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09.24.10 Sports
the Stagg Line
7
Ink helps players think positive
Tattoos inspire three athletes to persevere through loss
New coach helps
establish team goals
Jeremy Dela Cruz
Whether during practice or games, every athlete
knows the feeling of gritted teeth, sweaty uniforms,
and aching muscles, universal elements in the
sports world. New volleyball coach Gabe Padayhag,
however, adds two unconventional elements: pencil
and paper.
Padayhag asks his varsity team to write expectations
of themselves and of their team, creating lists to
be read before practices.
He says that reading their goals allows the team to
understand that “every athlete is asked to be mentally
prepared.”
Each individual writes three things she does for
herself and three things she does for the team in the
hope that doing so will commit the expectations to
memory.
Team captain Amanda White likes this new aspect
of practices, but says that she initially had doubts
about the strategy. “Sports aren’t about feelings,”
White said.
“We’re not used to coaches wanting to know that
stuff.” She recognizes, though, that if Padayhag never
asked them to write expectations they never would
photo by harmony evangelisti
Varsity coach Gabe Padayhag instructs players to move
their feet towards the ball, when attempting to pass.
photos by Chelsea Collura
Juniors Samantha Mendez and Albert Rubio, as well
as senior Frankie May, are inspired by their inked
skin to continue playing sports. Despite the obstacles
they face whether they be death or a family member
absent from the stands, they still continue to chase
their dreams.
have created goals, which allow players to “have something
in (their) minds that (they) want to reach.”
The writing team-building activity, which White
describes as “strictly Padayhag,” is about one of the
only different features of having a new coach for
the varsity team. In actuality, Padayhag’s transition
into his position has been smooth since he has been
coaching Stagg volleyball off and on for five years.
Speaking of his predecessor Martin Bagnasco, Padayhag
said, “The good thing is he and I have similar
coaching styles.”
Bagnasco also has an agreeable view of Padayhag.
“He’s fully qualified and I think he’s doing a very
good job.”
Padayhag’s major concern about guiding the team
is something that coaches everywhere struggle with:
the height of players. “The girls we get are good people.”
He joked about wishing for a six foot tall setter: “I
just wish that genetically they were taller.”
Padayhag, however, has strategized ahead of time
for games where their opponents have height advantages.
“We can implement a much faster game against
taller teams.”
Having coached boys volleyball for the San Diego
Volleyball Club, Padayhag is also an athletic alumnus
of the Stagg soccer team, a sport he played for four
years.
Unlike many with solid sports backgrounds, he is
“not necessarily interested in wins or losses.” Padayhag
contends that an often overlooked aspect of volleyball
is playing with effort.
“If we lose, but we’re able to say ‘I’ve left everything
on the court, then we’re great.”
White enjoys the positivity Padayhag brings to the
team. She doesn’t mind his occasional sternness since
she knows it’s all for a good purpose.
“I think he’s strict because he doesn’t just want us
to be good volleyball players.” White said. “He wants
us to be good people.”
As a coach, Padayhag understands that he “can’t
make anyone do anything.”
During days where morale is low, the only thing
he can do for each player is remind them that “it’s not
about them, it’s about the team and their contributions
to the team.”
Like many of the veteran players, White feels some
disappointment about having a new coach for varsity.
At first, White was “a little nervous about the
change.”
“Ever since freshmen year I’ve had this dream of
being on varsity and having Bagnasco as a coach,”
She said.
“It’s not good or bad now, but I’ve just had to alter
my dream a little, it’s just straight up different.”
Fortunately, White still has “a really good relationship”
with Padayhag.
“He wants to teach us to be great volleyball players
but to also succeed in life.”
With the written expectations in mind, she knows
that “the skills (they) learn in volleyball apply to life
as well.”
Chelsea Collura
He won’t be there sitting in the
stands when she goes up to bat
this year during the softball season
and he won’t be there to tell her
how great of a game she plays but
“he’s got (her) back.”
Her inked skin will forever
retain the famous phrase from
“The Lion King”, hakuna matata,
because either way, for junior Samantha
Mendez, playing softball
again will mean “no worries.”
Since the day that her brother
passed away Mendez promised
herself that she would never play
another game and the only way
that she would was if somehow or
someway he would come back.
After many unanswered prayers
she realized he would never walk
back through the door.
“That day I got home from softball
practice, I washed my cleats,
I washed my socks, I washed my
shirt, and my pants,” Mendez said.
“I stuck it all in my softball bag
and put it high in my closet.”
That was definitely the last time
that anyone would see her on the
field for the remainder of the season.
However, that mirror that reflects
the tattoo on the back of
her neck is her daily reminder
that, though her brother is gone,
her dreams remain in front of her
waiting to be realized.
Mendez soon had a change of
heart.
“I knew that it would hurt my
mom to see that her daughter was
staying away from her dreams,”
Mendez said.
Looking
ahead...
The pre-season was rocky with
a few injured players. However,
the team pulled through and overall
their record is 4-4-2. Senior
Gilberto Camacho, varsity player,
is looking forward to the season
and says the team is “ready to give
it all.” Stay tuned for more soccer
coverage Issue 3.
For more photos...
SL
staggline.com
It was the first time in 10
months that she faced reality and
picked up the softball that she had
hid from herself for so long.
“He would have wanted me to
continue.”
Like Mendez, senior Frankie
May relies on his dreams to push
him further in football.
Even though his grandmother
isn’t so keen on him playing, she
is there for him in the stands when
she can be and tattooed on his
skin – “truly blessed” – when she
can’t.
Since infancy, May’s grandmother
has been his support and
inspiration to do well in school.
“She took care of me most
of my life. If it wasn’t for her I
wouldn’t be at this school today,”
he said.
His grandmother has strived to
put a roof over his head and food
in his stomach.
With that, May believes that
“she’s the best grandmother that
anyone can have.” Because of her
he offers something new to the
team and gives his opponents a
reason to believe that “if you didn’t
make me, you can’t break me,” exactly
what the tattoos on his arms
display.
With the death of his grandfather
and his uncle getting “locked”
up, junior Albert Rubio unlike
May struggled to find the significance
of the phrase “family is forever.”
“I didn’t want to do any school
work. I didn’t even want to go to
school,” Rubio said.
Football no longer seemed to
appeal to him because someone
would be missing.
His grandfather had always
been his inspiration because he
“always used to see (him) there in
the stands.”
But still, even though he has
passed on, the letters that Rubio
receives from his uncle still push
him to do well in school and play
football even better.
No matter where his uncle or
grandfather may be, he knows that
“thinking of them pushes (him)
harder.”
Just like Mendez and May, Rubio
isn’t going to see his uncle or
grandfather in the stands every
time he looks up when the football
team scores a touchdown or
wins the game.
However, the missing pieces of
his family remain “tatted” on his
chest and “close to his heart.”
He has finally realized the importance
of the phrase.
One way or another his family
is always going to be there whenever
he needs them. No matter
where they are to Rubio, that’s
family and they are “forever.”
Each tattoo has a separate
meaning and a different story left
to be told.
For these three athletes their
tattoos keep them on the field and
continue to push them to chase
their dreams.
The black ink is permanently
imprinted on their skin and all
their worries fade away because
no matter what, their loved ones
are “always going to be by (their)
side.”
“I’m never going to let them go,”
Rubio said.
Senior Gilberto
Camacho
(above) and
senior Ivan
Contreras (left)
charge players
from Chavez
while on
defense.
photos by
Kristin
Acevedo