Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2009)
# 009 _______ _____________ Sports_____________________________ il Athletic Department helps guide student athletes a C hristopher E rbin __________ Staff R eporter Regularly recognized by the Oregonian sponsored OSAA Oregonian Cup „as a school for achieving an exceptional balance of superiority in sports competition and performance in the classroom, WLHS is currently in second place behind Jesuit, a private high school that has won the title for the four years previously The Athletic Department oversees the progress of student athletes both in the classroom as well as in competition. "Our job is to oversee and work with the students and coaches as they negotiate their seasons. We want all of the teams at WLHS to set high goals and work hard together as a team in efforts of achieving them," Rob Holstrom, Athletic Director, . said. The Athletic Department is composed of multiple members with the team being led by Holstrom. He has worked at WLHS for 10 years and is responsible for overseeing and working with the coaches. His main goals are to achieve a balance between his involvement and the decisions made by the coaches. He is also responsible for evaluating their performance at the end of the season. In the 2008-09 school year alone, a number of teams and individual athletes have topped the Three Rivers League standings and gone on to State. In the fall, the Volleyball Team placed second at State; the Cross Country teams finished in the top 10 with the boys' team taking third and the girls taking tenth, and the Football Team reached the State quarterfinals. "Winning seasons and league championships are a by-product of achieving these goals. The process that programs go about achieving these goals; commitment, dedication, hard work, togetherness, perseverance and overcoming adversity are all part of the life skills that are practiced everyday within their programs," Holstrom said. Each of these teams was equally impressive inside the classroom, posting team GPA's that were awarded "Top 10 in State" for Oregon's Rob Holstrom, Athletic Director, answers his phone and checks e-mails from parents and student-athletes. One of the challenges of Holstrom’s job is dealing with issues between athletes and coaches. Photo by IVlark Popper! Academic All State Awards. In Holstrom's experience, one of the challenges he's faced is the disagreements among athletes and coaches. Conflicts occur in all sports to a certain extent, according to Holstrom, and when these occur, athletes are counseled Snowboarders head to State m R iley S wanson ________ _ I Staff R eporter The Snowboard Team competed at State which was held at Mt. Hood Meadows last weekend. The entire team did not qualify, however, as the number of entries is limited. Graham Peterson, head coach, has been striving to improve and broaden the team's range of tricks. To prepare for State, the team has been practicing Bank Slalom, which is running the race through gates, and Half Pipe and Slopestyle, which is where the athletes try the rails and jumps. They have been working on improving in those three core areas, and working on their speed and technique. "For the most part all of the team has improved by leaps . and bounds," Peterson said. The team has placed first or second in most of the events and normally brings a high level of competition to the races, according to Peterson. The main concern for State is having the team focused and working extra hard to compete well. "We are a dominant force in the Three Rivers League," Peterson said. With the snow sport season drawing to a close, Ski Team members lost their chance at one last race, which would have been the biggest of the season, the State Skiing ompetition. Throughout the season a point-based system ranked to have a conversation with the coach about the issue. Most of the disputes center around playing time or participation and the head coach has the final call on those decisions. Also working in the Athletic Department is Holly Scheid, Athletic Secretary. Along with providing support to coaches, teams and athletes, she is responsible for coordinating and communicating the scheduling of all games, officials and transportation for all sports. She is also responsible for making sure all athletes and coaches are in compliance with league and OSAA regulations regarding athletic competitions. "I enjoy the fact that I have contact with students, teachers, coaches and administration on a daily basis," Scheid said of her job. "I never feel like I am working in a bubble and I love sports!" Scheid is joined by Sue Bradley, Special Projects Secretary. Along with helping Scheid, Bradley has been in charge of facility scheduling and athletic bookkeeping, but is "officially" retiring at year's end. "It's been a joy working with her and she is absolutely invaluable," Scheid said of Bradley. Rounding out the Athletic Department are Brian Bailey, Transition Specialist, and Toni Snapp, Education Resource Center, who manage all sporting events including set up and supervision. The custodial staff prepares and cleans up after all activities. "We are incredibly fortunate that we live in a school district where the administration supports our athletic programs," Scheid said. The Athletic Department has much to be proud of, watching students succeed in and out of the classroom each and every season, but as Holstrom said, none of it would be possible without the cooperation and hard work of students, staff and coaches alike. "This process is one of the great life skills that can be acquired through athletics," Holstrom said. "Another great life skill is learning to cope with adversity, and to be accountable for one's own actions and performance. Athletes have the responsibility to work hard and perform to the best of their abilities regardless of how much they play." Students lead way in promoting awareness continued from page 7 Joshua Gertlar, sophomore, attempts a trick on the Halfpipe during the Snowboard District competition on Jan. 31. Gertlar placed 21st out of 59 competitors, and West Linn finished first, earning a spot in the State competition. Photo courtesy of Julie Edwards each competitor by how they placed in their individual races as well as their times. The race on Feb. 7 ended with Girls' Varsity athletes Madeline Martus, sophomore, placing first out of all the competitors, and Emily McNabb, freshman, placing ninth. The team was ranked fourth out of five teams competing. The Boys' Varsity had one athlete, Alec Ramsey, sophomore, place second in the race, and the team was ranked fifth out of seven teams. The girls' team fared slightly worse on Feb. 24 with only Martus, who finished seventh, placing in the top ten. The team ranked third out of five teams. The boys' team had no members place in the top ten, so they ranked sixth out of seven teams. The film has already influenced several students to start trying to improve the school’s environmental status. A group of students made a presentation to administration proposing that the school begin fueling buses with B-5 fuel, a fuel made up of 5% bio-diesel and 95% diesel. The change from diesel to B-5 would be easy according to Sachie Hayakawa, senior, considering that the bus engines are already compatible with the B-5. They also wouldn't have to go that far to fill up on the bio-diesel as it is available locally. While the fuel is a little bit more expensive it is worth it she said, since the fuel is better for students who ride the bus, the bus itself, and the environment. The film has also encouraged students to carpool with friends who live nearby instead of driving to school individually. This could also open up more available parking spots in the Tripp lot and the senior lot. The move would reduce emissions and costs. According to Hartmann, the film did a good job addressing the issue at hand: America's addiction to oil. But he said it did an even better job in suggesting solutions to the problem. Instead of just pointing out one thing that needs to be done in order to lessen America's dependency on foreign oil, the film showed that there are be many different solutions to the problems.
