By Dr. Paul Drew 

Welcome to the eighth issue of volume one of Swish, a weekly periodical with recaps and photos of Santa Monica YMCA youth basketball games, and other pertinent info such as standings, schedules, announcements, and updates from the program.

Sports Can Help Reduce Risk of Youth Substance Abuse

As parents, we worry about our children getting influenced by the wrong crowd, and succumbing to peer pressure to try illicit drugs, smoking, or drinking.  It seems with each generation of youth, parents are having “The Talk” at an earlier age than when we were kids. Television, social media, and peer pressure have made parenting more difficult.  By having children involved with team sports, such as basketball, they learn the three principles that the YMCA is for: healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility. With participation in team sports, children learn these principles and are influenced by supportive coaches, teammates, and parents to help guide them in the right direction.

The following is from https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/health/how-sports-help-decrease-the-risk-of-teen-substance-abuse/

Sports provide tremendous benefits and can steer girls in the right direction. Through sports, girls gain a positive body image because they provide feelings of competence and a physical effect on the metabolism. Female athletes also report a higher self-esteem due to a higher satisfaction with their bodies, a greater feeling of self-worth and a sense of physical well-being. When girls participate in sports they are provided with a better knowledge of health risks because they are surrounded by other people, such as coaches, teammates and trainers, who are living healthily and can educate them.
Some research suggests that girls may be at a higher risk of illicit drug use than boys because they are more susceptible to social influences, such as partner, peer or parental drug use. This statistic changes though when girls participate in sports, showing lower rates of drug use by female athletes compared to their non-athlete peers. These girls involved in sports are seeking to maximize their athletic performance and have a strong support for healthy decision-making. By participating in athletics, girls are provided a framework for supervision of free time and involved in a network of individuals, such as coaches, teammates and health professionals, to who illicit drug use is disapproved of and not tolerated.

Sports give girls the tools to succeed throughout life, whether that is personally, academically or professionally. When girls participate in sports, they are given so much more than mental and physical health benefits, they are given a focus, taught to believe in themselves, introduced to a network of people, learn important morals and values and much more.

Rookies

The Swans tried to get their second win of the season vs the #1 ranked and tough Bulldogs, but their efforts were just not enough. Both Brandon Israels & Jonathan Watson of the Swans chipped in for a basket a piece giving Swans 4 points in the game, but it wasn’t enough as Bulldogs pulled away with 12 points total leaving it 12-4 at the end.  With one last regular season game left, the Swans will do all they can do muster up a win to close the tough season so far. Submitted by Coach Holden Hayes

Our Bulldogs played one of their best games of the season in defeating the Swans 13-4.  Bella Kariger again lead us with multiple buckets; including one on a great asset from Brendan Still while he was on the floor.  Luca Samson, Vitalina Moncher, Tanner Lehmkuhl, and Noah Levy also scored for us. The always smiling Mariamawit Belew and Eloise Siegler played well and continue to improve weekly.  Conor Durcan and Aiden Harvey showed excellent defense in the paint, as we continued to allow 3 or less buckets per game. All 10 players again showed up and the win allowed us to lock-in the league championship with one game to go, but we hope to finish with another strong win in our final game.  Submitted by Coach Rick Moncher

Bantams

The Bengals and Steelers played a highly entertaining game that saw multiple ties, and great team play by both squads.  The game started off with a bang, with Gavin O’Brien taking the jump ball tip from Kai Mavasse, and dribbling down to make a layup only seconds into the game.  Multiple buckets were made by Gavin O’Brien and Camden Goetz. Julien Weinerman and Jahveed Braham each had a bucket, and provided solid defense. Mavasse had multiple rebounds, and smart play was performed by Alex Segil on offense and defense.  Lots of good passes were made, and solid man to man defense was displayed with good communication among teammates. Looking forward to the “B” tournament final, and continuing to see the improvements made by all players. It should be noted that Camden Goetz filled in for the undefeated Minor League Chiefs for two games this weekend, and had outstanding performances to help the Chiefs remain undefeated and secure the Minor league championship;  further emphasizing the expected promotion of Camden to Minors next season. Submitted by Coach Paul Drew

The Broncos had a busy weekend pulling out wins for both their last regular season game and their first tournament game. Every single member of the team had a big part in both wins. Jackson Harper, Marcus McCannell, Elliot Ma and Daisy Siegler were outstanding on defense with several blocks and steals. Dagmawi Ayele, Owen Roberts, James Cook, Alex Ghiassi and Parker Keslow played strong offensively.  Submitted by Coach Kerri Keslow

Minors

The Bills beat the Falcons on Saturday.  The Bills got off to a slow start, scoring one basket in the first quarter.  The Falcons out-rebounded the Bills in the first half. The game was still close at halftime.  The Bills pulled away in the third, led by Eddie Stein’s hot hand–3 of his game-leading 5 baskets came in that quarter.  Other top scorers were Weston Keslow (8 points, including 2 treys) and Hunter Esposito-Doi (5 points). TJ Turner had his best game yet, scoring 2 baskets and pulling down 6 boards.  One memorable sequence came in the second quarter, when TJ grabbed a rebound, made an outlet pass, then ran the length of the floor, scoring on an assist from Eddie. Priya Mevasse led the Bills in rebounding with 7, and had a basket.  Alex Wray had another strong game defensively, and showed improvement on offense, missing several close shots. Submitted by Coach Jonathan Wray

The 4th-place Bills nearly upset the undefeated Chiefs on Sunday.  The Bills played solid defense in the first half, especially Weston Keslow (2 steals) and Priya Mevasse (6 rebounds), but they weren’t having much luck getting shots to fall. The Chiefs led 10-3 at halftime, but the Bills battled back, led once again by Eddie Stein.  Eddie sank 5 baskets in the second half, including a 3-pointer to tie the game 18-18. TJ Turner had another strong performance, scoring 4 points and grabbing 7 boards. Emilia Wachtel and Alex Wray also rebounded well. Grey Broderick played with grit on both ends of the court.  The Bills and Chiefs traded baskets in the closing minutes. The Chiefs held on for the victory, but it could have gone either way. I’m really proud of how the Bills fought back. I’m thankful to see how much the kids have improved this season. Submitted by Coach Jonathan Wray

The Eagles defeated the Chiefs handily 41 – 21, lead by Daara Shafipour‘s 16 points and a suffocating half-court pressure defense. Also starring for the 6 – 1 – 1 Eagles were Darien Jones and Ayaan Lakhani, with 8 points each. Oliver Ghiassi had several hoops as well and played strong defense throughout. Huge thanks to Coach Andrew Waters for stepping in to bring home two wins for the Eagles this weekend!  Submitted by Amy Pandya-Jones

The Vikings played their best stretch of basketball of the season this weekend as they put together two outstanding displays of team basketball. On Saturday, the Vikings cruised to a victory over the Seahawks on the strength of lockdown team defense and an offense led by the driving and dishing of Dean Phelan, and the knockdown jump shooting of Rowan Booher.  Sunday’s rematch with the Falcons was a little tighter on the scoreboard. Kayra Sanar set the pace with what seemed like 15 consecutive rebounds to start the game. From there a run-and-gun offensive explosion broke out with both teams darting up and down the court entertaining the crowd. The Vikings eventually pulled away on the strength of several acrobatic interior shots from Dean Phelan and some serious on-the-ball defense in the second half. One more name from the weekend that cannot be overlooked is Isaac Samy — he is really starting to figure this Minors thing out and could be seen flying all over the Y all weekend.  Submitted by Coach Shannon Booher

Majors

No Major games were scheduled this past weekend

This Week’s Profile

Each week, Swish has a profile of a coach, player, or someone in the program who inspires all of us involved in Santa Monica YMCA basketball.

This week’s profile is the Stabilini family.  Father Pier, mother Annamaria, and sons Lorenzo and Jacopo moved to Santa Monica from Italy a few years ago, and both boys have been a big part of the YMCA program.  Lorenzo is playing in the Majors, even though he is only 10 years old. Jacopo is 7 years old, and is currently playing in the Bantams

The following is a bio from Lorenzo Stabilini:

We moved to Santa Monica when I was 6, in the middle of first grade.

Everything was new, and the first days of school here I couldn’t even say or understand a single word in English. But my new classmates and I were smart enough to understand each other in some way :).

Everyone had been welcoming and, apart from the food, I began to enjoy my new life and friends pretty soon.

I am from the northern part of Italy, so I was used to hot summers, rainy falls and snowy winters, and being able to play outside with warm temperatures and sun all the year around was a plus.

After only four months from my intercontinental move I was able to go to the Staples Center to watch a NBA game, spend a weekend in Legoland, a day in Disneyland and a week of surf camp. Really nice.

The next year I could even go skiing/snowboarding, which I missed a lot.

In second grade, I began to play basketball at the YMCA and loved it. I think I am at my ninth or tenth season now. I started to play basketball in Milan with my school, but we don’t have basketball courts in the parks like here, and after school we used to go to the park across the street and play soccer, the most common sport in Italy.

So my life here is completely different from my old one, for what I remember.

I still miss my old friends and my family that now I can see only once a year in the summer, but I really love it here and I have tons of new friends.
Lorenzo

DocDrew:  What do you enjoy most about playing basketball at the YMCA?

Lorenzo:  I enjoy playing at the Y because I love to play with and against my friends.
Jacopo:  Having fun, shooting baskets and winning 🙂

DocDrew:  What are your most memorable moments in your basketball career at the YMCA?

Lorenzo : My most memorable moment at the YMCA was when I hit 6/6 free throws, which got me the Hal Uplinger Memorial Free Throw Award.
Jacopo: It was during the Rookies vs Bantam all stars game when coach Drew told me to shoot the ball and I finally made a buzzer beater.

DocDrew: Who are your favorite players and why?

Lorenzo:  Kyrie Irving used to be my favorite , but now is Giannis Antetokoumpo because of how he drives to the goal.
Jacopo:  Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.

DocDrew:  What do enjoy most about having your boys play basketball at the YMCA?

Pier and Annamaria:  We like the fact that they can play in a safe environment where values like sportsmanship, friendship and fair play are taken in high consideration.
We’ve always met coaches that really care about the kids and teach them  teamwork even if the games get competitive.

The Stabilini parents are devout fans of not just their boys, but of all the other players in the league, and will attend not only their son’s games, but watch other teams play as well.  The Stabilini family are members of the Santa Monica YMCA, and you can often see them there, swimming or playing in the gym. They are a very supportive family to the Santa Monica YMCA and other parents, and we can’t thank them enough for all their kindness and generosity.

Scores

Saturday, November 17th

Rookies:

Bulldogs 13, Swans 4

Tigers 18, Hawks 12

Bantams:

Broncos 19, Steelers 7

Minors:

Bears 25, Eagles 31

Bills 32, Falcons 17

Chiefs 23, Giants 21

Vikings 34, Seahawks 18

Majors:

No games scheduled

Sunday,  November 18th

Rookies:

No games scheduled

Bantams:

“A” tournament semi-finals (6pts for win-4pts for regulation tie-2pts for loss)

Broncos 20, Rams 10

Titans 14, Packers 19

“B” tournament semi-finals

Bengals 16, Steelers 14

Jets 18, Buccaneers 11

Minors:

“A” tournament semi-finals (6pts for win-4pts for regulation tie-2pts for loss)

Chiefs 24, Bills 22

Eagles 41, Giants 21

“B” tournament semi-finals

Seahawks 39, Bears 37 in overtime, Bears receive 3 points for regulation tie

Falcons 26, Vikings 30

Majors:

No games scheduled

Standings:

Teams are awarded 5 points for a win, 3 points for a tie, 1 point for a loss, 0 points for a forfeit.  Tournament games have greater point value. Teams are listed in their place in the standings with W-L-T and team points

Rookies:

Bulldogs 7-1-0, 37 points

Tigers 6-2-0, 33 points

Crows 5-3-0, 29 points

Cats 3-5-0, 21 points

Hawks 2-6-0, 16 points

Swans 1-7-0, 12 points

Bantams:

Broncos 6-2-0, 33 points

Packers 5-2-1, 31 points

Titans  5-3-0, 29 points

Bengals 5-3-0, 28 points

Rams 4-3-1, 27 points

Jets 3-5-0, 20 points

Buccaneers 2-6-0, 16 points

Steelers 1-7-0, 12 points

Minors:

Chiefs 8-0-0, 41 points

Eagles 6-1-1, 35 points

Giants 4-2-1, 27 points

Bills 4-4-0, 25 points

Seahawks 4-4-0, 24 points

Vikings 3-5-0, 20 points

Bears 1-6-1, 14 points

Falcons 1-7-0, 12 points

Majors:

Colts 6-1-0, 30 points *1 point deducted for unsportsmanlike conduct foul

Packers 5-2-0, 27 points *Packers beat Rams and Broncos head to head

Rams 5-2-0, 27 points *Rams beat Broncos head to head

Broncos 5-2-0, 27 points

Raiders 3-4-0, 19 points

Dolphins 2-5-0, 15 points

Ravens 1-5-1, 13 points

Panthers 0-6-1, 9 points

Upcoming Schedule

All games are played in the gymnasium of the Santa Monica YMCA

WINTER LEAGUE REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN IN PERSON AND ONLINE AT YMCASM.ORG FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2018

ROOKIE LEAGUE

TOURNAMENT CONSOLATION FINAL

10:30 AM    HAWKS VS SWANS

BANTAM LEAGUE

“B” TOURNAMENT 3RD PLACE GAME

11:40 AM    STEELERS VS BUCCANEERS

“A” TOURNAMENT 3RD PLACE GAME (6-4-2)

12:50 PM    RAMS VS TITANS

MAJOR LEAGUE

“A” TOURNAMENT SEMI FINALS (6-4-2)

2:00 PM    COLTS VS BRONCOS

3:10 PM    PACKERS VS RAMS

“B” TOURNAMENT SEMI FINALS

4:20 PM    RAIDERS VS PANTHERS

5:30 PM    DOLPHINS VS RAVENS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2018****CHAMPIONSHIP DAY****

ROOKIE LEAGUE-TOURNAMENT

3RD PLACE GAME (6-4-2)

10:30 AM    BULLDOGS VS CATS

BANTAM LEAGUE

“B” TOURNAMENT FINAL (6-4-2)

11:40 AM    BENGALS VS JETS

ROOKIE LEAGUE

TOURNAMENT FINAL (7-5-3)

12:50 PM    CROWS VS TIGERS

BANTAM LEAGUE

“A” TOURNAMENT FINAL (7-5-3)

2:00 PM     BRONCOS VS PACKERS

MINOR LEAGUE

“B” TOURNAMENT FINAL (6-4-2)

3:10 PM           VIKINGS VS SEAHAWKS

“A” TOURNAMENT FINAL (7-5-3)

4:20 PM     EAGLES VS CHIEFS

MAJOR LEAGUE

“A” TOURNAMENT 3RD PLACE GAME (6-4-2)

5:30 PM    LOSER 2:00 PM DECEMBER 1ST GAME VS LOSER 3:10 PM DECEMBER 1ST GAME

“A” TOURNAMENT FINAL (7-5-3)

6:40 PM    WINNER 2:00 PM DECEMBER 1ST GAME VS WINNER 3:10 PM DECEMBER 1ST GAME