Rising After The Fall Sports

We all know how successful our fall sports teams were in their 2016 season. There are four blue banners hanging proudly in Ron Limeberger ’53 Gym to prove it.

But is it possible that these tremendous victories might mess with the winter sports’ psyche? The Talon spoke to a few winter athletes and coaches to find out if they feel affected by the fall sports’ success.

“We don’t focus on the other teams as much as focusing on what we can control, and taking care of our own business,” expressed Men’s Varsity soccer coach Mr. Jake Hunley ’96. “Sure we would love to represent CB and continue this year’s success, possibly making a postseason run, but we don’t feel any pressure on the success of our other teams”.

“[I feel] no pressure,” indicated Men’s Varsity basketball coach Brian Chavez. “I look at it as a good thing. We put enough pressure on ourselves to be successful — I think it only helps us.”

The coaches are cool, calm, and collected when it comes to their focus this winter season. But how are the athletes feeling on their journey to a possible section title?

“Fall sports were really successful and we hope we can [go to sections],” states soccer forward Nicole Wong (’17). “But I don’t think there is really any pressure from how they did”.

Taking the necessary steps to thrive this season, Women’s Varsity soccer is making sure they know there’s no “I” in team.

“We are working as a team and learning to rely on each other a lot more,” Nicole says. “Of course we also have the goal of winning league and winning sections, so that’s always in our minds”.

Basketball guard Casey Loftus (‘17)  expressed the same sentiments when it came to feeling a possible burden of living up to the fall sports’ accomplishments.

“If [fall sports] had won or they hadn’t won, I would feel the same way as I do now, and I think the rest of my team feels that way too”.

Co-captain of the Women’s Varsity basketball squad, Kalani Mark (’17), gave her two-cents on the matter.

“We don’t feel a lot of pressure from fall sports. We feel like we want this and we should have this because we were so close last year to winning sections”.

There’s no fazing these athletes when they have their eyes on the prize. That’s why these coaches are doing everything they can to make sure their players perform their best.

Coach Hunley is working to “improve [the team’s] attacking and offense,” and make sure his boys are “really thinking and playing quickly by trying to move the ball as fast as we can”.

Lock-down defense is one of Coach Chavez’s main goals for his team’s success this season.

“The big thing is just having an emphasis on being a better defensive team, being a better rebounding team and being able to force the tempo because we have a lot of good guards on our team”.

These winter athletes and coaches feel no extra burden when it comes to have an outstanding season. They know their goals and are going to continue to strive for them, no matter what the circumstance may be from other sports teams.

Who knows, there could be some new banners added to the gym “Wall of Fame” come spring; we’ll just have to wait and see.