Welcome to the ninth issue of volume two 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.

Championship Weekend

This past weekend featured the end of the Winter season in all four divisions.  The Rookies, Minors, and Majors finished with tournament games, while the Bantams finished with regular season matches.  In divisions with tournament games, greater point value is awarded for victories, ties, and losses depending on which round the match was played.  League champions are determined by total points accumulated over the entire season. A team does not have to win the season ending tournament in order to become the overall league champion, as evident in the case of the Rookie league, in which the tournament winner was not the league champion.  Furthermore, if two or more teams have identical number of total points, then the league champion is determined by a tiebreaker method in which we look at how each team, tied for first place, faired head to head. If head to head remains tied, then we look at how each team did against the next highest place, and to the next place if the if they still remained tied.  This season in the Majors, we had the rare occurrence of two teams in first place that split head to head matchups, and had identical winning percentages with all other teams in the division, thus we have co-champions in the Majors.

I wish to give special thanks to Pete Arbogast, the former director of youth basketball at the Santa Monica YMCA, who helped me get through this weekend with his help in regards to scorekeeping, tournament rules, standings, tiebreakers, and helping to set up the Spring season.  I truly could have not done it without his help and leadership. I owe you a lot, Pete, thanks. We Fight On!

And also special thanks to Mathias James, better known as MJ.  He helped to guide me through the complexities of the scoreboard, rules of the game, communication with referees, and keeping order in the gym.  Couldn’t have gotten thru Championship Sunday without his help.

I’m a lucky guy to have the help of good friends!

Flushing

In my history of coaching, I had players who would get easily frustrated when they made mistakes.  I needed advice from a credible source, in order to help these kids who had a hard time letting go of a mistake, and letting it affect not only their game, but their enthusiasm to play basketball.  The following is from https://www.positivecoach.org which offers sound advice on how to help someone become a better coach, player, and parent.

Every athlete, even great ones, make mistakes, but great athletes know how to bounce back from mistakes.
When athletes make mistakes they often hang their heads and get discouraged. This isn’t good because then you are not ready for the next play. The most important play in a game is always the next play. If you hang your head after a mistake, you are not getting ready for the next play, the most important play.
On this team it’s okay to make a mistake. If we are afraid of making a mistake we won’t try our hardest.
We’re going to use a Mistake Ritual to help us focus on the most important play—the next play. When someone on this team makes a mistake, we are going to flush that mistake down the toilet by making a flushing motion with our hand.
We are also going to tell the person who makes a mistake, “That’s okay. Flush it! Get ready for the next play.”

I, DocDrew, started practicing making the flush motion with the kids that I coach, and have seen where this can help kids move on from a mistake, and continue playing their hardest, and be ready for the next play.   https://www.positivecoach.org

Many years ago, I had the privilege to meet and talk with legendary college basketball coach John Wooden who coached UCLA to ten NCAA championships.  We were talking for awhile and he asked me: “Did you go to UCLA?” And I replied: “No sir, I went to USC.” He sat there for a moment, then looked at me with his piercing eyes, and with a smile, told me this:  “Son, we all make mistakes in life, but we learn from our mistakes.” The only time in my life that I couldn’t respond back to defend my alma mater, and simply said: “Yes sir, good advice.”

Rookies

Rays Win Championship!
Right before tip-off, we got together to make sure everyone understood that we would win the League Championship only if we could beat the Yankees.  The kids were fired-up and ready and I felt very confident that this was going to be their day. With Aaron Dyner hitting 2 baskets in the first quarter and Vitalina Moncher getting 1 bucket, we jumped out to a 6-0 lead.  After that, it was all Vitalina, as she scored our final 6 points in the game to go along with 6 rebounds and 4 steals to lead us to a 12-4 victory. I was most impressed by the excellent and consistent passing from Aaron and Vitalina to their teammates in the paint.  They both had many perfect passes to give others a chance to score. Although those shots didn’t fall, they did the right thing by continuing to share the ball.
Our exceptional team defense in our first 5 games (5-0 start) had left us for a few games, but we were back at it for this game.  In addition to Vitalina controlling the middle, Rosalina Storstein and Luca Samson were very active in getting after the ball. It was an excellent season that saw quite a few teams with a shot at the title, so we are very happy to have come out on top.  Submitted by Coach Rick Moncher

BLUE JAYS WIN! BLUE JAYS WIN! BLUE JAYS WIN! — February 9th: “The measure of who we are is how we react to something that doesn’t go our way.” – Gregg Popovich
In the last chance for a victory this season, the Blue Jay roster filled with resilient kids taught their coach a thing or two about having a positive attitude and insatiable determination. In the big game, valuable contributions were made by Roman Sweeney, Tanner Lehmkuhl and Oliver Harris, yet it was Sylvie Levitt & Scarlett Harris who shared Co-Player of the Game. Sylvie exemplified the team’s grit and sticktoitveness coming back from from 2 in-game injuries to anchor the defense with a ton of pivotal stops… And Scarlett put the team on her back, running the offense while leading all scorers with 8 clutch points, plus a slew of steals and rebounds. The whole league needed Scarlett to achieve that day, and she didn’t let anyone of us down.  Submitted by Coach Pete Harris

Orioles 5 / Blue Jays 9
The Orioles played their last game of the winter season without some of their veteran players, but the team held their own, and pushing back at the end, scoring three points at the ending game free throws. The entire team worked together and made a valiant effort against the Blue Jays who got their first win of the season.
Eloise Siegler and Spencer Nelson led the team. Nelson had an impressive defensive performance and career high numbers – scoring 2 points in free throws, getting 2 steals, and 4 rebounds. Siegler fought hard getting 2 points in regular play and scoring one free throw for 3 total game points, and came in with 3 boards.
Thanks for Coach Holden for a fun season and all his hard work!  Submitted by Jason Moore

Rookie kids vs Parents:  ever heard the phrase “The student becomes the master?”  Well, in this case, the Rookie kids schooled their parents by stealing their passes, dribbling around them, and out shooting their elders.  Ryan Drew and Aidan Smith were each awarded “Player of the Game”. Eloise Siegler and Tristan Hayes has multiple baskets. Johnny Richardson, Nick Varo, Cruz Hecklin, Ibrahim Ally, and Kai Badat had good team performances.   Once again, the Rookie kids prevailed, and got to rub it in on their parents.

Bantams

Bantam Dodgers Champions:  Thursday’s Game against the Cubs was a fun game.
The first half was close with 5 points from the Dodgers, one of the baskets was from Walker with a 3 pointer. The second half of the game the Dodgers figured out their game and gelled together and got the horses running.  Oliver Kowalczuk had 6 points,3 rebounds and 2 steals, he played a great game Xzavier Aldez had great defensive game 3 rebounds and a 1 steal. Michael Mikhail had 2 points and 1 steal. Richard Haro played good defense and kept up with the flow of his team mates.  Shai Painter grabbed a rebound and played great team ball. Cam Pariser help facilitate with his great passing and he was able to grab 5 big rebounds and a steal. Wally scored another 4 points in the second half bringing him to a total of 7 points and also had a steal!  Jarvis Wakefield was unstoppable with grabbing 9 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal and 4 points, helping to bring the Dodgers to a victory 19 to 10.

Sunday’s Game against the Giants was for the Championship for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers came out ready to play and was able to clinch the Chip!   with a score of 32 to 20. The first half the dodgers scored 14 points  Oliver grabbed 2 rebounds and 1 steal a great effort as usual. Michael MJ scored 7 points,1 made free-throw,1 rebounds and 3 steals, he was all over the court hustling for the win.  Shai Painter grabbed 1 round and 1 steal with his hustle contribution. Richard Haro played a great game and had 1 steal. Cam Pariser had 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. Gideon was playing great defense with 1 steal and 1 rebound.  Walker Levitt had 4 points 3 rebounds, and 1 steal his energy was great out on the court and played a factor when we really needed him. Brandon Israels had 3 big rebounds and made a free-throw he had a great game and helped his team with his efforts. Jarvis Wakefield had a big game and was one of the major contributors to the Dodgers winning the game, he was truly a Giant against the Giants with 14 points 4 rebounds, 1 steal and an assist.
The Dodgers had a great season and it was a lot of fun coaching the team to the Victorious Bantam League Championship!  Submitted by Coach Karim Mikhail

Giants 20 Dodgers 32
The Giants gave the 1st place Dodgers a tough run in their last game of the season. The Giants  led at the end of the first half 16 – 14, but the Dodgers came back strong in the second half and pulled ahead.
The Giants held their own in the scoring, with James Petrovich leading with 8 points, Jacopo Stabilini with 4 points, Harlan Mansfield with 4 points, and Sadie Stiehm and Jack Skalaski each with 2 points. Harlan Mansfield showed great teamwork with a season high four assists, while Vihaan Nawathe and Jaxton Moore each had bullseye passes leading to one assist each.
The Giants also had a great rebounding performance, with Petrovich grabbing 9 boards, Abby Ma getting 4 rebounds, Mansfield continuing a great season rebounding performance with 5 boards, Moore with 4 boards, Stabilini with 2, Stiehm with 2, Nawathe with one board, and Sam Hastings grabbing 1 rebound.
Skalaski lead the team in defense with 3 steals, Petrovich with 2, Stabilini and Nawathe each with a steal in a valiant effort against the Division champs.
Submitted by Jason Moore

3/2/19 Cardinals versus Rockies:  Buckets were hard to come by on this day as the defense on both sides was tough, and made it difficult for anybody to penetrate to the basket. Many of the shots would go halfway in the basket and then would pop right back out.  This game was one of the fewest combined points this season in the Bantam division, and it wasn’t due to poor shooting, some days are better than others, and we move on. In a 7-4 loss, the Cardinals Dominic Drew had all 4 points for our team.  Standout defensive performances were had by Jenson Montague, Aiden Harvey, and Conor Durcan. Austin O’Brien had a gritty performance, even though he was ill. Rayan Etemadnia and Miles Franklin helped snag and snatch those rebounds. Good team defense in shutting down a normally high scoring Rockies offense.  Submitted by Coach Paul Drew

3/10/19 Cardinals versus Pirates:  This was a fun game for both sides, as I personally have coached kids on both teams.  The Pirates had the four headed monster of Ryan Cohen, Gavin O’Brien, Noland Piippo, and Cassius Taylor who are good kids and solid players.  Dominic Drew had his best overall game of the season with multiple assists, a basket, steals, and rebounds. Aiden Lin was the high scorer with 6 points.  Monika Diaz and Aiden Harvey contributed to the scoring. Standout defense by Brendan Still, Conor Durcan, and Austin O’Brien helped to tame the four headed monster.   Meanwhile, Miles Franklin, Jenson Montague, and Rayan Etemadnia made sure that no one was allowed to penetrate the lane. A great way to end the season with a Cardinal victory over a good Pirates team.  Submitted by Coach Paul Drew

Game summary Reds vs Rockies:  The game got off to a quick start as the Rockies scored multiple baskets in the first quarter.  Undaunted, Felix Idell poured in 7 of his team-high 9 points to keep the Reds in the game. Alex Ma and Elliot Ma brought their usually defensive energy and focus, playing stout man-to-man defense against the quickest guard we’ve faced this season.  Auden Steiger also drew some tough defensive assignments, playing admirably against some seasoned Bantam players.
Leo Epstein collected 8 rebounds to go with his 6 points, helping to build a lead in the 3rd quarter.  Erol Besincioglu also pitched in with 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Koa Entsminger got in on the scoring with 2 points and 1 rebound against the taller Rockies front court.  Team rebounding was key in helping grab the lead. Jonathan Watson, Sienna Shickler, and Lara Masood combined for 4 rebounds and played nice team defense off the bench.
After extending the lead in the 3rd quarter, the momentum shifted.  The Rockies seized the advantage and ran off several baskets in a row to take the victory.  A hard-fought game and a fun one for the crowd to watch. Final score Reds 22 Rockies 28. Submitted by Coach Charles Ellinwood

BREWERS VS. DIAMONDBACKS 3/10
Our Brewers took on the Diamondbacks in the final game of our Winter League Bantam season and it was a good one right til the end!  After jumping out to an early lead in the 1st half, we used solid defense to hold a slim lead up until the 4th quarter. The Diamondbacks made a furious rally to tie the score at 16-16 with just a minute to go. The game ended up at that score after free throws by both teams just barely missed at the conclusion of the game. With the tie, we ended the season in 2nd place which is something to be proud of in the very evenly matched ten team league. A big thank you to all our players, Dylan Kravitz, Constantine Avrampoulos, Alan Larkin, Julian Weinerman, Sebastian Jukanovic, Sammy Levi, Vaughn Elliot, Julian Reed, Luca Hayutin and Noah Hagooli Bolanos for all their hard work, excitement and teamwork this season.  Submitted by Coach Bill Kravitz

Parents vs Bantam Kids:  Each season, we have a Bantam kids versus their parents game.  Great team play was displayed by Noah Hagooli Bolaños who took home “Player of the Game” honors.  There were many kids that scored, including Julian Weinerman, Cam Pariser, Michael Mikhail, and Auden Steiger.  Daisy Siegler and Lara Masood made nice passes to their teammates. Once again, the kids won, leaving us parents to say as all Scooby-Doo villains who are caught exclaim:  “We would’ve gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for you meddling kids!”

Minors

Mets weekend review:  Autobek Nasimov, Evan Chang, Jack Nash, Ben Felson, Khalo Lemond, Leo Mooney, Jace O’Brien and Jack Phelan ALL contributed greatly in the Mets 24 -14 victory over the Phillies in the 3rd place game.
Defense was the name of the game.  The Mets showed their discipline on defense by switching on every pick set on them.  Their communication and tenacity made it tough for the Phillies to find a good shot.
On offense the give and go was working to perfection.  Over and over the Mets kept finding the player cutting to the basket for a high percentage shot.
The Mets put together an incredibly strong season and should all be proud of how well they played TEAM BASKETBALL.  Submitted by Coach Brian Phelan

Minor All-Stars versus Braves:  The Braves were able to dominate over the Minor All Stars to earn their first victory of the season.  “Player of the Game” Kellen McDonough had a team high 10 points. King Flowers had multiple points and steals.  Owen Roberts and Lincoln Barnes had points and rebounds. Jace O’Brien filled in for the Braves and had 6 points and multiple rebounds.  The Minor All-Stars were led by Bantam payer Gavin O’Brien who had 8 points in his first ever Minors game. Bantam players Dominic Drew had his first ever Minors basket, and Aiden Lin made his first ever Minors free throw.  Minor players Bora Kocataskin and William Ellison made baskets, and Sean Sanders had multiple rebounds. It was a fun game for all, and the Minor All-Stars were well coached by Pete Arbogast

Majors

Major All Stars versus Rangers:   The Rangers were able to obtain their first victory of the season against an All Star Major team.  Ariadni Potomianos was “Player of the Game” for her outstanding performance of obtaining a double-double in points and rebounds.  Joey Little got into double figures with his scoring. Jason Tun, Armaan Kohli, Eil Eng, Clark Elliot, and Jude Toren contributed in the scoring.  The Major All Stars had standout performances by Jonathan Lin, Danilo Samardzija, and Nazir Henley. Final Score Rangers 35, Major All-Stars 25.

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 Siegler family. Parents Dan and Jennifer started having their daughters(Eloise and Daisy) participate in the youth basketball program last year, and we have seen how much the entire family has enthusiastically enjoyed the games and the continual improvement of the girls’ performances on the court.  The Sieglers are one of our most supportive families to the youth basketball program, and we at the YMCA wish to thank them for all that they do to help all the kids that play youth basketball.

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

Daisy:  I like working together with my teammates and improving my abilities.  Having fun, win or lose. Making baskets!

Eloise:  I like playing defense and forcing turnovers.  The best part about playing at the YMCA is the coaches.

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

Daisy:  My favorite and most memorable moment was when I made my first basket in the last game of my first season.

Eloise:  The kids vs parents game is the best.  It was super fun, we beat the parents, and I won Player of The Game.

DocDrew:  Who are your favorite players and why?

Daisy:  Candace Parker on the Los Angeles Sparks.  We went to a Sparks game last season and she was amazing.
Eloise:  Lauren Jackson because Coach Paul said my style reminds him of her.

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

Dan and Jennifer:  We love how sports instills a growth mindset and the YMCA league is a great community.  It’s amazing watching all of the kids grow and improve each season.

Scores:

Thursday, March 7th, 2019

BANTAM LEAGUE

Dodgers 19, Cubs 10

Saturday, March 9th, 2019
ROOKIE LEAGUE
TOURNAMENT CONSOLATION
Orioles 5, Blue Jays 9

TOURNAMENT 3RD PLACE GAME (6-4-2 POINTS)
Rays 12, Yankees 4

MINOR LEAGUE
“B” TOURNAMENT 3RD PLACE GAME
White Sox 37, Braves 27

“A” TOURNAMENT 3RD PLACE GAME (6-4-2 POINTS)
Mets 24, Phillies 14

“B” TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (6-4-2 POINTS)
Tigers 18, Rangers 22

MAJOR LEAGUE
TOURNAMENT CONSOLATION GAME
Royals 38, Rangers 34

TOURNAMENT 3RD PLACE GAME (6-4-2 POINTS)
Mariners 56, Angels 51

Sunday, March 10th, 2019****CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY****
BANTAM LEAGUE
Dodgers 32, Giants 20

Padres 18, Cubs 12

Rockies 29, Reds 22

Diamondbacks 16, Brewers 16

Pirates 8, Cardinals 15

ROOKIE LEAGUE
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP (7-5-3 POINTS)
Red Sox  8, Twins 9

MINOR LEAGUE
“A” TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP (7-5-3 POINTS)
Nationals 27, Marlins 27

MAJOR LEAGUE
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP (7-5-3 POINTS)
Athletics 33, Astros 29

Monday, March 11th, 2019
ROOKIE LEAGUE
Rookie Players 32, Parents 29

BANTAM LEAGUE
Bantam Players 52, Parents 39
Tuesday, March 12th, 2019
Braves 30, Minor All-Stars 15

Rangers 35, Major All-Stars 25

Final Standings

Rookies:

Rays 7-2-0, 39 points **League Champions**

Twins 6-3-0,  36 points *Twins were 2-0-0 versus the Red Sox

Red Sox 6-3-0, 36 points

Yankees 4-5-0, 25 points

Orioles 3-6-0, 21 points

Blue Jays 1-8-0, 13 points

Bantams:

Dodgers 7-1-1, 39 points **League Champions**

Brewers 6-2-1, 35 points *Brewers beat Padres head to head

Padres 6-2-1, 35 points

Rockies 6-3-0, 33 points

Cardinals 5-4-0, 29 points

Diamondbacks 4-4-1, 27 points

Reds 4-5-0, 25 points

Pirates 3-6-0, 21 points

Cubs 1-8-0, 13 points *Cubs beat Giants head to head

Giants 1-8-0, 13 points

Minors:

Marlins 6-2-1, 38 points

Nationals 5-3-1, 33 points *one loss by forfeit

Phillies 5-4-0, 31 points

Mets 5-4-0, 30 points *one loss by forfeit

Rangers 5-4-0, 29 points *one loss by forfeit

Tigers 4-5-0, 25 points *one loss by forfeit

White Sox 3-5-1, 23 points

Braves 1-9-0, 14 points

Majors:

Astros 7-2-0, 40 points **League Co-Champions**  equal win percentage with all teams

Athletics 7-2-0, 40 points  **League Co-Champions** equal win percentage with all teams

Angels 5-3-1, 33 points

Mariners 4-4-1, 29 points

Royals 3-6-0 21 points

Rangers 1-9-0, 14 points

Upcoming schedule

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

Saturday, March 16th, 2019****ALL STAR SATURDAY****
ROOKIE LEAGUE
10:30 AM    ROOKIE ALL STAR GAME

INTER DIVISION
11:40 AM    ROOKIE STARS VS BANTAM STARS

BANTAM LEAGUE
12:50 PM    BANTAM ALL STAR GAME

INTER DIVISION
2:00 PM    BANTAM STARS VS MINOR STARS

MINOR LEAGUE
3:10 PM    MINOR ALL STAR GAME

INTER DIVISION
4:20 PM    MINOR STARS VS MAJOR STARS

MAJOR LEAGUE
5:30 PM    MAJOR ALL STAR GAME
6:40 PM    MAJOR ALL STAR GAME

Thank you very much,

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