SPHS Sports | Update from Athletics Director Anthony Chan

Director Chan gives a progress report and retrospective on the departments accomplishments this year

PHOTO: Provided by Anthony Chan | SouthPasadenan.com News | Girls Basketball CIF State Div. 4-AA Southern Regional Runner-Up, CIF-SS 3A Semifinalist

Dear Tiger Families,

As our Summer Recreation Programs come to an end, I wanted to reflect as well as update you as we move forward. Last year, we faced an enormous amount of uncertainty but we persevered and stayed ready. In November of 2020, with the full support and resources of SPUSD we were able to begin a safe return to training and conditioning. In March, we began having matches for our sports teams. Though some seasons were much shorter than others due to the shortened CIF Calendar, we were able to have every team participate in at least one match.

PHOTO: Provided by Anthony Chan | SouthPasadenan.com News | SPHS Boys Basketball works with local youth by hosting a Summer Camp

Of the fifteen teams that had full seasons in “Season 2” of the CIF-SS Calendar, twelve of the programs made playoffs in some aspect. We had a variety of individuals place in CIF Individual Championships as well as win Individual Championships. Our Tigers also had huge team accomplishments in playoffs.

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PHOTO: Provided by Anthony Chan | SouthPasadenan.com News | CIF-SS Div. 6 Quarterfinal, seniors and coaches pictured

Baseball reached CIF-SS Quarterfinals, falling three wins away from winning their first CIF Title since 1958. Girls Soccer reached CIF-SS Semi Finals, continuing to build as constant contenders for a CIF Title since their last CIF Championship in 2018. Girls Basketball reached CIF-SS Semi Finals as well as CIF State Southern Regional Championship and are looking to have a deep playoff run again next year. Boys Track & Field won their first CIF-SS Championship in 115 years of school history, defeating perennial private powerhouses like St. John Bosco, Cathedral, Harvard/Westlake, Servite, and Notre Dame S.O. South Pasadena High School now holds a Track & Field CIF Title for Girls (2012) and Boys (2020).

Our athletic renovation also reached completion this year. When we began renovations, we had just finished a historic run for Girls Volleyball to a State Championship match. Tiger Athletics relied heavily on our strong partnership with South Pasadena Middle School, where we held all of our gym practices and competitions. Our site and district made flawless transitions to continue our athletics program amid a shortage of facility space.

With the athletics renovation completed, we now have the one of the most modern and robust Athletic Training facilities in the local area. We have a new training room, stocked with a digitally controlled hot/cold rehabilitation tub, a hydrocollator for heat therapy, and a variety of training tools to provide both preventative and rehabilitative care for our student-athletes. Under our partnership with Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, we are able to have a full-time certified athletic trainer – Julius Murphy.

PHOTO: Provided by Anthony Chan | SouthPasadenan.com News | Junior Nicholas Chau wins CIF-SS Div. 2 Diving Championship

Furthermore, we have a partnership with Cal State Northridge to provide preceptorship for their Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) Program. This creates a continuity of Sports Medicine Education from our high school students taking the Sports Medicine Class to collegiate-level students looking to make Sports Medicine their career. At all levels, they are learning from our full-time certified athletic trainer.

The renovation also brings us a dedicated film room for our programs. This room is a game-changer for our student-athletes and brings a college-level preparation for game days and further enhances their ability to perfect their craft. In collaboration with our teams, we will be offering all of our teams the ability to use Hudl to review their game and practice footage in the film room.

We also have a completely renovated weight room that is both space efficient and focuses on modern weight training for athletics. The entire floor is made with vulcanized rubber, along with all bumper weights, to allow for maximum space efficiency. All equipment has been handpicked by all of our programs and coaches to bring the most use for all programs. This weight room modernizes our weight lifting regimen for our programs and will continue to keep us up-to-date for many years to come. All of these renovation pieces bring South Pasadena High School Athletics to a level of professionalism that rivals and ranks beyond comparison with local colleges.

PHOTO: Provided by Anthony Chan | SouthPasadenan.com News | Girls Soccer begins run to CIF-SS Div. 5 Semifinals with a 1st Round Matchup with Santa Ana HS

In the summer, nearly 300 students attended Summer Recreation Programs. It was a great way to give all SPHS Students an opportunity to try different physical activities. We even offered Summer Recreation Nights under the stadium lights for students to play ultimate frisbee and kickball with beverages and snacks donated by SPHS Booster Club. This year, we also provided a variety of different camps for our local youth to sharpen their athletic skills and build good community spirit in South Pasadena.

Heading into the next few weeks we will be having initial tryouts. These tryouts are to streamline student-athletes to have their athletic class onto their class roster. Should you be unable to make the tryout, you should contact the coach to find an alternative. Some programs will not be requiring their returning players to tryout, but it is best to contact the head coach listed.

PHOTO: Provided by Anthony Chan | SouthPasadenan.com News | Summer Recreation Nights brings exercise and wellness to SPHS Students

I will be resetting my mailing list for athletics after this email. Should you want to remain on this mailing list, please fill out this Google Form. For our families that now are alumni families, I would highly encourage staying on our athletics mailing list. As a great mentor to me once said, “Always a Tiger.”

Sincerely,

Anthony Chan, SPHS Athletic Director

PHOTO: Provided by Anthony Chan | SouthPasadenan.com News | SPHS Girls Soccer works with local youth by hosting a Summer Camp