Dear Coach and Athletic Director Program of Excellence Committee,
The Overlake School would like to thank you for the honor of being nominated for this
recognition and award. As we reviewed your criteria in the process of writing this document,
we found it very refreshing that your organization has asked for applicants to write about a
wide range of interscholastic components, not just win and loss records. Though there is no
doubt that we are proud of our on-the-field accomplishments, including last weekend’s state
championship victories, education and intellectual develop remain our true focus here in the
Overlake Athletic Department. We hope that the materials below will provide a glimpse into
what we believe is a well-rounded approach to interscholastic athletics.
Regards,
John Wiley
Athletic Director
Meghan Waddle
Assistant Athletic Director
Coach and Athletic Director
Interscholastic Sports Program of Excellence
The Overlake School, Redmond WA
Nominee Submission
Private - Independent School, 5 – 12th Grade
Total Enrollment: HS – 301, MS – 198
1. Participation Rate
The Overlake School strives to create an inclusive environment by offering interscholastic sports
at both the middle and high school levels. We take pride in our no cut policy; each student will
have an opportunity to play one or more of our athletic offerings during the school year.
Student participation is a major component of our athletic philosophy. We put great effort into
facilitating a fun and competitive environment where every student-athlete has a strong chance
to succeed and therefore chooses to participate. In addition to teaching core values and a
concentration on skill development, our inclusive nature has lead to 82% school wide
participation rate in athletics.
Total HS Students:
Total HS Athletes:
HS Participation Rate:
301
234
78%
Participation Rate,
Grades 6-12:
82%
Sports
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Tennis
Ultimate
Volleyball
# of
athletes
28
122
41
42
94
155
52
77
55
Total MS Students:
Total MS Athletes:
MS Participation Rate:
198
173
87%
2. Coaches Certification
Our department has the privilege to work with 81 coaches throughout the academic year. We
understand that their off-the-field development is just as vital to the success our program as
their sport specific background. Many of our one-on-one coach-AD meetings and our annual
coaches’ clinics focus on emergency procedures, parent relations, and most importantly how to
positively relate to and engage students.
Each of our coaches is required to participate in a seasonal coaches’ clinic, complete concussion
management training, as well as complete CPR and First Aid Training. In addition, beginning
high school head coaches are required to attain 30 clock hours of professional development
during their first two years of employment. Veteran coaches are required to attain 15 hours
clock hours in three-year periods. These clock hours can be earned in a number of ways, all of
which are school sponsored and funded. Here are a few examples.



The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (W.I.A.A.) Coaches School (Yakima,
Washington)
o This two to three day event is held annually and focuses on teaching coaches the
off-the-field skills needed to be a successful head coach.
Best in the West Sports Clinics (SeaTac, Washington)
o Initially known for their basketball coaches’ clinic, Best in the West has
developed a comprehensive sports curriculum which several of our coaches have
benefited from during their October and February sessions.
U.S. Soccer Licensing Program
o Many of our soccer coaches have had the opportunity to get licensed, including
all of our high school head soccer coaches, ranging from “A’ to “C” licenses.
Compliance
We are proud to share that we had a 100% compliance rate for the 2011-2012 school year. All
of our 31 middle school coaches attended seasonal coaches meetings, completed a concussion
management course, and received CPR and First Aid Training from our certified athletic trainer.
In addition to the three requirements mentioned above, our 50 high school coaches maintained
their high level of commitment by obtaining their required clock hours for the year.
3. Team Community Service:
Community
Our students embrace a key element of our mission statement every year: They do their part to
“create a compassionate community.” All students at Overlake are involved in direct service to
others. This direct service happens within teams and clubs on a semester basis but also during
Service Days and Project Week. We believe that community service is an opportunity for active
learning that teaches responsibility, leadership, teamwork, and ethics, much of which
compliments what our student-athletes are learning every day through athletics. This year
alone our students have learned the power of local and global involvement by volunteering
over 8,927 hours this school year. To put this in perspective, this is equivalent to 6.1 full-time
employees working 40 hours per week on a 52 week calendar year.
Total Hours Served By Overlake Students as of May 1st: 8,927
Value of Service as of May 1st: $274,040.00
Athletic Specific
We would like to share with you a glimpse of one of the proudest moments our department
had this calendar year. One of the key elements of our 2012-2016 Athletic Department
Strategic Plan is competitive diversity outreach. This year our varsity baseball team had the
opportunity to embark on a one-week service trip to the Dominican Republic. Our 13 player
squad learned about the harsh realities of third world poverty but at the same time witnessed a
passionate, courageous, and resilient Caribbean culture. The boys worked within the
community by holding baseball clinics, volunteered in an orphanage, and distributed food to
families in need. Our boys may have come back as better baseball players, but more
importantly, they came back with a greater concept of how the majority of our global neighbors
live.
Below you will find the nonprofits served by Overlake students for the 2011-2012 school year.
Student Driven- Community Service
2011-2012 Nonprofits Served By Overlake Students
King County Library System
Mountains-to-Sound Greenway
Pacific Science Center
Woodland Park Zoo
Evergreen Hospital
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Puget Sound Blood Center
YMCA
Boys and Girls Clubs
Athletes for Kids
Bellevue Youth Theater
BuildOn
China Tomorrow Education Fund
Eastside Baby Corner
Food Lifeline
EarthCorps
Student Driven - Community Service – Continued
YWCA
Habitat for Humanity
Hopelink
Seattle Humane Society
American Cancer Society
King County Parks and Recreation
Families for Effective Autism Treatment
Kirkland Arts Center
Rotary International
Northwest Children’s Fund
Friends of Youth
Page Ahead
Camp Korey
Safe Futures
Explorations in Math
Planned Parenthood
Northwest Harvest
Treehouse
Operation Sack Lunch
UW Medical Center
Boy Scouts of America
Washington Trails Association
Girl Scouts of America
Wing Luke Museum
Student-Driven Fundraisers
Community
Many different clubs and teams throughout campus sponsor our student-initiated fundraisers.
These students worked together to generate over $6,148.61 in generous contributions to over
20 nonprofits. Students raised these funds through bake sales, athletic events, student benefit
concerts, dance proceeds, and other creative fundraising strategies. Below you will find a list of
the 2011-2012 beneficiary organizations.
Athletic Specific
Our student-athletes set out early in the fall to be committed to cancer awareness, prevention,
research, and fundraising. Our student-athletes hosted three separate cancer awareness
events during the fall, winter, and spring. Our high school volleyball teams hosted the 1st
Annual Volleyball vs. Cancer event to support breast cancer awareness while our winter
basketball teams hosted Coaches vs. Cancer for the third year in a row, and our baseball team
hosted our initial “Going, Going, Gone” to support prostate cancer treatment. These three
events raised a total of $1,166.00 for the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen Foundation,
and Relay for Life, but more importantly educated our community about the need for a cure.
Articles can be found in the appendix that discusses these events in greater detail.
2011-2012 Beneficiary Organizations
Alex’s Lemonade Stand
Susan Komen for the Cure
Dig Deep
Childhaven
Northwest Harvest
Coaches vs. Cancer
Candle Lighters
Heifer International
Jubilee Women’s Ctr.
Tent City
The Overlake School – Cambodia
Japanese Red Cross
YWCA
SCORE International
First Book
Share Our Strength
American Cancer Society
Free The Children
Hopelink
4. Athletic Director National Certification
The Overlake School has two athletic directors and one athletic trainer. Ongoing professional
development is not only encouraged within the department but is it also sponsored by the
school’s administration. Below we will describe the type of professional development each
athletic department leader has achieved.
John Wiley, CAA
Athletic Director
Certified Athletic Administrator
National Certification Courses:
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 501 - Fundamental Principles of Athletic Administration
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 502 - Athletic Administration: Principles, Strategies, and
Methods
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 504 – Legal Issues in Athletic Administration, Risk
Management
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 505 - Innovative Methods of Mentoring and Problem Solving
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 506 - Legal Issues in Athletic Administration II
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 507 - Assessment of Interscholastic Athletic Programs and
Personnel
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 508 - Time Management
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 509 - Athletic Administration: Communication, Leadership,
and Decision Making
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 510 - Current Issues
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 512 - Athletic Administration: PowerPoint Applications for
Athletic Administrators
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 513 - Technology I
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 590 - Training
Athletic Director Conferences:
2012 Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association (WSSSAA) Conference
2007 Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association (WSSSAA) Conference
1995 - 2004 Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association (WSSSAA)
Conference
2002 – NIAAA National Conference
University Athletic Directing Courses:
Seattle Pacific University Athletic Administration – Various Courses
Meghan Waddle
Assistant Athletic Director
National Certification Courses:
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 710-A - Athletic Administration: Current Issues in American
Sports
NIAAA Leadership Training Course 502 – Athletic Administration: Principles, Strategies, and
Methods
Athletic Director Clinics:
2012 Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association (WSSSAA) Conference
Mike Fine, ATC, AT/L
Athletic Trainer
Certified under the Board of Athletic Training Certification
State Licensed under Washington State Department of Health
National Certification Courses:
2008 – NATA National Convention and Symposium - St. Louis
2008 - ImPACT Concussion Management System Training
2010 – NATA National Convention and Symposium - Philadelphia
2010 - Youth Sports Concussions: Education to Legislation – University of Washington
2011 – ImPACT Interpretation for the Athletic Trainer
2012 - Kinesio Taping 1 and Kinesio Taping 2
2009 – 2012 Northwest Athletic Trainers Convention and Symposium
5. Scholar-Athlete Status:
Overlake prides itself in developing each student’s intellect, physical well-being, moral
compassion, and sense of community by offering an ambitious academic environment.
Overlake creates a competitive environment by providing academic and co-curricular activities
that fall under a challenging college preparatory curriculum. Daily instruction in the classroom
teaches students the skills and knowledge to succeed in university but more importantly as
active members of our global society. We want all students to find success in the classroom but
our student-athletes have proved to be the top intellectual leaders of our school.
Overall GPA
Student Athlete
3.63
Non - Student Athlete
3.57
Attendance Record
0.9 per student
1.52 per student
100%
100%
# of Disciplinary Referral
Graduation Rate
WIAA State Academic Awards- The Overlake School, 2008-2012
Year Season
2012 Winter
2011 Winter
2011 Spring
2011 Spring
2009 Spring
2008
Fall
2008 Spring
Sport
Basketball
Basketball
Baseball
Golf
Golf
Cross Country
Lacrosse
Award
Girls' 1A State Academic Champions
Boys' 1A State Academic Champions
Boys' 1A State Academic Champions
Boys' 1A State Academic Champions
Boys' 1A State Academic Champions
Boys' 1A State Academic Champions
Girls' 1A State Academic Champions
Notes
Semester GPA
Average days missed per
semester
Overlake doesn’t track this
information
6. Level of Parental Participation
Overlake has a very committed and involved parent community. We welcome this involvement
and work closely with these dedicated volunteers – their interaction with our coaches, students,
administration, is supportive and unparalleled in our league. Parents actively serve the
Overlake community in the following ways:
Overlake Athletic Club – The OAC is a spirit club that provides volunteers and funding for
athletic spirit events.
Varsity Event – The Varsity Event is an annual celebration of the varsity athletes and their
families. Parent volunteers organize this event in conjunction with the Athletic Department.
We recognize all varsity participants, Coach of the Year, Fan of the Year, and Volunteer of the
Year, captains, sportsmanship leaders, as well as team accomplishments on the field and in the
classroom.
Team Parent Program – Our team parents provide ongoing support to coaches at all levels.
Coaches work with these parents on the following assignments: team communication, end-ofseason events, photography, uniform distribution assistance, and general game operations
coordination.
Game Operations – Parents help administrator our athletic events by volunteering their time
scorekeeping, setting up and tearing down venues, spotting, collecting stats, and keeping the
shot clock.
Pre-Season Meetings / Potlucks – Overlake has high attendance at our seasonal pre-season
parent meetings and/or grade level potlucks. During the pre-season meetings, coaches have
the opportunity to communicate their coaching philosophy and initiate an environment of
cooperation and support from our parent body. At potlucks, the athletic director communicates
the department philosophy and reminds parents of their role in athletics.
Speakers/Publications – Our parents attend workshops given by speakers such as Bruce Brown
or WIN Forum about how to motivate and care for their children in the right way. Our parents
are eager to read the latest information on nutrition, hydration, concussion management and
modeling sportsmanship on and off the field.
7. Sportsmanship
We emphasize good sportsmanship before we allow our players to step foot on field of play.
This has become such a priority in our department that we created a Sports Leadership Club for
our team captains that is run on a semester basis so they can be the equipped with the right
tools to educate and empower their teammates to be great role models during seasonal play.
With this strong emphasis, it is hard to find a varsity team at our school that has not won the
league sportsmanship award in the last few years. For example, this year we won six
sportsmanship awards out of our 16 offerings. What gives our department the most pride
about these honors is the fact that six of the seven awards were given to teams that reached
the playoffs. The best example of our sportsmanship achievements falls under the success of
our boys’ soccer team. This team went undefeated this year winning the WIAA 1A State
Championship, claimed their third straight league title and their second straight league
sportsmanship award. We commend them for the amount of class they have played with over
the last few years in a sport which often fails to display enough of it.
On the girls’ side, our varsity lacrosse program was awarded the state sportsmanship award
and still managed to reach the state quarterfinals before being ousted by the eventual state
champions. We also would like to give credit to our league for our sportsmanship success; they
recognize the importance of this type of award. They thoughtfully select the best opponents,
rather than rewarding the team with the worst record the ‘door prize’ of sportsmanship.
In the appendix, you can also find a testament of our middle school sportsmanship among an
email exchange between two lacrosse coaches.
The Overlake School - 2011 -2012 Sportsmanship Awards
League
Emerald City League
Emerald City League
Emerald City League
WA School Girls Lacrosse League
Emerald City League
Emerald City League
Season
Fall
Fall
Winter
Spring
Spring
Spring
Sport
Cross Country
Boys' Tennis
Girls' Basketball
Girls' Lacrosse
Boys' Soccer
Girls' Ultimate
Award
ECL Sportsmanship Award
ECL Sportsmanship Award
ECL Sportsmanship Award
WSGL Sportsmanship Award
ECL Sportsmanship Award
ECL Sportsmanship Award
8. Additional Noteworthy Accomplishments
WIAA Scholastics Cup
An additional noteworthy accomplishment we would like to share with you is our success in the
perennial WIAA Scholastic Cup running over the last five years. The Washington Interscholastic
Activities Association and the Army National Guard sponsors this award. It recognizes schools in
their respective state classifications that do well on the pitch but also in the classroom. This
Cup reviews the total state athletic appearances, their team academic performance, and
reviews their sportsmanship. The cup deducts points for ejections in contests. We are proud to
share that we have been in the top 10 the last 5 years and had the honor of winning the cup
during the 2001-2002 school year.
WIAA Scholastics Cup
The Overlake School
Year
2011 - 2012
2010 - 2011
2009 - 2010
2008 -2009
2007 - 2008
Ranking
4th
4th
3rd
7th
4th
2001 - 2002
Champions
Fleet Footed Coach
The final noteworthy accomplishment we would like to leave this panel with is actually an email
sent from our Athletic Trainer to the Overlake faculty and staff. Mike shares such a wonderful
glimpse into a remarkable moment of shear compassion by our girls’ lacrosse program.
From: Michael Fine
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 10:21 AM
To: # Everyone
Subject: Hot Dogs and a fleet footed Coach
Hello all,
I wanted to share a brief observation with you about teaching outside the classroom and one of
the greatest things I have seen happen with an athletic team that had nothing to do with the
competition.
Our girls’ lacrosse team played great game against, what looked to be a women’s college team,
at Bainbridge Island on their home field. If you see a member of team, you really should
congratulate them on a great season a great performance against arguably the best “Girls”
Lacrosse team in the state. One of the very classy things Bainbridge does when you come and
visit them on the island is to send your team home with a box of hot dogs and other food items
as they know that there is nothing open at the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal at 9:00 PM and that
kids are going to be hungry after playing a lacrosse match. Needless to say this was very
welcomed by the players, as they packed the entire team into three rows of the bus to take
pictures, eat and be with each other as the season concluded while sitting on the ferry dock
waiting for the ferry to arrive.
After loading, making the 35 minutes crossing the seeing the beautiful Seattle skyline appear
and grow larger as we approached the Seattle ferry dock, it was now time to navigate our way
off the ferry and into the ever-changing route of detours around the Coleman docks.
Fortunately, we came off the dock and moved directly onto Marion Street which is a 1-way
heading out and away from the water. I was personally happy for such an easy exit. As we
proceeded up Marion, and before we reached 1nd Ave, I looked to my right and saw a number
of homeless people that has setup their cardboard mats and sleeping bag/blankets or whatever
they had lined up next to the building. As I turned my head back to check the traffic and
thought to myself how fortunate I was, I see doors of our team bus open. Curious as what was
going to happen next, out pops our fleet footed assistant coach Katie Flinn, moving at her
usually high rate of speed (with her coaches jacket on that says “Overlake” across the back)
across a couple lanes of stopped traffic with the box that contained the hot dogs that the team
had received from Bainbridge headed back to the group of homeless. The light changed and
John Smith pulled the bus over to safe locations, waiting for her return.
As I drove by I thought, “Well Done, Well Done!” I wanted to commend Sue, Katie and John for
taking a great opportunity to show the team that at any given moment you can make a
difference and that sometimes you never know when those situations will present
themselves. As well as demonstrating to the team, all the parents and general public at waiting
for the light to change that we are a compassionate community.
Thanks for reading my ramblings and let me share what I thought was a nice example of the
many good things that go on at a place like this.
Happy Friday!
Mike Fine, ATC, AT/L
Athletic Trainer
Coach and Athletic Director
Interscholastic Sports Program of Excellence
The Overlake School, Redmond WA
Nominee Submission
Private - Independent School, 5 – 12th Grade
Total Enrollment: HS – 301, MS – 198
Appendix
Below you will find supporting evidence for our application. You will find articles, newsletters,
emails and website clippings to support our case.
Article 1
Fighting Brothels With Books
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: December 24, 2006
Three years ago, I purchased two teenage girls from the Cambodian brothels that enslaved
them and returned them to their families. Plenty of readers promptly wrote to say: ''Buy one
for me, too.''
Those readers had honorable intentions (I think) and simply wanted to do something concrete
to confront global poverty and sex trafficking. But buying enslaved girls isn't a general solution - partly because it raises the market price and increases the incentive to kidnap other girls and
sell them to brothels.
I'm still in touch with the two girls and visited them on this trip (video of them is at
nytimes.com/kristof); one is back in the brothel, and the other is now married and pregnant
with her first child in her village. They are wonderful young women and powerful reminders of
the need to do more to address human trafficking -- but the conventional tools to do so are
wrenchingly inadequate.
So in this holiday season let me share the (happy!) story of a group of kids who have found a
way -- from Washington State, no less -- to fight illiteracy and sex trafficking here in this remote
and squalid town of Pailin in western Cambodia.
I stumbled across their effort by chance as I visited an elementary school here that bore an
English sign with the name ''Overlake School.'' Rural Cambodian schools normally are
dilapidated and bare, but astonishingly this one had an English teacher who ushered me into a
classroom in which sixth-grade students were pecking away at computers connected to a
satellite dish.
''Many of my students have e-mail addresses,'' said the teacher, Tay Khy. ''They e-mail students
in America.''
This remarkable scene -- barefoot students with Yahoo accounts -- came to pass because
Francisco Grijalva, principal of the Overlake School in Redmond, Wash., read about an aid group
called American Assistance for Cambodia (www.cambodiaschools.com) that builds schools in
rural Cambodia. He proposed that his 450 students, in grades five through 12, sponsor
construction of an elementary school in Cambodia.
The students responded enthusiastically. They held bake sales and talent shows and gathered
the $15,500 necessary to build a school.
In 2003, Mr. Grijalva led a delegation of 19 from his school for the opening of the one in
Cambodia. Overwhelmed by the experience, the American students then decided to sponsor an
English teacher and an e-mail system for the school. This year, a dozen of the American
students came to teach English to the Cambodian pupils.
Kun Sokkea, a sixth grader at the Cambodian school, keeps a picture that the Americans gave
her of their school and marvels at its otherworldly beauty. She inhabits a world that few
American pupils could envision: Her father died of AIDS, her mother is now dying as well, she
has never been to a dentist and she has just one shirt that she can wear to school.
She led me to her home, a rickety wooden shack with no electricity or plumbing. Kun Sokkea
fetches drinking water from the local creek -- where she also washes her clothes. When I asked
if she ever drank milk, she said doubtfully that she used to -- as a baby, from her mother.
Neither of her parents ever had even a year of schooling, and if it hadn't been for the American
students, she wouldn't have had much either. That would have made her vulnerable to
traffickers, who prey on illiterate girls from the villages.
Building schools doesn't solve the immediate problem of girls currently enslaved inside brothels
-- that requires more rigorous law enforcement, crackdowns on corruption and outspoken
diplomacy (it would help if President Bush spotlighted the issue in his State of the Union
address). But in the long run no investment in poor countries gets more bang for the buck than
educating girls. Literate girls not only are in less danger of being trafficked, but later they have
fewer children, care for their children better and are much better able to earn a decent living.
Meanwhile, the Americans insist that they have benefited just as much from the relationship.
''After going to Cambodia, my plans for the future have changed,'' said Natalie Hammerquist, a
17-year-old who regularly e-mails two Cambodian students. ''This year I'm taking three foreign
languages, and I plan on picking up more in college.''
As for Mr. Grijalva, he says: ''This project is simply the most meaningful and worthwhile
initiative I have undertaken in my 36 years in education.''
Article 2
Community service first, baseball second: Overlake-Bear Creek baseball team helps others
during trip to Dominican Republic
By Bill Christianson
Redmond Reporter
Apr 26 2012
COURTESY PHOTO
Overlake School sophomore Jackson Umberger warms up before a baseball in the Dominican
Republic as a cow stands next to him.
In the rural parts of Dominican Republic, there are no plush turf baseball fields.
An open patch of dirt and weeds is where kids play baseball.
There are no fences around the ball field. Instead, grazing cows serve as the home run marker.
Players arrive at the baseball field on horse rather than in a car.
There is no such thing as concession stands in this country, which has about a third of its
population living under the poverty line.
Many of the kids love to play baseball, but can’t because they don’t have shoes or a shirt to
wear.
The Overlake-Bear Creek baseball team recently got to see firsthand the harsh realities of this
Caribbean country along with the passion and fortitude of its residents.
Earlier this month, three coaches and 13 players embarked on a one-week service trip to the
Dominican Republic, where they held a skills clinic for underprivileged kids, visited an all-boys
orphanage and provided food for families in need.
The Owls did play four baseball games against local teams, but this trip wasn’t about
sharpening their baseball skills.
It was all about helping others while building team camaraderie, according to Owls head coach
Mike Davidson.
“The truth is, it was never a baseball trip first,” said Davidson. “That was just the context to get
this group together. It was first and foremost a service trip.”
The trip was part of Overlake’s service project week. There were three students from the Bear
Creek School who went along on the trip and the school’s administration was in full support of
the program, Davidson said.
The trip was administered by an organization called SCORE International, which specializes in
mission trips to the Dominican Republic and other countries, including trips for sports teams.
During their trip, the Owls didn’t get any wins on the baseball field, but they scored plenty of
victories with the people they met along the way.
Overlake sophomore Zander Gosanko organized a used baseball gear drive before the trip that
generated 200 pounds of baseball gloves, bats, shoes and more. During the trip, players gave
the gear out to opposing team members and the kids they taught at a skills clinic in Boca Chica.
Owl players also gave Dominican Republic players their practice jerseys, hats and bats and
sometimes even their shoes after the game.
“It was a great feeling that we were able to help kids play baseball, which is something they
love to do,” said Gasanko.
Even in warm ups and in between innings, the Dominican Republic players played with an
unrivaled passion and fire, according to Owl players and coaches.
“Just watching them warm up, you could see they really love baseball,” said Overlake senior
Michael Andrea, one of six seniors who made the trip. “Coming back here we really realized
how good we have it and that makes us love the sport that much more.”
The trip has certainly had an impact on the Owls as they have won four of their five games since
returning from the trip. While the wins are racking up for the Owls, their new perspective on
life and the meaning of team will never be forgotten.
“This trip was amazing,” Gasanko said. “It definitely made me value what I have and made be
thankful that I get to carry a team bag to the ball park.”
Article 3
Overlake claims state soccer title, gives coach an emotional lift
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEE DOLACK
The Overlake boys' soccer team celebrates after beating Chelan, 1-0, in a shootout for the Class
1A state title.
By BILL CHRISTIANSON
Redmond Reporter Editor
MAY 30, 2012 · UPDATED 1:31 PM
Bob Bristol tried his best to stay on an even keel throughout a season of personal pain and
heartache. But after his Overlake School boys' soccer team won the Class 1A state title at
Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner last Saturday, he could no longer hold his emotions back.
Filled with joy — and relief — the longtime coach told his players how he dedicated the season
to his father, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January.
He called Saturday's 1-0 shootout victory against Chelan a "gift" to his father, Michael, who
lives in Pennsylvania.
Bristol (pictured below) admits this season has been "stressful" as he missed several practices
throughout the season to fly east to visit and support his father.
But when the Owls beat Chelan, thanks to a brilliant coaching move by Bristol, he admitted he
felt some "major stress relief." Because as he puts it, soccer is still "the one thing I can control."
"It makes you feel good when it goes well," said Bristol, who had a brain tumor removed a
month before Overlake played in the 2010 Class 1A state finals and lost.
But this year, the Owls delivered in crunch time to give their coach his first state title since 1996
and some much-needed happiness in what has been a turbulent time for Bristol.
"It felt great," he said of the title win.
A well-calculated move by Bristol in both Friday's semifinal against Ridgefield and Saturday's
final against Chelan over the weekend led to the championship win.
In both games, the Owls had to pull out wins with penalty kicks in do-or-die shootout situations
and Bristol decided to replace starter Jordan Cardenas in goal with senior all-league midfielder
Dean Poplawski, who delivered big-time for his coach.
"Dean has great reflexes and leaping ability and during the week leading up to the game, he
had been taking some kicks," Bristol said. "He is so focused and competitive."
Against Ridgefield, the Owls tied the game at 1 in the second half on a free-kick goal by senior
Jesse Klug, who was battling a bout with pneumonia over the weekend.
The teams remained tied after the two overtime periods, forcing a penalty-kick shootout and a
substitution in goal by Bristol. That's when Bristol turned to Poplawski and told him "put your
jersey on. You are going to do it."
Poplawski made three brilliant saves in the shootout against Ridgefield as the Owls outshot
Ridgefield, 4-3, to pull out the win and advance to the title game.
The Owls battled hard with Chelan in the championship game as Klug, who will play at Bucknell
next year, was stopped on three different one-on-one opportunities against Chelan goal keeper
Ruben Medina, including one with less than five seconds left in the second overtime.
The teams battled to a 0-0 tie, leading to another penalty-kick shootout and another chance for
Poplawski to deliver in the net.
And he did as Poplawski made a diving save and Chelan misfired on its two other penalty-kick
attempts, while Bryan Lin, Rohan Kumar and Klug all scored on their penalty kicks to give
Overlake the emotional win.
Bristol said the play of center-back defenders Joe Dolack and Mac Hewitt was key in slowing
down Chelan star Eleazar Galvan, who scored two goals in Chelan's semifinal win against Royal.
"We were the ones creating the chances," said Bristol. "I told the kids, 'may the best team win
and let's hope we are the best team.' And were the best team both days last weekend."
Overlake finished the season 19-0-1 and will have nine graduating seniors, who helped the Owls
program to a combined 53-2-3 record over the last three seasons.
"I am so happy for those seniors and the way this team finished," Bristol said. "It's such a great
relief."
Contact Redmond Reporter Editor Bill Christianson at [email protected] or (425)
867-0353, ext. 5050.
Newsletter Article 1
Coaches vs. Cancer Draws Crowd
The Overlake School’s E-Bulletin
Apr 26 2012
The annual Coaches vs. Cancer basketball games on Jan. 12 drew an appreciative crowd. The
Overlake Athletic Club and the girls’ basketball program created a festive atmosphere by
“decking the place out in pink.” Fans enjoyed a night of shooting contests, raffles and much
more, as they watched their Owls play some hard-fought games against Seattle Academy. Both
the Overlake and Seattle Academy communities were generous with their donations for the
cause by contributing over $450 during the evening. All proceeds collected were given to
Coaches vs. Cancer.
Newsletter Article 2
In the Pink: This Week’s Sports Roundup
The Overlake School’s E-Bulletin
October 21, 2012
(Below) The volleyball team had a huge win over University Prep, 3-1, at Tuesday's Volleyball vs.
Cancer game.
Volleyball vs. Cancer: The volleyball team had a huge win over University Prep, 3-1, at Tuesday
night's Volleyball vs. Cancer game. A large crowd of fans listened intently while the lovely Ellen
Zarter and Carol O’Donnell who can survivors (pictured, to the left and right of head of school
Frank Grijalva) spoke on breast cancer awareness and prevention.
Proceeds of over $300 were given to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer
research. A special thanks goes out to senior outside hitter Emilee Chambard for coordinating
Tuesday night's festivities.
Website Image 1
The Overlake Global Service Program in Palin, Cambodia
When Head of School Dr. Francisco Grijalva learned of American Assistance for Cambodia
(AAfC), a non-profit organization led by journalist Bernie Krisher that builds schools in rural
Cambodia, he knew that Overlake's students and faculty would be excited by the possibility of
building their own school. He was right. Students were so enthusiastic that they held student
bake sales, talent shows and even sold gourmet dog biscuits to raise the $14,000 needed to
build the school. The funds were matched by the World Bank, and The Overlake School in Pailin
opened its doors in 2003.
The Overlake School in Pailin serves over 240 students in kindergarten through sixth grade,
although the age range of students is well into the teens. There are five classrooms and five
teachers, each with about 55 students. A small group of Overlakers traveled to Pailin for the
school's dedication in 2003.
In the spring of 2006, Overlake piloted a Global Service Program and sent a second group of
students and faculty to Pailin where they taught English, arts and crafts, music and dance,
distributed backpacks and school supplies to all students. Thanks to donations to the Global
Service Program, the Overlake students were able to install a small computer lab with a satellite
dish for internet service.
In February 2008, 22 Overlake students again traveled to Cambodia to install a playground set,
teach in the classroom, and experience Cambodian village life.
In April 2010, 18 Overlake students again taught for a week at the school and dedicated a new
building—a two-room addition to the original building to be used as a library and dedicated
computer center.
Email 1:
From: George Bergeron [[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 3:25 AM
To: Meghan Waddle; [email protected]; Sue Haviland
Subject: Overlake vs. QAQS
Good Morning Coaches:
As the director of the QAQS program, I wanted to personally thank you for yesterday's game. It
was a very fun match for the fans to watch. The teams were well matched and both teams
played a very competitive game.
My daughter was extremely impressed by the skills and sportsmanship your girls showed
throughout the game. She was somewhat caught off guard (in a good way) by the compliments
she and her teammates received during the match. She said it was the only time that she can
remember this happening in her four years of playing lacrosse.
We are looking forward to another competitive match against Overlake again next Wed.
Thank you again and we will see you next week.
Regards,
George Bergeron
QAQS
2011-2012 Athletic Honors
Sport
Season Honor
Sport
Season Honor
Boys' Tennis
Fall
Boys' Tennis
Fall
Boys' Soccer
Spring ECL Coach of the Year
Baseball
Spring League Champions
ECL Co-Coaches of the Year
League Champions
Girls' Lacrosse Spring ECL Coach of the Year
Boys' Lacrosse Spring League Champions
Girls' Ultimate Spring ECL Coach of the Year
Boys' Soccer
Sport
Season State Appearances
Cross Country Fall
Appearance
Boys' Tennis
Fall
2nd Overall
Boys' Golf
Fall
8th Overall
Girls' Soccer
Fall
Quarterfinals
Baseball
Spring Quarterfinals
Girls' Lacrosse Spring Quarterfinals
Boys' Lacrosse Spring Semifinals
Girls Golf
Spring Appearance
Girls' Tennis
Spring 2nd Overall
Boys' Soccer
Spring State Champions
Spring League Champions