Author: venturatreker

The end of OVS Sports

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Today marked the end of my OVS sports career.  I have been an OVS spud for 11 years since I was in kindergarten.  Although the actual Lacrosse season ended two weeks ago, today we played the alumni to see who was truly better, the fossils or the young blood.

It turns out, neither are, we tied.  But like any true OVS sports event a tie is the best you can ask for.

Some of the alumni were old and out of shape, others were CAL and ASU lacrosse players which made the game a challenge.

Over all it was a great game and I am glad we ended our season on a positive note and I look forward to coming back next year and beating the OVS team.

The mighty 12

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Today we played Midland in lacrosse.  For us this was our lynch pin game, the game we worked up to the entire season.  In the end we lost. But what I love most about our team is that the score does not matter.  Win or lose, we play every minute of every game.  Unlike many other OVS teams, losing does not deter us, because no matter what we grow and learn from our defeats and always come back stronger the next time around.

In today’s game we had one goal at the half, down by 6.  Even for Lacrosse that is a big lead.  Yet we came out playing harder than we had all game, and were rewarded with a goal, And let me tell you, you would think we had just won the super bowl we were so excited and jumping around.  Two minutes later, another goal, and we just won Gold medals in the Olympics.

The point I am making is that no matter what is happening it is important to always stick with it because no matter what you will learn from it and get better. Every game we’ve played this season we always walk away with our heads high, leaving it all on the field.

Pesach

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This weekend was the jewish Holiday Pesach or Pass Over.  For American Jews it is one of the most celebrated holidays, mainly because it does not consist of going to temple but rather having a seder, or a dinner.

This year I went to two seders, one at my house and one at my grandparents house.  A seder is basically a very ,very long dinner with only certain foods that must be eaten in a certain order while reciting certain prayers and telling the story of Pass over.

Pass Over is celebrating the jews release from bondage in Egypt.  It is the story of Moses freeing the Jewish slaves in which he proclaims the famous well-known line “Let My People go.”

During the seder the entire story is retold while we remember what our ancestors went through long ago.  We eat only unleavened bread to symbolize the jews frantic escape in which they did not have time to let their bread rise and rather put them on their backs and the sun cooked them into Matza.

Pass Over has much more significance to the world today then just being a jewish holiday.  On Pass Over we reflect on how blessed we are to live the lives we live and we thank our ancestors for enduring the harshness of slavery so that we may not have to.  We also discuss the world of today and how slavery is still very much alive today and what we can do.

The might of Horses

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Today, I finally did something that I have been wanting to do at OVS for almost a year. I went Horse Back riding.


Upon arriving I was told I would be riding Lexi, the gentlest and easiest of all the horses.  That’s good of course, except she is HUGE.  Well not huge but pretty big.

While in the stall with the horse, brushing it and picking its hooves it really donned on me as to how big they are.  Although we claim to control them once you are on them or in the stalls with them, they can do whatever they want and you can’t stop them.

Once in the Arena and all mounted up it was time to walk.  Luckily Lexi IS the gentlest horse there so with a “HIGH HO SILVER AWAYYY” we were off at slow walk.

There really is something special about horse back riding.  For one only a hundred years ago or so they were the only means of fast transportation, and back then everyone knew how to ride.  Now its such a small part of our lives its quite sad.

It is wonderful that OVS still puts so much time and consideration into these powerful animals and offers such an incredible program to learn how to ride.

The hunger games

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Tonight I went to go see the Hunger Games movie.  I went with my girlfriend and her family and I was the only one that had read the book.

I have to say I am a little surprised about the criticism surrounding the movie.  I personally though it was spectacular and incredibly intense.

One criticism is that it shies away from some of the things that happen in the book.  I must disagree, the story is about 24 kids between 12 and 18 fighting to the death for a corrupt societies sport.  It’s hard to dumb that down. Obviously they do not show gory images of dead teenagers which is a good thing.  It shows enough and hits it right on the money about connecting with the audience.

There definitely was times when I myself was wondering what it would be like to be in her position or just to be in the games themselves.

Overall great film, and a must see.

The Snow

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Today it snowed. One of the great things about living in Ventura is that I can bet at the beach and then less than an hour later I can be in the snow.  After just one storm the upper Ojai area above the 33 highway was blanketed in snow.

We drove to Pine Mountain and went hiking through the winter wonderland.  Although there was only about an inch of snow on the ground it was still wonderful.

After messing around for a while we went down to Rose Valley and did the Boney Beaner cave.  I have been doing that hike since kindergarten but doing it in the snow is just such a different experience. Going under that waterfall and feeling the biting cold is crazy!

The first time for everything

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This week we played our first game, we lost.  Now that that’s out of the way I can talk about all the good things that happened.

Firstly we showed up at Viewpoint School and were directed where to park by PARKING ATTENDANTS.  We finally get to the field to be greeted by 30 lacrosse players and a beautiful turf field.  For the 12 OVS spuds it was quite intimidating.

One person said to me as we were walking up, “oh wow they have enough players to sub every five seconds!!!”

Yet we went out there and played, and for more than half our team it was the very first lacrosse game they have ever played in.  Talk about shell shock, your either going at 110% or standing still.  It is incredibly fast paced and very intimidating to people who have never played before.

Sometimes I think we should be the stubborn spuds and not just the spuds.  Down by almost ten in the first half, we had nothing to lose.  Exhausted and on edge we squared our shoulders and started the second half zero to zero in our heads.  By the end of the third quarter we were up 3-0.

Although we lost we came together as a team learned a lot, and definitely left them some bruises to think about.

Lacrosse Lacrosse

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This week we started the first OVS Lacrosse practice.  We have not yet received pads or had a practice with sticks.  Instead we have ran, sweated, hyperventilated and worked ourselves ragged in preparation to receive pads.

We have alot of players who have never played lacrosse before and who are all itching to get into gear.

Tomorrow hopefully we will all get our pads and finally get to hit eachother!

We have a lot of players this year compared to last year when they only had 10 players.  Although it is to soon to say anything about our team, the enthusiasm of the players and the returning skill all look like the spuds lacrosse team will have a good chance this year!

Lacrosse

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Tomorrow we start a new sports season, Lacrosse.  This year the OVS lacrosse team actually has more players than the Baseball team!

Lacrosse I think is a misunderstood sport.  This I believe has to do with the fact of the  “Lax Bros.”  These bros are basically married to the sport.  They can be recognized by their flowing hair, posh polo shirts and that they carry their lacrosse sticks around with them all the time.

But that is not OVS, at least not this year anyway.  We have a full crop of fresh players coming in and a few returning.  Although we lack the experience I think we will succeed none the less with our desire to learn and play the game.

Starting tomorrow the era of the “Lax Spud” begins.

The Valiance of Girls soccer

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Today at OVS the girls soccer team had a game against Oak Grove.  First off I must say it was one of the most hard-fought games of all time.

The girls stepped onto the field with only 9 players; 10 is the minimum number to play. Another student who was just there to watch stepped up and decided to play. That was the first valiant move made of the day.

So with no subs and only 10 players the girls went out full force.  One of the opposing players was extremely vicious  and was fouling our players left and right, and even after she yelled and pushed one of the girls, the OVS players still fought on!

By the time the second half started the OVS spuds were exhausted, yet still they persisted and gave them hell.

All in all I feel that if the boys; team had the same heart as the girls, we would probably have gone to finals