November started eventfully as Carlmont’s winter season of sports began with tryouts and first practices.
According to the Next College Student Athlete (NCSA), this season’s selection of sports includes the most popular among high school students.
Carlmont offers basketball, soccer, wrestling, and the baseball and softball pre-seasons for any student to participate in. High school athletics prove highly beneficial for students, as they gain social aspects and learning opportunities.
And, according to the NCSA, high school sports provide experiences for almost 8 million students yearly.
Basketball
In the winter season, basketball is considered the most popular sport for high school athletics. The Carlmont basketball team offers opportunities for students to play in a competitive league.
In the Central Coast Section (CCS) 2021 Boys Basketball Championship, Carlmont moved onto the second round after defeating Monta Vista High School.
Ron Ozorio, head coach of the boys varsity basketball, explains the excitement and high expectations for this year’s team as they show that same high potential to move on to the CCS championship.
“These next two to three years should be some of the best basketball we’ve had at Carlmont in a very long time. We have high expectations of this group coming up. They’re all mostly junior class, and this varsity basketball team has a lot of potentials,” Ozorio said. “We had a team three years ago that went pretty far, and this team has the same potential as that.”
The season began with tryouts starting Nov. 1, determining if students made the varsity or JV teams.
“Qualities that the coaches look for are effort, skill, commitment, like making an effort to come to every workout, conditioning, and practice. And attitude, keeping a good attitude even when you mess up,” said Charlotte Lin, a sophomore on the girls basketball team.
Because the athletes go through rigorous training and have weekly practices, they find themselves with stronger bonds as a team and learn new skills.
“The biggest benefit I get from basketball is either the bonds and friends I make or the time management skills I get from balancing my high workload, the high-intensity workouts, and the dedication it takes to be a student-athlete,” said Willow Ishibashi-To, a varsity girls basketball player.
Soccer
The winter season’s second most popular sport is soccer. Carlmont’s soccer teams have a history of strong teamwork and have proved to be a skilled team.
The girls varsity team won the first division of the CCS in both 2005 and 2006 against 11 schools. Additionally, both the boys varsity and JV teams won the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) championship in the winter of 2020.
Previous competitive and successful matches set high expectations for the upcoming season.
“There’s a very competitive mindset that the players at Carlmont have that pushes them to want to be the best for themselves and for the team,” said Josh Lisi, a sophomore soccer player. “It’s also because the clubs in this area such as Belmont United and San Carlos United do a really strong job at training their players but also keep it enjoyable so many stick around for high school.”
Like any other sport, the season started with tryouts, in which players from various grades compete for spots on the varsity team.
“The ideal player the coaches are looking for is an aggressive player that gives as much effort as they can and brings out the best in their team. Not just an exceptional individual player,” Lisi said.
Although Lisi and many other student-athletes share the hardships of playing in a cutthroat environment, the benefits always seem to outweigh the difficulties.
“Getting to do something you love with some of your favorite people is special, and succeeding and improving together is one of my favorite parts,” Lisi said.
Wrestling
Along with badminton, wrestling is the only coed seasonal sport Carlmont offers.
Although there are few female wrestlers on the team, in 2020, two girls from Carlmont received honorable mentions in the PAL competition.
Ricardo Garcia, one of the varsity wrestling coaches, explains the excitement for this season due to the increase in female wrestlers from previous years.
“We are working on having a wrestler in every weight and fill both a varsity and JV team. Our girls team is growing, and we are excited to have four girls on the team this year,” Garcia said.
Garcia also has high expectations for the team as they have many students with the potential to compete in the championship.
“We have a very young team with only one senior. However, we are looking to be very competitive in the Ocean Division and win our first league championship in 30+ years,” Garcia said.
