Welcome to the third issue of volume three 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.

Filling the Emotional Tank

I’m a big advocate of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), which employs the philosophy of becoming a triple impact competitor:

Personal Mastery: Making oneself better
Leadership: Making one’s teammates better
Honoring the Game: Making the game better.

The following is an excerpt rom the founder of PCA, Jim Thompson, in his book Elevating Your Game

There are people who bring you down in life.  And then there are people who bring you up. You want to be around the ones who fill your tank. We had a lot of them on the team.
Julie Foudy, Co-Captain, U.S. National Team & FIFA World Cup Champions, 1991 & 1999

People do better when their Emotional Tanks are full. The E-Tank is like the gas tank of a car. If your car’s gas tank is empty, you can’t drive very far. If you have a full tank, you can go a long way.
Triple-Impact Competitors understand a key way to make teammates better is to make sure they get their E-Tanks filled on a regular basis.

The Portable Home Team Advantage
The home team wins about 60 percent of the time in professional sports. There are several reasons for this, but there is no doubt the emotional support of the fans is a big part of it.
This isn’t rocket science. People perform better when they feel better about themselves than when they are down on themselves. Having people cheer for you makes you feel better and helps you perform better.
When their E-Tanks are full, your teammates are more open to improvement, they are more optimistic, deal better with adversity, have more energy, and respond better to challenges.

If your team members routinely fill each others’ tanks, your team can develop a portable home team advantage. It’s as if you play all your games — home or away — in front of a huge supportive crowd who has your back. And we know that means better results on the scoreboard.

Natural Tank Drainers
Humans are natural tank drainers who don’t need to be taught how. We are
better at draining tanks than filling them, often doing it without even realizing it.
Criticism and sarcasm, which can be very satisfying, are deadly tank drainers. Nonverbal actions like frowning, rolling your eyes, and sighing dramatically also drain E-Tanks. Ignoring someone when he or she speaks? Ditto.

Using the Magic Ratio to Fill Teammates’ E-Tanks
Triple-Impact Competitors constantly look for opportunities to fill teammates’ E-Tanks. And it turns out that it takes a lot of tank filling for people to be able to do their best.
Research indicates optimum performance comes from about five tank-fillers for each criticism. This is called the “Magic Ratio” (5:1) because people improve so much it seems like magic.
Tank fillers can be verbal or nonverbal, extended interactions, or quick hits that take virtually no time. Here are some tools guaranteed to fill the tanks of your teammates, and make your team better, if you employ them.

To learn more about Elevating Your Game and other PCA books visit www.positivecoach.org/our-work/our-books
For more Resources, visit: www.PCADevZone.org
For more information on Positive Coaching Alliance, visit: www.PositiveCoach.org

Rookies

Answer:  the ball goes back to the Maltese because Eloise’s foot is on the line as she tries to pass the ball into a teammate.

This Sunday, our Chihuahuas team played the second game of the season. It was a fun game for both teams. Coach Charlie’s players showed his shooting abilities and defensive skills throughout the game and our team had the chance to continue developing what we have been working during practice, which is how to share the ball and why this concept is a critical part of the game of basketball. I have to express how proud I am about our team performance. More than half of our baskets were the result of 2 to 3 passes from every team member which is a tremendous accomplishment for our rookie age group. I saw amazing assist from all our team members, special shout out to Richard Haro who had several assists but also play tremendous defense during the game. Dechen Lemond , Zander Chin and Louis Meehan played in tandem waiting for passes from Rohan Sellers, James Haro, Richard Haro and Diego Gonzalez. The entire team ball movement helped Louis Meehan to deliver an amazing scoring performance that gave him the player of the game award. It was a true team effort and as coach Woden says “it takes 10 hands to make a basket”.  Submitted by Coach Armando Gonzalez

Playing without some key players for the entire game and without team leader Vitalina Moncher for the first half due to a judo tournament, things looked bleak for our Yorkies.  Fortunately, under the guidance of Kai Badat’s parents, the kids played a great first half to keep it close. In the second half, we had plenty of open shots right around the basket, but nothing seemed to want to drop in.  When we did score, our usually tight defense would allow the Doxies to hit an open shot.
The Doxies would open up a 10-7 lead and shot-after-shot would clang off the rim for us until Kai Badat hit the biggest shot of his young Y career in the closing moments of the game.  At 10-9 and with us with 4 free throws from strong players and no free throws coming for the Doxies, I felt good. The first 3 throws didn’t come within a foot of the basket and things looked bad until Lauren Bryan hit the very last free throw to tie the game.  Vitalina’s steals and rebounds kept us alive in the second half, but Lauren, Kai, and Grace Samy played well throughout the game. We were missing key contributors and didn’t play well overall (and the Doxies probably deserved the win), so I guess we can’t complain about a 10-10 tie.  Submitted by Coach Rick Moncher

The Doxies had an amazing second game, first attended by Coach Josh, and are happy to say they have maintained their undefeated streak, even against the formidable Yorkies!
The game was back and forth with the Yorkies getting out to an early lead, quickly erased due to a number of spectacular inbound plays involving Aidan Smith and Nicco Balerini! Mae Jones had a spirited basketball debut, but big sister Juney inspired with multiple steals leading to fast breaks and offensive rebounds! Miles Smith and Coach Josh met for the first time, and Maia, Oliver, and Daniel all took turns leading the offense with stints at point guard. Roman was his dependable athletic self, always booking it up and down the court and taking one of the longest shots from the field witnessed this season.
In the waning seconds of the fourth, while clinging to a 10-7 lead (with four Yorkie free throws coming), the Doxies stellar defensive rebounding unfortunately broke down, leading to a Yorkie basket and a 10-9 score. However, we quickly inbounded the ball, sprinted down the court, and Nicco dropped a beautiful dime to Aidan for an open layup which just rimmed out at the final buzzer.
The whole team watched with intense anticipation as the Yorkies proceeded to miss their first three free throws… only to nail the final one, cementing the 10-10 tie! Submitted by Coach Josh Jones

The Pugs faced the Chihuahuas in an early Sunday matchup.

Playing the entire game, the five Pugs battled from start to finish.  Laila Elliott was impactful from the start with 4 points (her first career points), 4 rebounds, and 5 steals. Cruz Hecklin was active on defense and his unselfish passing helped set up teammates for open shots. Luca Samson added 2 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals along with several hustle plays. Reyansh Varma let everyone know that he has been working on his game by scoring his first bucket of career along with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Arya Nawathe also scored his first basket of the season with a nice baseline jumper from the right side to finish the game on a good note.  Submitted by Coach Charles Ellinwood

Terriers vs Maltese
A true nail biter the whole game.  Maltese were short handed w/ just 4 players, so in true YMCA sportsmanship fashion, the Terriers elected to give the Maltese a rotating 5th player from their team throughout the game.  Maltese Sylvie Levitt brought her A game dropping 6 points in the 1st half & Tiam Baragoush had a monster game in all categorizes turning a negative into a positive by impressively capitalizing on the extra playing time on both ends of the floor.
Terriers were active and the half ended even 10-10.  Eloise Siegler played her signature tough defense including a couple steals, plus adding 4 points, and 3 rebounds. Rhys Scheflen did his part with 2 points, 2 steals, and 3 rebounds.  Roman Gabriel chipped in a pair of rebounds and a steal. Dylan Geary pulled down a rebound and snagged a steal. Tristan Hayes played tough with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and a steal. Teddy Franklin played another solid game with 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, and 2 points that came with seconds left to tie the game 16-16 at regulation.
The game ended on free-throws after regulation between Hayes going 0 for 2, and Baragoush going 1 for 4 which made the dramatic finish and win for the Maltese 17-16.  Submitted by Coach Holden Hayes

Bantams

It was another great all around team effort starting with a smothering defense that lead to the “Splash Brothers” Gavin O’Brien and Noah Mclaurin finding their teammates on fast breaks that put the Spaniels up early with a 10 point lead. The rebounding took over after that with River Zelenovic playing strong inside and grabbing boards, and Victoria McNary shutting things down on the strong side both contributing with 6 points of their own.The team really seems to be clicking and trusting each other.  Submitted by Coach Tony McLaurin

The Bantam Beagles served notice Saturday that any team hoping to claim the spring league championship would have to go through them first.
The mighty orange zone defense proved to be just too much for the hard fighting Pinschers to handle as the Beagles (3-0) built up a 16 – 2 lead heading into the final 4 minutes of play.
Team captain Daisy Siegler scored two baskets but it was her solid rebounding and defense that earned her Player of The Game honors from league director.  Daisy and do-it-all point guard Noah Hagooli-Bolanos also shared the POG award from their coach.
It was an all around team effort for the Beagles, who saw baskets drop for almost every player on in uniform.  Jacopo Stabilini, Veronica Marchala and Taylor Summers were all outstanding. Bella Kariger continued to be an invaluable asset on both ends of the floor and Scarlett Harris put up her second bucket of the season.  Alex “Ladybug” Zelenovic arrived late but played her best all around game yet!
Can this team hang on to it’s first place ranking after the spring break recess?  We’ll find out on Sunday, April 28 when the Beagles square off against the mighty Spaniels.  Submitted by Coach Sean Daly

In our final game before Spring Break our Scotties took on the Shelties looking for our first victory of the year. After a close 1st quarter, Alan Larkin, gave us a big lift in the 2nd quarter, after being out of town the first two games. Playing his usual tough defense, Larkin along with Ben Steelman, Luke Steelman and Dylan Kravitz  all scored and assisted in a 5 minute span to give us a 12-7 lead at the half. Thanks to some good defense as well from Luca Hayutin and some timely rebounds from Marcus McCannell we held on in the 2nd half and got our first W of the year 15-9. Larkin led us with 7 points, and we got some needed momentum going into the 2nd half of the season!  Submitted by Coach Bill Kravitz

Another late game for the Corgies didn’t stop them from bringing their A game and, for the first time, the Corgies had a their full line up which added to the excitement. The team’s offense is developing nicely with baskets from Jonathan Watson, Vihaan Nawathe, Jordan Blum, Delilah Holsey, and Annika Cook. The defense led by Amir Enayait and Annika Cook held the Schnauzers to a 16 to 16 tie at the game’s end, but the tie was short lived when Vihaan went to the free throw line. He sunk two in a row and earned the Corgies their second win of the season and the player of the game. Go Vihaan!  Submitted by Coach Caroline Byfield

The Pinschers went up against the Beagles who employed a tough zone defense that it made it difficult for the Pinschers to penetrate and try to get decent shots up.  The Beagles went out to the big early lead and the Pinschers were able to cut into lead in the second half, but came up short. Good defensive performances were had by Michael Mikhail, Dominic Drew, and Jenson Montague.  The best Pinscher was Ryan Cohen who had several buckets, even after injuring his ankle, with a tough and gritty effort displayed by him. Final Score Beagles 16, Pinschers 10. Submitted by DocDrew

On Sunday, March 31, the Shelties took on the Beagles.  The Shelties could not seem to score against the very talented and very tall Beagles in the first half.  The second half was the tale to two halves, with Axel and Tara scoring their first points of the season. At the end of regulation time, the Shelties were trailing 15 to 11, however, the Shelties were awarded 7 free throws to end the game.  Axel barely missed the first two and Rayan had 5 free throws. Despite an incredible effort, Rayan made 3 of 5 and the Shelties lost the game 15 to 14. Submitted by Coach Doug Trussler

Minors

The Dalmatians vs. The Whippets
In a late night showdown for serious ballers only, the Whippets took on the Dalmatians. The scoreboard was lighting up for the Whippets who scored 50 points as Jace O’Brien lead the team with 14 of them.  Both teams played hard ball with the Dalmatians scoring 24 points and playing tough under the rim by grabbing rebounds as Sophia Levi and James Petrovich stood out both offensively and defensively. The Dalmatians never stopped fighting the entire game keeping the Whippets on their toes forcing them to compete by moving the ball around the floor.  Cam Pariser, Asher Eng and London Coleman were key in setting up the big plays that allowed every player on the team to score.
Submitted by Craig Pariser

Pointers lost 25-29 bringing the record to 1-1 thus far in the season.
We started slowly scoring only 2 points in the first quarter. The second half was big for us. Our defense limited the whippets to 9 second half points. We also picked up steam offensively.
Nate Blum was perfect from the free throw line at 5 for 5 to bring us close. We continue to work on fundamentals and look forward to our next contest.  Submitted by Coach Elan Mevasse

Majors

The Boxers Dom Kajota put on a performance to be remembered for the ages. In the final two minutes of the game, Dom came up with huge baskets that took the Boxers out of the jaws of defeat, and snatched the victory.  Meanwhile, all of us were left with dropping jaws and saying “What just happened?!”

Before every game, you’ll see the coaches and players eyeing up the opposing team to see how they match up.  We felt our smallish Greyhounds matched up well against the Dobies and after a good practice week, we felt confident at tip-off.  Of course, the Dobies would jump out to a quick lead to test our confidence, but the tide turned quickly with some excellent Greyhound defense and a blistering first-quarter from our dynamic duo of Evan Daghighian and Timosha Moncher.  Our two main playmakers would combine for 15 first-quarter points. Unlike previous games, they would get plenty of solid help, as Guy Carter had 4 of his 6 points in the first and would play his best game to date. Amir Jahromi had 2 of his 7 points also in the first and he continued his weekly improvement in battling under the bucket.
Scoring 21 points in the first quarter after a slow start was quite the fireworks, but Evan and Timosha continued into the second.  Evan hit 2 more buckets in the second as part of his 21-point afternoon of outside set shots, runners, and inside floaters. Timosha would do the same – driving, head-faking, step-backing, and euro-stepping to the tune of 11 second quarter points and a game-high 23.
To their credit, the Dobies continued to play hard to try to stay within a reasonable range.  They helped us with some questionable shot selection throughout the game, but they did have some offensive spurts to grab our attention.  In the end, our improved passing game gave us better opportunities to score and we enjoyed a comfortable win. Although they didn’t have their shots this day, Shiva and Arjun McIntosh worked hard all game.  Oliver Ghiassi and Travis Waters continued to help their teammates get open and showed tremendous improvement on both offense and defense. Submitted by Coach Rick Moncher

The Shepherds Steven Petramale was Best in Show with his great all around performance in helping the Shepherds to victory.  Photo by Steven Petramale Sr.

Answer:  Timosha Moncher

It was another tough offensive day for the Mastiffs. A close and tight game was ultimately settled with better field goal shooting by the Shepherds.
Both rosters were thin heading into the spring break and congrats to all who played a hard fought contest with minimal substitutes.
The Mastiffs continued to display an excellent defensive game with disruptive pressure throughout from Rama Karimi and Cy Backen. The first half finished with the Mastiffs holding a slender lead of 2 points. The undersized Mastiffs struggled on the boards, relying heavily on the great Ari Potamianos for rebounds on both sides of the floor. She finished the game with double digits on the boards and a couple of buckets as well. However it was hard to match the inside presence of Orlando Sandoval who showed he has been working on his inside game and finished with 8 plus points and even more rebounds.
The Mastiffs were still in the game heading into the last quarter, however the loss of Rama to foul trouble was hard to overcome. Rama led the Mastiffs with 8 points, 4 boards, 4 steals, and two assists, so a tough player to lose heading into a vital period of the game. The Mastiffs also got a strong contribution from all others on the roster with Zico Muldoon (8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals), Cy Backen (4 points, 3 boards, 2 steals) Armaan Kohli (4 points, 2 steals, 2 boards), Elliott Wechsler (5 points, 2 boards), and Ari (4 points, 12 boards, 1 assist) all filling up the stats sheet with solid performances.
The game finished with a scoreline of 37-32 with free throws to shot for both teams. The Mastiffs however were unable to take advantage of 9 to 6 free throw attempts to narrow the lead. Best for the winners was Michael Hanasab and Orlando Sandoval, both scoring at vital moments in the game.   Submitted by Coach Conor Muldoon

The Boxers and Danes played a nail-biter on Sunday.  The Danes led 17-15 after a slow first half. Quest Miller had 7 points for the Boxers in the half (11 on the game).  Both teams got hot in the third. The Boxers more than doubled their score, adding 16 points, led by Eric Papazian’s three baskets (12 points on the game).  The Danes equaled their first half with 17. The Danes had the Boxers on the ropes in the fourth, building a 10-point lead with under 4 minutes remaining. The Boxers battled back with a full-court press led by Dom Kajota.  Dom had multiple steals and scored 8 of his game-leading 16 points in the fourth, including a clutch three-pointer in the last minute. Lucas Greblikas was strong defensively with several blocked shots. It came down to free throws.  The Boxers made 4 of 8: Quest, Dom, Hunter Esposito-Doi, and Aayan Lakhani sank one each. The Danes made 3 of 6. The Boxers escaped with the win! Submitted by Coach Jonathan Wray

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 Wakefield family:  Parents Josh and Jamaica have their two sons Hawkins and Jarvis playing youth basketball at the Santa Monica YMCA.  Hawkins is already tearing it up as a newcomer in the Rookie league, while Jarvis has transitioned to the Minors, after winning the Bantam League MVP this past Winter season.

Proud parents Josh and Jamaica not only cheer on their boys, but cheer on all players, and truly enjoy watching all the games and supporting every player.

Hawkins and Jarvis are beloved by all their teammates, and earn the respect of their opponents for their excellent play and sportsmanship.

The Wakefield family was gracious in letting me ask them a few questions:

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

Jarvis:  The great competition and playing with my friends.
Hawkins:  Practicing and learning how to hoop!

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

Jarvis:  When I was in rookie and almost went undefeated except for the last game. And when I got MVP and won the Bantam championship!

DocDrew:  Who are your favorite players and why?

Jarvis:  Zion Williamson because he dunks a lot. And LeBron James because he’s a Laker.
Hawkins:  Kevin Durant! Because he’s taller than LeBron.

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

Jamaica and Josh:  We love the community it creates by bringing families together throughout Santa Monica.   Watching all the kids grow and progress in this league has been encouraging. That and the games are an absolute blast to watch.

We thank the Wakefield family for all their support and dedication to the youth basketball program at the Santa Monica YMCA, and we look forward to watching the boys grow and excel over the next several years.

Scores:

SATURDAY, APRIL 6

MINOR LEAGUE

10:30 AM        SETTERS 36, COLLIES 19

11:40 AM        WHIPPETS 29, POINTERS 25

MAJOR LEAGUE

12:50 PM        MALAMUTES 50, AIREDALES 35

2:00 PM        DOBIES 53, GREYHOUNDS 59

BANTAM LEAGUE

3:10 PM        BEAGLES 16, PINSCHERS 10

4:20 PM        SHELTIES 9, SCOTTIES 15

5:30 PM        BASSETS 11, SPANIELS 22

6:40 PM        CORGIES 18, SCHNAUZERS 16

SUNDAY, APRIL 7

ROOKIE LEAGUE

10:30 AM        CHIHUAHUAS 20, PUGS 10

11:40 AM        MALTESE 17, TERRIERS 16

12:50 PM        DOXIES 10, YORKIES 10

MAJOR LEAGUE

2:00 PM        MASTIFFS 33, SHEPHERDS 39

3:10 PM        BOXERS 47, DANES 46

MINOR LEAGUE

4:20 PM        WOLFHOUNDS 12, LABS 32

5:30 PM        AKITAS 27 , SETTERS 20

6:40 PM        WHIPPETS 50 , DALMATIONS 24

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:

Chihuahuas 2-0-0, 10 points

Doxies 1-0-1, 8 points

Yorkies 1-0-1, 8 points

Maltese 1-1-0, 5 points *one loss by forfeit

Pugs 0-2-0, 2 points

Terriers 0-2-0, 2 points

Bantams:

Beagles 3-0-0, 15 points

Spaniels 3-0-0, 15 points

Corgies 2-1-0, 11 points

Shelties 1-2-0, 7 points

Pinscher 1-2-0, 7 points

Scotties 1-2-0, 7 points

Schnauzers 1-2-0, 7 points

Bassets 0-3-0, 3 points

Minors:

Akitas 3-0-0, 15 points

Whippets 3-0-0, 15 points

Labs 2-0-0, 10 points

Setters 1-2-0, 7 points

Pointers 1-1-0, 6 points

Dalmatians 0-3-0, 3 points

Wolfhounds 0-2-0, 2 points

Collies 0-2-0, 2 points

Majors:

Shepherds 3-0-0, 15 points

Boxers 3-0-0, 15 points

Greyhounds 2-1-0, 11 points *Greyhounds beat Malamutes head to head

Malamutes 2-1-0, 11 points

Dobies 1-2-0, 7 points *Dobies beat Danes head to head

Danes 1-2-0, 7 points

Airedales 0-3-0, 3 points

Mastiffs 0-3-0, 3 points

Upcoming schedule

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

NO GAMES FROM APRIL 8-APRIL 26

TEAMS CAN AND SHOULD PRACTICE DURING THIS TIME

THE YMCA WILL BE CLOSED SUNDAY, APRIL 14 FOR EASTER

SATURDAY, APRIL 27***HEALTHY KIDS DAY***

BOOTHS AND GAMES IN THE GYM AND A BOUNCE HOUSE FOR KIDS FROM 9 AM-1:00 PM

ROOKIE LEAGUE

1:45 PM        DOXIES VS MALTESE

3:00 PM        CHIHUAHUAS VS YORKIES

4:10 PM        PUGS VS TERRIERS

MINOR LEAGUE

5:20 PM        WOLFHOUNDS VS COLLIES

6:30 PM        LABS VS POINTERS

SUNDAY, APRIL 28**PICTURE DAY #1**

BANTAM LEAGUE

9:30 AM    CORGIES AND BASSETTS TAKE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS

10:30 AM   CORGIES VS BASSETTS GAME

10:30 AM   SHELTIES AND SCHNAUZERS TAKE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS

11:35 AM   CORGIES, BASSETTS, SHELTIES AND SCHNAUZERS TAKE 4-TEAM LARGE GROUP PHOTO

11:40 AM   SHELTIES VS SCHNAUZERS GAME

11:40 AM   BEAGLES AND SPANIELS TAKE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS

12:50 PM   BEAGLES VS SPANIELS GAME

12:50 PM   PINSCHERS AND SCOTTIES TAKE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS

1:55 PM    BEAGLES, SPANIELS, PINSCHERS AND SCOTTIES TAKE LARGE 4-TEAM GROUP PHOTO

2:00 PM    PINSCHERS VS SCOTTIES GAME

MAJOR LEAGUE

2:00 PM    DOBIES AND BOXERS TAKE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS

3:10 PM    DOBIES VS BOXERS GAME

3:10 PM    MALAMUTES AND DANES TAKE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS

4:15 PM    DOBIES, BOXERS, MALAMUTES, AND DANES, TAKE LARGE 4-TEAM GROUP PHOTO

4:20 PM    MALAMUTES VS DANES GAME

4:20 PM    MASTIFFS AND GREYHOUNDS TAKE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS

5:30 PM    MASTIFFS VS GREYHOUNDS GAME

5:30 PM    AIREDALES AND SHEPHERDS TAKE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS

6:35 PM    MASTIFFS, GREYHOUNDS, AIREDALES AND SHEPHERDS TAKE     LARGE 4-TEAM GROUP PHOTO

6:40 PM    AIREDALES VS SHEPHERDS GAME

Thank you very much,

Dr. Paul Drew, youth basketball coordinator at the Santa Monica YMCA,  editor and publisher of Swish