The Deer Valley Spring Sports Media Day is held at the Deer Valley District Office. Athletes from Mountain Ridge, Berry Goldwater, Deer Valley, Boulder Creek, and Sandra Day O’Connor bring in some of the best athletes to speak about their experiences with the sport, and to give advice to other future players.
Joe Forbes, a senior at Mountain Ridge who is committed to the University of Arizona, spoke about his time playing baseball and how being on this team has impacted his life. When he was asked to advise future players on the team, he said “I think you just have to be ready to face the challenges and play a good game. You have to have a good mindset and just don’t stress too much about it overall because these guys are your friends.”
Representing track and field was Owen Dockter, a senior distance runner who is committed to Chapman University. He discussed the importance of consistency in his sport when it comes to reaching the next level. Amber Bucken, another senior track and field athlete at Ridge, looked back on her time in the sport. She says her “favorite memory was the bus ride up to Queen Creek every year because we all have a lot of fun bonding together.” Bucken adds that track is a good workout both for the mind and body.
This year, the tennis team had a large number of athletes come out for tryouts. All of the athletes discussed the importance of team culture and mindset. Senior Bruce Roan compliments the technical skills of the coach who has also created a culture of discipline which “applies to all areas of life, especially academics.” Juniors Ella Montez and Eric Prabakaran focus on the mental aspect of the game. Montez always encourages her teammates to never give up on a point even when she’s playing against them. Prabakaran emphasizes the importance of “fostering a good team mindset and making the team mentally stronger.”
Both beach volleyball and boys volleyball athletes talked about the impact they will have on the underclassmen and the team dynamic. Senior volleyball player Nathaniel Roskelley offers his advice skills wise where he can “give a lot of help with the technique” while senior Luke Mayfield reflects on what he learned from the past upperclassmen that he played with for the last three or four years. Beach volleyball coach Christina Jensen commends the leadership of her team who have “been in the footsteps of great seniors and graduated students.”
All of the teams were excited about their upcoming seasons and potential. The girls’ softball team was specifically focused on winning more games this season with a new coach and a fresh environment.
Athletes were also interviewed on a podcast, had a group photo taken, and even sang a song as a team. These unique activities allowed these athletes to reinforce the strength of their teams and become excited for the upcoming season.
