It’s a hard-knock life for athletes

By Johnny Stacewicz

Hat tricks do not come often in sports, especially in soccer. Three scores by a single player in one game is a a rarity. My last hat trick came on July 13, 2006. I had just scored the last of my three goals to put our team up six to four against a team from California. In celebration, one of my teammates jumped into my arms and I immediately went down. The tone went from joyous to concerned. My teammates gathered around and tried to help me up, but my left leg just would not work. I had dislocated my knee cap for the first time.

In high school, there is no money, no cars, no fame. The practices are long, the equipment is not exactly grade A, and at the end of the day, dead tired and dirty, athletes have to go home and do homework. The main differences between high school and the pros is not just skill, it is our for the love of the game.

As a kid, I bounced off the walls constantly. It drove my teachers and parents crazy. I needed something that would not only keep my attention, but something that could keep up with me.

Soccer saved me. I think every kid should play. Soccer equipment is dirt cheap. The only real thing you need is a ball and a flat surface, and the game never stops. I fell in love with it. Then, the summer after seventh grade, genetically bad knees caught up with me.

Since seventh grade, I have dislocated my knee cap four times and had three surgeries. Due to a sprained knee and a small tear in my meniscus, my senior season ended early.

As high school athletes, we give sports everything we have and sometimes they turn their backs on us. Whether you are a football player with a broken ankle, a baseball player with a bad elbow, a soccer player with a bad knee, or another athlete whose body has begun to give up on them, it can be hard to see the bigger picture right away. I know it feels like you have nothing. The one thing you were good at, the one place that you could go to get away, was taken from you. You did everything people asked of you and it was still taken away. When it happens, nothing can be said or done to give back what was taken.

I know the heartbreak. It is hard to live with, but the sooner you get over it the better. Whether they made a mistake in a game or got injured on the field, athletes need to have a selective memory. Forget the bad and move on.

What happens to the greatest athletes when they lose? They get back up and work harder. That is exactly what we need to do: pick ourselves up, clean ourselves off, and work because that is what we are best at.

There is a certain strength that cannot be lifted or squatted. It is the strength one gets when you are on crutches and take the stairs anyway. It is the strength that comes when you go to physical therapy three times a week for two months learning how to run again. It is the strength that comes from keeping your head up when you have every reason to let it hang.

For everyone of you that has been forced to say goodbye to something you love before you were ready, it is time to get up and get to work. Because that is what we do. We roll with adversity, and get back to work.

Softball team stays undefeated

By Johnny Stacewicz

“Honestly, my favorite part of being a [softball] manager is listening to Tim Feeley sing songs from Glee everyday,” said Mia Irizarray, Div. 279.

The laid back attitude of the players and the constant jokes that surround team practices disappears, however, come game time. The team knows when to get serious.

After beating Kennedy on Wednesday, the team’s record improved to an impressive 24-0, which has surprised neither coaches or players.

“The chemistry and the raw talent on the team is absolutely insane,” said Patrick O’Connell, Div. 182, the longest tenured player on the team.

Coach Stravakis, who has been coaching boys’ softball for seven years, has never had a more talented group.

“[This year’s team] is the most talented group we have had in the last seven years. [However,] that does not guarantee us anything,” Stravakis said.

One of the biggest differences of this year’s team is that for the first time in recent years some of the more talented player’s on the Varsity Baseball Team tried out. Jackson Perri, Div. 185, who is being scouted by some Division III schools for baseball, decided to play softball his senior year. Previously, he had refused to play softball because he thought it would negatively affect him in baseball.

In last year’s October issue of the Warrior, Perri was quoted as saying, “I was always good at softball, but I didn’t try out because I felt it would mess up my swing in baseball.”

Perri had a change of heart, however, and now is the starting left fielder on the softball team – the same position he can be found playing on the baseball field come spring time.

“I have always played softball. I figured it was my senior year. There is no next year. I just said, ‘screw it. I am going to play’,” Perri said.

Tim Feeley, Div. 155, a pitcher on the Varisty baseball team, is also in his rookie season as a softball player.

“The great history and tradition is what really drew me to softball. I have wanted to play since freshman year, but because of baseball I couldn’t,” Feeley said.

Anthony Morici, Div. 168, who played baseball freshman and sophomore year, enjoys the more-laid back attitude of softball.

“[I like softball more because] it’s more laid back and we are actually going to win,” he said.

The team has won all but four of their games by slaughter rule. The team made it to the City semi-finals beating Phoenix Military Academy on Oct. 18, and Kennedy on Oct. 20. The City championship, scheduled to be played at UIC on Oct. 25, did not have a result at press time.

Stravakis wants his team to stay focused and humble. He is encouraging players and fans to remember that their success is due to a complete team effort, and not purely because this year’s team has baseball players on the roster.

“I didn’t know we had baseball players, but I will say that our success has come from all of our softball players contributing,” Stravakis said.

Feeley’s off pitch singing has been somewhat of a good luck charm. As painful as it is to his teammates ears, they hope it continues all the way to UIC.

Student athletes lose weight, gain competitive advantage

By Aleks Pavlovic

Jordan Sultanian, Div. 281, has finally shed the pounds that weighed him down for much his life. According to Sultanian, motivation is key, and going from a weight of 244 to 181 is worth the struggle.

“I didn’t want to be fat anymore,” he said. “Now people always tell me I look good.”

Sultanian’s ambition kicked in after realizing that losing weight was required to maintain his performance on Lane’s varsity football team.

“I was too fat. I was wearing size 40 pants,” Sultanian said. “Now I’m a 33.”

Sultanian started off his diet by eliminating fast food and eating three meals at the same time each day. He invested in a treadmill and worked out while keeping up the same eating habits. His mother helped him by preparing him nutritious meals.

“When you see tempting food you need to tell yourself, ‘I don’t have to eat that,’” Sultanian said. “Stay away from that donut.”

Regardless of sport, athletes must take measures to remain committed, disciplined, and in shape. Even if a coach does not set a strict diet for the members of his team, many dedicated athletes take the time to set their own.

Youth Olympic gold judo champion Max Schneider, Div. 281, stays away from complex carbs and simple sugars to stay on top of his game.

“No bread, no potatoes,” said Schneider. “Red meat is the devil, and during holidays you need to ignore the ginger bread and turkey and gravy staring straight at you.”

Schneider compares building muscle to building a snowman.

“When you want a big one, you need to pack on snow,” he said. “I build myself with foods high in protein and four meals each day.”

Wrestler Chase Wilson, Div. 164, does his best to bring his weight down naturally with different weight loss techniques and healthy eating.

“Our coaches do not support illegal weight cutting,” said Wilson. “Losing weight naturally can’t always work out so you need to put in extra effort to lose those three or four extra pounds. I prefer running with multiple hoodies on to sweat everything out.”

The state of Illinois has a system intended to keep wrestlers from hurting themselves by either cutting too much weight too quickly or by not cutting enough.

“Before you start wrestling, they test the amount of fat you have in your body,” said Wilson. “The state sends back a list declaring what weight each wrestler needs to be at and by what date. Each year the rules are changed and mixed around to keep the athletes healthy.”

While Wilson and other wrestlers watch their weight as a requirement, other athletes, such as lacrosse player Jenna Wasserman, Div. 153, maintain healthy habits for personal wellness.

“It’s all about feeling healthy,” Wasserman said. “I never tell myself I can’t eat something, but when I eat better I feel better.”

Whether Lane’s athletes are resisting gingerbread cookies or simply doubling their vitamin water intake to remain toned, all have their own methods of keeping in shape.

Freshmen Star In Varsity Sports

By Vivian Troche

As Maddie Lord, Div. 471, entered Lane for her first day of high school she was completely prepared. She has spent most of her summer practicing inside and outside the school building and knew her way around.

Lord is one of the six freshmen who made the Lane Varsity cheerleading squad. Freshmen athletes have an advantage because during practices and games over the summer, they learn the layout of the building.

“I don’t think we stuck out as much because we knew where we were going, knew who we were eating lunch with, and knew a lot of upperclassmen,” said Lord.

Over the past three years there has been an increase in the presence of freshmen on Lane teams. In fall of 2008, the dance team had their first freshman make the team. In winter of 2008, the cheerleaders held their first winter tryouts. This school year the Boys’ Varsity Soccer team has freshmen twins, Jose and Sergio Fuentes, Div. 452 on the team.

“Two or three years ago, we didn’t have any freshmen, so we decided to hold winter tryouts to give them a chance to make the squad,” said Coach Barbara Carabio.

This school year the debate team has joined in on the trend. They sent out fliers to grade schools, telling them what the team was about and encouraging them to apply for the team. Debaters traditionally signed up for debate at the end of their freshman year and took it as a class the following year. This year the new debate advisor, Ms. House, decided to shake things up.

“Most suburban schools do have freshmen on their debate teams, meaning that once a student reaches their senior year in debate, they have four years of experience and can be better prepared through that experience. This potentially puts our senior debate students at a disadvantage, simply because they have not had the same amount of learning opportunities,” said Ms. House.

Having freshmen on teams is not just good for teams. It also benefits the students. It helps them adjust to high school, meet new friends, and meet upperclassmen who can advise them on problems.

“The thing that I like most about being a freshmen athlete is when I’m walking down the hall and one of the upperclassmen waves to me. I feel special and my friends think that it is cool that I know seniors,” said Varsity cheerleader Jessica Smith, Div. 476

“The upperclassmen and the freshmen don’t butt heads. The upperclassmen see them as like their little babies; but they realize that they have the skill level to be on the team and they respect that,” said Coach Barbara Carabio.