Breakdown: Fall SPC 2016
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sports
SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 | THE FOURCAST
Breakdown: Fall SPC 2016
THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
As the Southwest Preparatory Conference from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5 steadily approaches, fall sport teams cross country, field hockey and volleyball compete with their opponents for a spot in the tournament and hopefully a chance to claim a winning title. Reporting by Charlotte Dross
THE PREPARATION
MEET THE TEAM
THE RIVALS
11 seniors
FIELD HOCKEY
6 juniors
Since the beginning of the season, the field hockey team has been following one motto: “Play every week like it’s our SPC week,” according to senior Isabel Smith, one of the team’s four senior captains. The idea behind this motto is to keep their intensity level high throughout the whole season. Another team captain, senior Emily Stallings, focuses on the importance of staying consistent during the entire season. “We try to keep it intense throughout the whole season, not just towards the end when the games really matter,” she said.
3 sophomores
THE CAPTAINS
2 freshmen
Despite the fact that the majority of the team is made up of upperclassmen, the team is very tight-knit. On the field, all players are equally important, regardless of age. “We really rely on the underclassmen’s new energy, and we also rely on the knowledge of past players,” Stallings said.
Going into the tournament, the team will face some challenging opponents, such as The Kinkaid School, located in Houston; the Casady School, located in Oklahoma City; the Trinity Valley School, located in Fort Worth; and the Episcopal School of Dallas. However, if they enter the tournament with the right motivation and mindset, the teams will feel capable in their abilities.
Seniors Maddie Skaife, Emily Stallings, Isabel Smith, and Lauren McDaniels
VOLLEYBALL
3 seniors
With the arrival of new coach Andy Gass, the volleyball program has taken a turn for the better. This new program focuses on the basics and fundamentals of the sport, truly breaking it down for the players, and Gass is abiding by this belief. In addition, a large portion of practice time is devoted towards fitness in order to build the players’ strength and stamina. “Sometimes it really comes down to the fifth game, so we try to make sure that we are in better shape than [the other team] so that we can finish stronger,” senior Charlotte Toomey, one of the volleyball captains, said.
5 juniors 1 sophomore 5 freshmen
THE CAPTAINS
This large amount of freshmen is unprecedented, but this does not stop the team from bonding. In addition to multiple team dinners, the team bonds over out-of-city tournaments, such as in Houston and Oklahoma. “Since our preseason starts so much earlier than everyone else’s, we were already a little bit more bonded by the time the season started,” Toomey said.
“In the past, I would have said that Greenhill or ESD were our biggest rivals but this year one of our big things has been focusing on ourselves and what we can do,” junior captain Sophie Isom said. Gass has encouraged the team to think about winning over being winners. However, the team still considers Greenhill and ESD rivals because they went to four games with them during the regular season.
Senior Charlotte Toomey and Junior Sophie Isom
CROSS COUNTRY Unlike other sports, in the weeks leading up to SPC, the cross country team rests. This is made possible through a tactic known as “tapering”—due to the strong foundation the runners built at the beginning of the season, their workouts tend to be easier right before competition so that they are well rested before the race. Muscle recovery also tends to be a major focus in the weeks leading up to the race, as icing and ice baths are frequently utilized. Because this year’s SPC is located at the same place that it was last year, St. Andrews Episcopal School in Austin, the team knows what to expect, and has thus been going off campus to Flagpole Hill to practice running its large hills.
2 seniors 6 juniors 1 sophomore 1 freshman THE CAPTAINS
Although the team is made up of 31 runners, only the top 10 travel to Austin to compete in the race. Despite this, the team is still very close. “We talk all the time about lots of different things; it’s not all about cross country for us,” senior Carolina Campbell said, one of the team’s captains.
“We have made a lot of progress over the past couple of years, and the team is overall in a really good place, and we feel like winning SPC would be a good indicator of how much work we have put in,” senior Ellea Lamb said, one of cross country team’s captains. The team hopes to beat Greenhill, Hockaday’s biggest opponent as of now, according to Lamb and Campbell.
Seniors Carolina Campbell and Ellea Lamb
Fourward JV basketball game vs. Hillcrest High School at 5 p.m. at Hockaday
Varsity soccer game vs. John Paul II High School at 5:30 p.m. at Hockaday
Varsity basketball game vs. Bishop Dunne Catholic School at 6 p.m. at home
Nov. 15
Nov. 17
Nov. 29
JV soccer game vs. ESD. at 5 p.m. at home
Varsity swimming and diving meet at St. Mark’s at 5:45 p.m.
JV basketball game vs. Trinity Valley School at Trinity Valley at 6 p.m.
Nov. 30
Dec. 1
Dec. 5
Varsity swimming and diving meet vs. Cistercian at 5:45 p.m.
Dec. 6
sports
SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 | THE FOURCAST
Breakdown: Fall SPC 2016
THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
As the Southwest Preparatory Conference from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5 steadily approaches, fall sport teams cross country, field hockey and volleyball compete with their opponents for a spot in the tournament and hopefully a chance to claim a winning title. Reporting by Charlotte Dross
THE PREPARATION
MEET THE TEAM
THE RIVALS
11 seniors
FIELD HOCKEY
6 juniors
Since the beginning of the season, the field hockey team has been following one motto: “Play every week like it’s our SPC week,” according to senior Isabel Smith, one of the team’s four senior captains. The idea behind this motto is to keep their intensity level high throughout the whole season. Another team captain, senior Emily Stallings, focuses on the importance of staying consistent during the entire season. “We try to keep it intense throughout the whole season, not just towards the end when the games really matter,” she said.
3 sophomores
THE CAPTAINS
2 freshmen
Despite the fact that the majority of the team is made up of upperclassmen, the team is very tight-knit. On the field, all players are equally important, regardless of age. “We really rely on the underclassmen’s new energy, and we also rely on the knowledge of past players,” Stallings said.
Going into the tournament, the team will face some challenging opponents, such as The Kinkaid School, located in Houston; the Casady School, located in Oklahoma City; the Trinity Valley School, located in Fort Worth; and the Episcopal School of Dallas. However, if they enter the tournament with the right motivation and mindset, the teams will feel capable in their abilities.
Seniors Maddie Skaife, Emily Stallings, Isabel Smith, and Lauren McDaniels
VOLLEYBALL
3 seniors
With the arrival of new coach Andy Gass, the volleyball program has taken a turn for the better. This new program focuses on the basics and fundamentals of the sport, truly breaking it down for the players, and Gass is abiding by this belief. In addition, a large portion of practice time is devoted towards fitness in order to build the players’ strength and stamina. “Sometimes it really comes down to the fifth game, so we try to make sure that we are in better shape than [the other team] so that we can finish stronger,” senior Charlotte Toomey, one of the volleyball captains, said.
5 juniors 1 sophomore 5 freshmen
THE CAPTAINS
This large amount of freshmen is unprecedented, but this does not stop the team from bonding. In addition to multiple team dinners, the team bonds over out-of-city tournaments, such as in Houston and Oklahoma. “Since our preseason starts so much earlier than everyone else’s, we were already a little bit more bonded by the time the season started,” Toomey said.
“In the past, I would have said that Greenhill or ESD were our biggest rivals but this year one of our big things has been focusing on ourselves and what we can do,” junior captain Sophie Isom said. Gass has encouraged the team to think about winning over being winners. However, the team still considers Greenhill and ESD rivals because they went to four games with them during the regular season.
Senior Charlotte Toomey and Junior Sophie Isom
CROSS COUNTRY Unlike other sports, in the weeks leading up to SPC, the cross country team rests. This is made possible through a tactic known as “tapering”—due to the strong foundation the runners built at the beginning of the season, their workouts tend to be easier right before competition so that they are well rested before the race. Muscle recovery also tends to be a major focus in the weeks leading up to the race, as icing and ice baths are frequently utilized. Because this year’s SPC is located at the same place that it was last year, St. Andrews Episcopal School in Austin, the team knows what to expect, and has thus been going off campus to Flagpole Hill to practice running its large hills.
2 seniors 6 juniors 1 sophomore 1 freshman THE CAPTAINS
Although the team is made up of 31 runners, only the top 10 travel to Austin to compete in the race. Despite this, the team is still very close. “We talk all the time about lots of different things; it’s not all about cross country for us,” senior Carolina Campbell said, one of the team’s captains.
“We have made a lot of progress over the past couple of years, and the team is overall in a really good place, and we feel like winning SPC would be a good indicator of how much work we have put in,” senior Ellea Lamb said, one of cross country team’s captains. The team hopes to beat Greenhill, Hockaday’s biggest opponent as of now, according to Lamb and Campbell.
Seniors Carolina Campbell and Ellea Lamb
Fourward JV basketball game vs. Hillcrest High School at 5 p.m. at Hockaday
Varsity soccer game vs. John Paul II High School at 5:30 p.m. at Hockaday
Varsity basketball game vs. Bishop Dunne Catholic School at 6 p.m. at home
Nov. 15
Nov. 17
Nov. 29
JV soccer game vs. ESD. at 5 p.m. at home
Varsity swimming and diving meet at St. Mark’s at 5:45 p.m.
JV basketball game vs. Trinity Valley School at Trinity Valley at 6 p.m.
Nov. 30
Dec. 1
Dec. 5
Varsity swimming and diving meet vs. Cistercian at 5:45 p.m.
Dec. 6
