As the autumn’s crunchy leaves fly away and the colder air comes in, it sets the stage for the start of a new sports season! While the season of gift-giving, hot chocolate, and the holidays slowly comes in, the season of Women’s and Men’s Soccer, Women’s and Men’s Basketball, Women’s Water Polo, and Wrestling arrives with certainty.
Coaches Robert, Griffin, and Leia Fuller oversee the women’s soccer team. Alongside women’s, the men’s soccer season will start and their teams will be coached by Coach José Aldama for Varsity, Coach Misael Quevedo for JV, and Coach Chris Janney for Frosh. This sport requires immaculate foot coordination and movement, which are skills that each member of every team works extremely hard to perfect. Besides personal skills, our Mustangs have developed a good sense of camaraderie. As it’s currently their pre-season, both teams have been practicing in the warm-up field practicing drills for the fast-approaching season. While the women’s soccer games are still to be decided, the men’s team has matches coming on November 20th, December 6th, and December 7th.
Next, the Women’s Varsity Basketball team is coached by Coach Teiko Ikemoto, and Coach Barry leads the JV and Frosh teams. Coach Teiko Ikemoto, besides being a disciplined coach, balances being a mother and teaching her Japanese classes. On the other hand, the men’s varsity team is instructed by Head Coach Jason Pietsch, Assistant Coach Yezbak, and Assistant Coach Dean Ackland. To match Coach Ikemoto, Coach Jason Pietsch is also a teacher on campus; teaching both Anatomy and Physiology alongside Living Earth classes, the commitments of YLHS’ basketball coaches are greatly inspiring. Lastly, the men’s JV team is led by Coach Hobson. Basketball requires superb hand-eye coordination alongside an ability to adapt to tricky shots or quick passes. These are developed through rigorous, lengthy practices and conditioning in the gym. During the fall season, the teams have trained through a variety of exercises to develop skills, stamina, and strength. Excitingly, our Mustangs will have the opportunity to fly out to Hawaii in a match facing Hawaii Baptist Academy on November 9th. This thrilling match will surely be a strong start to an even stronger season for both teams.
Women’s Water Polo is another team forced to face the cold during their sport. Coach Jess Diaz coaches this team and has already started their pre-season as they have upcoming games in November. Water polo requires the player to master swimming for quick maneuvering, and passing skills when the water limits their dexterity. These committed Mustangs refine these skills through early morning and after-school practices at the pool. With both morning and afternoon devoted to practice, this coming season is bound to come with great wins.
Lastly, the catalog of winter sports is completed with our wrestling team getting ready to face their opponents in the gym. The wrestling team is amazingly and entirely coached by Coach Armon Fayyazi. The gym is well-used this season as wrestling too uses the gym for training. Despite the sport seeming straightforward and mostly physical, the sport requires an unshakable mental. When face-to-face with an opponent, our Mustangs through practice and a calm mind don’t doubt themselves and bring themselves and the team to victory. Wrestling is much more intricate than first meets the eye, but regardless with hard work and mastery, the members are on the route to a strong season.
Overall, every sport requires a unique set of skills and rigorous training to improve those skills. As the winter sports season rolls in, our Mustangs from all these sports have worked incredibly hard to prepare for their coming games. Besides the ever-important physical elements of the sport, the player’s mental mindset is equally important. A member of the Women’s Varsity Basketball Team, Sanaya Patel (10), reinforces this stating, “When I’m on the court, I usually tell myself to stay calm because when I am nervous, that is when I make the most mistakes. I try to focus on what my team needs to be doing while also making sure that I am doing my part. I try to push myself very hard every minute that I’m in the game even when faced with challenges. Being mentally tough is one of the most important factors in being successful.” The blend of physical prowess, mental toughness, and teamwork put into sports makes it both difficult and rewarding. While there may not be a perfect record, all Mustangs from every sport deserve a cheering crowd and a fun season.
