![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and its played such a major role in who Ive become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something Im [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala (21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“Im not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
New football head coach introduces improved practice format
Players listen to the head coach as he provides a defensive game plan for them to practice.
Former assistant coach Mike Tirabassi accepted the varsity football team’s head coaching position this offseason and worked with the coaching staff to make practice schedules simpler and drills less likely to result in injury.
Tirabassi entered the varsity football head coach position following former head coach Ron Forbes’s departure after last season. Prior to accepting the job, Tirabassi worked with Forbes and many of the current players as an assistant coach for several seasons.
The varsity football team recorded a 4-6 season in league last year and struggled on the road, going 0-5 on opponent ground. Tirabassi seeks to improve on the team’s previous record by increasing community support for every home game.
“My biggest goal is to fill up the stands,” Tirabassi said. “I want the Harker community to get fired up about football. Our team is working very, very hard to do that everyday. We’re trying to do everything we can to make everyone proud.”
The coach added that the team plans to host post-game pizza parties at Round Table Pizza as an effort to attract larger home crowds. These after-parties will be open to all in attendance during home games.
In a student effort to increase the size of the audience cheering for the team, the Directors of Athletic Affairs for the Spirit Club Oisin Coveney (12) and Shannon Richardson (12) introduced the idea of the Nest, a section of the audience comprising enthusiastic supporters who participate in white-outs and chants to cheer on the home team.
“I had an idea that kind of stemmed from what soccer supporters did,” Oisin said about introducing the Nest. “[Fans] form groups, they get together, they wear the colors of the team, they sing, they party, they chant, they make posters to support the team. I just wanted to bring that kind of atmosphere to Harker games.”
In addition to the new head coach and the efforts to encourage attendance, the program also began implementing a fixed practice schedule, with practices always two hours or less in length. This change enables players to pursue other extracurricular activities during the season. The football coaching staff also replaced many of the tackling and hitting drills with more frequent conditioning in an attempt to limit injuries during practice.
Varsity linebackers tussle for position in a blocking drill.
According to Upper School Athletics Director Dan Molin, Tirabassi brings both familiarity and energy to the team through his experience as an assistant coach.
“Coach Tirabassi is very, very qualified,” Molin said. “[He brings] a good balance of work and fun. He’s really brought the group of boys together. There’s a lot of team spirit and camaraderie – that’s very evident.”
Anthony Meissner (9), a new recruit to the football program, found the new practice structure and the new head coach helpful.
“[Practice] was hard [at first] because we did a lot of running and I needed to get into shape,” Anthony said. “The coach is great. He works with you [and] he gets you to the point where you want to be.”
Like Anthony, veteran outside linebacker Rishabh Nijhawan (11) found the practices this season to be more rigorous, but also more focused than practices from previous seasons.
“This year is a lot more hard-work based,” Rishabh said, referring to the increased amount of conditioning this season. “We get on the field, we get off the field. We are much more efficient.”
Three-year high school football player Danny Reidenbach (11) believes that practices involving fewer contact drills would indeed reduce the likelihood of injury.
“[Less contact is] good because last year there was a lot of injuries, since we were going at game speed for two hours,” Danny said. “There should be less injuries this year because of practice.
The coaching staff’s new practice regimen will be put to the test during the team’s season-opener on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. against Yerba Buena on Davis field.
Aditya Varshney (12) is the opinion editor of Harker Aquila and the Winged Post. This is his second year on staff. During his junior year, he occupied...
Vignesh Panchanatham (10) is a reporter who enjoys journalism due to the challenge of the writing required to expand on events eloquently. He plays chess...
