By Jacob Nguyen, Anthony Ruiz, Derek Tonido
As 2024 bounces to a start, James Logan’s athletic teams are eager to finish off or even start seasons at a strong level. Many sports, such as basketball, had begun competing since the early winter in last semester. On the other hand, other groups, like swimming, look towards the spring months for competition to start.
Regardless of what sport is being considered, the students that make up these teams work hard and are dedicated to their crafts. Logan’s student athletes excel in their own individual respects and commit to improving their own skills and their teams’ performance. We talked to two of these students for their input on how Logan sports is going.
3. Girl’s Basketball
Junior Varsity Girls Basketball Player An Nguyen
When did you start competing?
“Our season officially started in late November, but I’ve been playing basketball since I was about 10.”
Who’s your coach?
“The main coach is Coach Craddock. The JV head coach is Coach Donnie and the assistant coach is Coach Stacey. They’ve all been coaching at Logan for a pretty long time, and Coach Craddick even played for Logan when she was in high school.”
How are you feeling about the season so far?
“I think this season has been going really well. Honestly, none of us had hopes at first, but as the season went on and we realized what we were capable of, we gained tons of confidence and there’s been so much improvement. As a real, we’ve all made new connections and bonded with each other.”
Best and worst things so far this season?
“The best thing for me is just being able to play the sport I enjoy playing, especially with all the new friends I’ve made. One of the things that wasn’t the best was our loss to Mission [San Jose]. We had just lost a key player and we weren’t able to step it up and play how we should’ve.”
What are your individual/team goals?
“For myself, I want to work on my basketball IQ and play more aggressively. As a team, it’s trying to push each other and ourselves to be better and to play with confidence. If we do that, then that’s how the wins come.”
2. Boy’s Soccer
Varsity Boys Soccer Player Eduardo Lopez
When did you start competing?
“I started playing soccer at the age of 7. That’s when I first started taking and playing soccer competitively.”
Who’s your coach?
“My coach is Coach Ibarra, Coach Sergio and Coach Kyle. I really like playing with them.”
How are you feeling about the season?
“I feel really good about the season. I’m looking forward to continue winning games, and I am looking forward to the 1st round of the NCS.”
What are you doing to prepare?
“Maintaining my body, getting all the nutrients, and prioritizing my health to perform at the highest level.”
Best and worst things so far?
“The worst thing so far has been the weather. Honestly, the weather is really bad. It’s been raining a lot and it gets kind of hard to play. The best thing so far has to be how much we’ve grown as a team. Our chemistry with each other is getting better.”
Is there something special about this group this year?
“The variety of just young players. This year there’s a lot of young players, and it feels great to be apart of this young group.”
What are your individual/team goals?
“This season our team goal was to win league and make a push in NCS. For individual goals, my goal was to keep as many clean sheets* as I can.”
*Clean Sheets: an accomplishment when a soccer goalie allows 0 goals in a full game
No matter how successful a sports team performs, the underlying foundation guiding its players are the coaches that lead these teams. James Logan’s multitude of athletic coaches dedicate time both in and out of school to help develop student athletes into the stars they are now. We talked to one of Logan’s coaches for an alternative outlook on the upcoming sports season in second semester.
1. Swimming
Swimming Coach Jillian Lothian
How do you think this season’s going to go for the team?
“We got new kids coming in from different schools, so it’s sort of like a building year for us, and that’s going to be really beneficial for the team.”
Can you describe what typical practice looks like for your teams?
“Typically, we practice 4-5 times a week for 90 minutes each day. We do exercises, such as doing different styles of strokes, sprint focus, threshold practice, and recovery practices.”
What are your core values as a coach?
“We ask the students if they’re coachable, and ask that they be respectful. We also ask that they’re helpful to the team (and everyone else), and work hard.”
