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.

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.

It has been too long since you've heard from me!

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

-Michael Jordan

Well let me catch you up on what I've been doing. Just because I haven't been writing doesn't mean I haven't been doing my hours. So the Southland's basketball team have been having a few games but I haven't gone to all because sometimes it's too far away or there isn't enough room on the bus for me (only sits 9 people). Now when the varsity girls have games, the jv girls are at practice and vise verse. I take turns going to each practice and games and the first time which was on December 3rd the varsity girls had a basketball game in La Verne and I wasn't able to take pictures because I didn't have anyone else to help me but I did keep track of the girls stats and write down anything I saw that any of the girls can improve on. I wish I can talk the girls up by saying they were amazing, but they weren't. And it's okay because almost every girl on that team is a first timer at the sport and you definitely saw their dedication at practice pay off.

Once I get the official schedule of the girl's games I will definitely be letting Purther know, as well as my friends so the word can spread, when the games are so we can all enjoy some basketball! :-)

Here is what the 2013-2014 Girl’s Basketball Varsity Schedule for preseason:

11/16 Team Night APU Vs. Cal Poly Pomona (@ APU 3:00pm- 6:00pm)

11/29 Alumni Scrimmage 10:00 am

12/3 VS Crossroads   4:45 pm

12/6 VS Pacific Lutheran 4:45 pm

12/9-14 @ Cougar Classic TBD *(one game played at 2pm)

12/19 @ Vict Val Christian 3:15  

1/9 @ Connelly   6pm (@ American Sports Center)

1/14 @ TVT TBD

1/17 @ Crystal Cath. TBD

1/21 VS Bethel 3:15

1/24 @ Liberty TBD

1/28 VS Eastside 3:15

1/31 VS TVT 3:15

2/4 VS Crystal Cath. 3:15

2/7 @ Bethel     5:30

2/10 VS Liberty 3:15

2/12 @ Eastside 5:30

2/14 VS.  LV Lutheran 4:00

Junior Varsity Schedule

11/16 Team Night APU Vs. Cal Poly Pomona (@ APU 2:30pm- 5:30pm)

12/9 @ Spirit Academy 4:15 pm (@ Anaheim Sports Center)

12/12             Vs. Immaculate heart.      3:15 pm

12/17             @ Milken Community (finals)     3:00 pm

12/20             Vs. Valley Christian 2:00  pm

12/26- 30       Spartan Classic (@ villa park) TBA

1/7                @ Cantel SHM.              3:00 pm

1/14               Vs Valley Christian 3:15 pm

1/22 Vs Edgewood 4:00 pm

1/30 @ Edgewood 3:30 pm

1/31               VS  Gabrielino TBA

Manager of Girl's Basketball Team (late post)

11/29/13 (9AM-12:40AM) late post

So yesterday was actually really interesting for me. We had practice earlier than usual because we wanted time in the gym for once before the guys beat us to it, and not to mention is was raining, but I got there 20 minutes earlier because my mentor for my independent component Coach Johnson said he wanted to talk to me before the girls came. When I arrived we did small talk while setting up the cones and taking the balls out but once we were done we sat down and he ask me if I saw commitment in any girls yet and I have actually. You can tell by the way the girls play on the court if they're mad, stressed, sad, or any emotion they're feeling but the ones who talk it out and verbally say what's wrong are the ones who show the most commitment in my eyes. Why? Well because they know life isn't going to be perfect but they will focus their attention on the game so at least in their mind, they're perfect at one thing. And by perfect I don't mean 100% shots or memorizing every play, I mean the drive and confident they have to have a successful practice. The reason my coach asked me that was because this practice was VERY important for the girls and they had no idea why, of course neither did I. This practice was going to determine which girls will be starting in the first game they will be having this Tuesday (December 3rd) at Southland's. Also the blue thing in the top photo is a shield that I have to used to push the girls around in the court which they play so that they get used to girls on the other team pushing them around and in the last photo on your right is a photo of Southland's in the rain to show even on raining days and a day after our holiday we still work hard. Unfortunately you can't see the rain.
Another thing I feel I should share that I really enjoyed was that around 11:30AM our practice in the gym was over because it was time for the guys to use the court but practice wasn't over yet because we still had a team bonding (lunch)/ secret sister paper at the "clubhouse" aka coach Johnson's community pool house. We played a few games to get all the girls talking and coach Johnson actually made us turkey-ham pasta (sounds gross but was really good actually) and we sat around this long table and filled out a Secret Sister paper which is where we fill out information about ourselves so that whichever girl we get as our "sister," we'd have to buy them a gift every home game just to encourage them to do better. We will not find out who our Secret Sister is until the basketball banquet. After we did that we just talked more and went around the table naming 2 things this year that are stressful just so that every girl knows that we all have things we're worried about and maybe as a team we can overcome it together. 

OH AND BEFORE I FORGET, I received my first southland's t-shirt! I really like it and I can't wait to wear it Tuesday to show my support.

(Just a little preview, if you guys want to see the shirt I will be wearing it on Tuesday.)

Manager of Girl's Basketball Team

"Be brave like a lion, cunning like a tortoise, wise like a serpent, immovable like a rock..., and... fear no evil... God is in You, with You." -Easytee

(Just wanted to take a picture before I left practice at Southlands to show how dark it is now thanks to the time change but also helps us a lot because now we're not in the sun sweating, but in the cold (which every girl on the team can agree on is better than the heat).


Today I’m pretty sure I got some good hits, by that I mean, I was the girl’s opponent and I had a shield so I can push the girls to make sure they’re keeping their stance firm but also correct. I was on the half court line and the girls had to run to me with full speed, stop a little by pushing me two steps back and turn around blocking me from the ball and try to shoot (some girls ran too fast and hit me too hard to be honest). This drill is called the Jersey components (bury). Then this girl Rachel from the team is a working progress and she knows what she’s doing most of the time but she has a hard time focusing on being firm so during the “5v0 Orchestra: 50/40/Blue 2X (7 passes or 2 reversals)” drill. My favorite drill of all was the “3-6-9 shooting” where we shoot 2 times w/ 1 hand & 2 times w/ 2 hands and if you get 4 out 12 then you get h2o and return back to doing the 3-6-9- 3X 2 handed but this time the pull-up jumpers. It’s my favorite because I’m really good at it and I can see how much different the girls are at grabbing the ball but also the different ways they’re comfortable shooting.

Manager of Girl's Basketball Team: Day 2

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character..." -Romans 5:3,4

Every Wednesday is "frustration day" which basically pushes every girl to their limits. Today we started off by doing a mile run (5 laps around the football field under ten minutes) and then warms up which are: 10 yards scissor skips/paper clips/ figue 4/lunges (fwd & rev)/Lateral lunges/monsters/calf bounce/ Iron cross/ hurdler stretch/calf stretch all on the football field since the football guys didn't have practice today. After that we moved on too the outside courts and throughout the drills I put on boxing gloves and pushed the girls or "hit" the girls while they dribbled the ball so they understand how it is during real games. Later I set the cones up for the girls to do the Huggins Box Out: Breakdown, basically the girls sit down back to back and when the coach (in this case me) yell "swim," the girls have to get up (still touching each other's back) and push the other person passed the cone. After that we did other ball handling drills and the coach had some girls and I had the others and we just worked on throwing the ball to them and having them react to it by catching the ball in the air, holding it tight (so we went up to them and it the ball and if the ball left their hands they have to do 5 push ups), then they worked on pivoting forward and backwards, and lastly shooting. Lastly we did clearance so we stretched everything before going home.

P.S.

Considering the fact that Southlands is a Christian high school I've decided too use the bible quote Coach Johnson uses before practice, unless I like the other quote or catchy sayings he uses, but for now I think i'll use the bible references.

And no pictures today because there really was no time or extra person to help take pictures, next time! :-)

Manager of Girl's Basketball Team: Day 1

 "Be quick but don't hurry" -John W.

 

I went to practice today not knowing exactly what I would do as manager but let me tell you, being manager was so stressful! First we started off with the weight room and the weight room is taken very serious for the basketball girls because a lot of them are weak and don't like to push themselves so today coach Johnson made me show the girls how to do the workouts and then walk around and help girls who needed it. The picture of the girls on the basketball court is a picture of coach showing the girls the new "Traffic" drill. It's basically when everyone is running in the court to get the ball into the opposite side they started on with certain obstacle's to overcome. The picture of the weight room is a picture of Southland's weight room AKA girls basketball "second home." And last picture of the paper is a picture of how our workout schedules will be formatted and posted. These change weekly or sometimes more, depending on what the coach has in mind or how the girls progress is going. Once we were out on the court, coach made me run a couple of drills he believed were easy enough for me to run. Those drills were: Grass Lunge Complex/Kneeling Chest Pass (which helps strengthening the girls arm muscle so the basketball becomes a light enough object to toss or catch) and the South Bump Breakdown (basically helps the girls determine when they are helping their teammate by telling them to "bump" because they're guarding the person). Overall today didn't sound stressful but being in charge of a group of girls is actually really frustrating because they don't always listen and always complain. I'm looking forward to seeing them succeed in their future games.

P.S.

Coach Johnson starts off every practice with a catchphrase or quote so the quote on my independent component post will be from something someone said or quoted that caught my attention. 

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

"Live and play each day with no regrets! Leave it all out on the field! Don't wait for tomorrow when you still have today to be a great-play for today!" 

-Marino

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

Considering my topic is Coaching a Softball Team (high school girls), I would need to be on a team with girls around my age and unfortunately to be in a softball team I was suppose to tryout over the summer but over the summer this topic wasn't my original plan. However thanks to Purther for giving me suggestions, one of them being that I could be in any girls team or shadow because my true topic is coaching and not playing softball. I plan to do my hours at Southland's where I am manager of the girls basketball team.

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

In my independent component log there is a "coach's comment(s)" and "picture" section and those two are where I plan to show evidence. My log worksheet will actually be printed out because every time I go to practice I will write down the activities we are doing that day but also the coach's comments column will actually be written by the coach(s). The coach's comment(s) will help me improve and see what as a coach, he will write to help a player become better.

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.
By being manager of the girls basketball team I I believe that I'm going to get a good idea of how coaches are similar in actions and words with the help of the coach, Mr. Johnson. Both softball and basketball are contact sports so coaching wise it won't be as different as it would have been if it was softball and volleyball. I will still be attending softball practices will my mentor Jennifer but it will be just helping her out with anything or filling in for certain girls that are absent and not really being on the team.
Going back to being manager of the team, what that means is I will be helping out with drills as an extra person defender and a bunch of other task to make it harder and more game like for the girls. Mr. Johnson said I would also be able to play games if a girl wasn't able to make it.