Blog 22: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Block Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
I'm happy that most of the kids participated in my activities and enjoyed it, as well as proved my answer correct. My EQ is: what is the best way a girl's softball team can win CIF and my answer was: constantly verbalizing what you are doing in the field. When we were doing my 30 minute activity, I told them they couldn't take and people like Ronny Martinez, found alternatives and it was quite great to see.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
The different mentors I use and sports to determine what was the "best way" a team can win CIF really helped me see what other sport coaches do and how they are similar.

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
I needed to slow down my talking and really pronounce every word because I kept mispronouncing since I was so nervous, but what's done is done.

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.
Coaching is the same as teaching someone something so I've gained better communication skills that will allow me to use in future jobs, especially since iPoly has taught me to present and my mentorships have help me find solutions and learn to teach not only kids but young adults like myself.

Blog 21: Mentorship

Content:

LIA Response to blog:

    Literal

• Log of specific hours with a total and a description of your duties updated on the right hand side of your blog
• Contact Name and Mentorship Place

Jason Rochwerg: (714) 365-5635 / Mentorship Place: Sierra Vista Middle School

Julius Johnson: (909) 721- 4994 / Mentorship Place: Southland's High School

Jennifer Dorado: (626) 330- 0777 / Mentorship Place: La Puente High 

    Interpretive

     What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
I learned that there is many ways you can gain respect as a coach but being trusted from both parents and athletes is pretty hard. Athletes can see you as either a cool and relaxing coach, which is okay with most parents but not all. And if you're too hard on the kids, parents complain. 

   Applied

     How has what you've done helped you to answer your EQ?  Please explain.
With every game and practice I've experienced I got a better knowledge of what my answers could be but once I got that figured the examples and hands-on experience came naturally. My first answer is constantly verbalizing what you are doing in the field, which actually showed a combination of teamwork and commitment due to the fact that working together to achieve a goal is helpful just like constantly saying what you're doing on the field to help win a game. My second answer is contact with the ball because seeing where it goes and being able to predict the outcomes of the play can help you win. Which finally brings me to my third answer, games are usually decided by 1 run. Everyone on your team can be the difference in a win. The best way a girl's softball team can win CIF is determined by every hit every player takes.

Blog 20: Exit Interview

Content:

(1) What is your essential question and answers? What is your best answer and why?

EQ: What is the best way a girls' softball team can win CIF (California Interscholastic Federation)?

Answers 1: Character // Answer 2: Teamwork // Answer 3: Commitment // Best Answer: #2

I chose my second answer as my best answer because it was a common answer I saw being played out throughout my journey to answer my EQ. For my actual mentoring hours I mentored with Jennifer at LPHS and for my independent component 2 I coached middle school softball and one key thing that these two teams didn't have in common, besides the obvious, was the amount of teamwork that was shown throughout games and practices.


(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

How I decided that my 2rd answer, teamwork, was my best answer was when my mentor Jason Rochwerg trusted me enough to let me coach a few games and practices. There were 5 out 14 members of the team that have had prior experience and were honestly the people who made most of the runs, catches, and hits but also the main people who would should up to practice whenever they felt like it. These players knew they were the top players because not only were they on a city league team while playing for school, or had already played for a league, they knew the rules like second nature while the rest of the players on the team were new to the concept of being on a team or the sport even. 

There was this kid, Bryan (8th grader), who was our pitcher and was very good at it too because he got an average of 3 out of 5 players out with a strike. Now, Bryan knew very well he was a good athlete and no one else on the team could pitch as well as him so he would constantly decide that he didn't need to go to practice because he simply "did not need it." My mentor Jason is very understanding when it comes to family issues or school work, but Bryan never gave a good excuse. He never lied either. He constantly verbalized that he didn't need practice because he already gets the practice with his other team and Jason asked him "what does your league team have that this team doesn't," and Bryan answered with, what I took as a personal insult, "an actual chance of winning." Now winning is important but when you have a team of people who are new to the sport or have never played a sport, you're more likely not going to win but improvement is definitely the outcome of it and Bryan didn't get that. He was more committed to a team he knew would win versus and team he knew wouldn't and as much as I hate his mentality on that, I was proven to do the same thing when my first independent component.

I joined Southlands Christian High School girl's basketball team and it was the same as the team I coached because only 5 girls knew the sport and were really good at it and I was one of them. I was really committed to the team, I went to all summer practices and even stayed late to get some more practice in because it was a while since I played but once the season started Julius Johnson, the coach, was teaching the sport from the beginning since we had players who have never touched a basketball. I love helping people as much as I possibly can so I did show up to all practices 4 out of 6 days a week for 2 months but after a while it got boring because there was so much I had to hold off on. I started to miss practice and caught myself not being as involved with the team as I was when I started and I forced myself back on the team and finished what I started and very glad I did.

Bryan and I had that in common because he was also very satisfied with the outcome of the team as well as became really good friends with people on the team.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

Bryan was the main person to cause most problems with teamwork but definitely wasn't the only one. After every practice or game Jason liked to reflect and emphasize on what went well and what we as a team can do to improve. (sound familiar? Like, an iPoly method)

He really let me know that I had just as much authority over the team as he did because of how well the kids respected me and how great my ideas were. Now, I usually don't like to take over but when he said that I immediately said I was going to change the rules he had about practice. His rules were if you missed practice and don't have an valid excuse you wouldn't start but I wanted to change it to you wouldn't play. I understand it's such a big step to not let them play but they are in middle school and they have to learn now before they get into high school that when you are in a team you have to be respect everything the team as a whole has to offer or there will be consequences. A lot of the kids felt like this rule was fair and the only people who didn't were the kids who were constantly missing. We had to forfeited two games due to the fact that those 5 kids thought I wasn't being serious and we didn't have enough players to play because 5 of them were benched. It sucks yes, I get it and the kids hated me but they had to understand this was a team effort and not a 5 player team.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

My mentor Jason Rochwerg from Sierra Vista Middle School and Julius Johnson from Southlands Christian High School because they both helped me not only find answers for my EQ but also without knowingly provided perfect examples of the cause and effect of them. With Jason I learned more about commitment and with Julius I learned more about character but together they taught me how important we have to show teamwork is.

Be prepared with evidence and specific examples to support any response.  It is also significant to cite sources as you explain.

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) I, Darlene, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.

• My mentor Jason Rochwerg and the softball team from Sierra Vista Middle School

(c) Provide a digital spreadsheet (aka log of the 30 hours).   Post it next to your mentorship log.

• Done.

(d) Explanation of what you completed.    

• I got my hands on experience with coaching thanks to my mentor who allowed me to completely coach 4 softball games. 2 home and 2 away games. I had to come up with my own plays and the hitting line-up. I played a lot with the positions of the players because a lot of them believed they were good at playing only on position but that was not the case at all. You know what they say, you never really know how good you are at something unless you try.

INTERPRETIVE 
Defend your work and explain how the significant parts of your component and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.  

APPLIED
How did the component help you answer your EQ? Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped. 
With my mentors Jennifer and Jason, I wanted to focus on the different coaching philosophy that take into play. In my first interview with Jennifer she stated that a male coach would not be able to coach a girls' softball team as well as a female coach because of the lack of the female body knowledge. It was really a goal of mine right after hearing that, to find a male coach and compare the differences. I had predicted that it shouldn't matter and I was proven correct. Yes methods of teaching are completely different but lead to the exact same outcome.

Successful game day!

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." 

-Michael Jordan

           

So today I coached my very first softball game with minor help from my mentor Jason. I was really nervous but the kids are awesome and listened to everything I had to say plus asked questions on anything they needed clarification on and even gave me suggestions on the position's of players that could be changed. The respect level the kids have not only for me but in general makes them very coachable which made my first time really fun! The game took place at Lassalette Middle School at 3 but I went to go buy gatorade and waters for the kids to drink because apparently they don't bring water and being hydrated during a game is very important. I met them at the school around 1:50 and helped them warm up with catching and throwing.

One thing I noticed during the game was that the kids need to practice on their running. Most of them could have been saved at first base but they ran really slow and those 14 home runs could have easily been 20 if they RAN. I told my mentor if I could run practice on tuesday of next week (4/15/14) because I wanted to do drills that help improve running speed as well as create better endurance. Hopefully the kids don't hate me because I know it's been really hot lately but a little sweat never killed anyone!

Our next away game will be this Monday (4/14/14) at Sparks Middle School and I won't be coaching but I will be assisting and we're told this school has experienced players but as long as the kids keep doing what they've been learning at practice, they can win ANY team.

Independent Component update

"Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work. I had to put in the time to get back. And it was a grind. It meant training and sweating everyday. But I was completely committed to working out to prove to myself that I could still do it." -Andre Agassi

Today was actually really fun and I did a lot of running at practice since I warmed up the team and helped with cleaning up the batting because they have a game tomorrow at Lassalette Middle School @ 3, which I will be attending. The kids are all so amazing and very determined but understanding. Understanding that they're not that great of a team but as long as they work together and communicate they can go far. I can't wait to see them play tomorrow again. I'm going to surprise them with gatorade since they never bring drinks to keep them hydrated.

• Coach Rochwerg is the one on your left in that huge hat that he loves and won't take off haha.
• This is just a picture of the kids playing as if it were a real game with a few audience members.

Great News :-) / NEW INDEPENDENT COMPONENT

I went to my old middle school yesterday with a friend of mine to watch her little sister play softball. I stayed to help the team pick up and the coach started talking to me asking what high school I went to and the subject of my senior topic came up and he said if I wanted to make hours by coaching his softball team, i'm more than welcome to! So of course I said yes, which means I have a new independent component!
Coaching these middle school kids is perfect because what i'm learning with my mentor I can apply them and plus doing my hours at Southland's was getting complicated since the coach would never let me know when to go and what times were good for him. 

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. 

- Vincent T. Lombardi

Blog 18: Third Answer

"You spend your life gripping a softball, but in the end it was the other way around the whole time."

EQ: what is the best way a girls softball team can win CIF (California Interscholastic Federation)?

Answer #3: Softball players are constantly practicing trying to perfect themselves but without the commitment set by themselves, practice won't ever make perfect.

3 details to support the answer (facts & example):

• Commitment involves tenacity which is the ability to continue on despite difficult circumstances or obstacles. For example, in April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson was one of the first male African Americans to play baseball and joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Obviously at the time they did not except the fact that colors could do a white mans job just as well, or in this case better, and was given such a hard time but he stuck through it because he knew this was a passion of his. 
• Life skills can be learned through commitment to sports. Individuals can learn the value of teamwork. Understanding that when you are part of a team you lose some semblance of individualism. Being committed to your team, teammates and the sport is essential for overall success.
• Success does not occur overnight, it's an ongoing process. Some people and organizations who were exemplary in exhibiting commitment in their respective sports: Vince Lombardi (legendary football coach), Michael Jordan (superstar basketball player), New York Yankees (baseball team). These individuals and organizations are the perfect examples for commitment to winning and excellence. It is something that has been earned over several years of dedication.

Research sources:

• "Be Committed." Elite Sport Leadership Central RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.elitesportleader.com/themes/be-committed/>.
• "ARTICLES." Sportsmind. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.sportspsychology.net.au/index.php/articles/motivation/the-power-of-commitment>.
• "The 6 Key Components of Commitment." Janssen Sports Leadership Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.janssensportsleadership.com/resources/janssen-blog/the-6-key-components-of-making-a-serious-commitment/>.

Concluding Sentence: These lessons can be transferred into life skills that coincide with relationships, business, and social matters.

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Blog 17: Fourth Interview

“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.” -Robert G. Ingersoll

1. What are a few things that standout for you when you notice a player is committed to the team?
2. When losing a big game, how do you handle the team's emotions?
3. Does a coach's body language affect the way a player performs?
4. Can you describe a situation where a player showed lack of teamwork and what you did as a coach to resolve it?
5. Can you describe a situation where a player showed commitment to the team?
6. Describe your most effective effort to create or promote a positive image for your team.
7. Can you tell me about a situation that best illustrates your ability to work collaboratively with a diverse group of people?
8. As a coach what are some qualities you want your team to represent?
9. How do you make sure your players stay humble during a winning streak?
10. What are some things you do to motivate your team to do better?
11. From experience what do you believe is a skill a player should have when it comes to sports?
12. How do you get a play to do more than what they believe they can when it comes to their skill level?
13. How do you find the talent of each individual on your team?
14. How high do you set goals for your team?
15. How are coaches suppose to handle pressure under stressful situations?
16. How important is character for a player to have?
17. Is consistency important in coaching your team?
18. What are certain things you do to make sure your players are relaxed and ready for a game day?
19. Do you notice a change in attitude when a player is out of the field?
20. Can you name a time frame that you've noticed your players improve in the sport?

GUESS WHAT SEASON IT IS?

For all you guys keeping track on sports, it's SOFTBALL SEASON :-) which means I can get my mentoring hours on!

Jennifer, my mentor, and I have discussed the upcoming schedule for softball and the times I'm free and it looks like for the first month I will be going to practice every Tuesday and Thursday's. Not bad at all considering that I will soon be able to go Wednesday's too. Practice will take place at La Puente High School around 3:30 and no later because they should be on the field running by 3:45. I start next week and I actually can't wait to go because my best friend Karissa is on the team so these practices should be really fun.

I'm going to make a spreadsheet so that Jen can sign off every practice to confirm my hours as my proof.

Blog 16: Advisory Meeting #2

“I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed; and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I can fail and keep on trying.” -Tom Hopkins

Answer #2: Teamwork! (were you really surprised?)

• Although there are many sports, softball in high school is the ideal sport that teaches teens the importance of teamwork because of the specific jobs each position has.

3 details to support the answer (a detail is a fact and an example)

• "Talent without teamwork = trouble," said Jeff Jenssen, a well-team known expert in the area of team-building that done a lot of work with folks coaching softball. This is very true and it goes for all sports, teams don't win on talent alone. Talent gives you a greater chance of winning but doesn't really guarantee you anything. 
• Success is built on talent and teamwork. The team as a whole have common characteristics such as: 

1. Common goal shared by all like winning C.I.F.
2. Commitment
3. Complementary roles (various individuals taking pride  in filling specific roles)
4. Clear communication
5. Constructive conflict
6. Cohesion (players like and respect each other)

Success is not random, it just doesn't happened like this. It's the results of many things and one of them is: good and successful coaching.

• Learning to work as part of a team is essential to success in many other areas. Children have to learn to cooperate both at home and school. In school students are expected to work together without conflict and many teachers use cooperative groups to teach just that. At home children are expected to be part of the family team and help with chores that need to be done. And when they are older, these children may have a job that requires teamwork, only rarely does a person work in job that does not require working with others. Office workers have to work together to accomplish the tasks given to them. Construction workers have to be part of a team effort to finish buildings on time and on budget.

The research source (s) to support your details and answer.

• "Coaching Softball - What Makes A Championship Team?" Coaching Softball - What Makes A Championship Team? N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <http://www.softballperformance.com/coaching-softball-what-makes-a-championship-team/>.
• "The Power of Teamwork." Competitive Advantage: Sports Psychology and Mental Toughness. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. <https://www.competitivedge.com/power-teamwork>.
• "Teamwork in Sports | Fullerton ASA Softball League." Fullerton ASA Softball League. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.fullertonasasoftball.com/2013/06/13/teamwork-in-sports/>.

Concluding Sentence

• Teamwork is something that must be a high priority and given constant attention. Every player needs to understand how important it is for them to work smoothly together if they want to be successful. Each player must be dedicated to the whole team and be willing to act unselfishly. When challenges arise (as they always do), the team needs to have the resources, accountability and commitment to deal with them in a constructive and positive manner. A sense of teamwork will play an integral part in this. T.E.A.M. - Together Everyone Achieves More!

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

"Its supposed to be hard, if it wasn't hard everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great."

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

• I'm currently trying to get in contact with the softball coach at Southland's because I want to have more than one mentor in the subject i'm focusing on. Basically what I would do with the coach is what i'm planning to do with my main mentor Jenny which is help the coach out with practice, like an assistant, and practice with the girls, except not be on the team because I can't. I'd be asking questions to try and understand his method of coaching as well as his philosophy and compare it with Jennifer's. What I find cool about this is that Southland's coach is a guy and my mentor Jennifer clearly stated in my first interview that she hates when guys coach a girl sport because they don't understand the strengths and weaknesses of girls and hopefully I will get to experience that for my own.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

• It's exactly what my topic is and I'm basically just finding another mentor to help me compare coaching philosophies as well as methods.

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

• Seeing the perspective of a guy coach on a girl sport and comparing it to a girl coach on a girl sport can help me see what girl coaches do differently than guy coach. I want to compare these two because maybe I would agree more with what the guy coach is doing and I would ask my main mentor Jenny why she doesn't do this certain drill like the guy coach and knowing her she'd give me a really long explanation as well as a book recommendation.

4.  Post a log on the right hand side of your blog near your other logs and call it the independent component 2 log.

• Done.

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

"Great teamwork is the only way we create the breakthroughs that define our careers."

LITERAL

(a) Statement saying: “I, student name, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”

I, Darlene Good, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work. (More to come though) 

(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.

My sources are the coaches at Southland's for the girls' varsity basketball team: Julius Johnson, Monica Martinez (a close friend of coach Johnson with prior experience), and Trish Milhiser (JV coach).

(c) Provide a digital spreadsheet (aka log of the 30 hours).   Post it next to your mentorship log.

Make it easier when checking this post: click here

(d) Explanation of what you completed.  

A huge thing that I feel must be said is that I filled in my first play for a game as well as told the girls which position to play and really play the role of a coach. 

INTERPRETIVE 

Defend your work and explain how the significant parts of your component and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work. Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.

Mainly what I did was go to practice and lead a few or help the coaches with drills. When I say help the coaches with drills I mean, there are two main coaches, Johnson and Trish, and we'd split the girls into three groups so each coach and I had our own set or girls and we either had competitions on which group can do drills faster or actually split the girls so we each can do whatever we wanted with them.

When it came to the weight room I actually worked out with them because it's a way for the girls to see me as part of the team rather than just helping the coaches out.

All the schedules for practices and games are on a googledocs that's shared between the coaches and I. That to me is like another class blog that I need to be constantly checking on everyday to see if I agree with the schedule and/or if there's anything I would like to add or replace.

APPLIED

How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better?  Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped. 

My independent component really helped me see the different perspectives on coaches for different sports and it gives me answers to research and pay more attention to during practices and at home. With two coaches involved now it helps me see the different coaching types within the same sport and I know for my actual mentoring it will give me a third perspective on coaching.

A specific example is the idea I call "C.T.C." which basically stands from "Character. Teamwork. Commitment." I came up with this because Character forms a Team and a team must be committed to the same goal. Not quite sure if the order will be that but my independent component actually helped me for this concept so I feel like this is a perfect example i've gotten out of being part of the basketball team.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

"Passion and teamwork can turn a bunch of ordinary folks into an unbeatable, winning team." -Prakah Iyer

1. Positive Statement
I wasn't as shy as my last presentation and I think that was helpful. This isn't my last presentation and I can only get better from this.

What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?
I really enjoyed the way my activity turned out and how people really participated/ wanted to come up and share their answers.

2. Questions to Consider
       a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P          AP       CR       NC

       b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.
I understand I didn't mean time but I feel like what I did say was enough to cover the important grounds that I wanted to share.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
My activity definitely worked and i'm glad because I had to change it about three times for it to connect with my answer.

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?
I thought maybe I had enough to talk about for 10 minutes but I guess not and I talked way too fast so that didn't help at all so maybe just take my time and give more examples.

5. Finding Value
What do you think your answer #2 is going to be? 
Well I have this idea called "C.T.C." which basically stands from "Character. Teamwork. Commitment." and I came up with this because Character forms a Team and a team must be committed to the same goal. You can't really do one without the other and the order is still debatable but I really feel like these three things are constantly talked about/ shown in my mentorships.

Blog 12: Third Interview Questions

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."

1. What are certain things you can do to better yourself at coaching?
2. Were there any goals you set as a coach and if you've accomplished any, how?
3. How do you form a relationship with your players while still maintaining boundaries?
4. What is your coaching philosophy?
5. What drills do you believe reflects a players best skill?
6. Have you kept in touch with any of your past players?
7. How important is team bonding to you and what are some thing you do to make sure you're players bond?
8. How can a coach influence a players life outside of the game?
9. What had coaching taught you?
10. Is there any advice you have for someone wanting to become a softball coach?

Blog 11: Mentorship 10 Hours

"The work of the individual still remains the spark that moves mankind ahead even more than teamwork."

Content:
1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?
La Puente High School with the varsity softball team.

2.   Who is your contact?
Jennifer Dorado


3.   How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship log located on the right hand side of your blog like your WB)?
15 hours

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.
Considering the fact that my topic is Coaching a Softball Team (high school) and softball season has not started my mentor Jennifer gave me the great idea to pick a girl from her varsity team that is in a travel ball team to help me with my mentoring hours and the only girl that lives near me that's in a travel team is a senior by the name of Karissa Martinez. Which works out perfectly since she's also my best friend.

For my mentoring hours I attended a tournament with Karissa's travel ball team, Storm USA called City of Lights Showcase in October 26-28. This tournament took place in Las Vegas and every game day lasted about 5 hours or more. Karissa needed to arrive around 7AM to the fields to go warm up with her team and Day 1 of the tournament was when I met Coach Diego in person. While the girls were warming up, Diego talked to me about what was going to occur in the 3 days of tournament and what I was able to do for him/with him to help me for my hours.

Tournament: Consists of three days and each day has 5 games with an additional individual camp. "An individual camp is basically where the girls play with other girls from other teams to help the coaches see how each player on their team plays under unfamiliar circumstances," said coach Diego. There are only 3 individual games per day that are 45 minutes each.

5.   Email your house teacher the name of your contact and their phone number confirming who they should call to verify it.  
Done

*You need 50 hours plus the original 10 in the summer by May. The original 10 from the summer do not count toward the 50.  By the end of the year, you will have 60 hours counting that original 10.

Blog 10: Senior Project: The Holiday

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." - Mario Andretti

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you over the break with your senior project?
I attended some of Karissa's individual practices that she has with her personal family coach. He gave her tips on what she should improve on as well as what she's starting to slack on due to her being so used to doing it all the time. We went to the La Puente Park on Monday (Dec. 23) for about 2 hours just me pitching to her and me hitting different kinds of balls while she runs to catch them. We also went Friday and Saturday (Dec. 27-28) morning with her family and had our own game of  guys vs. girls. We also went running a lot and did some of her drills so she can stay in shape. On Monday (Dec. 31) Karissa gathered some of the teammates from her high school varsity team about 6 girls (8 with Karissa and I) and played a game. We continued to play with the 6 other girls on Thursday and Friday (Jan. 2-3) since they all were willing to drive to the park again.
*Softball season doesn't start until 2nd semester so that's why no practices are being held right now*
2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did and why?  What was the source of what you learned?
What I really learned was how committed Karissa was to softball. She's been playing since she was 7 and continues to play not only for La Puente High on varsity since freshman year but also for a travel ball team since she was in 6th grade. She also has her personal trainer that's a close family friend who has his own batting cage in his auto shop which he helps Karissa bat but also gives pointers to what she should work on/is slacking.
Source: Karissa Martinez. Senior. 17 years. Varsity softball on LPSH's team. Storm USA #3 travel ball team. 

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers of your EQ, who would you talk to and why?
Definitely Karissa because she's actually been to CIF as well as Krystine Lopez who is another member of the varsity softball team. I would talk to Karissa because she's experienced and she would have more knowledge on the topic. As for Krystine, she started playing softball 6th grade on a travel ball team just for fun and then turned out to be good at it. When she found that out she started working really hard so I feel that she would be perfect because most of the other girls on the varsity team have played softball all there lives vs. starting in 6th grade.

A short mentorship breakdown

Considering the fact that my topic is Coaching a Softball Team (high school) and softball season has not started my mentor Jennifer gave me the great idea to pick a girl from her varsity team that is in a travel ball team to help me with my mentoring hours and the only girl that lives near me that's in a travel team is a senior by the name of Karissa Martinez. Which works out perfectly since she's also my best friend.

For my mentoring hours I attended a tournament with Karissa's travel ball team, Storm USA called City of Lights Showcase in October 26-28. This tournament took place in Las Vegas and every game day lasted about 5 hours or more. Karissa needed to arrive around 7AM to the fields to go warm up with her team and Day 1 of the tournament was when I met Coach Diego in person. While the girls were warming up, Diego talked to me about what was going to occur in the 3 days of tournament and what I was able to do for him/with him to help me for my hours.

Tournament: Consists of three days and each day has 5 games with an additional individual camp. "An individual camp is basically where the girls play with other girls from other teams to help the coaches see how each player on their team plays under unfamiliar circumstances," said coach Diego. There are only 3 individual games per day that are 45 minutes each.

*sorry this is posted late but I really felt like this needs to be said since softball season hasn't actually started and my mentor Jen isn't in work right now for this. My topic is coaching, softball just happens to be the sport I chose so Jen suggested this idea to help me since i'm still talking to a softball coach and getting mentored along the way just in a different way which in a way help show me that this could also be a career path because Diego started coaching a high school team before he became a travel ball team coach.*