schools.
We weren’t just teammates, but we became great friends. Like what Beverlyn said before, we're the "amazing seven" and nothing will ever change what our team has.
I envy that the St. Mary’s sports program has their own BlogSpot, and Timmy's Corner bit. I will remember the jokes Bryan tells in epic video and the stupid things he would make people do, especially in Timmy’s Corner.
For example, the time I remember the most is when he told Timmy to tell Marissa he had a crush on her. I really think the blog and Epic Videos bring everyone in the sports program together.
Lastly, I just want to thank the St. Mary’s sports program for letting De Marillac kids play. Without that opportunity, there wouldn’t be sports in our school.
I’m grateful and will cherish the experiences forever.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day
And we would like to thank all the fathers out there for participating on this Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to my own Faja.
In case you missed it a few years ago, I recounted one of my more memorable stories with my father.
So I will re-rack that story right here.
As I was thinking about what story I could share about my Dad, two came to mine. One is way too graphic and disgusting to share so you will have to ask me in person about that one, but this one I will put on the blog is rated PG.
I live by Lawton in the Sunset and that's where I learned how to play sports, when I trained to become a beast.
I used to shoot hoops and play catch with my Dad almost every Sunday while I was growing up. He taught me how to ride a bike and most importantly, how to shower.
But one of the sports memories that I recall most is when he used to pitch to me. We would play with soft baseballs and he would just throw ball after ball, and I'd keep hitting and hitting. He would have to chase all the balls down.
It didn't occur to me how tiring it was then, but my Dad and I played 1-on-1 baseball.
One time, my Dad threw a fastball and I connected, and with a beautiful swing, the ball shot right back towards my Dad and pegged him right in the nose. He went down in a heap and started to bleed. There were cubes of blood coming out of his nostrils.
He was okay, but like most, if not all Dads, he did a lot for me and still does and has contributed to the person I am today.
And of course, I had to make sure my Faja knew for sure that I wished him a Happy Father's Day. Take a look!
In case you missed it a few years ago, I recounted one of my more memorable stories with my father.
So I will re-rack that story right here.
As I was thinking about what story I could share about my Dad, two came to mine. One is way too graphic and disgusting to share so you will have to ask me in person about that one, but this one I will put on the blog is rated PG.
I live by Lawton in the Sunset and that's where I learned how to play sports, when I trained to become a beast.
I used to shoot hoops and play catch with my Dad almost every Sunday while I was growing up. He taught me how to ride a bike and most importantly, how to shower.
But one of the sports memories that I recall most is when he used to pitch to me. We would play with soft baseballs and he would just throw ball after ball, and I'd keep hitting and hitting. He would have to chase all the balls down.
It didn't occur to me how tiring it was then, but my Dad and I played 1-on-1 baseball.
One time, my Dad threw a fastball and I connected, and with a beautiful swing, the ball shot right back towards my Dad and pegged him right in the nose. He went down in a heap and started to bleed. There were cubes of blood coming out of his nostrils.
He was okay, but like most, if not all Dads, he did a lot for me and still does and has contributed to the person I am today.
And of course, I had to make sure my Faja knew for sure that I wished him a Happy Father's Day. Take a look!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
My Turn: Michael Ng Says Goodbye
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| Michael Ng in his leg of the All-Star Sunday Cup |
When I started playing basketball at age 9 in 4th grade, I had no hope to be good at basketball, because I did not know you had to run a lot, practice and share the ball. But when Mr. Copeland, Bryan Cheung, James Chiu, Patty Fung, Vinette Ly and John Wang came into my life, it was a whole different story.
Sure you often see me out of breath when I am running laps, but at least I learn every time if I do run out of breath, I try harder to push myself to the limit.
Often when the coach of your team is making you run lots of laps, you think that they are crazy or this is punishment, but really, they are helping you. If they didn't make you run during practices, you couldn’t keep up in a game.
That is what I learned from my years in St. Mary’s Athletics. Sure, Bryan gets really mad if you don't dribble the ball right, shoot accurately or in my case, not box out on rebounds. But think about it, he is just helping you improve on your game.
He coached me in some games and believe me he is scary if you do something dumb, like miss a wide open lay-up or travel. But one thing he does after the game is respect us and really talk to us about how we lost and what we should improve upon.
Bryan has been my athletic director since I was in 5th grade and look what he has brought to St. Mary’s: volleyball, baseball, soccer, and he’s done all of that in only four years!
He came up with a crazy idea called Epic Video and Timmy’s Corner. Each Tuesday I looked forward to Timmy’s corner because each week Timmy always did something funny or dumb and I would have a good laugh!
When I was in 7th grade, our coaches were James Chiu, John Wang, and last but not least, Vinette Ly. I thought we were going to have a good time because I knew that girl coaches don't yell as much and James coached the 5th grade and will be a little easy on us but sadly now, each time the Red Team fools around in practice or talks while the coach is talking, we get yelled at by Vinnete and James.
One thing about James is he makes you run a lot for missed lay ups, fooling around in practice, and also games that we lost. But one thing that I will most remember about him is that he is always trying to improve basketball skills for us.
This year, John Wang coached the 8th grade white team and the replacement was Patty Fung. The moment we heard this, the whole team was like “Uh-oh, one more person to yell at us,” but as we came to the conclusion, Patty is a fun coach to hang around with and Patty is always trying to find or make ways to improve our game.
Last but not least, I will always remember the parents who always drive me to games, most of them do not even live in San Francisco but they use their time to take me to a game and take me back home after, right Mrs. and Mr.Yu, Mrs. and Mr. Lee, Bryan Cheung, James Chiu?
I will never forget the bittersweet memories I had when I was at the St. Mary’s Athletics program.
I will never forget how the coaches and parents have been so helpful throughout the year thank you and goodbye!
That is what I learned from my years in St. Mary’s Athletics. Sure, Bryan gets really mad if you don't dribble the ball right, shoot accurately or in my case, not box out on rebounds. But think about it, he is just helping you improve on your game.
He coached me in some games and believe me he is scary if you do something dumb, like miss a wide open lay-up or travel. But one thing he does after the game is respect us and really talk to us about how we lost and what we should improve upon.
Bryan has been my athletic director since I was in 5th grade and look what he has brought to St. Mary’s: volleyball, baseball, soccer, and he’s done all of that in only four years!
He came up with a crazy idea called Epic Video and Timmy’s Corner. Each Tuesday I looked forward to Timmy’s corner because each week Timmy always did something funny or dumb and I would have a good laugh!
When I was in 7th grade, our coaches were James Chiu, John Wang, and last but not least, Vinette Ly. I thought we were going to have a good time because I knew that girl coaches don't yell as much and James coached the 5th grade and will be a little easy on us but sadly now, each time the Red Team fools around in practice or talks while the coach is talking, we get yelled at by Vinnete and James.
One thing about James is he makes you run a lot for missed lay ups, fooling around in practice, and also games that we lost. But one thing that I will most remember about him is that he is always trying to improve basketball skills for us.
This year, John Wang coached the 8th grade white team and the replacement was Patty Fung. The moment we heard this, the whole team was like “Uh-oh, one more person to yell at us,” but as we came to the conclusion, Patty is a fun coach to hang around with and Patty is always trying to find or make ways to improve our game.
Last but not least, I will always remember the parents who always drive me to games, most of them do not even live in San Francisco but they use their time to take me to a game and take me back home after, right Mrs. and Mr.Yu, Mrs. and Mr. Lee, Bryan Cheung, James Chiu?
I will never forget the bittersweet memories I had when I was at the St. Mary’s Athletics program.
I will never forget how the coaches and parents have been so helpful throughout the year thank you and goodbye!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Epic Video on a Thursday?
Yes, Epic Video on a Thursday.
And there's still two more to go. So all 12 of you who still visit the blog over the summer can enjoy. If you missed anything on the blog, including Epic Video #27, be sure to scroll down and get it all in, because this blog will be constantly updated even during the break. You will never, ever be bored...again.
And there's still two more to go. So all 12 of you who still visit the blog over the summer can enjoy. If you missed anything on the blog, including Epic Video #27, be sure to scroll down and get it all in, because this blog will be constantly updated even during the break. You will never, ever be bored...again.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Stanley Cup Game 7 TONIGHT!!!!
Tonight, either the Boston Bruins or Vancouver Canucks will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup at center ice following Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals tonight in Vancouver.
The puck drops at 5 p.m. on NBC. Ch. 3 or Ch. 11 - be sure to check it out, it doesn't get any bigger or better than this for a hockey fan.
Which begs the question how many of you will actually tune in?
You won't be disappointed if you are a sports fan as both of these teams will in all likelihood lay it all out on the line because there is no tomorrow.
One team is going to be devastated and one team will bask in the euphoria of a championship.
Who to root for?
Depends how you look at it.
As a Sharks fan, do you want to see Vancouver lose, because you are bitter, or do you want to see them win, so you can say the Sharks lost to the best?
From a pure individual standpoint, there are a lot more players on Vancouver that play "dirty" and are not very likeable. If that's the case, then you root for Boston.
My Prediction: Canucks win 3-1.
It'll be an exciting night of hockey, and I'll be glued to my TV. Hope you are too as history will be made...tonight.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Epic Video Tuesdays
Epic Video is back...Another Epic Video this week will look at the Graduation Dance as well as other bits that didn't make the cut will be released hopefully Thursday.
NOTE: If anybody can tell me the song that is playing in the background when Timmy is talking, please let me know, I want to download that legally.
Next week, we go on location for Epic Video and then we wrap up Epic Video the week after that.
Can you handle the epicness?
Briefly: Happy Birthday to Tiffy.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Catharine says goodbye
I remember in 3rd grade when we first got our basketball forms, and the girls would ask each other if they would join.
The answer would always be, “I don’t know, are you going to?” The answer remained the same until Bryan first came into our room in 5th grade.
I was wondering, “Who is this guy?” I didn’t know until later, that “this guy” was going to be our athletic director til I would graduate.
When I first joined basketball in 5th grade, one of my former teammates asked me to join because the team needed one more player to start having practices. When I went to the first practice, I kept wondering what we would do. I thought what we did was not what I saw on the NBA, but I didn’t know that the NBA was completely different from what we were doing.
We started practicing with Tim, our first coach. We kept practicing, and we began to get used to playing basketball. Our record in 5th grade year was 3-5. Now, I think back, and wonder, if we had started playing basketball in 3rd grade instead of 5th grade, would we have been better players? We wouldn’t know, because we didn’t take the chance.
In 6th grade, Bryan gave us the chance to join volleyball. I actually had an interest in playing volleyball, but I didn’t join. Why? Because I was scared that the ball was going to hit me or I would get injured or whatever. I just made excuses not to join. I did the same in 7th grade. Looking back, if I had joined volleyball, I would have tried my best to improve more so that this year, in 8th grade, I could have at least contributed more in games. But I really am thankful for playing this year. It was fun, and I made some new friends from DeMarillac. We ended our first year in volleyball 3-5.
Our second year of basketball, I remember Bryan coming in our class asking for more girls to play. One girl had joined, but quit in the middle of the season. That really disappointed me because she improved so much from when she had began playing basketball. And, that year, Tim was not our coach anymore. Tiffanie, Marissa’s sister, was our coach, and Freddy was our assistant coach. In our 6th grade year, our record was 5-3. I remember making my first two points in the last game of the 6th grade season before playoffs and we won our playoff game 18-8. And then we won our championship 13-12 against OLP. Can you believe that? It was our second year playing basketball, and we won our championship by ONE point. That was one of the most AMAZING days of my life so far, and I will never forget it.
In 7th grade, one of our usual teammates, who had played for two years, didn’t join. This put more stress for Bryan, and for us. Bryan spent his own time looking for another girl who would play on the team for us. Then, we found a girl who was a grade lower than us from Cornerstone, who attended Chinese school, to play with us. This year, Freddy was not our assistant coach anymore. James became our awesome coach, Tiffanie became our assistant coach, and we also had Lin Pei as our other assistant coach. We ended our season 6-2; in the playoffs, we beat OLP 27-12. In the championships, we beat NDV 22-10. I think that day was also completely AMAZING, and I’ll never forget it. That day, we made history, having won two championships in a row. Some teams dream of having just one championship, but we had TWO.
This year, our last and final year of St. Mary’s girl’s basketball, we had two more players than last year. They were from DMA (DeMarillac). In CYO, we had jumped TWO divisions from when we had started playing basketball. We were in division four. I was so excited this year to play. There was so much pressure on us, just because we had two championships in a row, did that mean we needed another one? Did people really expect us to have a three-peat? Although I’m sure that would have made everyone happy, it did not happen. We ended our season 5-3. Our playoff was on Friday, May 13, 2011. We were so excited, yet so nervous. We played against St. Brigid, who we beat in the regular season, but that didn’t mean that we would beat them in the playoffs. In fact, we lost, 27-20. But, after all we have done, we have reached this far.
I really want to thank the St. Mary’s Class of 2011 girls basketball and volleyball teams, especially my teammates, for playing with me through all this time. And, also, I want to thank Bryan, James, Tiffanie, Heather, Thomas, and my other former coaches for coaching us. I really appreciate how much time and effort you spent on us.
And now, after graduation, I just want to say that I love the Class of 2011 & our teams. :]
Girls All-Star Sunday Library
So little by little, videos from All-Star Sunday will come trickling in as the days go by.
For your entertainment, enjoy the bits and pieces of highlights from the Girls Young Stars Game, which took place over a month ago.
How time flies...
For your entertainment, enjoy the bits and pieces of highlights from the Girls Young Stars Game, which took place over a month ago.
How time flies...
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Miles and Marissa win pentathlon
It was St. Mary's day at the annual CYO Track and Field meet when only St. Mary's athletes showed up for the 8th grade pentathlon.
Miles took first place in four of the five events, the 100 meter dash, 400 meter dash, long jump and high jump. Mark won the softball toss.
Marissa had a clean sweep and won all five events.
Jeremy took second in the overall competition, followed by Justin, Mark and Calson. Michael Fong and Gavin Chan tied for sixth place.
Serina came in second for the girls.
Hartman was the only 7th grader to show up for the meet, Brandon Tom and Justin for the 6th grade and Fiona for the 5th grade.
More results later tonight.
Miles took first place in four of the five events, the 100 meter dash, 400 meter dash, long jump and high jump. Mark won the softball toss.
Marissa had a clean sweep and won all five events.
Jeremy took second in the overall competition, followed by Justin, Mark and Calson. Michael Fong and Gavin Chan tied for sixth place.
Serina came in second for the girls.
Hartman was the only 7th grader to show up for the meet, Brandon Tom and Justin for the 6th grade and Fiona for the 5th grade.
More results later tonight.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Track and Field Information
Track and Field starts bright and early Saturday morning. If you can only make it for a portion of the day, please come anyways. Look forward to seeing you all there!
Click on the image below for the full schedule.
Click on the image below for the full schedule.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
It's Official: Goodbye Class of 2011
Tonight the Class of 2011 gathered for the final time as a class, and celebrated their 9 years at St. Mary's.
It was a fun and emotional night for all involved.
Congratulations to the graduates as we wish them all nothing but the best of luck in the future.
It was a fun and emotional night for all involved.
Congratulations to the graduates as we wish them all nothing but the best of luck in the future.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Dah, Class of 2011
By James Chiu
Dahhhhhhh, this group of goofballs. Coaching these two teams has had so many ups and downs, but in the end I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
For the 8th grade boys red team, we were coming off a fairy tale season. In a situation where we had to basically win out the rest of our season to take the championship, every game was a nail biter. But, somehow we made it into playoffs, beat the number one seed and took the championship in convincing fashion.
Now, enter the 2010-2011 season, with the addition of Mark and David from DeMarillac, we set our goals and continued our work to get back to the top. The returning squad did a good job welcoming their new teammates, communicating and enjoying each other’s company both on and off the court.
As opposed to last season, this season started solid, but took a turn for the worst as we slumped going into the post season. I distinctly remember the game where it went downhill. We were playing Bayview YMCA at St. Stephen’s and I couldn’t understand what was going wrong with the team. There was no energy and it was just not basketball. It was probably the most frustrating game I’ve ever coached.
Looking back to my high school days, I can remember my coach furiously stomping back and forth along the sideline when we weren’t playing well, and I think it might have rubbed off on me in this game.
The weight of this loss carried over into our season and forced us into a rut. Although the boys brought back the fire in the last couple games of the season, it just was not enough to get back to the top again. Although we failed to meet our goals, this season was still a great journey. It shows a lot of character to come back up when you have fallen, but in the end this team hit their limits for the 8th grade level.
In my speech, during awards night I referenced a speech by Denzel Washington at the 2011 commencement for the University of Pennsylvania. For this season, I’ll pull two points he mentioned. First, “You will fail at some point in your life, accept it, you will lose, you will embarrass yourself, you will suck at something.” Although it may not be to that extreme, I saw these boys hit a low in this season. Second, “every graduate here today has the training and the talent to succeed, but do you have the guts to fail. If you don’t fail you’re not even trying.” These boys did have the guts, after some tough losses they rose up again and worked hard every practice to prepare for what was ahead. Although we did not reach our goal, each player learned something about himself simply through the work they put in. I hope they continue to commit that work ethic into all the future endeavors they wish to pursue.
For the 8th grade girl’s team, when I joined them last year as their coach, they were already champions. Through a lot of hard work, every girl on the team stepped up their game and met the challenge of repeating the top glory in their division. Now to this year, coming off back-to-back championships, a three-peat would be an even greater feat to accomplish. The toughest thing about winning a championship is getting back to the top, these girls did it once, but could they do it again. Accepting this challenge, the team set their goals and went to work.
One of the most unique things about this team was that we had seven girls coming from four different schools to play. Amanda came from Cornerstone, Beverlyn from somewhere far far away, Gavy and Precious from DeMarillac and Serina, Marissa and Catharine from St. Mary’s. The tough thing about having this type of situation is that the girls don’t get the chemistry from seeing each other everyday. Also, missing girls at practice just makes it even more difficult to get everyone on the same page. But, each girl took the risk and the challenge, jumping two divisions to once again get to the top.
The road to the top would not be an easy one for this team. Every game was met with new challenges. At their best these girls were a force to be reckoned with in their division. But, at times it was difficult to find the consistency we needed game in and game out.
This consistency issue became most apparent in our playoff game. Adversity struck, falling ill to food poisoning, Marissa sucked up the pain and played through this big game. In a situation like this, it’s important for your teammates to step up to help each other out. Who would rise to the occasion? It was amazing to see the spark from players like Gavy, who left it all on the court, battling for boards and buckets. This energy helped bring the team back from the brink, as we gained momentum and took the lead late in the game. But, the team soon ran out of gas as the little mistakes pulled the plug on their championship hopes.
Drawing again from Denzel’s speech, he said, “To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.” When everything was said and done, I am certain that these girls had a great experience in St. Mary’s basketball. They took the risk of trying something new and became part of a very special sports program. Although we did not take the top spot, it is the hard work and time spent with each other that these girls will keep with them. Basketball may be just a game, but from this game, these girls were able to gain the experience of being part of a team, working together for a common goal. For those who watch the sport, you may remember the games and the accomplishments, but for those who play, those trophies are just the cherry on top because the journey is what will keep you grounded.
What motivates you?
John Wooden was an All-American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the “Wizard of Westwood,” he led UCLA to 10 NCAA titles in a 12-year period. He won 7 of those in a row and had a win streak of 88 consecutive games. He won national coach of the year 6 times and coached the likes of Kareem Abdul Jabar and Bill Walton. Almost one year ago on June 4, 2010 John Wooden passed away at the ripe age of 99, but his lessons still live on.
Why have I given this short bio? John Wooden was a great coach who was known for his short inspirational messages to his players. These lessons were often directed at how to be successful, both in basketball and in life. I have been blessed with many great teachers and roles models and it is those lessons I try to remember in coaching these teams.
One of the most memorable messages I’ve read about was the first lesson Wooden would teach his players at the beginning of each season. Wooden would sit his team down in the locker room and explain how to put on their shoes. He would break it down from putting on socks properly to having a proper sized basketball shoe to avoid calluses. Eventually, Wooden would finish his lesson by teaching his team how to tie their shoelaces.
This is a testament to how Wooden approached life and teaching. Although it may not seem like much, it was a very important lesson. You may not realize it, but everyday we put a lot of stress on our feet. In the case of basketball, and sports in general, that weight is magnified. On the girls all star Sunday, I wore a pedometer. On that day alone I accumulated 22,245 steps. But, every step was worth it.
It is important to always start with a solid foundation. Although these lessons may seem simple, sometimes it is these simple things that have the biggest meanings. At awards night I handed out picture frames to both my teams in the graduating class of 2011. On the bottom of each frame I tied one shoelace. These shoelaces are just a symbol to remind these teams of their roots and the foundation that they have built here at St. Mary’s Athletics. Whether you choose to continue in basketball or choose a different activity, remember the lessons you’ve gained in your years here, be passionate about what you do and make sure you enjoy it in both the good times and the tough times.
Dahhhhhhh, this group of goofballs. Coaching these two teams has had so many ups and downs, but in the end I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.
For the 8th grade boys red team, we were coming off a fairy tale season. In a situation where we had to basically win out the rest of our season to take the championship, every game was a nail biter. But, somehow we made it into playoffs, beat the number one seed and took the championship in convincing fashion.
Now, enter the 2010-2011 season, with the addition of Mark and David from DeMarillac, we set our goals and continued our work to get back to the top. The returning squad did a good job welcoming their new teammates, communicating and enjoying each other’s company both on and off the court.
As opposed to last season, this season started solid, but took a turn for the worst as we slumped going into the post season. I distinctly remember the game where it went downhill. We were playing Bayview YMCA at St. Stephen’s and I couldn’t understand what was going wrong with the team. There was no energy and it was just not basketball. It was probably the most frustrating game I’ve ever coached.
Looking back to my high school days, I can remember my coach furiously stomping back and forth along the sideline when we weren’t playing well, and I think it might have rubbed off on me in this game.
The weight of this loss carried over into our season and forced us into a rut. Although the boys brought back the fire in the last couple games of the season, it just was not enough to get back to the top again. Although we failed to meet our goals, this season was still a great journey. It shows a lot of character to come back up when you have fallen, but in the end this team hit their limits for the 8th grade level.
In my speech, during awards night I referenced a speech by Denzel Washington at the 2011 commencement for the University of Pennsylvania. For this season, I’ll pull two points he mentioned. First, “You will fail at some point in your life, accept it, you will lose, you will embarrass yourself, you will suck at something.” Although it may not be to that extreme, I saw these boys hit a low in this season. Second, “every graduate here today has the training and the talent to succeed, but do you have the guts to fail. If you don’t fail you’re not even trying.” These boys did have the guts, after some tough losses they rose up again and worked hard every practice to prepare for what was ahead. Although we did not reach our goal, each player learned something about himself simply through the work they put in. I hope they continue to commit that work ethic into all the future endeavors they wish to pursue.
For the 8th grade girl’s team, when I joined them last year as their coach, they were already champions. Through a lot of hard work, every girl on the team stepped up their game and met the challenge of repeating the top glory in their division. Now to this year, coming off back-to-back championships, a three-peat would be an even greater feat to accomplish. The toughest thing about winning a championship is getting back to the top, these girls did it once, but could they do it again. Accepting this challenge, the team set their goals and went to work.
One of the most unique things about this team was that we had seven girls coming from four different schools to play. Amanda came from Cornerstone, Beverlyn from somewhere far far away, Gavy and Precious from DeMarillac and Serina, Marissa and Catharine from St. Mary’s. The tough thing about having this type of situation is that the girls don’t get the chemistry from seeing each other everyday. Also, missing girls at practice just makes it even more difficult to get everyone on the same page. But, each girl took the risk and the challenge, jumping two divisions to once again get to the top.
The road to the top would not be an easy one for this team. Every game was met with new challenges. At their best these girls were a force to be reckoned with in their division. But, at times it was difficult to find the consistency we needed game in and game out.
This consistency issue became most apparent in our playoff game. Adversity struck, falling ill to food poisoning, Marissa sucked up the pain and played through this big game. In a situation like this, it’s important for your teammates to step up to help each other out. Who would rise to the occasion? It was amazing to see the spark from players like Gavy, who left it all on the court, battling for boards and buckets. This energy helped bring the team back from the brink, as we gained momentum and took the lead late in the game. But, the team soon ran out of gas as the little mistakes pulled the plug on their championship hopes.
Drawing again from Denzel’s speech, he said, “To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.” When everything was said and done, I am certain that these girls had a great experience in St. Mary’s basketball. They took the risk of trying something new and became part of a very special sports program. Although we did not take the top spot, it is the hard work and time spent with each other that these girls will keep with them. Basketball may be just a game, but from this game, these girls were able to gain the experience of being part of a team, working together for a common goal. For those who watch the sport, you may remember the games and the accomplishments, but for those who play, those trophies are just the cherry on top because the journey is what will keep you grounded.
What motivates you?
John Wooden was an All-American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the “Wizard of Westwood,” he led UCLA to 10 NCAA titles in a 12-year period. He won 7 of those in a row and had a win streak of 88 consecutive games. He won national coach of the year 6 times and coached the likes of Kareem Abdul Jabar and Bill Walton. Almost one year ago on June 4, 2010 John Wooden passed away at the ripe age of 99, but his lessons still live on.
Why have I given this short bio? John Wooden was a great coach who was known for his short inspirational messages to his players. These lessons were often directed at how to be successful, both in basketball and in life. I have been blessed with many great teachers and roles models and it is those lessons I try to remember in coaching these teams.
One of the most memorable messages I’ve read about was the first lesson Wooden would teach his players at the beginning of each season. Wooden would sit his team down in the locker room and explain how to put on their shoes. He would break it down from putting on socks properly to having a proper sized basketball shoe to avoid calluses. Eventually, Wooden would finish his lesson by teaching his team how to tie their shoelaces.
This is a testament to how Wooden approached life and teaching. Although it may not seem like much, it was a very important lesson. You may not realize it, but everyday we put a lot of stress on our feet. In the case of basketball, and sports in general, that weight is magnified. On the girls all star Sunday, I wore a pedometer. On that day alone I accumulated 22,245 steps. But, every step was worth it.
It is important to always start with a solid foundation. Although these lessons may seem simple, sometimes it is these simple things that have the biggest meanings. At awards night I handed out picture frames to both my teams in the graduating class of 2011. On the bottom of each frame I tied one shoelace. These shoelaces are just a symbol to remind these teams of their roots and the foundation that they have built here at St. Mary’s Athletics. Whether you choose to continue in basketball or choose a different activity, remember the lessons you’ve gained in your years here, be passionate about what you do and make sure you enjoy it in both the good times and the tough times.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
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