Sharks, Happy Birthday...

The Sharks start their season tomorrow, but does it really matter at this point? They will have probably another great regular season, but it means nothing until they can win the Stanley Cup.

Hockey season is here so be happy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
And today I wish a Happy Birthday to my Mom. Unfortunately, she wasn't working today so people couldn't go bother her. But if you would like, wish her a belated happy birthday tomorrow or Friday at the Chinatown library!

Find some new role models...

The NBA season starts in late October and two of your Golden State Warriors are not happy. Both Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis are disgruntled, with one wanting out and the other complaining about new guard Stephen Curry.

Do yourself a favor and don't look up to anybody in the NBA, as it is full of the greediest, sorriest and spoiled creatures to walk God's green earth.

Let's start with "Captain Jack" - a player nobody in the NBA wanted on their team. The Warriors took him in with open arms and resurrected his career. Last year, they offered Jackson a 3-year, $28 million extension, which was ridiculous to begin with, since nobody in the NBA would've done so.

In return, Jackson isn't happy now with the Warriors and wants to be traded to preferably the Cavs with Lebron and Shaq. Like most greedy NBA players, they want to be traded to the best team, so they can win a championship. Because Stephen Jackson with the Cavs is going to be no better than the 4th best player there. He can't handle the pressure of being #1 or #2 with the Warriors, so why not go to Cleveland where he doesn't have to work hard, and can get into the playoffs? You're a bum Jackson.

He was asked yesterday, why did he even sign the contract, if he knew he wasn't going to be happy? He said, he didn't want to turn down all that money. Then a minute later, he said he's just all about winning.

Really? If you were all about winning, then why bother signing an extension if you knew you couldn't win here you moron?

Now onto Monta Ellis, who all of you adore. First, Monta gets on a moped, injures himself, and then proceeds to lie about the accident. He ruined the entire season for the Warriors last year, and now, he is mad that the Warriors drafted Stephen Curry. Curry and Ellis are similar in size, so now Ellis is complaining that he and Curry won't be able to play together.

Monta signed a 6 year, $66 million contract before last season. Shut up and just play.

This is what is wrong with the NBA. Everyone thinks they are a superstar and they just demand these outrageous trades. They want to be part of a team with 3 or 4 All-Stars so it's easier to win a championship. Basketball is the absolute worst professional sport to watch in my opinion, because a lot of players are greedy uneducated pigs, who probably couldn't do anything else with their pathetic lives than shoot a basketball.

If it was up to me, I'd get rid of both of these stupid clowns. But knowing my luck and the way this world works, Jackson will end up in Cleveland and will be hoisting an NBA Championship.

Life isn't fair kids.

DEVELOPING NEWS: 7th/8th grade soccer game changed

The 7th/8th grade soccer team will play this Saturday, 10 a.m. @ The Polo Fields. This game was moved originally from Sunday afternoon.

The downfall of Monta and Captain Jack later tonight.

3 Stars of the Weekend

3RD STAR
Justin - Justin picked up the first goal for the 4th/5th graders this Saturday. It is also Justin's first career goal and hopefully one of many more to come.

2ND STAR
Ivy - Ivy played a great volleyball game on Saturday, only her second ever. She served the ball over for the first time and also did a great job on her returns on several balls.

1ST STAR
Brandon - After serving as goalie to start the year, Brandon shifted to a mid-fielder/defender role this week and did the job very well. He cheated up just at the right time and scored the first goal of his career.

O M G!

On tap for this week

Monday
Soccer Practice
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. @ Moscone
BOTH TEAMS

8th grade volleyball
4 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ Helen Wills

Tuesday
Soccer Practice
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. @ Moscone
7th/8th grade

Wednesday
8th Grade Volleyball Practice
4 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ Chinese Rec. Center

4th/5th Grade Volleyball Practice
6:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. @ NDV

Thursday
4th/5th Grade Soccer Practice
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. @ Marina Greens

4th/5th graders hit 20, but fall short

The 4th/5th graders hit 20 for the first time in a game, but it wasn't enough as they lose in two sets 25-20 and 25-11. Hitting 20 is the first step in getting closer to win a step and in three games they have already hit that milestone.

Saturday Recap

It was an interesting Saturday to say the least and a lot of firsts were accomplished today on the soccer field and volleyball courts. Read about it below in the game recaps!

Brandon nets first goal in 7th/8th grade game

Trailing 2-0 in the second quarter, Brandon picked the right time to pinch up, and found the ball at his foot inside the box. He didn't hesitate and he planted the ball into the corner pocket of the net for his first career goal.

The goal made it 2-1 and gave the team momentum heading into the third quarter.

The 7th/8th graders had several chances to tie it up. Two missed opportunities when the midfielders were unable to connect with Tommy up field were two key moments of the game that were not executed.

They also had a few other scoring chances on breaks, but just weren't able to muster the much needed second and tying goal.

After spending all their energy trying to even the score, a few let downs towards the end of the game resulted in two goals for the other team, as the 7th/8th graders lose 4-1.

In the loss, Elliot played his first game in goal and did a respectable job. Defenders Timothy and Gavin L. played very solid games. And after a rough first half, Gavin C. bounced back and had a strong second.

8th grade girls improve to 2-0, 4th/5th graders show improvement

Via forfeit, the 8th grade girls are now (2-0). They were scheduled to play the same team that they had beaten last week, but unfortunately the other team only had 4 players.

The 4th/5th graders played their second game of their young CYO volleyball careers and are making great strides. The most notable came today from Ivy, who served the ball over for the first time this season, and did a really good job of returning balls off of the other team's serves.

They lost the first set 25-15, and were tied at 10-10 in the second before eventually dropping the final set 25-14.

The young ladies are again in action tomorrow at 3:45 p.m. @ Good Shepherd (909 Oceana Blvd, Pacifica).

Justin nets first goal for the 4th/5th

There's no such thing as a meaningless goal, when the goal is the first of the season.

In the 4th quarter, Justin intercepted a pass in the backfield and booted the ball into the back of the net for his first career goal.

The goal also marks the first time the 4th/5th graders have scored this season. After a questionable goal in the 1st quarter that made it 1-0, the 4th/5th graders gave up 3 goals in the second. It was 4-0 halftime.

Despite losing 7-1, this was probably the best game this team has played. They are at times outmatched since half the team is 4th graders, but the brave, now 10 players will continue to get better and grind out the rest of the season.

Scoring a goal was the first step and there should be plenty more on the way the rest of the year.

Weekend preview

Another huge weekend of sports at St. Mary's with all four teams in action again.

Saturday
7th/8th grade soccer, 9 a.m. @ West Sunset (39th Ave and Quintara)

8th grade volleyball, 12 p.m. @ St. Ignatius (2001 37th Avenue)

4th/5th grade soccer, 1 p.m. @ Polo Fields (Inside Golden Gate Park, easiest to enter on the Lincoln side of Golden Gate Park, exact address Middle Drive W and Metson Rd)

4th/5th grade volleyball, 3:15 p.m. @ St. Emydius (699 Jules Ave)

Sunday
4th/5th grade volleyball, 3:45 p.m. @ Good Shepherd (909 Oceana Blvd, Pacifica)

8th grade volleyball practice, 12 p.m. @ NDV

NOTE: Follow all the games live on the St. Mary's Sports Twitter @ Twitter.com/StMarysSports

If you haven't read my media pig blog post, please look at it below as well.

Full recaps will also be here on the blog Saturday night.

I'm a media pig

One of the perks about working in television is that you get to go places that a lot of YOU PEOPLE...kidding, the average person doesn't get to go to.

On Sunday, I got to cover the 49ers vs Seahawks game. What does it mean to cover it? It basically means I get to go to the game for free, watch the game comfortably in a press box, watch the final half of the 4th quarter from the sidelines, and go into the locker room after the game and get interviews with the coaches and players.

It seems easy, but it definitely is not. So here is the schedule of events that took place from the moment I arrived in the parking lot to the moment that my story aired on GameDay later Sunday night.

I get to the stadium and I take an elevator up to the press box, the place where all members of the media, from newspaper writers, bloggers and other reporters sit and watch the game.

What makes every member of the media a pig is the free food they get at games. At the 49ers games, they offer you a free lunch that Sunday featured rice, salad, and a bunch of different enchiladas -- free soda and chips as well. At half-time, they brought out another tray of freshly grilled hot dogs and we can pig out even more.

As the game is going on, I am taking notes as to what happened during the game -- crucial and pivotal moments that have affected the outcome of the game. I have to know which players I will target to interview after the game and what questions I need to ask.

With about 6 minutes left in the game, I take the elevator down to the field and watch the rest of the game from the 49ers sideline. If you ever watch an NFL game from the sidelines, you will realize just how fast the players are, and how big they are.

From the field, it is extremely loud as you can hear the music they blast, as well as the over 60,000 fans in attendance screaming at the top of their lungs.

The 49ers win and that usually bodes well for me, since it's easier to get players to talk following a victory. In my head, I already know which players I need to interview and which questions to ask.

Stop number one is the press conference room where the head coach Mike Singletary will go up to the podium and speak. I take notes on what he says and will use some of the things to form questions to ask the players. The coach is done and the camera guy and myself rush into the locker room where all the players just got out of the shower and are getting dressed.

Some of the stars of the game were the offensive linemen, so I know I need to get them on camera. Joe Staley, a 49ers tackle is getting out of the shower and walking to his locker with nothing but a towel covering his unmentionables. The pool of reporters usually waits until he gets dressed to start asking questions, but not this time. They ambush him before he gets to his locker and he is forced to answer questions while trying to keep his towel on at the same time.

He was a good sport, answered the questions and even said at one point, "This is kind of weird..."

So I spend the next half-an-hour or so getting as many interviews as possible. My work there is done.

I then drive back to the news station and have to start putting together a story about the game. I have to write out the basic elements of the story and know where to insert all the interviews I got. This process to put together a piece that runs only 1:47 is about 2-3 hours.

By 9 p.m., my work for the day is done. And at 11:35 p.m., it aired. I get a good pat on the back from everyone at work and then the next time I am asked to cover a game, I need to do the exact same thing, except even better.

Giants artwork

So something new here on the blog. I don't know if anybody ever thinks about what they want to do when they grow up, but a friend of mine is a art major and wants to draw anime and stuff like that. Below is a picture that he created of this year's San Francisco Giants.

By Nat






Coming tomorrow: A day at the 49ers game

3 Stars of the Weekend

We present to you the first time this year, the 3 Stars of the Weekend...

3RD STAR
Edwena - In her volleyball debut, Edwena had some really strong serves and was able to hit a ball from the back row all the way towards the end of the other side of the court. She is going to be a really good volleyball player.


2ND STAR
Tommy - For the second straight week, Tommy found the back of the net in the 7th/8th grade soccer game. Last season, Tommy played goalie since he was bothered by knee injuries. This season, he has upgraded the offense and already scored three goals, three more than the entire team scored last year.

1ST STAR
Tiffany Y.- Her friend calls her Tiffy, but her name didn't matter Sunday, when she served 8 straight times that resulted in points for the 8th grade girls volleyball team. She has had a strong season and one of the most improved girls on the team. Behind her serves in the third set, the girls won their first game ever Sunday afternoon.

8th grade girls victorious at last

NOTE: I wasn't at the game so unfortunately can't write a scintillating recap. Thanks to Emily for sending this report.

By Emily

The 8th grade girls won their first ever volleyball game in a satisfying three set match, the final set by a score of 15-11.

Trailing 5-0 in the first set, the girls decided they needed to step it up and eventually won the first set 25-21. In the second, they let a 14-10 lead slip away, and just barely lost 21-25.

In the third and final set, Tiffany Y. gave them an 8-0 lead after an explosive serving rampage.

It was a long awaited victory, and everyone had the feeling it was going to come sooner or later. Thank goodness it came sooner.

8th grade girls win first game, start season 1-0

CBS-5- The title says it all. I have to work right now. Tune in to GameDay tonight at 11:30 on CBS-5 for my 49ers wrap package. More on this big win later tonight.

The 4th/5th graders lost their first game today, 25-14.

Volleyball Sunday

Tomorrow is the big day, volleyball spikes off I guess...

The 4th/5th graders will take the court for their first volleyball game ever. It will be great to see how our youngest team fairs in their opening match. It's going to be exciting times for the six young girls and we wish them the best of luck and hope this is the beginning of something special.

The game is at 12 p.m. @ St. Emydius.

The 8th grade girls will start their regular season, after coming off a very successful pre-season tournament, which featured two set victories, their first ever as a team. Can they carry the momentum that they had from the tourney and can their confidence take them through the vigorous season. Both games should be exciting.

The 8th grade game starts at 2:15 p.m., also at St. Emydius. Hope to see everybody out there.

Soccer teams not ready for morning games

Perhaps playing too early in the morning isn't one of our soccer teams' strong points, as both teams were blown out in this morning's games.

The 4th/5th graders were again shutout, unable to generate any type of offense in their game. They were on their heels for the duration of all four quarters. Their first two games have lacked energy and that's something this team will need if they hope to be competitive at all this season.

The 7th/8th graders scored for the second straight week, but that was the lone bright spot. Tommy scored his third goal of the year to make it 3-1, but that's as close as the score would get.

Playing without their normal goalie Brandon, one of their strongest defenders, Marissa, the team was unable to step up and fill their roles. The goalies that took Brandon's place let in a lot of easy goals, and the team just didn't have enough resilience to fight back.

They played a good 2nd and 4th quarter, but a disastrous 1st and 3rd. In the first, the other team scored 3 goals in the blink of an eye, and scored 5 in the 3rd. The team just wasn't prepared and will need to use this as a learning experience.

Weekend preview and more birthdays...

It's week 2 of the soccer season that will feature a St. Mary's double-header Saturday morning at West Sunset (39th Ave and Quintara). The 4th/5th graders take the field at 9 a.m., followed by the 7th/8th graders at 10 a.m.

Can the 7th/8th graders pick up where they left off after their best game to date and will the 4th/5th graders bounce back from a rough opener?

Both girls volleyball teams begin their regular season Sunday at St. Emydius (699 Jules Ave), with the 4th/5th graders starting at 12 p.m. and then 8th grade girls at 2:15 p.m.

Huge weekend in St. Mary's sports so go out and check the teams out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to Tiff, who is Marissa and Jonathan's sister. She graduated in 2008 and coached last year's 3rd grade boys and the championship winning 6th grade girls.

Girls win another set, fall in match

The 8th grade girls took another set, this time in dominating fashion, winning the first set 25-16.

Unfortunately, they could not carry that momentum into the next two seconds, dropping both of them 25-9 and 15-6, respectively.

Girls volleyball schedules released

Both volleyball teams will receive their hard copy schedules tomorrow night. Both teams are in action this Sunday @ St. Emydius.

4th/5th grade - 12 p.m.
8th grade - 2:15 p.m.

Wednesday preview and Happy Birthday

Volleyball Wednesday as the 8th grade girls will play in the final round of their tournament at Kezar starting at 6:15 p.m. Let's see how much momentum the girls can carry over from their performance on Sunday.

Also, the 4th/5th graders will practice at 6 p.m. @ NDV.

Today marks the birthday of the great Justin Khuu, brother of Brandon. Justin has been an assistant coach in basketball the past two years and has helped out with the soccer teams this season. He graduated from St. Mary's in 2007 and was part of the championship basketball team as seen below.

ROFL...

The week ahead...

NOTE: Don't forget to read the great soccer and volleyball games over the weekend below. Please check the blog or the Twitter for updates on possible rainouts for the upcoming week.

Monday
Soccer Practice
4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ Moscone
BOTH TEAMS

8th grade Volleyball
4 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ Helen Wills

Tuesday
Soccer Practice
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. @ Moscone
7th/8th grade

Wednesday
8th Tournament game
6:15 p.m. @ Kezar

4th/5th grade girls
6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. @ NDV

Thursday
4th/5th Grade Soccer Practice
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. @ Marina Greens

Friday
Possible first volleyball regular season games

Saturday
4th/5th grade, 9 a.m. @ West Sunset
7th/8th grade, 10 a.m. @ West Sunset

Girls win first set in history, come up short in match

The 8th grade girls put together their best game in their little over one year history in round two of the Flame volleyball tournament.

After losing the first set 25-23, they bounced back and pulled away in the second set for a comfortable 25-18 victory, their first career win in a set. Tiffany Y. closed out the second set with about 7 straight serves giving the girls the set victory and forcing a third and deciding set.

However, the excitement of winning their first set didn't carry over into the third and they dropped the deciding set 15-6.

By far, this was clearly the best performance from these girls. They traded pass for pass with the other team and again consistently served it over on a regular basis. Emily C. did a great job on her serves, getting the ball over on all but two tries.

They also had a chance to win the first set, as they led 20-16, only to see the other team come back to tie it and eventually pull away. They learned how to close out the set immediately and didn't let the same thing happen in set two.

The girls will play this Wednesday night at Kezar, starting at 6:15 p.m.

This game should serve as a stepping stone for a bright season to come. The girls' confidence is at an all-time high and they are primed and ready to take their game to the next level.

Late goal sinks 7th/8th grade soccer team, Tommy scores first two goals

After being shutout all last season, the 7th/8th grade soccer team took a 2-1 lead in the second quarter behind Tommy's two goals.

The team tied it at 1-1 in the first quarter when the offense broke towards the net and Tommy pushed his first goal past the goalkeeper for the team's first goal ever.

In the middle of the second, Tommy took a throw-in outside the box, and forcefully kicked his second ball into the net, as the team took a 2-1 lead.

However, the other team tied it up at halftime and the score remained tied at 2-2 until the 7th/8th graders gave up a goal in the final few minutes of the game. The other team tacked on a meaningless goal in the last minute, and the final score was 4-2.

Despite the loss, this was by far the best St. Mary's soccer game in its short history. This game featured offense, something lacking all last season.

With the game tied, Elliot had a chance to take it in but could not get his foot on the ball. That would've given the team a 3-2 lead.

But this team, featuring five new players, has transformed into a competitive soccer team in just one year. They should be very proud of themselves, as this game should serve as a huge confidence boost for the year to come.

4th/5th grade shut out

The 4th/5th graders were shutout earlier this afternoon in their first game of the year. It was apparent from the start, that the team has yet to find their chemistry and are adapting to game speed.

Despite that, they have a good amount of scoring chances, but were unable to convert them. This game should serve as a good learning experience as to what needs to be done to compete at a higher level.

BRIEFLY: Raymond made his soccer debut and was knocked over on an attempted header. However, he got back up and was one of the bright spots of the game...Garrick plays with reckless abandonment, something that this team needs. He was knocked down on several occasions but got right back up immediately.

Soccer games -- WE'RE PLAYING....

As of right now, no soccer games have been canceled. Please show up to the games until notified not to. If there are any updates, they will be posted or check the Twitter, in case I am not by a computer.

4th/5th grade - 12 p.m. @ Beach Chalet
7th/8th grade - 4 p.m. @ West Sunset

Girls drop first round game, despite good serving

It was a world of improvement from last year. The girls were consistently serving the ball over and did a pretty good job of returning balls. However, when faced against a team in a much higher division, good serves and simple hits over the net can only do so much.

After dropping the first set 25-11, the girls took a brief 2-1 lead, however ended up losing the second set 25-13.

Their opponent was simply the much better team -- able to bump, set and spike -- something the girls hope to do some day.

There were plenty of bright spots, but the inexperienced girls, in only their second year, were simply outmatched.

One thing they need to improve on is their energy level. They had a lot of good plays, but the girls seemed too timid and shy and the enthusiasm just wasn't where it should be.

Also, the girls know what's going on, but at times are a step slow to the ball or a second too slow in reacting. All that will come with game experience.

They will play their second game of the tournament, Sunday at 2 p.m., also at Kezar.

News and Notes:Sally did a nice job of diving for a ball, and hitting it over, resulting in a point...Their serves today were very consistent, something missing all last year. Almost the entire team was able to serve the ball over at least once...Today was the first night the St. Mary's Twitter was used. You can track it at, twitter.com/StMarysSports

VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE TOMORROW
4th/5th grade volleyball will practice tomorrow at NDV from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Volleyball tonight, Beach Chalet map

The 8th grade girls kick off their final season in the Flame Tournament tonight at Kezar. Game time is 6:30 p.m.. Kezar is located at 755 Stanyan. Be there to show your support.

If you are not at the game, you can follow the live action on Twitter @ St. Mary's Athletics Twitter

SOCCER MAP
Soccer schedule for tomorrow:

4th/5th grade - 12 p.m. @ Beach Chalet
7th/8th grade - 4 p.m. @ West Sunset (39th Ave and Quintara)

Below is a map for Beach Chalet (The arrow is the location of the soccer field located at 1500 John F Kennedy Drive inside Golden Gate Park.

Soccer games official, set for Saturday kick-off

Soccer will begin this Saturday with the 4th/5th graders playing at 12 p.m. The game will be played at Beach Chalet, Field #1 located at 1500 John F Kennedy Dr. It is by the Great Highway by Ocean Beach. Please allow time to get there and find the soccer fields as it may be difficult when you go for the first time.

Please plan on arriving at the destination at 11:15 a.m.

The 7th/8th graders will play later on in the afternoon. Kick-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. at West Sunset, located at 39th and Quintara.

Tomorrow is the return of the newsletter.

Oh so sollie...

Sorry to the 7th/8th grade girls for no volleyballs today. They were sitting in my car and I don't know why I forgot. I also left my phone in my car all day. No goodoe. If it happens again, everyone involved will get $1 from me.

UPDATE: Check schedule below

The schedule for this week has been updated, please check the previous post for all changes, including soccer times for this Saturday.

On tap for this week...

FROM CBS-5

Monday
Soccer Practice
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. @ Moscone
BOTH TEAMS

Tuesday
Soccer Practice
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. @ Moscone
7th/8th grade

Wednesday
8th Grade Volleyball Practice
4 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ Chinese Rec. Center

Thursday
4th/5th Grade Volleyball Practice
4 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ NDV

4th/5th Grade Soccer Practice
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. @ Marina Greens

Friday
8th grade volleyball tournament Game #1
6:30 p.m. @ Kezar

Saturday
4th/5th grade, 12 p.m. @ Beach Chalet
7th/8th grade, 4 p.m. @ West Sunset

BREAKING NEWS: 8th grade volleyball tournament schedule released

The 8th grade girls will play in the San Francisco Flame Tournament beginning next Friday night. Game time is 6:30 p.m. from Kezar Pavilion, the site of all three tournament games.

Game two will be played on Sunday, September 13 at either 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.

Game three will be held Wednesday, September 16 between 6:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

All the times listed are game times.

Volleyball Drills, Practice Information

Below are some volleyball drill videos, by popular demand (Sally). Also, look at the below posts for practice information for this weekend. Monday, we will have soccer practice at Moscone from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Each team has only two practices left before games on Saturday so it is very important to make these practices.

Please contact me if you need shin guards or cleats asap.





AND NOW A VIDEO FROM THE 1800s

Weekend Practice Schedule

Tomorrow all soccer teams will practice at 1:30 p.m. from Moscone. It will end at 3:30 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL
Saturday @ Holy Name 11 a.m. (7th and 8th graders)
Sunday @ NDV 12 p.m.

4th/5th graders
Saturday @ Holy Name 11 a.m.
Sunday @ NDV 2 p.m.

Soccer Instructional Videos

Remaining practice schedule for the week

SOCCER
4TH/5TH: Thursday - 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (MARINA GREENS)

ALL TEAMS: Friday - 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Moscone)

VOLLEYBALL
Tomorrow 3:30 p.m. @ Chinese Rec. Center