Back At It!

December was a great month basketball wise, I was more available to attend practice as well as games. As a result of that, my conditioning improved tremendously. We were in the Azusa High School Tournament and I was voted MVP of the tournament, so I'm glad my hard work payed off.

Unfortunate Month

This month hasn't really been great basketball wise, I've been really busy with school stuff and family activities that I've missed a lot of practice and 2 tournaments. My coach is really bothered that I've been absent a lot, considering season starts in like two months, but she understands that school will always come first. My goal for December is to try to make more time for basketball, because I've been slacking lately.

EQ

1. I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

2. a-c. These EQ's meet the rule of three, are not yes or no questions, allow for argument, and make sense. 
    d. This EQ does not meet the rule of three because it can be answered by facts. 

3. Why do some coaches leave an everlasting impact on their players while other coaches do not?
   

Devastating Loses

My team and I are in a tournament that allows us to play Duarte High School, unfortunately we lost to them the first time we played them in the tournament. However, we were given another chance at victory last week, we were scheduled to play them again. Game day comes and my whole team is pumped to play, because we know we are capable of beating this team. So throughout the whole game momentum was in our favor and we were pretty much ahead until the 4th quarter, that's when my team lost stamina. As soon as my team started jogging instead of sprinting, I knew it wasn't going to end in our favor. Duarte High School started pushing the ball and doing a lot of fast breaks, leading us to lose our lead and give up the game. We all left the gym bitter knowing the game was in our grasp, but we choked.

Research & Working EQ

1. What components factor into becoming a basketball coach that will leave an impact on the player even after the season is over?  (Still under construction) 

2. - Teaching the players not only basketball skills, but life skills. 

    -  Having a structured and consistent plan (for practices, game plays)

    - Getting the team to bond off the court

3. Talking and working with my mentor has been my most important source for coming up with my answer to my EQ. 

4. My mentor is Raquel Viramontes, and I am volunteering with her at Baldwin Park High School.

Independent Component 1 Approval

1. For my 30 hours of independent component I plan on using the hours I acquire from playing on a basketball team. I play for the Baldwin Park High School Girls Varsity Basketball team. Season doesn't start until January, however we are in a fall tournament right now.

2. To show evidence of my 30 hours, I will provide pictures of me playing and or pictures of the scores of my games.

3. By playing on the team, I will be able to watch my coach in action, while also improving my skills and broadening my knowledge of the game of basketball.

Committed the Upset!

For my independent component hours I will use the hours I attain while playing basketball for Baldwin Park High School. We recently entered a fall tournament and had a game this Saturday. As soon as I learned we had a game I asked who we were playing and when I found out it was San Dimas I started to worry. Don't get me wrong, we've beaten San Dimas the past 3 years, but they're still a very difficult team to play. Also, we are a whole new team this year. Most of our players graduated so we had to pull girls up from JV to play on varsity. I was worried that we hadn't achieved that team "chemistry" yet and it was going to be apparent at the game. However, I was worrying for nothing. We beat San Dimas by 24 and played great as a team. My bestfriend came to support me and took a picture of me shooting free throws, shown below.

Second Interview Questions

1. My mentor is Raquel Viramontes and she works at Baldwin Park High School.

2. The five questions I am going to ask my mentor are:

1. Why did you start playing basketball?
2. What college did you play basketball for? What was your most memorable moment of the season?
3. When did you decide you wanted to be a basketball coach?
4. Who do you look up to? Coaching wise? (As is what coach do you aspire to be)
5. If you were not a basketball coach, what else would you do with your time? 

Blog 5 Project Reflection and Working EQ

1. From what I have completed so far, the most positive thing that has happened is gaining experience. In my opinion, hands on experience is the most valuable thing we can attain during our senior project. It shows us the reality of participating in whatever our senior topic is. For example, being allowed to coach the JV girls basketball team really showed me what it takes to be a basketball coach, i.e. patience, a strong backbone, etc.

2. The article "How Much Do High School Basketball Coaches Get Paid?" really opened my eyes to an aspect of coaching that I had never thought of before. For instance, high school coaches are usually paid part-time wage. Also, some high schools require their coaches hold a bachelor's degree and a state certification.

3. Honestly, everything has worked for me throughout my senior project. I've been playing basketball for 8 years and am extremely familiar with the game and how to network without coaches, leagues, etc. It was extremely easy for me to find a mentor and someone to interview, also when doing research, I never get bored. Basketball is something I find interest in so going more in depth research wise is a simple task.

4. So far, I have not ran into any problems. Like I said, I have great resources for this topic.

5. Potentially, I'd like to study what makes a successful coach; however, it's still just an idea. I plan to do the same mentorship with the same mentor from the summer. (coaching a JV team)

First Day Jitters

On the first day of my summer mentorship... I was extremely nervous. I was going to be conducting practice for the BPHS JV Girl's Basketball team. I was nervous because I felt like the girls weren't going to respect my authority, since I'm only about a year older than most of them. Luckily, the girls were extemely respectful and treated me just as they would treat their usual coach. I ran practice just as my Varsity practice is run, and although the girls were very tired by the end of practice, they were pleased with the great workout they got. When I got home that day I felt extremely silly for being nervous, considering how familiar I am with the sport and how familiar I am with speaking in front of groups.

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

1. I plan to interview a former basketball coach, David Gonzalez. I chose to interview him because he has not only coaches both girls and boys, he has also coached different types of teams. For example, he has coached a girls high school travel ball team, a youth basketball team, and been an assistant coach for a college basketball team. He is also very knowledgeable about basketball, he is a former player himself.

2. Addition questions that I plan on asking David mostly consist of opinions. I would like to ask him which gender and level he preferred coaching, so that I could get a better grasp on the schematics of coaching different types of players. I would also ask him about the salary, for example, "Is the salary for coaching a basketball team sufficient enough to support yourself? Or do most coaches need to have other means of income as well?"

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Semester 1 ESLR Goals

1. Coaching A Basketball Team

2.

•  To become more of an effective leaner, I am going to strive to ask more questions. In the past, when I did not understand a problem, I simply brain stormed until I solved it. This year, I hope to utilize the 12th grade team. I also decided it'd be a good idea if i studied more, so that when it comes to tests I would be more sure of my answers. 
• To become more of an effective communicator, I am going to be more specific about the times I am available to my peers. I play basketball and in the past my practices and tournaments have causes problems scheduling wise, this semester I strive to have less discrepancies of that sort. I am also going to try to eliminate the words "like" and "so" from my vocabulary as I present.  
• To become more of an effective user of technology I am going to try to add  technological variety to my presentations. For example, use something different than a powerpoint. 
• To become a better I-Poly citizen I want to have more friendships with underclassmen, join as many committees as possible, improve my tardiness and volunteer more. 

Summer Mentorship Component

1. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aq7Tu33HlRgSdHE0TjYxaUJqRlIwZGRNb1l1bEoxMkE&usp=sharing

2. Raquel Viramontes 1 (323) 633-0461

3. Do you have to take a special class to coach an athletic team?
    Are there any school requirements necessary before applying to the job?

4. The most important thing I gained from my 10 hours of mentorship was learning how to guide others in a structured manner.

5. My mentorship didn't help me necessarily choose my topic, because I had already decided my senior project topic before I started the mentorship. So if anything, these 10 hours only confirmed what I plan to do.

2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

1) The presentations I viewed were (in order):
Marathon Running - Bobby R.
Designing Haunted Attractions - Lucas A.
Horticulture - Danielle C.
Criminal Investigation - Gawen G.
Social Media Networking - Mariah C.
Art Curating - Ivy J.
Firefighting - Joseph L.
Fashion - Arista D.
Theater Technician -  Dolores R.
Music Journalism - Jose C.
Marine Conservation Bio - Eric R.
Body Building - Dina S.
Homelessness - Lauren D.
Equine Assisted Therapy - Amber M.

2) I don't have any questions directed towards one single presentation, I am just curious as to whether all of senior year is focused on preparing for the 2 hour presentation?

3) I think the essential question is the most important part of the project.

4) As of right now, I am considering doing my senior project on basketball. I have been playing for 8 years so it is a very familiar subject to me. Plus I have a lot of basketball connections, so finding a mentor would be extremely easy.