Sports

Preview: 2017 Golden Valley girls’ tennis

The​ ​girls​ ​tennis​ ​program​ ​at​ ​Golden​ ​Valley​ ​has​ ​had​ ​its​ ​struggles​ ​over​ ​the​ ​years​ ​but​ ​in​ ​the eyes​ ​of​ ​Coach​ ​Josh​ ​Stimac​, ​it’s​ ​not​ ​about​ ​the​ ​wins​ ​and​ ​losses,​ ​it’s​ ​about​ ​the​ ​process​ ​and​ ​getting his​ ​girls​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​many​ ​life​ ​lessons​ ​tennis​ ​provides. Even​ ​though​ ​they’ve​ ​been​ ​struggling​ ​this​ ​season​, ​Coach​ ​Stimac​ ​had​ ​nothing​ ​but​…
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October 12, 2017

The​ ​girls​ ​tennis​ ​program​ ​at​ ​Golden​ ​Valley​ ​has​ ​had​ ​its​ ​struggles​ ​over​ ​the​ ​years​ ​but​ ​in​ ​the eyes​ ​of​ ​Coach​ ​Josh​ ​Stimac​, ​it’s​ ​not​ ​about​ ​the​ ​wins​ ​and​ ​losses,​ ​it’s​ ​about​ ​the​ ​process​ ​and​ ​getting his​ ​girls​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​many​ ​life​ ​lessons​ ​tennis​ ​provides.

Even​ ​though​ ​they’ve​ ​been​ ​struggling​ ​this​ ​season​, ​Coach​ ​Stimac​ ​had​ ​nothing​ ​but​ ​praise​ ​for​ ​his girls.​ ​They’ve​ ​had​ ​three​ ​matches​ ​so​ ​far.​ ​They​ ​opened​ ​the​ ​season​ ​with​ ​a​ ​loss​ ​to​ ​Royal​ ​but bounced​ ​back​ ​and​ ​beat​ ​a​ ​very​ ​good​ ​Chatsworth​ ​team.​ ​​ ​

They​ ​recently​ ​opened​ ​their​ ​league season​ ​against​ ​Foothill​ ​League​ ​favorite,​ ​West​ ​Ranch. ​Even​ ​though​ ​the​ ​Grizzlies​ ​lost,​ ​Coach​ ​Stimac had​ ​high​ ​praise​ ​for​ ​his​ ​team.

​“These​ ​girls​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​excel​ ​after​ ​every​ ​match,​ ​and​ ​they​ ​never cease​ ​to​ ​amaze​ ​me,” he said.

This​ ​team​ ​isn’t​ ​the​ ​poster​ ​team​ ​for​ ​Golden​ ​Valley​ ​High​ ​School,​ ​but​ ​they​ ​do​ ​represent​ ​us​ ​well​ ​with their​ ​determination​ ​and​ ​perseverance.​ ​Coach​ ​Stimac​ ​is​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​get​ ​the​ ​team​ ​to​ ​​ ​exceed​ ​the expectations​ ​people​ ​place​ ​upon​ ​them. ​​ ​

“The​ ​girls​ ​are​ ​such​ ​hard​ ​workers​ ​and​ ​every​ ​year​ ​they  just​ ​get​ ​better​ ​and​ ​better,​ ​and​ ​they​ ​get​ ​more​ ​competitive.​ ​That’s​ ​all​ ​I​ ​can​ ​really​ ​ask​ ​for,​ ​there​ ​is no​ ​exceeding​ ​expectations​ ​of​ ​other​ ​people,​ ​we​ ​exceed​ ​our​ ​own,” he said.

Even​ ​though​ ​they​ ​lost​ ​a​ ​few​ ​key​ ​players​ ​from​ ​last​ ​year,​ ​like​ ​Giscell​ ​Zendengas,​ ​they​ ​aren’t letting​ ​that​ ​slow​ ​them​ ​down.​ ​Their​ ​plan​ ​for​ ​the​ ​season​ ​is​ ​to​ ​win,​ ​but​ ​also​ ​get​ ​better​ ​and​ ​fulfill​ ​the potential​ ​Coach​ ​Stimac​ ​knows​ ​they​ ​have.

With​ ​key​ ​players​ ​Kirsten​ ​Azarraga​ ​and​ ​Helene​ ​Sarpong​ ​leading​ ​the​ ​team,​ ​Coach​ ​Stimac​ ​said, “These​ ​girls​ ​have​ ​worked​ ​really​ ​hard,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​couldn’t​ ​be​ ​more​ ​proud.”

From​ ​what​ ​I​ ​have​ ​seen​ ​of​ ​the​ ​team,​ ​they​ ​have​ ​exceeded​ ​expectations,​ ​all​ ​the​ ​players​ ​are​ ​using their​ ​potential​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fullest,​ ​and​ ​they​ ​have​ ​many​ ​strengths.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​determined;​ ​they​ ​are​ ​a close​ ​group​ ​and​ ​they​ ​work​ ​together​ ​well;​ ​and​ ​they​ ​seem​ ​very​ ​passionate​ ​about​ ​the​ ​game.​ ​

This team​ ​is​ ​shaping​ ​up​ ​nicely,​ ​and​ ​they​ ​have​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​to​ ​learn.​ ​Even​ ​Coach​ ​Stimac​ ​has​ ​learned​ ​a​ ​wide range​ ​of​ ​things​ ​coaching​ ​the​ ​team.​ ​

He​ ​said​ ​“The​ ​girls​ ​are​ ​very​ ​passionate​ ​about​ ​the​ ​game;​ ​they are​ ​willing​ ​to​ ​work​ ​hard,​ ​even​ ​on​ ​their​ ​off​ ​days,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​need​ ​to​ ​give​ ​them​ ​credit​ ​for​ ​that.​ ​They​ ​have taught​ ​me​ ​so​ ​many​ ​things,​ ​and​ ​hopefully​ ​they​ ​learned​ ​a​ ​few​ ​things​ ​from​ ​me​ ​as​ ​well.”

​Arrizaga,​ ​who​ ​is​ ​a​ ​four-​year​ ​veteran​,​ ​said,​ ​“I​ ​think​ ​our​ ​consistency​ ​and determination​ ​helped​ ​us,​ ​especially​ ​in​ ​the​ ​win​ ​against​ ​Chatsworth.”

Arrizaga​ ​was​ ​a​ ​transfer​ ​from​ ​Valencia​ ​her​ ​freshman​ ​year;​ ​she​ ​always​ ​loved​ ​tennis,​ ​but​ ​when​ ​she joined​ ​the​ ​GV​ ​tennis​ ​team,​ ​she​ ​has​ ​never​ ​loved​ ​it​ ​more.​ ​

Coming​ ​from​ ​Valencia​ ​her​ ​perspective had​ ​to​ ​change.​ ​

She​ ​says,​ ​“This​ ​team​ ​has​ ​grown​ ​to​ ​be​ ​my​ ​family​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​season​ ​and​ ​off season.​ ​Stimac​ ​has​ ​helped​ ​me​ ​drastically​ ​improve​ ​and​ ​has​ ​been​ ​an​ ​amazing​ ​coach​ ​for​ ​not​ ​only me,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​team.​ ​He​ ​improved​ ​my​ ​weaknesses​ ​and​ ​helped​ ​me​ ​love​ ​tennis​ ​more than​ ​when​ ​I​ ​started.”

According​ ​to​ ​Kaylah​ ​Fernando,​ ​Coach​ ​Stimac​ ​is​ ​like​ ​a​ ​father​ ​figure​ ​to​ ​all​ ​of​ ​his​ ​girls.​ ​

“He​ ​has helped​ ​us​ ​all​ ​when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​school,​ ​he​ ​defiantly​ ​tells​ ​us​ ​that​ ​our​ ​education​ ​is​ ​our​ ​number​ ​one
priority.​ ​He​ ​has​ ​always​ ​been​ ​like​ ​a​ ​father​ ​figure​ ​to​ ​us​ ​all,​ ​he​ ​gives​ ​us​ ​advice​ ​and​ ​always​ ​tries​ ​to keep​ ​us​ ​on​ ​the​ ​right​ ​track.​ ​And​ ​of​ ​course​ ​he​ ​has​ ​helped​ ​us​ ​improve​ ​in​ ​tennis,” she said. “​When​ ​I​ ​started playing,​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​even​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​hold​ ​a​ ​racket​ ​properly​ ​but​ ​he​ ​was​ ​always​ ​there​ ​to​ ​teach​ ​and support​ ​us.”

Coach​ ​Stimac​ ​didn’t​ ​exactly​ ​know​ ​what​ ​he​ ​would​ ​get​ ​into​ ​when​ ​coaching​ ​this​ ​tennis​ ​team.​ ​Each year​ ​brought​ ​new​ ​people​ ​and​ ​new​ ​struggles,​ ​​but​ ​he​​ ​​learned​​ ​​many​​ ​​life​​ ​​lessons,​​ ​​and​​ ​​every​ ​year the​ ​girls​​ ​​have​​ ​​taught​​ ​​him​​ ​​many​​ ​​new​​ ​​things​​ ​​about​ ​tennis.​ ​

He’s​ ​learned​ ​that​ ​no​ ​matter​ ​how​ ​bad you​ ​feel,​ ​when​ ​you​ ​love​ ​what​ ​you​ ​do,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​such​ ​thing​ ​as​ ​a​ ​bad​ ​time.​ ​He​ ​has​ ​learned​ ​so many​ ​things,​ ​and​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​this​ ​with​ ​him​ ​to​ ​teach​ ​all​ ​his​ ​girls​ ​every​ ​year.

With​ ​everyone​ ​learning​ ​life​ ​lessons​ ​from​ ​the​ ​game​ ​of​ ​tennis​ ​it’s​ ​obviously​ ​not​ ​about​ ​the​ ​wins​ ​and losses​ ​but​ ​the​ ​relationships​ ​and​ ​lessons​ ​learned​ ​from​ ​each​ ​other​ ​both​ ​on​ ​and​ ​off​ ​the​ ​court.

Scholar-athlete Cody Going: off to Division 1

Scholar-athlete Cody Going: off to Division 1

Cody Going has been in Mission Viejo high school’s football program, a team ranked number four in California by MaxPreps, for five long years. From his time in eighth grade to now he’s been able to see the athletes at Mission Viejo High grow from teammates to a...