As promised, here are a few things to chew on for a few days. I will have full complete details by week's end.
WIN MONEY
Want to win money? Just wear your St. Mary's Athletics T-Shirt or Sweatshirt. It's as simple as that. More details to follow.
SUMMER PRO-AM BASKETBALL
During the summer, they play basketball over at Kezar, featuring high school and college basketball players from the Bay Area. Also, a few NBA players show up from time to time.
Adonal Foyle and Matt Barnes are on the rosters, and Gilbert Arenas has been known to show up and surprise a few folks.
Best thing about this, is it is FREE. I will set up a date where we can all watch some basketball for the summer.
Girls, don't feel left out. There is a summer league too that features some players from Cal and a few girls who played for Sacred Heart the last few years. Definitely will be a good learning experience for everyone to go out and watch.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
Finally, if you haven't seen this. This is pretty sick...
Be back Tuesday with more.
.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Confed Cup -- USA vs Brazil
Your duty as an American will be to watch the USA vs Brazil soccer game, starting at 11 a.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
This is a tournament final game and if the US can pull off the upset, it will be the biggest win in the history of soccer in America.
Be sure to tune in.
Sunday night, I will have some goodies for everybody.
This is a tournament final game and if the US can pull off the upset, it will be the biggest win in the history of soccer in America.
Be sure to tune in.
Sunday night, I will have some goodies for everybody.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson
There are events in your lifetime that you will always remember where you were when that happened. This afternoon was one of those events.
The first thing I think about when I hear the name Michael Jackson is a comedy show I went to in 2003. The comedy show was thrown by a morning show in the Bay Area and one member of the show was really spiritual -- at least for that period of time.
He wanted to on that night, make a blind girl see. This is no joke. And to help the girl see, he needed everyone in the crowd, close to 15,000 to 20,000 people give off their positive energy. He thought that if enough people put their minds together, and reflected, and gave out positive bright energy, we could cure the blind. Sounds strange I bet, but definitely worth a shot.
So it began. They played a video of Michael Jackson's "Heal the World," and then asked the entire audience to stand up, close our eyes, put our hands forward (palms out) and give off as much positive energy as we could, and make a blind girl see.
Did it happen? No. The blind girl on stage said she started seeing bits and pieces of blurriness. Was she lying? No clue, but probably.
However, the moment when the crowd was silent and I felt nothing but positive energy will be a moment I will never forget. In those short few minutes, the world seemed to stand still and everyone was loving, caring and at peace.
So every time I think about that moment, Michael Jackson will come to mind.
DID YOU KNOW? The Michael Jackson song, "Man in the Mirror," was used in this year's slideshow. Go back and take a look if you didn't notice.
The first thing I think about when I hear the name Michael Jackson is a comedy show I went to in 2003. The comedy show was thrown by a morning show in the Bay Area and one member of the show was really spiritual -- at least for that period of time.
He wanted to on that night, make a blind girl see. This is no joke. And to help the girl see, he needed everyone in the crowd, close to 15,000 to 20,000 people give off their positive energy. He thought that if enough people put their minds together, and reflected, and gave out positive bright energy, we could cure the blind. Sounds strange I bet, but definitely worth a shot.
So it began. They played a video of Michael Jackson's "Heal the World," and then asked the entire audience to stand up, close our eyes, put our hands forward (palms out) and give off as much positive energy as we could, and make a blind girl see.
Did it happen? No. The blind girl on stage said she started seeing bits and pieces of blurriness. Was she lying? No clue, but probably.
However, the moment when the crowd was silent and I felt nothing but positive energy will be a moment I will never forget. In those short few minutes, the world seemed to stand still and everyone was loving, caring and at peace.
So every time I think about that moment, Michael Jackson will come to mind.
DID YOU KNOW? The Michael Jackson song, "Man in the Mirror," was used in this year's slideshow. Go back and take a look if you didn't notice.
Updated NBA Mock Draft
Our NBA insider Mark Dea has updated his mock draft for this afternoon.
1 Clippers Blake Griffin PF/C
2 Grizzlies Hasheem Thabeet C
3 Thunder Ricky Rubio PG
4 Kings Jonny Flynn PG
5 Timberwolves James Harden SG
6 Timberwolves Stephen Curry PG/SG
7 Warriors Jordan Hill PF
8 Knicks Tyreke Evans PG/SG
9 Raptors Jrue Holiday PG/SG
10 Bucks Demar DeRozan SG/SF
11 Nets James Johnson SF/PF
12 Bobcats Terrence Williams SG/SF
13 Pacers Ty Lawson PG
14 Suns Earl Clark SF/PF
15 Pistons B.J. Mullens C
16 Bulls Gerald Henderson SG
17 76ers Brandon Jennings PG
18 Timberwolves Sam Young SF/PF
19 Hawks Jeff Teague PG/SG
20 Jazz Tyler Hansbrough PF
21 Hornets DeJuan Blair PF/C
22 Trailblazers Omri Casspi SF/PF
23 Kings Eric Maynor PG
24 Mavericks Toney Douglas PG/SG
25 Thunder DeMarre Carroll SF/PF
26 Bulls Austin Daye SF/PF
27 Grizzlies Taj Gibson PF
28 Timberwolves Jonas Jerebko SF/PF
29 Lakers Nick Calathes PG/SG
30 Cavaliers Darren Collison PG
1 Clippers Blake Griffin PF/C
2 Grizzlies Hasheem Thabeet C
3 Thunder Ricky Rubio PG
4 Kings Jonny Flynn PG
5 Timberwolves James Harden SG
6 Timberwolves Stephen Curry PG/SG
7 Warriors Jordan Hill PF
8 Knicks Tyreke Evans PG/SG
9 Raptors Jrue Holiday PG/SG
10 Bucks Demar DeRozan SG/SF
11 Nets James Johnson SF/PF
12 Bobcats Terrence Williams SG/SF
13 Pacers Ty Lawson PG
14 Suns Earl Clark SF/PF
15 Pistons B.J. Mullens C
16 Bulls Gerald Henderson SG
17 76ers Brandon Jennings PG
18 Timberwolves Sam Young SF/PF
19 Hawks Jeff Teague PG/SG
20 Jazz Tyler Hansbrough PF
21 Hornets DeJuan Blair PF/C
22 Trailblazers Omri Casspi SF/PF
23 Kings Eric Maynor PG
24 Mavericks Toney Douglas PG/SG
25 Thunder DeMarre Carroll SF/PF
26 Bulls Austin Daye SF/PF
27 Grizzlies Taj Gibson PF
28 Timberwolves Jonas Jerebko SF/PF
29 Lakers Nick Calathes PG/SG
30 Cavaliers Darren Collison PG
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
NBA Mock Draft
The NBA draft is tomorrow and our NBA Draft Expert Mark Dea has put together a mock draft. If you know what a mock draft is, enjoy. If not, then enjoy it anyways.
The draft is tomorrow night on ESPN.
MOCK DRAFT 1.0 by Mark Dea
1. Blake Griffin - Clippers: No Brainer, not even the Clips can mess this up
2. Ricky Rubio - T-Wolves (from Grizzlies): Rubio is an upgrade over Foye
3. Hasheem Thabeet - Thunder: Look out for this team for years to come
4. Tyreke Evans - Kings: Great complement to Kevin Martin
5. Jordan Hill - Grizzlies (from Minnesota): They could use the size
to go along with Mayo and Gay.
6. James Harden - T-Wolves: Rubio and Harden will form a great
backcourt for the rebuilding T-Wolves
7. Stephan Curry - Warriors: Look for this pick to be traded
8. DeMar Derozan - Knicks: DeRozan will bring excitement back to the Garden.
9. Jrue Holiday - Raptors: Holiday instantly becomes a starter with
the departure of Anthony Parker
10. Jonny Flynn - Bucks: Brings great leadership to a young Bucks team
11. Terrence Williams - Nets: They have to find a replacement for VC
12. Gerald Henderson - Bobcats: Larry Brown loves his athleticism
and energy. Being from the ACC does hurt either.
13. Jeff Teague - Pacers: Still looking for a long term answer at PG
14. Earl Clark - Suns: Gives the Suns some much needed size and
potential with the pending departure of Shaq and Amare
15. BJ Mullens - Pistons: They need youth and size up front.
Unfortunately they will need to wait a couple of years to reap the
benefits.
16. Dejuan Blair - BUlls: Desperately need a low post scorer.
17. Brandon Jennings - 76ers: Left handed Allen Iverson? Scoring
point guard w/ me first attitude.
18. Ty Lawson - Grizzlies (from Minnesota): Lawson allows Mayo to
slide over to SG and do what he does best, score.
19. James Johnson - Hawks: Size is desperately needed for the young Hawks.
20. Tyler Hansbrough - Jazz: Like a match made in heaven for Jerry Sloan.
21. Austin Daye - Trailblazers (Hornets): Look for the Hornets to
sell and the Blazers are always looking to buy another 1st Rounder.
22. Eric Maynor - Mavericks: Need a PG for the future to replace the
aging Kidd.
23. DeJuan Summers - Kings: Addressing the need to bolster the SF position.
24. Omri Casspi - Trailblazers: Portland loves international prospects.
25. Darren Collison - Thunder: Oklahoma City gets another UCLA PG to
replace Watson.
26. Chase Budinger - Bulls: Adds much needed perimeter shooting to
the young Bulls team.
27. Sam Young - Grizzlies: Most NBA ready player not named Griffin.
Will contribute immediately.
28. Wayne Ellington - T-Wolves: Best shooter in his class.
29. Patrick Mills - Lakers: The rich get richer as the Lakers find
the future replacement for Derek Fisher.
30. Derrick Brown - Cavs: Adds much needed size to that frontline.
The draft is tomorrow night on ESPN.
MOCK DRAFT 1.0 by Mark Dea
1. Blake Griffin - Clippers: No Brainer, not even the Clips can mess this up
2. Ricky Rubio - T-Wolves (from Grizzlies): Rubio is an upgrade over Foye
3. Hasheem Thabeet - Thunder: Look out for this team for years to come
4. Tyreke Evans - Kings: Great complement to Kevin Martin
5. Jordan Hill - Grizzlies (from Minnesota): They could use the size
to go along with Mayo and Gay.
6. James Harden - T-Wolves: Rubio and Harden will form a great
backcourt for the rebuilding T-Wolves
7. Stephan Curry - Warriors: Look for this pick to be traded
8. DeMar Derozan - Knicks: DeRozan will bring excitement back to the Garden.
9. Jrue Holiday - Raptors: Holiday instantly becomes a starter with
the departure of Anthony Parker
10. Jonny Flynn - Bucks: Brings great leadership to a young Bucks team
11. Terrence Williams - Nets: They have to find a replacement for VC
12. Gerald Henderson - Bobcats: Larry Brown loves his athleticism
and energy. Being from the ACC does hurt either.
13. Jeff Teague - Pacers: Still looking for a long term answer at PG
14. Earl Clark - Suns: Gives the Suns some much needed size and
potential with the pending departure of Shaq and Amare
15. BJ Mullens - Pistons: They need youth and size up front.
Unfortunately they will need to wait a couple of years to reap the
benefits.
16. Dejuan Blair - BUlls: Desperately need a low post scorer.
17. Brandon Jennings - 76ers: Left handed Allen Iverson? Scoring
point guard w/ me first attitude.
18. Ty Lawson - Grizzlies (from Minnesota): Lawson allows Mayo to
slide over to SG and do what he does best, score.
19. James Johnson - Hawks: Size is desperately needed for the young Hawks.
20. Tyler Hansbrough - Jazz: Like a match made in heaven for Jerry Sloan.
21. Austin Daye - Trailblazers (Hornets): Look for the Hornets to
sell and the Blazers are always looking to buy another 1st Rounder.
22. Eric Maynor - Mavericks: Need a PG for the future to replace the
aging Kidd.
23. DeJuan Summers - Kings: Addressing the need to bolster the SF position.
24. Omri Casspi - Trailblazers: Portland loves international prospects.
25. Darren Collison - Thunder: Oklahoma City gets another UCLA PG to
replace Watson.
26. Chase Budinger - Bulls: Adds much needed perimeter shooting to
the young Bulls team.
27. Sam Young - Grizzlies: Most NBA ready player not named Griffin.
Will contribute immediately.
28. Wayne Ellington - T-Wolves: Best shooter in his class.
29. Patrick Mills - Lakers: The rich get richer as the Lakers find
the future replacement for Derek Fisher.
30. Derrick Brown - Cavs: Adds much needed size to that frontline.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Happy Tuesday
Happy Tuesday folks. Here is today's update and a few things to share.
First and foremost, check the previous post, by scrolling down a little bit. It is a great article/essay I read in the Chronicle yesterday about a girl who had a soccer coach change her life.
As a coach myself, one of the goals I have is to be a positive influence (even though a lot of times I'm not) on someone's future and a lot of the things this girl writes about are things that I try and strive to do. And I hope all coaches here at St. Mary's want to do the same. So it's a great read so be sure to check it out.
In today's video below, it features an Asian American catcher in the Major Leagues and he is right here in the Bay Area. The A's Kurt Suzuki. This could be Brandon or Simon in the future. My former co-worker Rick Quan did a nice piece on him so be sure to check this out also.
And finally, coming up this week, details on some special events going on in the summer that are FREE. Your chance to see everybody at least once this summer. Also, I'm giving away money. Plus, I have a near impossible task for someone to help me do.
NON-SPORTS STORY THOUGHT OF THE DAY -- JON AND KATE --WHO CARES???
First and foremost, check the previous post, by scrolling down a little bit. It is a great article/essay I read in the Chronicle yesterday about a girl who had a soccer coach change her life.
As a coach myself, one of the goals I have is to be a positive influence (even though a lot of times I'm not) on someone's future and a lot of the things this girl writes about are things that I try and strive to do. And I hope all coaches here at St. Mary's want to do the same. So it's a great read so be sure to check it out.
In today's video below, it features an Asian American catcher in the Major Leagues and he is right here in the Bay Area. The A's Kurt Suzuki. This could be Brandon or Simon in the future. My former co-worker Rick Quan did a nice piece on him so be sure to check this out also.
And finally, coming up this week, details on some special events going on in the summer that are FREE. Your chance to see everybody at least once this summer. Also, I'm giving away money. Plus, I have a near impossible task for someone to help me do.
NON-SPORTS STORY THOUGHT OF THE DAY -- JON AND KATE --WHO CARES???
My soccer coach changed my life
By Zulma Muñoz
I am 19 years old. Female. Latina. From East Oakland.
My parents emigrated from Mexico with little education. My father died when I was 2. My brother got caught up in drugs and gangs.
I just finished my freshman year at UC Berkeley.
At Moscone Center in San Francisco this week, 4,500 people are attending the National Conference on Volunteering and Service to talk about ways that people dedicated to serving their communities can change lives.
I am living proof. One changed my life. She's the reason I'm at UC Berkeley. She's not a tutor or a teacher or a legal advocate.
She's a soccer coach.
Growing up in East Oakland, I was rarely allowed to play outside because my mother feared for my safety. As an outlet, I started playing soccer at Oakland Parks and Recreation centers. Entering Berkeley High, I didn't think I had much of a chance to make the varsity team - especially when I looked around during tryouts and saw I was the only Latina.
But Suz, the coach, saw something in me. During the next four years, she pushed me to my limits and helped me discover my potential. For instance, whenever I felt I couldn't finish my last sprint, Suz stood by me, yelling "Come on, finish strong!" until I crossed that end line. Fatigued and drenched in sweat, I smiled in shock trying to understand how I remained standing after completing 10 sets of cones, also known as "suicides." Suz believed in me and helped me believe in myself. I was voted captain of the team my junior and senior years, which changed the way I saw myself. I had become a leader.
Because I was the first in my family to apply to college, Suz guided me through the process, encouraging me to aim high. She helped transform me from the scared and timid girl I was into a confident and persistent young woman. Through Suz, I learned discipline and confidence, and I learned that I have a duty to give back to the girls in my community, just as Suz has done.
Now, I coach girls' soccer and I chair the Youth Advisory Committee for Team-Up for Youth. Team-Up for Youth has an innovative program called Coaching Corps that recruits, trains and places youth sports coaches in low-income communities throughout the Bay Area.
Though many girls have benefited from Title IX, legislation that gives girls equal opportunity to play sports, in my neighborhood one would never know Title IX existed. One national study found that only 26 percent of urban girls, predominantly blacks and Latinas, play organized sports compared with 54 percent of their suburban, and predominantly white, counterparts.
Why does this matter? Female athletes in high school are less likely to get pregnant than their nonathlete peers. Both male and female athletes have higher grades, higher educational aspirations, lower dropout rates and fewer school discipline problems than nonathletes.
But cash-strapped public schools are cutting physical education and athletics, and some districts, such as Los Angeles County, have recently announced they are closing summer programs. Sending well-trained volunteer coaches into low-income communities is more important than ever.
All girls should have a coach Suz in their lives. Coaches can be a young person's best teacher, guiding her through the powerful experience of playing and working, succeeding and failing, risking and persevering, and through it all, discovering her best self.
As people gather here this week to discuss volunteerism and service, I hope they'll remember the transformative power that coaches like Suz have on so many young lives.
Zulma Muñoz will be a sophomore at UC Berkeley in the fall and is the chair of Team-Up for Youth's Youth Advisory Committee.
Courtesy: San Francisco Chronicle
I am 19 years old. Female. Latina. From East Oakland.
My parents emigrated from Mexico with little education. My father died when I was 2. My brother got caught up in drugs and gangs.
I just finished my freshman year at UC Berkeley.
At Moscone Center in San Francisco this week, 4,500 people are attending the National Conference on Volunteering and Service to talk about ways that people dedicated to serving their communities can change lives.
I am living proof. One changed my life. She's the reason I'm at UC Berkeley. She's not a tutor or a teacher or a legal advocate.
She's a soccer coach.
Growing up in East Oakland, I was rarely allowed to play outside because my mother feared for my safety. As an outlet, I started playing soccer at Oakland Parks and Recreation centers. Entering Berkeley High, I didn't think I had much of a chance to make the varsity team - especially when I looked around during tryouts and saw I was the only Latina.
But Suz, the coach, saw something in me. During the next four years, she pushed me to my limits and helped me discover my potential. For instance, whenever I felt I couldn't finish my last sprint, Suz stood by me, yelling "Come on, finish strong!" until I crossed that end line. Fatigued and drenched in sweat, I smiled in shock trying to understand how I remained standing after completing 10 sets of cones, also known as "suicides." Suz believed in me and helped me believe in myself. I was voted captain of the team my junior and senior years, which changed the way I saw myself. I had become a leader.
Because I was the first in my family to apply to college, Suz guided me through the process, encouraging me to aim high. She helped transform me from the scared and timid girl I was into a confident and persistent young woman. Through Suz, I learned discipline and confidence, and I learned that I have a duty to give back to the girls in my community, just as Suz has done.
Now, I coach girls' soccer and I chair the Youth Advisory Committee for Team-Up for Youth. Team-Up for Youth has an innovative program called Coaching Corps that recruits, trains and places youth sports coaches in low-income communities throughout the Bay Area.
Though many girls have benefited from Title IX, legislation that gives girls equal opportunity to play sports, in my neighborhood one would never know Title IX existed. One national study found that only 26 percent of urban girls, predominantly blacks and Latinas, play organized sports compared with 54 percent of their suburban, and predominantly white, counterparts.
Why does this matter? Female athletes in high school are less likely to get pregnant than their nonathlete peers. Both male and female athletes have higher grades, higher educational aspirations, lower dropout rates and fewer school discipline problems than nonathletes.
But cash-strapped public schools are cutting physical education and athletics, and some districts, such as Los Angeles County, have recently announced they are closing summer programs. Sending well-trained volunteer coaches into low-income communities is more important than ever.
All girls should have a coach Suz in their lives. Coaches can be a young person's best teacher, guiding her through the powerful experience of playing and working, succeeding and failing, risking and persevering, and through it all, discovering her best self.
As people gather here this week to discuss volunteerism and service, I hope they'll remember the transformative power that coaches like Suz have on so many young lives.
Zulma Muñoz will be a sophomore at UC Berkeley in the fall and is the chair of Team-Up for Youth's Youth Advisory Committee.
Courtesy: San Francisco Chronicle
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there in the world.
Above is a picture of my faja (father, I think Faja was the used in one of the Shrek movies)
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.
But 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.
Happy Fathers Day to all. And if you see my Dad on the street, "holler" at him.
TONIGHT ON GAMEDAY I will be working today so if you are up at 11:30 p.m., tune in to CBS-5 for GameDay for a recap in sports. $5 if you watch.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Finally...
Welcome back folks. Hope people still check in to this blog on a daily or frequent basis. So I have a lot of stuff for everybody to chew on in this update. I don't know how often I will update the blog during the summer, but it will be at least a few times a week. If something comes up and I feel like updating, I will. But be sure to check back as often as possible. MAKE IT YOUR HOME PAGE! I know it's someone's homepage when he or she opens their Internet. Thanks kiddo...
So a few things that went on in the sporting world during the one week break.
1. THE PENGUINS WIN THE STANLEY CUP
Did anybody watch this? What a fantastic game and a fantastic finish. Here are two videos, one from the TV and one from the crowd as to how it all went down.
Penguins were up 2-1.
2. ALWAYS RUN IT OUT
Baseball players and future baseball players. Always run hard no matter what. You will never know what can happen. The Mets were up 8-7 and Alex Rodriguez popped the ball up to Jose Castillo. Derek Jeter and Mark Texiera were both on base, but they ran hard the entire way just in case something happened. And this is what happened...
3. MAGIC BLOW ANOTHER ONE
So Game 4, Orlando's chance to get back into this series and tie it at (2-2). I was in LA watching it next to my Faja...and I said to him. If they can't hold a 5 point lead with one minute left, they really suck. And they did.
Dwight Howard, make a free-throw. Just one. And you have probably heard it all already and if you haven't, let me recap. The Lakers are down 3, and need a 3 to tie. Don't let them shoot the 3. Thank you Jameer Nelson. Derek Fisher is king in LA.
Let's not forget Mickael Pietrus pretending to be Michael Jordan or Kobe in the final seconds of the game, shooting an off-balanced shot when Rashard Lewis was wide open.
Go to 2:55 of the video.
4. KOBE WINS HIS 4TH CHAMPIONSHIP
A very wise man once said, bad teams find a way to lose. And not that the Magic are a bad team, but only great teams can win the championship. If you are a great team, you don't find ways to lose.
If the Magic were truly destined to beat the Lakers...
--They win Game 2 in LA.
--They would take care of the ball a lot better.
--Dwight Howard would have done something in this series.
--Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu could do something other than shoot 3s. Watching Lewis drive to the basket is as painful as it can get.
Bottom line, Orlando is not as good as the Lakers and did not deserve to win the Championship as much as I wanted to see the Lakers lose.
I hate the Lakers, but how can you not like Kobe? The guy is as close to Michael Jordan as you could ever get. These are two of the best Kobe moments I believe in these finals.
5. And as a special treat for your own personal photo collections. Below is a link to my collection of sports pictures over this past year. Find yourself, save the pictures, and make them your default on your MySpace, Facebook, Twitters, etc...
Go to this PhotoBucket and click on Boys All-Star Sunday or Girls All-Star Sunday to see the fabulous pictures taken courtesy of the great Eunice Tom.
All-Star Sunday Pictures
Until next time...I leave you with the quote of the day.
So a few things that went on in the sporting world during the one week break.
1. THE PENGUINS WIN THE STANLEY CUP
Did anybody watch this? What a fantastic game and a fantastic finish. Here are two videos, one from the TV and one from the crowd as to how it all went down.
Penguins were up 2-1.
2. ALWAYS RUN IT OUT
Baseball players and future baseball players. Always run hard no matter what. You will never know what can happen. The Mets were up 8-7 and Alex Rodriguez popped the ball up to Jose Castillo. Derek Jeter and Mark Texiera were both on base, but they ran hard the entire way just in case something happened. And this is what happened...
3. MAGIC BLOW ANOTHER ONE
So Game 4, Orlando's chance to get back into this series and tie it at (2-2). I was in LA watching it next to my Faja...and I said to him. If they can't hold a 5 point lead with one minute left, they really suck. And they did.
Dwight Howard, make a free-throw. Just one. And you have probably heard it all already and if you haven't, let me recap. The Lakers are down 3, and need a 3 to tie. Don't let them shoot the 3. Thank you Jameer Nelson. Derek Fisher is king in LA.
Let's not forget Mickael Pietrus pretending to be Michael Jordan or Kobe in the final seconds of the game, shooting an off-balanced shot when Rashard Lewis was wide open.
Go to 2:55 of the video.
4. KOBE WINS HIS 4TH CHAMPIONSHIP
A very wise man once said, bad teams find a way to lose. And not that the Magic are a bad team, but only great teams can win the championship. If you are a great team, you don't find ways to lose.
If the Magic were truly destined to beat the Lakers...
--They win Game 2 in LA.
--They would take care of the ball a lot better.
--Dwight Howard would have done something in this series.
--Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu could do something other than shoot 3s. Watching Lewis drive to the basket is as painful as it can get.
Bottom line, Orlando is not as good as the Lakers and did not deserve to win the Championship as much as I wanted to see the Lakers lose.
I hate the Lakers, but how can you not like Kobe? The guy is as close to Michael Jordan as you could ever get. These are two of the best Kobe moments I believe in these finals.
5. And as a special treat for your own personal photo collections. Below is a link to my collection of sports pictures over this past year. Find yourself, save the pictures, and make them your default on your MySpace, Facebook, Twitters, etc...
Go to this PhotoBucket and click on Boys All-Star Sunday or Girls All-Star Sunday to see the fabulous pictures taken courtesy of the great Eunice Tom.
All-Star Sunday Pictures
Until next time...I leave you with the quote of the day.
Angels fly cause they take themselves lightly.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Break time
Howdy folks,
So a few things before I ride off into the sunset for about a week. Take this time to read up on all the previous blogs that you have missed over the last few weeks or months. There is a lot of good stuff, so take a few minutes to get caught up to speed.
Coming this month, I will upload as many pictures as possible that I have from this school year and link you to them so you can have them for your own collection.
Also, the full sports calendar for the upcoming school year will be available so you can plan ahead if you need to. The start of seasons, playoffs, Cross Country and Track and Field.
Don't forget this Friday, GAME 7 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINALS. 5 P.M. ON NBC. SOMEONE WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP. If you have never watched a hockey game, this is the one to watch.
So I end this school year with the slideshow that was shown at Awards Night. Click, watch and comment if you need to. Talk to you all in about a week.
So a few things before I ride off into the sunset for about a week. Take this time to read up on all the previous blogs that you have missed over the last few weeks or months. There is a lot of good stuff, so take a few minutes to get caught up to speed.
Coming this month, I will upload as many pictures as possible that I have from this school year and link you to them so you can have them for your own collection.
Also, the full sports calendar for the upcoming school year will be available so you can plan ahead if you need to. The start of seasons, playoffs, Cross Country and Track and Field.
Don't forget this Friday, GAME 7 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINALS. 5 P.M. ON NBC. SOMEONE WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP. If you have never watched a hockey game, this is the one to watch.
So I end this school year with the slideshow that was shown at Awards Night. Click, watch and comment if you need to. Talk to you all in about a week.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
How sports helped my daughter
By Joyce Tso, mother of Olivia, who just graduated and Michelle, who graduated last year. In this blog entry, Joyce reflects on Olivia's St. Mary's career and how it made her who she is today.
As mother of Olivia, I was surprised to see Olivia’s willingness to write for the blog and amazed to see her enthusiasm and encouragement to her peers to start playing sports at a young age. It is a big stepping stone for my careless minded Olivia.
Last week, she wrote “Playing sports is so much fun and you never know what potential you have until you go out and do it! It can give you so much more confidence in your abilities. Without sports I probably wouldn’t be the person I am today.” So I wanted to share some of Olivia’s stories on how sports helped her become an organized, passionate, confident and responsible young lady.
Learning in academics is important, especially for a first generation Chinese family; we always focus at academics achievements. Learning in academics is a lifetime journey.
But learning in sports is critical as well. It builds a person’s character, most notably time management, teamwork and the ability to deal with pressure.
Because Olivia played basketball, volleyball and baseball for both St. Mary’s and outside clubs, she had to be very organized in even the little things like keeping uniforms separate. She has a white board to write down to remind herself that different bags hold different uniforms and shoes.
She has to stay on top of practice and game times minimize the time conflicts. She needs to know each game site address so she can get to a right location.
Before, Olivia, my youngest daughter, used to have that “I don’t care and I don’t know” attitude. These characteristics drove me nuts when I compared her to my older daughter Michelle, who was disciplined and determined as a competitive figure skater.
But the more she took on her own responsibilities playing sports, she changed from “a don’t care and don’t know kid” to a motivated responsible young lady with a sense of good time management.
Experience and learning in sports also translated to her work academically. Simply by playing sports, she easily answered all the essay questions in her high school applications.
Olivia was asked in her essay question for her S.I. application to name someone who influenced her life. She responded by saying her sister Michelle, who encouraged her to be more of a team leader for her 6th grade basketball team. She cited this as an example of how she put her sister’s words into action.
“Before that I would pass the ball like a hot potato. I was afraid that people would yell at me if I made a mistake. After that I learned to pass when I needed to, to select a receiver, to call for the ball and even to make a shoot”.
For her application for school in Minnesota, she was asked to explain something she tried,but wasn’t successful at, and how she changed as a person. She wrote about her experience playing volleyball.
“When I first started playing, I thought I was terrible and would be the worst player on the team. A couple weeks into the season, I was still doing terrible and I wanted to quit. After some struggles, I decided not to give up. I even asked my Mom to buy a volleyball for me so I could practice at home. Not giving up was worth it. At the end of volleyball season, I was the team captain and was selected to represent St. Mary’s in the CYO Volleyball All-Star Achievement Game.”
And as she goes to Minnesota for school in September, some things that will stick out most for me are our times talking to each other when we were driving from Point A to Point B, listening to her analyze how she could’ve better played a better game. I got to know her better and communicate with her in all aspects of her life and patiently saw her morph from a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly.
Last but not the least; it truly takes a village to raise a child. Thank you to St. Mary teachers, faculty members and all the coaches to help our family raise Olivia. It is just a starting point for Olivia as St. Mary’s has prepared Olivia well for her future challenges.
As mother of Olivia, I was surprised to see Olivia’s willingness to write for the blog and amazed to see her enthusiasm and encouragement to her peers to start playing sports at a young age. It is a big stepping stone for my careless minded Olivia.
Last week, she wrote “Playing sports is so much fun and you never know what potential you have until you go out and do it! It can give you so much more confidence in your abilities. Without sports I probably wouldn’t be the person I am today.” So I wanted to share some of Olivia’s stories on how sports helped her become an organized, passionate, confident and responsible young lady.
Learning in academics is important, especially for a first generation Chinese family; we always focus at academics achievements. Learning in academics is a lifetime journey.
But learning in sports is critical as well. It builds a person’s character, most notably time management, teamwork and the ability to deal with pressure.
Because Olivia played basketball, volleyball and baseball for both St. Mary’s and outside clubs, she had to be very organized in even the little things like keeping uniforms separate. She has a white board to write down to remind herself that different bags hold different uniforms and shoes.
She has to stay on top of practice and game times minimize the time conflicts. She needs to know each game site address so she can get to a right location.
Before, Olivia, my youngest daughter, used to have that “I don’t care and I don’t know” attitude. These characteristics drove me nuts when I compared her to my older daughter Michelle, who was disciplined and determined as a competitive figure skater.
But the more she took on her own responsibilities playing sports, she changed from “a don’t care and don’t know kid” to a motivated responsible young lady with a sense of good time management.
Experience and learning in sports also translated to her work academically. Simply by playing sports, she easily answered all the essay questions in her high school applications.
Olivia was asked in her essay question for her S.I. application to name someone who influenced her life. She responded by saying her sister Michelle, who encouraged her to be more of a team leader for her 6th grade basketball team. She cited this as an example of how she put her sister’s words into action.
“Before that I would pass the ball like a hot potato. I was afraid that people would yell at me if I made a mistake. After that I learned to pass when I needed to, to select a receiver, to call for the ball and even to make a shoot”.
For her application for school in Minnesota, she was asked to explain something she tried,but wasn’t successful at, and how she changed as a person. She wrote about her experience playing volleyball.
“When I first started playing, I thought I was terrible and would be the worst player on the team. A couple weeks into the season, I was still doing terrible and I wanted to quit. After some struggles, I decided not to give up. I even asked my Mom to buy a volleyball for me so I could practice at home. Not giving up was worth it. At the end of volleyball season, I was the team captain and was selected to represent St. Mary’s in the CYO Volleyball All-Star Achievement Game.”
And as she goes to Minnesota for school in September, some things that will stick out most for me are our times talking to each other when we were driving from Point A to Point B, listening to her analyze how she could’ve better played a better game. I got to know her better and communicate with her in all aspects of her life and patiently saw her morph from a caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly.
Last but not the least; it truly takes a village to raise a child. Thank you to St. Mary teachers, faculty members and all the coaches to help our family raise Olivia. It is just a starting point for Olivia as St. Mary’s has prepared Olivia well for her future challenges.
Monday, June 8, 2009
This series is over
I watched the entire, if not most of the entire 4th quarter last night and I can 99.9% say that this series is over. The Lakers will be the NBA Champions this year.
Before we get into the game, how do you expect the Magic to win 4 out of the next 5?
Plain and simple, we see why the West is the dominant conference. The east is flawed and whoever came out of there was going to lose to the West champion.
The Magic turned the ball over so much in the most critical times. Dwight Howard is not quick enough in the post, or not skilled enough to fake out his defenders. Every time he makes a move to the middle, here comes a hand from Fisher, Ariza, Walton, Kobe to strip and strip the ball away. He was picked way too much.
J.J. Reddick -- why this guy is even on the court baffles me. He made one 3-pointer out of the many open looks he had. He can't guard a chair, so why is he playing clutch 4th quarter minutes and the entire overtime?
Mickael Pietrus -- how many minutes did he play? Remember all the times he came in for the Warriors off the bench, played 2 minutes, and picked up 5 fouls? Well, he has done that for the Magic now. He fouled out and now Hedo needs to guard Kobe -- also not happening.
Courtney Lee -- If Courtney, (girls name by the way), can do anything in his career, he will surprise me. I know both of the shots he took were tough and pressure packed. Can you blame him for missing? Probably not. But man, either one of those go in, we have ourselves a series. Don't forget that lay-up with less than 20 seconds left in the game that he missed, in addition to that perfect drawn up alley-oop play to him. Oh, the agony.
And if you are a Warriors fan, you can't be rooting for the Lakers. If you are, don't call yourself a Warriors fan.
Before we get into the game, how do you expect the Magic to win 4 out of the next 5?
Plain and simple, we see why the West is the dominant conference. The east is flawed and whoever came out of there was going to lose to the West champion.
The Magic turned the ball over so much in the most critical times. Dwight Howard is not quick enough in the post, or not skilled enough to fake out his defenders. Every time he makes a move to the middle, here comes a hand from Fisher, Ariza, Walton, Kobe to strip and strip the ball away. He was picked way too much.
J.J. Reddick -- why this guy is even on the court baffles me. He made one 3-pointer out of the many open looks he had. He can't guard a chair, so why is he playing clutch 4th quarter minutes and the entire overtime?
Mickael Pietrus -- how many minutes did he play? Remember all the times he came in for the Warriors off the bench, played 2 minutes, and picked up 5 fouls? Well, he has done that for the Magic now. He fouled out and now Hedo needs to guard Kobe -- also not happening.
Courtney Lee -- If Courtney, (girls name by the way), can do anything in his career, he will surprise me. I know both of the shots he took were tough and pressure packed. Can you blame him for missing? Probably not. But man, either one of those go in, we have ourselves a series. Don't forget that lay-up with less than 20 seconds left in the game that he missed, in addition to that perfect drawn up alley-oop play to him. Oh, the agony.
And if you are a Warriors fan, you can't be rooting for the Lakers. If you are, don't call yourself a Warriors fan.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Congratulations, Class of 2009
Photo Courtesy of Jess Choi
It was a very emotional last night for the graduating Class of 2009 as they said their goodbyes as a class officially for the last time.
This marks the third straight year I have attended the graduation dinner dance and I saw something that I had never seen before -- in addition to the new dance moves by several of the graduates.
At the end of the dance, they formed a circle, linked arms around each other for a very special last moment. It was a very nice and fitting way to close out the night.
Of the graduating classes in the last few years, I think this is probably the closest of any of the classes I have been around. No knock on any of the other classes, but from top to bottom, this is a very closely knit group.
When you graduate, the thing everyone says is, "Don't worry, we'll have a reunion soon." Well, guess what? It's been 10 years since my class at St. Mary's graduated and we haven't had one.
But when this class says it, I truly believe it. The tears last night were from the heart and not forced. And it won't really hit until Monday when you walk by the 8th grade class room, only to find it empty.
Congratulations to all of the graduates for their hard work and we all wish them the best of luck in high school and in the future. We will miss you all.
And FYI...their last song was this...(my new favorite)
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Graduation weekend continues
The 8th graders officially will say goodbye tonight, at the end of their graduation dinner dance tonight.
The big question going into tonight is who will be the first person to cry?
When I graduated 10 years ago, HOLY POOP ON A STICK...our entire class cried except for two people. Wonder who those two people are...
It'll be sure to be an emotional night. And if you aren't at the dinner, tune into the Stanley Cup Finals, Game 5 -- HUGE GAME.
NBC @ 5 p.m. The winner will take a (3-2) series lead.
For today, enjoy this video made by James that chronicled the 8th grade day at Track and Field last Saturday.
The big question going into tonight is who will be the first person to cry?
When I graduated 10 years ago, HOLY POOP ON A STICK...our entire class cried except for two people. Wonder who those two people are...
It'll be sure to be an emotional night. And if you aren't at the dinner, tune into the Stanley Cup Finals, Game 5 -- HUGE GAME.
NBC @ 5 p.m. The winner will take a (3-2) series lead.
For today, enjoy this video made by James that chronicled the 8th grade day at Track and Field last Saturday.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Graduation!!!
What a great finals game last night and I'm not talking about the NBA one. How does a Finals game turn into a 25-point blowout? Good grief...
Anyways, while you all were drooling over Jameer Nelson and Kobe Bryant, I watched a fantastic hockey game.
Check out this goal as I prepare for graduation.
Anyways, while you all were drooling over Jameer Nelson and Kobe Bryant, I watched a fantastic hockey game.
Check out this goal as I prepare for graduation.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Graduation Eve
It is graduation eve and above is a picture that Sophia drew of the 8th grade girls team. You can try to figure out who is who.
A few things to cover since this has been 8th grade week and I haven't been able to keep people abreast of what is happening.
UNIFORMS
Bring them back if you haven't already!!!
FINALS TONIGHT
Everyone is excited about the NBA Finals tonight, but not me. I am more excited about the Stanley Cup Finals and I will watch that over basketball any day.
But I will continue to offer my expert analysis and predictions for the NBA Finals. So far, I am 100% right on my picks so far.
Laker vs Magic
I am rooting for the Magic so I think my opinion may be a bit skewed. I think Dwight Howard is too much for the soft Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol inside. I haven't watched that much of the NBA playoffs but I don't recall hearing much about Andrew Bynum. The guy has been pretty quiet.
I think Superman dominates inside and the Magic continue to hit the 3-ball. Mickael Pietrus has done a good job this playoff season defending the likes of Lebron and he will now have to do the same with Kobe Bryant. It wouldn't shock me if the Lakers won, but...
PREDICTION: Magic in 6.
The Lakers, who decide to play on some nights, will finally catch up to them and they lose in the finals for the second straight year.
EVALUATION SURVEYS
Today, end of the year surveys on the entire program as well as individual coaches were passed out. Please take the time to fill those out as they are very important in the evaluation process. Return them no later than next Wednesday.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The 8th grade boys
By Coach Philip Choi
The goal for this year, as it was the past years, was to make it to the playoffs. The question during pre-season was how I was going to integrate the four players who have been playing since 3rd grade with 3 players who only started playing last year. I reviewed every player and came to the conclusion that we were not a fast team, we were not a tall team, we were not a winning team; based on the fact that we never made the playoffs.
What we did have was players with different skills, some are good shooters, some good passers, some good rebounders, and some good defenders. So to win we would have to play as a unit, a team. No one on the team was responsible for one duty. Everyone was responsible for every duty. I knew the players really wanted to win and during pre-season I witnessed that when they were down by ten in the fourth quarter and came back to take the lead only to lose it in overtime. Perry had a four point play, hitting a three and being fouled. He had his best quarter ever.
At the start of the season, I saw that the skill level of this team had improved from the past year, three players stood out. Nicholas was hitting his shots and a lot of them early in the games and were three pointers. Elton was blocking shots and getting offensive rebounds and getting put backs. Perry was leading the defense and hitting shots.
Even more important was the contributions of the other four players on the team. Kevin was mainly at point and moved the ball around beautifully. Jon played great defense and hit a few three’s. Greg had a couple sweet drives to the basket. Simon was doing the dirty work, rebounding and getting the garbage baskets.
The team had some great quarters and some bad quarters. The bad quarters, the team would miss all their shots and not even score, but the good quarters, they were hitting a high percentage, scoring 17 points during one quarter. Even the opposing coach said to me, “I have never seen a team shoot like that”.
The team ended the season 5-3 and finally reached the playoffs for the first time. In the past, this team had a lot of adversity to play through and they did that and improved themselves along the way. During the playoffs they had to play the number one seed and did not get pass them. But that does not take away the season they had, one that they can be proud about. They played together as a team, they won as a team and they lost as a team. They never blamed each other for missing shots or playing bad defense but I saw the opposite, they were encouraging each other and supporting each other, which is the meaning teammates.
On a personal note, I wish them all the best in high school and success for the future. I know that they will take with them memories for a life time as I have. It has been my pleasure coaching these boys and seeing them grow into young men.
The goal for this year, as it was the past years, was to make it to the playoffs. The question during pre-season was how I was going to integrate the four players who have been playing since 3rd grade with 3 players who only started playing last year. I reviewed every player and came to the conclusion that we were not a fast team, we were not a tall team, we were not a winning team; based on the fact that we never made the playoffs.
What we did have was players with different skills, some are good shooters, some good passers, some good rebounders, and some good defenders. So to win we would have to play as a unit, a team. No one on the team was responsible for one duty. Everyone was responsible for every duty. I knew the players really wanted to win and during pre-season I witnessed that when they were down by ten in the fourth quarter and came back to take the lead only to lose it in overtime. Perry had a four point play, hitting a three and being fouled. He had his best quarter ever.
At the start of the season, I saw that the skill level of this team had improved from the past year, three players stood out. Nicholas was hitting his shots and a lot of them early in the games and were three pointers. Elton was blocking shots and getting offensive rebounds and getting put backs. Perry was leading the defense and hitting shots.
Even more important was the contributions of the other four players on the team. Kevin was mainly at point and moved the ball around beautifully. Jon played great defense and hit a few three’s. Greg had a couple sweet drives to the basket. Simon was doing the dirty work, rebounding and getting the garbage baskets.
The team had some great quarters and some bad quarters. The bad quarters, the team would miss all their shots and not even score, but the good quarters, they were hitting a high percentage, scoring 17 points during one quarter. Even the opposing coach said to me, “I have never seen a team shoot like that”.
The team ended the season 5-3 and finally reached the playoffs for the first time. In the past, this team had a lot of adversity to play through and they did that and improved themselves along the way. During the playoffs they had to play the number one seed and did not get pass them. But that does not take away the season they had, one that they can be proud about. They played together as a team, they won as a team and they lost as a team. They never blamed each other for missing shots or playing bad defense but I saw the opposite, they were encouraging each other and supporting each other, which is the meaning teammates.
On a personal note, I wish them all the best in high school and success for the future. I know that they will take with them memories for a life time as I have. It has been my pleasure coaching these boys and seeing them grow into young men.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
My St. Mary's Career
By Olivia
It might only be Bryan’s second year as athletic director at St. Mary’s, but he has been an amazing one at that, bringing in new sports for the school. I now don’t only have basketball to play here at St. Mary’s, but basketball, volleyball, and baseball. Without Bryan, I probably wouldn’t have that extra push to embark on these new adventures.
As I graduate and leave for high school in Minnesota this fall, I will always remember all the sports I played at St. Mary’s.
This is my first year playing volleyball and I’ll always remember those silly times my friends and I had at practice with our coach King. We’ve had our rough times, where he would make us run a ton, but we’ve also had our funny moments like when we broke his flip-flops, or when Shari blasted the volleyball over the fence at Helen Wills.
One memory I will remember forever is winning our last game of the season. I remember it went into the third set and the pressure was on. I was probably one of the least consistent servers on the team and it was up to me to serve the ball over the net-- not under, or into it.
I think at that moment, I realized I couldn’t let the pressure get to me. I ended up serving all the balls over, and we won the last set 15-9. But I couldn’t have done it without the support of my whole team.
Because I learned a new sport in volleyball, I now play club volleyball. I would’ve never had the opportunity to play volleyball if I didn’t try something new. So, if Bryan ever asks you to play a sport. PLAY IT! You’ll never know what potential you have in that sport until you try. It might also be harder to start a sport as you get older, so start young.
Volleyball might be a new sport this year, but another new sport that came before that was baseball. Everyone might think baseball is a sport for boys, but NO! A girl can do anything just as good as a boy can. I might be one of the few girls out there willing to play baseball, but baseball is such a fun sport and I really hope more people would play. I started playing baseball in seventh grade, with one other girl—Sophia. We both had a great time just being out there with all of our friends.
Last year, I was probably one of the worst players out there because I was always afraid of the ball. I would always be like “OMG the balls going to hit me!” Even if the ball was like a million miles away! But this year as an eighth grader, I found baseball to be ten times better! I went from being an outfielder, to now being short-stop, second base, or even pitcher (even though I’m the worst pitcher, it’s still fun :). Last year I couldn’t even hit a ball, and this year I batted fifth in the line up. Baseball is really a sport anyone can play and it isn’t just for boys. Girls can have a blast out there, too!
At the same time I played baseball, I also continued to play the sport I was most familiar with – basketball. For the eighth grade girls, some of us have played basketball since third grade, but for some others, it was only their second year. We’ve won championships in third grade and in fifth grade. But the weirdest thing from those victories, I don’t even remember playing those games.
Last year, we had three new coaches, Matt, James and Alex. The three of them would yell and scream at us, but they would always have their reasons. We were 7th grade girls when they took us in and they didn’t know us very well. But they still did everything they could to try to make the season successful. They were such remarkable coaches.
We went from a disastrous 2-6 season in 7th grade, to being the eighth grade girls division five runner-ups. Not only has Bryan been an amazing AD these past two years, but he was an amazing coach this year. I wish we had all our coaches for most than just a year or two.
We had those times at practices where we couldn’t stop laughing or the times out of basketball when we were just chilling at those Warriors’ games goofing around with each other. I think we’ve grown so much as a team that it will be hard say goodbye to all my teammates and my coaches.
I will always remember what they’ve taught me and those moments where I/we would go crazy. They would always call me loud or crazy or all those things but it was always for a reason. I love them and I’ll miss then so much next year.
Playing sports is so much fun and you never know what potential you have until you go out and do it! It can give you so much more confidence in your abilities. And just being there with friends makes it all that much better. Remember, if you are only playing basketball, try something new like baseball or soccer or volleyball. You’ll never know what can happen unless you take the chance of trying something new.
As I leave St. Mary's, some of the things that will stick out most is my time playing sports. Playing basketball since 3rd grade and making it to championships three times, and bringing home the championship title twice. Playing baseball for two years and making it to playoffs the second year. Playing volleyball for the first year, being team captain, and playing in the CYO all-star achievement games.
Without sports I probably wouldn’t be the person I am today. Thank you to all my coaches, teammates, parents and everyone who made my time at St. Mary’s so much fun. I will miss you all.
It might only be Bryan’s second year as athletic director at St. Mary’s, but he has been an amazing one at that, bringing in new sports for the school. I now don’t only have basketball to play here at St. Mary’s, but basketball, volleyball, and baseball. Without Bryan, I probably wouldn’t have that extra push to embark on these new adventures.
As I graduate and leave for high school in Minnesota this fall, I will always remember all the sports I played at St. Mary’s.
This is my first year playing volleyball and I’ll always remember those silly times my friends and I had at practice with our coach King. We’ve had our rough times, where he would make us run a ton, but we’ve also had our funny moments like when we broke his flip-flops, or when Shari blasted the volleyball over the fence at Helen Wills.
One memory I will remember forever is winning our last game of the season. I remember it went into the third set and the pressure was on. I was probably one of the least consistent servers on the team and it was up to me to serve the ball over the net-- not under, or into it.
I think at that moment, I realized I couldn’t let the pressure get to me. I ended up serving all the balls over, and we won the last set 15-9. But I couldn’t have done it without the support of my whole team.
Because I learned a new sport in volleyball, I now play club volleyball. I would’ve never had the opportunity to play volleyball if I didn’t try something new. So, if Bryan ever asks you to play a sport. PLAY IT! You’ll never know what potential you have in that sport until you try. It might also be harder to start a sport as you get older, so start young.
Volleyball might be a new sport this year, but another new sport that came before that was baseball. Everyone might think baseball is a sport for boys, but NO! A girl can do anything just as good as a boy can. I might be one of the few girls out there willing to play baseball, but baseball is such a fun sport and I really hope more people would play. I started playing baseball in seventh grade, with one other girl—Sophia. We both had a great time just being out there with all of our friends.
Last year, I was probably one of the worst players out there because I was always afraid of the ball. I would always be like “OMG the balls going to hit me!” Even if the ball was like a million miles away! But this year as an eighth grader, I found baseball to be ten times better! I went from being an outfielder, to now being short-stop, second base, or even pitcher (even though I’m the worst pitcher, it’s still fun :). Last year I couldn’t even hit a ball, and this year I batted fifth in the line up. Baseball is really a sport anyone can play and it isn’t just for boys. Girls can have a blast out there, too!
At the same time I played baseball, I also continued to play the sport I was most familiar with – basketball. For the eighth grade girls, some of us have played basketball since third grade, but for some others, it was only their second year. We’ve won championships in third grade and in fifth grade. But the weirdest thing from those victories, I don’t even remember playing those games.
Last year, we had three new coaches, Matt, James and Alex. The three of them would yell and scream at us, but they would always have their reasons. We were 7th grade girls when they took us in and they didn’t know us very well. But they still did everything they could to try to make the season successful. They were such remarkable coaches.
We went from a disastrous 2-6 season in 7th grade, to being the eighth grade girls division five runner-ups. Not only has Bryan been an amazing AD these past two years, but he was an amazing coach this year. I wish we had all our coaches for most than just a year or two.
We had those times at practices where we couldn’t stop laughing or the times out of basketball when we were just chilling at those Warriors’ games goofing around with each other. I think we’ve grown so much as a team that it will be hard say goodbye to all my teammates and my coaches.
I will always remember what they’ve taught me and those moments where I/we would go crazy. They would always call me loud or crazy or all those things but it was always for a reason. I love them and I’ll miss then so much next year.
Playing sports is so much fun and you never know what potential you have until you go out and do it! It can give you so much more confidence in your abilities. And just being there with friends makes it all that much better. Remember, if you are only playing basketball, try something new like baseball or soccer or volleyball. You’ll never know what can happen unless you take the chance of trying something new.
As I leave St. Mary's, some of the things that will stick out most is my time playing sports. Playing basketball since 3rd grade and making it to championships three times, and bringing home the championship title twice. Playing baseball for two years and making it to playoffs the second year. Playing volleyball for the first year, being team captain, and playing in the CYO all-star achievement games.
Without sports I probably wouldn’t be the person I am today. Thank you to all my coaches, teammates, parents and everyone who made my time at St. Mary’s so much fun. I will miss you all.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The 8th grade girls
By Coach James Chiu
When I was younger my uncle used to tell me to play more basketball because it would make me taller. Well, I’m probably not going to get much taller, but I’m pretty glad I decided to stick with basketball.
I’ve spent a good portion of my life on the court running, sweating, shooting and doing everything to expand on the facets that make a good basketball player. But, never have I had the opportunity to take on the position of a coach until January of 2008.
It was a change going from player to coach, but as a team of three, Alex, Matt and I took this transition in stride. Since, we were all inexperienced we took the challenge and kept an open dialogue, working together with the motivation of helping our team of 7th grade girls learn the game of basketball.
This task proved to be a learning experience for all of us as our first season fell short of our expectations. Although we saw great improvements in the skills of our girls, a good start switched over to a series of tough losses that brought our high hopes back down to reality, finishing with an overall record of 3-8 (tournament and regular season).
With a new season, the addition of a new veteran coach in the great Bryan Cheung, and an extra year of experience under their belts, these girls came back with a mission. Through the added direction of Bryan, we pushed this team to learn from their mistakes and surpass the players they were the day before. Working hard every practice, through repetition and willpower these girls showed us not only how much they enjoyed playing the game, but also their competitive spirit in pursuit of success.
The biggest question was whether these girls could perform when it mattered, in game situations. Throughout the season, I saw a lot of sloppy plays, mostly from inexperience and bad habits. But, as we progressed I saw continual improvement. Whether it was making more lay-ups, grabbing rebounds, playing better defense or making plays when it counted, these girls were able to step up and earn their overall 10-3 record.
Although we fell short in championships, this game did not define our season. This 8th grade squad fought valiantly to come back from a flat start. Showing the grit and determination that true champions are made of. All in all, I want these girls to remember the path they took to reach their goals. Remembering the work they put in, the relationships they’ve carved and the motivation necessary to become great at something they really enjoy.
For this class of girls, I hope nothing but the best, and that they never become satisfied with mediocrity. Continue to set goals, aim high and have fun on the way to the top.
I am truly thankful to have had the opportunity to coach this graduating class of 8th grade girls. I will always remember not just the games, but all the great times at practices and events. From game winning shots, to surprising performances, to simple things like somehow being crossed by Olivia in practice or blocked by Shari (of course I got them back), these moments are the substances that have made my time with these girls one I will cherish for years to come.
When I was younger my uncle used to tell me to play more basketball because it would make me taller. Well, I’m probably not going to get much taller, but I’m pretty glad I decided to stick with basketball.
I’ve spent a good portion of my life on the court running, sweating, shooting and doing everything to expand on the facets that make a good basketball player. But, never have I had the opportunity to take on the position of a coach until January of 2008.
It was a change going from player to coach, but as a team of three, Alex, Matt and I took this transition in stride. Since, we were all inexperienced we took the challenge and kept an open dialogue, working together with the motivation of helping our team of 7th grade girls learn the game of basketball.
This task proved to be a learning experience for all of us as our first season fell short of our expectations. Although we saw great improvements in the skills of our girls, a good start switched over to a series of tough losses that brought our high hopes back down to reality, finishing with an overall record of 3-8 (tournament and regular season).
With a new season, the addition of a new veteran coach in the great Bryan Cheung, and an extra year of experience under their belts, these girls came back with a mission. Through the added direction of Bryan, we pushed this team to learn from their mistakes and surpass the players they were the day before. Working hard every practice, through repetition and willpower these girls showed us not only how much they enjoyed playing the game, but also their competitive spirit in pursuit of success.
The biggest question was whether these girls could perform when it mattered, in game situations. Throughout the season, I saw a lot of sloppy plays, mostly from inexperience and bad habits. But, as we progressed I saw continual improvement. Whether it was making more lay-ups, grabbing rebounds, playing better defense or making plays when it counted, these girls were able to step up and earn their overall 10-3 record.
Although we fell short in championships, this game did not define our season. This 8th grade squad fought valiantly to come back from a flat start. Showing the grit and determination that true champions are made of. All in all, I want these girls to remember the path they took to reach their goals. Remembering the work they put in, the relationships they’ve carved and the motivation necessary to become great at something they really enjoy.
For this class of girls, I hope nothing but the best, and that they never become satisfied with mediocrity. Continue to set goals, aim high and have fun on the way to the top.
I am truly thankful to have had the opportunity to coach this graduating class of 8th grade girls. I will always remember not just the games, but all the great times at practices and events. From game winning shots, to surprising performances, to simple things like somehow being crossed by Olivia in practice or blocked by Shari (of course I got them back), these moments are the substances that have made my time with these girls one I will cherish for years to come.
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