July 13, 2007

Evergreen Sports

All soccer, all the time

R.J. Castro’s love of soccer is shared in spades through development
programs at the Striker’s Den at the Silver Creek Sportsplex

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

R.J. Castro has one simple goal in mind when it comes to running the Striker’s Den at the Silver Creek Sportsplex: spreading his affinity for the game of soccer to others in San Jose.

From left, Stepanie Cavares tries to defend the goal as Iliana Quezada tries to score during a scrimmage at the Striker's Den at the Silvercreek Sports Complex on July 10. Photos by Dan Miranda

Castro, who serves as the Youth Development Director and Assistant General Manager for Striker’s Den, is no stranger to the local soccer scene. Castro grew up in the Evergreen area, playing soccer while attending John J. Montgomery Elementary School and LeyVa Middle School before moving with his family to Michigan, where he attended high school and later played soccer for one season at Siena Heights College.

Since then, Castro, 37, has been back in the South Bay, playing soccer at both De Anza College and Notre Dame-Belmont before embarking on a soccer coaching career that has seen stops as a head coach at both Lincoln and Fremont high schools, as well as assistant coaching stints at both De Anza and Evergreen Valley College.

All told, Castro said he leans on his experiences in soccer, as well as his love for the game, in helping to promote the game to adults and youth alike through the Striker’s Den, regardless of anyone’s age or skill.

“The best part about soccer is, no matter who you’re playing with or who you’re teaching, it’s all the same game,” Castro said. “That’s the one common denominator, that we can all sit down and say, ‘hey, you love soccer, I love soccer, so let me help you develop it because I have a little bit more experience than the younger kids.’”

Serving the soccer youth
The local youth is the demographic Castro is keen on serving, noting that the game of soccer can only flourish locally by developing a love for the game at an early age. In addition to striving to provide kids with an interest in the game, Castro said he’s looking to turn young local soccer players into tomorrow’s stars of the game at the Striker’s Den indoor soccer facility within the Silver Creek Sportsplex. The soccer facility features one regulation-size field (180 feet long and 75 feet wide) as well as two smaller fields roughly two-thirds regulation size, which, according to Castro, will both be converted into one regulation-size field by sometime in September.

“From the youth side, what I really wanted to do was help the kids develop,” said Castro. “I grew up here in this area, and as a kid growing up playing soccer, there weren’t, and still aren’t, a lot of places to play soccer. With a facility like this, having a good program for the youth is really where it all starts. That’s my goal, to have a really quality youth development program for the kids to come in and play, but also develop their skills so that they can become better soccer players.”

Castro noted that one other problem the area faces is a lack of quality facilities available to meet the needs of developing local soccer players.

“There’s lots and lots of great programs out there on the youth side, but I think the main is the kids don’t have facilities to play at,” Castro said. “…It (the Striker’s Den facility) is definitely filling a void for the community but then also for the development of soccer. There’s a definite need here.”

To that end, Castro set about creating soccer programs that incrementally meet the needs, both physically and mentally, for soccer players at a wide age range, beginning with the Striker’s Den Mighty Cubs Child Development programs, which caters to children ranging in age from 18 months to six years. The program, said Castro, specifically focuses on developing motor skills and body movements needed in the sport, through fun, sports-themed games.

“Soccer is a little different than any other sport in regard to body movement. It needs to be really fluid, you need to be agile and be able to stop quickly, run fast, and change directions,” Castro said. “I think that’s where if we can get the kids to learn those skills and teach their bodies those skills in the Mighty Cubs program, then that’s where they’re only going to develop into better soccer players.”

R.J. Castro of the Striker's Den dribbles the ball on his head before the start of an instructional session at the Silver Creek Sports Complex.

From there, young soccer players typically move into the Striker’s Den Youth Academy program, which serves children ages 5-12. While still focusing on core fundamentals such as key motor skills and movements, the Youth Academy program also incorporates other aspects, such as passing, dribbling and foot work, among other key skills. Children also get a small taste of soccer competition with scrimmages at the end of sessions.

“What we try to do again is more with the movement, more of the agility with the Mighty Cubs, and then we add a soccer ball to it now,” Castro said of the Youth Academy program. “They’re learning a little more dribbling, control over the ball versus their body; now they’re actually having to control the ball. As they get older, we just add players so that now they’re forming in more of a team sense. That’s where the game of soccer starts to really happen.”

Adults, teens also a focus at Striker’s Den
And while youth is certainly a big focus at the Striker’s Den, Castro said, so are older players, such as teenagers and adults. With that in mind, Castro created soccer leagues that play at the Striker’s Den facility for high school players and adults alike.

Teams in the High School Leagues carry a maximum of 12-players per roster, along with a coach age 23 or older. Both the Adult and High School Leagues’ games are played in a five-on-five format, and are arranged according to skill level. The High School Leagues are composed of skill levels from Division 1 (highest level of advanced, competitive players) to Division 5 (all players are beginners), with a comparable format available for the Adult Leagues.

“Similar to the leagues on the adult side, some kids come in with different skills. So what we don’t want to have happen is have a player come in and play at a level where maybe they’re not doing so well and not succeeding,” Castro said of the multitude of skill levels available with the High School Leagues at Striker’s Den. “…We really try to make sure that we structure it in a way that kids are playing against kids who are of similar abilities, and that they’re getting success out of the game or out of the experience.”

In addition, the Striker’s Den also offers pickup games for any adult with an itch to play soccer for only $5 per person. Pickup games are available on Mondays (7-10 p.m.) and Fridays (5-10 p.m.). The Striker’s Den also offers full-day and half-day summer camps for children ages 7-16. All told, said Castro, it’s all about just playing soccer.

“What we’re trying to do is make sure that anybody who comes into our facility has a place to play,” Castro said. “Whether it’s at a beginner level, an intermediate level, or at an advanced level, we’re going to have a place for them to play.”

For more information on the Striker’s Den and its camps, programs and leagues, go to www.strikersden.com. For more information on the Silver Creek Sportsplex, go to www.silvercreeksportsplex.com.

US National Team soccer player emerges from Evergreen

Evergreen’s Kelsey Foo (in blue) was recently named to the Under-15 Girls’ U.S. National Team player pool.

Evergreen soccer player Kelsey Foo was recently named to the Under-15 Girls’ U.S. National Team player pool in Moscow, Idaho on July 11.

Foo and three teammates from the MVLA (Mountain View-Los Altos) Avalanche club soccer team were chosen from a pool of 200 State Olympic Development Program athletes from 13 states after a 10-day tryout at the University of Idaho. Foo started playing soccer in the Mt. Hamilton Youth Soccer League five years ago and was taken under the wings of Ruby Carino, a Santa Clara University Broncos midfielder who now teaches and coaches soccer at Chaboya Middle School, and Dan Silva, who coaches the 2007 State Cup Champion Santa Clara Sporting '91 Boys’ team.

Foo trains three days a week in Los Altos, attends State Olympic Development Program practices in Northern California and travels to soccer tournaments around the country.

Plenty of hardware to go around

Warriors head baseball coach John Diatte named State Coach of the
Year by CalHiSports.com after winning CCS Division I crown

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

A successful 2007 season got a little sweeter for Valley Christian head baseball coach John Diatte after the 18-year coaching veteran was named the State Coach of the Year recently by CalHiSports.com.

The distinction came after Diatte led his Warriors to the 2007 CCS Division Championship title with a 6-2 win over San Benito during the Memorial Day Weekend.

By winning the Division I crown, the Warriors baseball team became the first squad in CCS to win titles in three divisions, having won the Division III crown in 2000 and the Division II crown twice in both 2001 and 2002.

And while Diatte said he’s thankful for the praise, he noted the accolade was a reflection of the coaches and players around him this season.

“The whole year was a pretty good deal,” said Diatte, whose team went 33-4 in 2007. “This was a group of kids that we had looked forward to having. They put their time in and worked hard. The fun part came in all of the things they did and worked hard to achieve. …As coaches, we get the benefit of some accolades that really don’t have a whole lot to do with us, and more to do with the kids. The greatest part about it is that I can go my staff and thank them for all the hard work they put in.”

Diatte, whose previous honors include being named the 2003 American Baseball Coaches Association Western U.S. Coach of the Year, said he’s had the good fortune of having good coaches and school administrators around him during his 18 years at the helm of the program.

“The phrase, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ I think it’s the same thing with building a program,” Diatte said. “There are just so many people who are involved to have something special like this happen. …All those people put their two cents in, or have mentored me in some way, to get us to this point. I’ve been extremely fortunate.”

Perhaps more important than any postseason accolades, however, is the strength and growth of the program, Diatte said. To that end, winning the CCS Division I crown is a special feat not for what it is, but what it represents to those who have been involved with Valley Christian baseball over the years.

“Just the progress of the program, that’s more of what it means to me,” Diatte said. “…Now being able to be the first team to do it in all three (divisions), that’s special. It’s longevity, it’s over time. It’s not something where you woke up one morning and you had one good pitcher, and all of a sudden, you won a CCS Championship. We’ve been able to build our program and see the fruits of our hard labor, I guess you can say, and be able to see that culminate with a CCS Division I Championship.”

Longevity is certainly nothing strange to Diatte, a Valley Christian alumnus. All told, Diatte said he’s spent the better part of 30 years as a part of the school, from student to teacher and coach. With 18 years of coaching the team under his belt, Diatte said he can’t see himself anywhere else but the school he’s known for the majority of his life.

“It’s my home,” Diatte said. “The other side of that is, I’ve had some people who’ve allowed me to grow and to build a program and have some nice things. It’s like a child: you’ve developed it, you’ve built it, and you’re not going to throw it out. I don’t see myself going anywhere else.”

With the task of growing the baseball program over the years, Diatte has also grown into his philosophy of coaching, which boils down to one important aspect: focusing on the minute details.

“The thing that I think is most important is that we pay attention to the little things,” Diatte said. “There are details, the process. That’s way more important to us than the outcome. I think the outcome will take care of itself if you take care of the process. I learned early on that I can’t control some of the big things. I can’t control it if my athletes throw 90 miles per hour, or if everyone on the team is going to hit .300. But I can control the little things, like hustling and working hard.”

Part of that philosophy is the daily challenge of motivating his players, and finding new ways to do it.

“I think young people want to be motivated,” Diatte said. “Young people will try to do as little as possible unless we give them a reason not to. If we give them a reason to work hard, they’ll do it. I think motivating them to do that is not only fun for me, by fun for them.”

Something old, something new for Evergreen Valley boys’ hoops

Cougars return to Santa Teresa Division for 2007-08 while facing a rebuilding effort

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

For Evergreen Valley boys’ basketball coach Dennis Fernandez, the 2007 summer league season has been a time of discovery, and patience.

Evergreen guard Khoi Nguyen dribbles past a defender during 2007 summer league play. Photos by Dan Miranda

That’s because Fernandez, whose team went just 1-13 in Mt. Hamilton Division play last season, is turning young, in returning only a handful of varsity players from last season’s squad, leaving the rest of the roster stocked with promising, but inexperience in players who previously competed at the frosh/soph level.

“It’s a rebuilding year,” Fernandez said. “…It’s about the future, unless some light bulbs go on.”

Still, Fernandez has hope that his team will be competitive this coming season, in part because the Cougars will be returning to the Santa Teresa (B) Division for 2007-08 after a forgettable one-year hiatus in the Mt. Hamilton (A) Division this past season.

“A Division right now is definitely over our heads,” Fernandez said. “We’re just not at that caliber right now. I’m hoping that if we do well this year, maybe the following year we’ll be back in the A Division. I’ve always wanted to play in the A Division, that’s always been my goal. I get irritated with coaches who don’t want to strive to be in the best league, I don’t understand that. …If we would’ve been in the middle of the bunch this (past) year, I would’ve stayed in the A Division.”

Fernandez noted that he’s counting on his small contingent of returning players – most notably center Derek Pauli and guard Khoi Nguyen – to provide the bulk of the offensive firepower this season. Pauli, who will be returning for his third season at the varsity level as a senior this coming season, will be counted on as the team’s main inside scoring threat, according to Fernandez.

“Derek has the green light with anything inside, and he’s been told that,” Fernandez said of Pauli. “He does not need to pass the ball at all. So whenever he receives the ball, I want him to attack the basket and find a way to score, whether it’s at the baseline, or on the weak side. I don’t care how he gets it done.”

Fernandez added that Nguyen will move from the shooting guard position to points guard this coming season, and that the coaching staff will draw up plays throughout the year in an effort to get the ball in his hands at key spots on the floor. That plan is a mild departure from last season, Fernandez noted, when Nguyen was allowed to freelance more on the court.

In addition to Nguyen and Pauli, Fernandez is also looking to forward Brione Go, who was added to the varsity roster just before the start of last season as a junior after his family moved to the U.S. from Scotland. Fernandez said he sees Go as a rebounding presence that can contribute opportunistic points in the paint for the Cougars this coming season.

Evergreen center Derek Pauli pulls down a rebound during 2007 summer league play. Pauli will return to the Cougars for the 2007-08 season as a senior.

“For a one-year player, he’s done exceptionally well,” Fernandez said of Go, who played sparingly last season for the Cougars. “He’s been working this off-season. …His role is going to be as a rebounder, and getting garbage (baskets) off of Derek’s misses.”

Those three players aside, Fernandez is looking to a mix of returning players, such as B.J. Prudencio, as well as inexperienced players from last season’s frosh/soph team, such as junior forward Mark Milioto, sophomore guard Larry Melton and others, to help round out the starting lineup and the bench. Fernandez said he envisions Melton possibly starting at the shooting guard position and providing the team with a solid third scoring option, while Prudencio and Milioto will help with the Cougars’ low post game.

Still, with summer league set to wrap up on July 18, Fernandez said he’s uncertain of what lies ahead in the coming months for his players, in terms of further development.

“I can teach them quite a bit, but it’s what they do once we finish next week,” Fernandez said. “What happens after July 18? Do they still play on their own and work on their game, or are they done until November? That’s kind of the question. If they’re willing to work and improve themselves in the off-season when they’re not with me at all, then yeah, when they come back, there’s less for me to develop.”

All told, Fernandez said he’s cautiously optimistic, given the team’s set of circumstances that things might just work out for the Cougars this coming season.

“We have a nucleus to make a good team, and we are going to be in the B Division,” Fernandez said. “That combination might put us in the hunt. I’m hoping it does.”

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For more information, contact Mary Beth Gonzales at marybeth@bayareabootcamp.com or phone 408-425-9475. Visit our website at www.bayareabootcamp.com


Evergreen Valley College soccer to hold summer camps in June and August
Evergreen Valley College will be holding summer soccer camps for boys and girls ages five and six, as well as ages 7-14 in June and August.

The Baby Hawks summer soccer camps, for ages five and six, will take place on the following dates:

- Session I – June 18-21, 5:30-7 p.m. (girls only)
- Session II – Aug. 6-9, 9-10:30 a.m. (boys and girls)
- Session III – Aug. 6-9, 10:30 a.m.-noon (boys and girls)

In addition, the Advanced Hawks summer soccer camps, for ages 7-14, will take place on the following dates:

- Session I – June 18-21, 5:30-8:30 p.m. (girls only)
- Session II - Aug. 6-9, 9 a.m.-noon (boys and girls)

For more information about the camps, call Evergreen Valley Women’s Soccer head coach Felicia Perez at (408) 274-7900 ext. 6910 or email Felicia.Perez@evc.edu.

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