14 By Ryland Talamo, Staff Reporter


nlike the previous three seasons of boys’ varsity tennis, Coach Mindy Shipley will not be coaching the upcom- ing season. Instead, tennis pro, Christian Clauson will be stepping in to give Shipley a break. Durning the three years that Men’s tennis has been a part of the school, Shipley has acted as head coach for both the male and femal teams. This year, however, Shipley, wanted a break, and though she will still be on the coaching staff, the head coach of the boys’ tennis team will be Clauson. Clauson has been enthralled with the


sport of tennis since the age of six and ever since has continued to build up his expertise in the sport. Clauson said, “[I] spent considerable


amounts of time at the Glen Acres Country Club, Mercer Island Country Club, Seattle Tennis Club, Lloyd Nordstrom Tennis Center and Lower Woodland Tennis Park.” Currently, he is the professional trainer


at Four Seasons Resort Aviara/ Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad. His experience goes far beyond the country club, however. Clauson has competed in various tennis events ranging from the local level to the national level. Clauson said, “I have two decades of


successful tennis experience at the various levels of USTA Open, Futures, Challeng- ers, NCAA Pac-10 Conference, ITF and ATP pre-qualifying competition. I don’t like boasting about my background, so I’m not going to mention how many Washing- ton State high school tennis championships I hold, nor Seattle City Metro Conference records I hold, nor am I going to mention the USTA Pacific Northwest Zonal team I represented that smashed out the USTA Southern California Zonal team.”


-Sports-


Tennis team gains pro coach U


Athletic Director Stan Bickley said, “It’s


not often that we have a pro [coach for any team].” This new addition will definitely add to the dynamic of the team, encouraging them to be increasingly more competitive and further develop their skills. However, the team will be making a major transition in switching coaches. Clauson plans to bring Florida-style academy tennis train- ing to the court in order to help the boys improve their skills. He is also prepared to take on any level of skilled players. Clauson said, “I have trained a num-


ber of local kids from the first point of them holding a racquet, to watching them compete in junior Open tournament com- petition in the Southern California USTA region.” Adjusting to a new coaching style is always a process, and will be a major alteration for the boys on the team. Clauson said, “I intend to have the


effects be positive upon the team as a whole. However, when dealing with young men their youthfulness brings about the inevitable, unpredictable factors of unac- knowledged ignorance accompanied with perceptions of invincibility that negatively affect their performance when left un- checked. My job will be to try my hardest in teaching the student athletes the proper tennis tactics of the modern era and to get them to wholeheartedly apply those tactics within skill specific practice schemes. When this is done correctly, the results equal success in competition.” The upcoming boys’ varsity tennis sea-


son, along with having a new coach, will have a different style of play, as well as an increase in skill.


fter the men’s soccer coach left un- expectedly during Christmas break, it looked grim for the team. Finding a new coach halfway through a season is no mean feat. Fortunately, the former assistant coach, Emmanuel Verduzco, stepped up as head coach. Men’s soccer has been searching for a coach for the last nine years. They thought they had found a keeper with Andy Sunter, but Sunter quit coaching suddenly because of issues with his visa over Christmas break. Verduzco, the assistant coach decided to take on the role of head coach. Verduzco, 23, was born in Santa Barbara, CA, and has experience playing soccer in the Mexi- can pro league. Verduzco is a great fit for coaching a high school soccer team because he also knows what it’s like to play on a varsity squad.


New coach take two A


By Josh Warner, Staff Reporter


The Eagle Flyer Coach’s hard work validated By Kristen Hines, Staff Reporter


Finishing the year strong is important for the senior cheerleaders and Coach Tina Blankenship as they will all be moving on at the end of the year. The years here prepared them well for whatever God has next in their lives.


I


n order to be qualified for “Coach of the Year,” one must be knowledgeable, passionate, and encouraging. To be given the title, a coach must have all this and much more.


Over the past seven years of coaching, cheer coach Tina Blankenship has proved to be worthy of this title. From leading the cheer team to the West Coast Champion- ships three consecutive times to winning Nationals last year, the team’s long history of victories are a reflection of her strength as a coach.


“My philosophy as a coach is to al- ways expect high motivation, discipline, commitment, and a love for Jesus and the sport. Also, to coach the whole girl, emotionally, spiritually, and physically,” said Blankenship.


The girls work hard and practice year round, preparing for their many per- formances and competitions, including Nationals. This year, however, the team experienced many hardships at Nationals. Their flyer, Brittney Wright, sprained her ankle the day before the National Compe- tition and, in addition, the team was in an entirely new division.


Blankenship said, “I felt like it was a good learning experience, being in a new division. At Nationals, the girls grew closer to God and each other.”


Coach Manny Verduzco evaluates his teams’ formation from the sideline. Verduzco spent a lot of time forcusing on each player’s strength in specific positions. Photo by Josh Warner


“I played first division in Mexico. Before that, I played four years varsity and start- ed all four years,” Verduzco said. Before that he coached a U-fifteen (under fifteen) team, and has been playing all his life. He is a godly man. He begins every practice with prayer and a passage of scripture.


“[I came here because of] the fact that it is a Christian school,” said Verduzco. “I


have always had God in my life because I grew up in a Christian home. I officially became a Christian when I was 12.” However, Verduzco wants to bond with the team both spiritually and physically. His goals for the team are both soccer and relational. With such a love for the sport and a passion for God, Verduzco made a situation that looked grim, suddenly brighter. The team should not look at this with attitudes of discouragement; they should focus on the positive and use this as a turning point.


Although the “National Champion” title is the one most sought after, it is not the only title given during this competition. Cheer captain and junior Hannah Hallberg was declared “Scholar Athlete” for excep- tional grades and sportsmanship. The second they announced the “Coach


of the Year” award and Blankenship heard her name, she said she was “excited and felt it was a nice blessing from the Lord, to validate what I’ve done.” To qualify, a member of a cheer team must write a letter stating why their coach deserves to have the title. Although Blan- kenship’s nomination is anonymous, many of her members agreed with the result. Junior Rachel Costadini said, “She’s


Knowledgeable, passionate, and encouraging, Tina Blankenship receives “Coach of the Year” from the Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders at Nationals. “It was a nice blessing from the Lord,” Blankenship said. She will leave big shoes to fill as she moves back to Kentucky this summer. Photo courtesy of Brittany Bales


an amazing coach that any team or school would be lucky to have and completely deserved to win coach of the year.” Blankenship has been nominated three times in the past years, and has become a finalist twice. It seemed as if, though, this year was the perfect year, since she had recently announced that she was leaving school and no longer coaching the team. This summer, Blankenship will re- turn to her hometown in Kentucky, with “Coach of the Year” title representing much more than just being a good coach. It will be a reminder of how she took the cheer team to the next level and how she was a blessing to both the team and the entire school.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16