All Stars On and Off the Field

We often find it difficult to listen to the wisdom of elders, teachers and parents. We would rather drown them out with iPods and remixes of the latest and most popular music than listen to the trite spiels discussing educational values. But sports give off a different effect. Sports often teach students lessons and skills without the 60-minute lecture attached. Student athletes learn to budget their time, collaborate with others and take responsibility for their actions.
“My academic life revolves around my planner,” said junior Emily Wolf who plays field hockey for Presentation. Involvement in sports forces students to take their work seriously, allotting time in their evening routine for papers, projects, reading assignments and last minute cramming. The lack of excess time after school often minimizes the amount of time students waste lurking on Facebook or vegging out on the sofa. In fact, according to a study at Marietta College, student athletes performed better during season than out of season. Optimal GPAs were achieved following regularly scheduled practices, games and work out sessions.
Betsey Stevenson, an economist at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, said, “It’s not just that the people who are going to do well in life play sports, but that sports help people do better in life,” she said, adding, “While I only show this for girls, it’s reasonable to believe it’s true for boys as well,” following an extensive study on sports participation and educational achievement.
Sports teach athletes long-term skills and assets needed for success in the real world. It promotes and indirectly emphasizes team building, leadership, endurance, positivity, problem solving, creativity and the ability to read others. Athletes are expected to envision the field or area of play through strategic analysis and accurate body positioning. Athletes must learn to work well with others in order to achieve a greater goal, mediating disputes and reconciling differences. This is the key to team cohesion and ultimately success.
The emergence of team solidarity develops through the ties of friendship and sisterhood. Friendship, more so than any score or trophy, is a lasting testimony to the success of any team. Friends are tangible memories, serving as the legacy of the team and its accomplishments. “Friends become family,” said sophomore Kayla Bose who plays varsity basketball. While knees, joints, and other body parts may give out over time, bearing the scars of a dedicated athlete, friends will last forever.

Spending time out on the field is also said to relieve stress and the burden of excessive amounts of homework. According to an article by Joseph Plazo of StressLive.Com, “It’s imperative to partake in physical exercise because inspiring the body refreshes the mind. Our brain requires activity by the rest of our body in order to regenerate the senses and enhance performance.” Exercise is an essential component of mental and physical help, much like sleeping and eating. Junior and golfer Jessie Walsh said, “Sports is an outlet for stress. It gets your mind off school.”
For many Presentation students, dedication to both sports and academics is a testament to their willingness to balance their lives in order to learn lifelong skills, forge bonds of friendship, and relieve stress on the court, field, diamond, green, track, or wherever their sport takes them. Despite the struggles of the daily balancing act, many students find involvement in sports rewarding. For some, it boosts self-esteem and confidence along with lasting implications for their future.

Sports are teachers without white boards, tests without grades, and homework assignments without point values. Athletes are evaluated by their ability to work with others, make progress, and think logically. It’s not about whether you make the grade; it’s about learning from mistakes and taking away the greater message.

Game of December: Varsity Basketball

The Panther’s Varsity Basketball team took on the Evergreen High School Cougars on December 8, 2009, and came out with a strong win of 76-43 by the end of the night, making their league count 2-0-0.

Nici Gilday, a guard who has been on the Presentation Varsity team since her freshman year, was proud of the game and the outcome. “The second half really picked up. What it all really comes down to is that we are a lot more disciplined than all the other teams we have been playing. We keep fighting until the end.”

As the team started every home game, senior Savanna Morgan led the team out of the gym foyer of Presentation High School by jumping up and hitting the sign of hope written on the gym wall. It says ‘Hard Work + Determination = CHAMPION.’ When Gilday was asked why the team did such a ritual, she commented, “We started that last year, and we hit it because it is a true testimony of what we believe. A creed, really.”

The starting lineup strutted onto the court, confident with their size and skill. Molly Pearson towered over Evergreen’s center for the tip-off, taking the ball for Presentation for the start of the game. Within the first couple of plays, the Panther’s energy shone, although shots were falling short and no shots made it in the basket. By the six minute mark, the only score on the board was 1-0 from a foul shot. Soon after, Gilday put up a shot from a breakaway, making the score 3-0. Evergreen kept fighting, but by the end of the first quarter, Presentation still came out on top.

The second quarter consisted of a lot of fouls and baskets. At the end of the half, the score was 34-15. The crowd was happy with the first half, but left room for improvement. One person in the crowd, Taylor Johnson, said, “I love going to support my friends on the team, and it’s a good feeling when your team does better because they know you are there supporting them. The second half had so much more energy in the air.”

The foul list for the home team reached up to 19 team fouls by the end of the night, showing their aggression and desire to win the game at any cost. Forward Chelsea Punian’s aggression tallied up four fouls. Cooling was very happy with the speed of the game, and how the team has been doing this season. “Our team is just winning everything in dominating fashion.” With the crowd’s support, who wouldn’t want to show their panther pride?

Credit for the win not only goes to the Varsity Basketball team, but also to the coaches, Wade Nakamura and Adam Blightman. Assistant Athletic Director Stacey Mallison, who was there to support her team, found the game exciting and was proud to see their success. “So far this season, everything looks good. There is a lot of potential and talent out on that court,” she said. “The game showed me that their speed of play has increased exponentially.”

Congratulations to the mighty strong basketball team, for not only did they defeat Evergreen, but they won the Pinewood Classic Tournament, winning the championship game 50-33. This leaves their current record at 5-0-0. The whole school is waiting to see how the Varsity Basketball team will do the rest of the season! After Christmas break, check out the following games: Valley Christian at Presentation on Wednesday January 6, 2010 at 7:30 pm AND Archbishop Mitty at Presentation on Wednesday January 13, 2010 at 7:30 pm.