August 27, 2004

Evergreen Sports

Evergreen sisters win gold, silver awards at International Dance Challenge Western National Finals

By Christine Yu
Special to the Times

The air could have been flaming, at 108 degrees, caught at the peak of summer swelter as my sister Amy and I stood in the streets of Las Vegas.

We were braving this unbearable weather to compete in the junior division of the International Dance Challenge Western National Finals, one of the largest dance competitions in the United States. As a 12-year-old, this was the last year I could participate in the junior division.

More than 700 dancers entered the competition, many with multiple dances and many who were professional dancers from foreign countries such as Mexico, Croatia, Austria and Germany.

Amy and I made the decision to compete seven weeks before the event. All the other dancers’ parents thought we were aspiring too much. Even our dance teacher Ms. Lu was doubtful, but she began teaching us our routines right away.

Amy practiced a dance named Wind of Mongolia, a Chinese Inner-Mongolian dance with many professional moves. It tested this 9-year-old’s flexibility, technique and stamina to the extreme. She had to start with only the bare basics, which made learning the routine extremely difficult.

I danced my routine, Apsaras, with 33-feet long, 2-feet wide ribbons that painted the sky. I had never done anything even close to Apsaras prior to this, and the dance’s technical demands were high, so I had to learn many new moves while choreographing the dance. Both dances were taught within three lessons, giving us roughly four weeks to practice and perfect them.

During these weeks, we did indeed practice. “I would feel the beads of sweat and exhaustion run down my face and neck, and then push myself to do it (the dance) once more,” said Amy.

Stage fright strikes everybody regardless of personality or experience. Some say it is the lights, many say it is the thousands of eyes watching you. But in our case, it was really just nerves and a fear of messing up in front of the judges. We especially felt it while waiting backstage for our turns.

Amy performed first, with a beautifully clean round. She was no longer nervous; the excitement and energy was coursing through her entire body. Amid a great round of applause, Amy walked off proud and confident, while many people kindly congratulated her backstage.

Five routines later, the announcer called for Apsaras. Collecting myself, I danced well, truly painting the stage with the long, heavy ribbons. Later, Amy and I agreed that the audience’s applause helped cheer us on.

The awards session was the most nerve-wracking part of the whole competition. Amy received the National Sterling Silver Champion Award and I took the National Gold Champion Award and another special award, the Center of the Stage Award.

While presenting the prestigious Center of the Stage Award, the moderator asked me to talk about my ribbons. I admitted that when I first started practicing with the ribbons seven weeks before, they were all over my hair and body, so I was happy that didn’t happen during the competition.

“Oh, you were wonderful,” replied the moderator.

We remember all the hardships and obstacles we had to overcome to make it to this step: learning a brand new dance in seven weeks, getting our music and costumes, the pressure, the ever-important deadline and especially practicing for hours every day. We’re thankful for all our supportive friends and our dance teacher for helping us so much.

In closing, I’d like to share this quote by Robert Browning: “Our aspirations are our possibilities.” To all in the community, do not be afraid to aspire.

Christine Yu is an eighth grader at Quimby Oak Middle School.

South Bay Swim League offers something for everyone
League Championship meet draws Evergreen swimmers

By Jerry Masado and
Sandra Rasmussen
Special to the Times

The South Bay Swim League (SBSL) is comprised of a group of USA Swimming teams that compete in a series of summer dual meets culminating with an end-of-season League Championship meet.

This year’s meet, held Aug. 6 – 8, included almost 700 athletes taking part in two-and-a-half days of competition at the Frank Fiscalini Swim Center at Independence High School. The Olympic-size pool and large pool deck provided the perfect venue for all the athletes and spectators.

West Coast Aquatics hosted the event. The Frank Fiscalini Swim Center is West Coast Aquatics’ home site, but its second practice site at Silver Creek High School typically draws about 40 Evergreen-based swimmers.

Some of Evergreen’s local swimmers who competed in the meet include Monica and Ryan Garcia; Dori, Harry and Caroline Isaacs; Myriah Gauthier; Chloe Rasmussen; Jessica Martinez; Amanda and Benjamin Wong; Perry Leong; and Benjamin, Caroline and Jessinta Ngo.

West Coast Aquatics is one the oldest members of the South Bay Swim League (1982), with the Almaden Swim and Racquet Club (ALMA) being the oldest (1972). Other members of the SBSL that competed in the meet this year included: East Bay Bat Rays (EBAT), Mission San Jose Aquatics (MSJA), Silicon Valley Aquatic Association (SVAA) and Valley Splash (VS).

In previous years, other teams, such as the Santa Clara Swim Club, Kona Kai SRC, Sunnyvale Swim Team and DeAnza Swim Club, have also been involved in the meet.

West Coast Aquatics has won the championship many times, but in recent years, Mission San Jose has dominated.
Since this is such a family-oriented and community-based meet, the hosting team often invites local school board members and city council members to attend.

This year East Side Union High School District Board Member Patricia Martinez-Roach said that, “West Cost Aquatics has been a champion in ensuring that youngsters participate in a wonderful sport that has promoted physical and educational opportunities for our community. I look forward to our continued relationship.”
About the SBSL

The League provides an opportunity for all swimmers on the team, regardless of ability, to swim in the meet. It is not limited to beginners (C swimmers) or the fastest swimmers (AA and above).

Swimmers taking part in this league and its championship meet have gone on to become Olympic Trials finalists, National and Junior National Championship finalists, NCAA Champions and finalists and Far Western Champions and finalists.

Many swimmers have also used these competitions as stepping-stones. They later compete in major college swimming programs around the country, including programs at UCLA, CAL, Texas, Princeton, Duke, Stanford, Arizona State, USC and Texas A & M.

It’s very exciting for the young swimmers to watch the college swimmers return to their roots and represent their youth clubs. Aaron “Bart” Bartleson, current coach of West Coast Aquatics, is a three-time winner (1991, 1992, 1993) of the high point award from the league championships, in addition to his college accomplishments.

The South Bay Swim League and all the individual teams who make up the league invite you to come watch some awesome swimming at any of their meets. All meets are open to spectators, free of charge. We encourage you to come support your local kids and attend a meet sometime during the year, since this is a year-round League.

For more information about West Coast Aquatics, call Sue Mac at (408) 259-4522 or visit www.westcoastaquatics.org.

Opening Day for Mt. Hamilton Youth Soccer League is Sept. 11

It’s that time of the year again when 1,600 boys and girls don cleats and new uniforms for another season of soccer with the Mt. Hamilton Youth Soccer League. The MHYSL opening day event kicks off the new Fall 2004 Season from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11, at Chaboya Middle School, 3276 Cortona Dr., in San Jose.

All participating teams in uniform will circle the field with their coaches, and after a few introductory comments from District 8 Councilmember Dave Cortese, the first games of the season will begin at 11 a.m.

“We’re looking forward to another great season,” said Director of Recreational Programs Bryan Fish. “Once again, we’ve had tremendous cooperation from the Evergreen School District regarding the use of their fields.”

MHYSL soccer picture day for Class I and Class III Teams will be Wednesday, Sept. 22, at Chaboya Middle School. MHYSL soccer picture day for Class IV Recreation Teams will be Saturday, Sept. 25. There is a “no make-up day policy” in effect this year.

This year, the league is coordinating a fundraiser to replace all steel goals with aluminum ones for safety reasons. About half the goals have already been replaced. Last season, a 9-year-old Bay Area boy suffered a tragic death when a steel goal fell on his head.

For more information about MHYSL, go to http://www.mhysl.org/.

Evergreen Teen Basketball begins Sept. 10
Open to youth, grades 6 – 9

Evergreen Teen Basketball begins Friday, Sept. 10, for all local interested boys and girls entering sixth through ninth grades. Registration forms are available in the front office of Chaboya Middle School, 3276 Cortona Dr., in San Jose.

There will be two coed divisions—a sixth/seventh-grade division and an eighth/ninth-grade division—with six teams per division and no more than nine players on each team. Sign-ups will continue until the 108 available slots are full. In this “fun-petitive” league, everyone plays equal time in Chaboya’s gym.

Allen Ventura, a coach and physical education teacher at Chaboya, said the city of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department has been offering Teen Basketball at Chaboya for 13 years. Due to budget cuts, Parks and Recreation had no budget to operate the program this year, so Ventura and another Chaboya PE teacher, John Franza, stepped up to the plate to ensure that it doesn’t die during the city’s financially strapped times.

Evergreen Teen Basketball runs from Sept. 10 through Nov. 19. This includes an evaluation day on Sept. 10, seven season games and a championship night for all teams on Nov. 19.

The cost is $90 per player, and fees pay for a game jersey, referees, medals for all players and trophies for first and second place team members.

“The league is designed for those who may want to get ready for their school or club basketball team, and for students who just love basketball and competition,” said Ventura.

“We need volunteer coaches for all 12 teams,” he added. “The volunteer coaches determine how often their teams practice. Some coaches practice an hour before their game, and others practice during the week”

For more information or to register, phone (408) 270-6939 at Chaboya and ask for either Allen Ventura or John Franza. You can also e-mail Ventura at fourvees@pacbell.net.