Dedication, training, coldness, and teamwork are what winter sports are all about. With fall sports having a great run, it is time for winter sports to take over. 

With football season over, men’s basketball now has fans cheering them on. Men’s basketball is competitive and hardworking, and these Mustangs have spent hours practicing in the gym to prepare for the season. 

Wanting to improve themselves as a player for the team and themselves makes a good team. While all three teams have been working since summer, they have learned determination, confidence, awareness, coachability, and mental strength. 

Basketball will teach players essential skills for the game and life, as Ryan Gary (10) explains how “basketball teaches you how to be a better person because you are always supporting your teammates no matter what.”

As a matter of fact, women’s Basketball is another winter sport—family, willingness to get better and strong-minded women make up the YLHS women’s basketball program. While meeting new and old teammates, Janvi Kheni (10) comments, “I love how my team and I are all able to communicate with each other easily, and everyone’s there for each other.”

Strong-mindedness makes players better on the court, and no one can stop them from achieving their goals. These women can put forth all their effort and still make silly mistakes, which will lead them to learn, allowing them to approve and take advice from the coaches. 

Excited to kick off their season, these Lady Mustangs have prepared with preseason games and scrimmages to help them learn to play with each other, make mistakes to improve and keep themselves motivated for an end goal. 

Both men’s and women’s basketball are such great winter sports to watch, especially because they are indoors with cold California nights. Sedulous, the players have put in all their hours of hard practicing and training to put on a good game for the crowds and supportive fans. 

Another sport in winter is soccer season, and the soccer program has been a big hit. With preseason training of conditioning and fitness, the teams are ready to execute a plan of winning. With training five days a week, Parker Dalton (10) says, “the training we did got me ready for the high school season by getting me more familiar with my teammates and more comfortable with the ball.” 

The men’s soccer program has been to Big Bear for conditioning and team bonding to help create a stronger team for the season. With the mens’ teams being overall talented, physical, and resilient, they will try to dominate in the season. 

Excited, the families and friends are coming to support and encourage the men’s soccer program this season to see how the countless hours of training will pay off. Nervously, Esperanza, Foothill, and El Modena will face our vigorous Mustangs. 

Soccer is life to some people, and the YLHS women’s soccer program shows that. During the season, the Mustangs will face Foothill, Brea Olinda, and El Modena. 

Preseason for these Lady Mustangs was footwork, running, and scrimmaging. All levels are prepared to face the competition and destroy it in season. The girls will succeed with the teams being technical, intelligent, strong-minded, and close like a family. 

This soccer program is not all about winning; it is making our school proud and playing with the name of our school on the jersey. The Mustangs spend hours training at school, and they train after school to better themselves for the team. 

From passing, shooting, defending, scoring, and to great players, the Yorba Linda women’s soccer program has it.

As equally as important to our school, wrestling is another winter sport that is compelling to watch. The boys’ and women’s teams are ready to fight to win with strength, techniques, takedowns, fighting, and much physical strength. The program is not just about wrestling; it is about maintaining a healthy diet and life while still being competitive. 

The women’s wrestling team is small, but they are mighty. This being a challenging sport, these ladies get the job down and do it well. 

Yelling, pinning, and great takedowns are what our boys do best. These boys have prepared for a killer season during preseason training and weight room, and they learn from mistakes and teach themselves to improve with help from coaches. 

The program seems like a true family, and everyone wants to grow together to accomplish their goals together, which most can not say. 

Last but not least is the Yorba Linda women’s water polo team. Fearlessly, our Mustangs spend hours in the pool, strengthening themselves and working on tactics. With excellent leadership from the coaching staff and teamwork from the girls, they will take the season to a different level. 

Undoubtedly, water polo is one of the most challenging sports, but our women’s program makes it look easy. Water polo consists of techniques, excellent swimming ability, hand-eye coordination, and a team requires sport. 

Without each other, the team would not succeed, and these girls show how significant the team is. Water polo is an entirely different sport “because it actually requires you to use every muscle in your body, so you need a lot of strength,” said Mersadie Moore (9).

Winter Sports are just getting started, and there is time to support all of these different and creative sports. Good luck to all the winter sports and kill it during the season.