The main gym grows wild as staff members step into the room April 19, not to educate nor counsel, but to showcase their athleticism in a staff basketball game against colleagues from nearby RHS. Money raised during the event was donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

“Our club [Student Visionaries of the Year] started in December and has been working on all the little parts that go into the event,” Maddy Makis said.

Being the only woman on the home team, women’s JV basketball coach Ms. Meredith Kane shared her experience participating as a player instead of the coach. 

“It was a lot of fun, but it definitely showed how out of shape I am,” Kane said. “Just watching a bunch of teachers just be able to be in that environment, and be vulnerable in front of lots of kids and our family is a different feeling.”

From teaching a different language to planning school events, to now playing basketball in front of hundreds of spectators, Mr. Jesse Armas said he had a chance to have the adrenaline rush once again from the competition.

“It felt really awesome to feel the energy of the students be on the reverse. I’m usually supervising the student section and now I’m a part of the competition. It got a little competitive out there which was exciting,” Armas said. “You know I haven’t had that since I don’t remember when so it was definitely fun.”

Playing in three different sports – baseball, basketball and football – Armas has long been involved with campus athletics. He said competing against staff creates room to grow their relationships on and off the court.

“I have a good relationship with all of them. Being that I’m the activities director on campus I get to see a lot of different faces on campus and develop those relationships,” Armas said. “It was fun to get competitive with them.”

Not only were staff members and teachers able to bond with co-workers, but students were as well. Mateo Delagdillo and Elijah Samdahl stepped up to coach their own instructors.

“They had the rotations set up, and it was interesting to see them interact with their basketball coaches, Coach French and Coach Anderson,” Armas said. “We wanted to win. We told them that and they put us in the position to win.”

The team won 57-41.

Armas said, “The student section – I started to hear them get riled up too. I got excited and then I got Mr. Ansely excited. It was a lot of good energy.” 

by REESE MORACCO, CHESKA PONTILLAS & LILIETH VIDANA