Welcome to the first issue of volume twelve of Swish, a periodical with recaps and photos of Santa Monica Family YMCA youth basketball games, and other pertinent info such as announcements and updates from the program. This Summer season, the Santa Monica Family YMCA has 5 divisions of youth basketball, with the Copper and Silver divisions having 3 teams each, the Bronze and Gold divisions with 4 teams each, and the Platinum division with 5 teams.
We are a coed league with players that are ages 5 to 14. Our emphasis is that we are a developmental league, and we want the kids to not only enjoy playing youth sports, but to benefit from the three principles of the YMCA: Youth Development, Social Responsibility, and Healthy Living.
We are partnered with the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation which provides jerseys, grants, and clinics to help develop our youth. We are ever grateful for their support of our program. Many thanks to the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation: Kiesha Nix, Kiley Sensi, Richard Harris, and Jeanie Buss for helping us become the premier youth basketball program on the Westside.
The theme of the season is classic soul and funk music artists that have influenced many of us with their songs and messages that resonate for today and future generations.
If you are interested in signing up your child for the Fall season of youth basketball at the Santa Monica Family YMCA, then please click here.
COPPER
PLAYERS
New coach Randall Oxendine with his son Jaxon will ride the “Love Rollercoaster” and will get on “Fire.”
Express
Coach Alex Alemayehu with his son Matthew will “Do it” and “Does it Feel Good” as they lead the Express.
Stones
Coach Alex Wang returns with his son Owen, as they make it a “Family Affair” for “Everyday People”
Bronze
Chi-Lites
Coach Ben Ketai returns with his son Jonas asking “Have you seen her?”, and “Oh Girl”, as they “Give more Power to the People”
Parliaments
Coach Craig Pariser and his daughter Mai Ly “Give up the Funk: and “Tear the Roof Off”, as they return to the Bronze division.
Coaters
Coach AJ Kothari and his son Bodhi won’t be “Yakety Yak” as they are “Searchin” for young talent. I wonder if “Charlie Brown” is on the team?
Drifters
Whether they are “Up on the Roof” or “Under the Boardwalk”, you are sure to find coaches Armando Gonzalez and his son Pablo, and Ali Safavi and his son Saum, creating “This Magic Moment”, as they are “Some Kind of Wonderful”
Silver
Bar-kays
Coach Jeff Boesiger and his son are “Too Hot to Stop” as they “Hit and Run” again through the silver division.
Miracles
“You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” as coaches Nicholas Walker and Kelly Roberts with his daughter Alice will work together to help direct this team, and “I Second That Emotion”
Meters
“People Say” “They All Ask’d for You”, so Arash Yaghoubzadeh will coach with his sons Ocean and Leo, to help “Give It What You Can”
Gold
Supremes
“Someday We’ll Be Together”, and it just so happened, as coaches Kelly Roberts and Jason Gaines said “Come See About Me”, and brought along their kids Kay Roberts and Jason Gaines Jr.
Godfathers
“Get Up Offa That Thing”, and coach Armando Gonzalez and his son Diego “Get on the Good Foot” and “Make it Funky”, as they aim to conquer the Gold division.
Cameo
“Word Up”, coach Pete Harris and his son Oliver are “Hangin’ Downtown” and “It’s Serious”, and they plan to “Keep it Hot”.
Spinners
Coach David Cappiccille and his son Logan have said “I’ll Be Around” and are really “One of a Kind” as they are “Working My Way Back to You”, to dominate the Gold division.
Platinum
The Gap
“Outstanding” to have coach Joe Tilley back, as he is the conductor of the “Party Train”, he plans to get up “Early in the Morning” to make game and practice plans to “Burn Rubber”
Lakeside
Come along with coach Bill Kravitz and his son Dylan on a “Fantastic Voyage”, as they “Turn the Music Up” and “It’s All the Way Live”
Wonders
He may have “Superstition”, but coach Nicholas Walker always finds “Higher Ground”, and tells his players “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing”
Impressions
“People Get Ready” because coach Brian Phelan and his son Jack are coming, and “It’s All Right”, as they will say “We’re a Winner”
Countors
Coach David Cappiccille and his son Parker have “Determination” and ask “Do You Love Me’, and “Can You Do It”, as they look to repeat as champions in the Platinum division.
SAT 7/22/23 WEEKEND #1
Platinum
Lakeside vs Contours
The opening game of the Summer season saw a close competitive match as Lakeside took a halftime lead on the strength of 13 first half points from Dagmawi Ayele, and baskets from Kai Halpert and Dylan Kravitz. The first half scoring for the Contours was
mostly from Player of the Game, Parker Cappiccille, who had 11 of his game high 33 points in the first half. The second half saw the Contours pick up the pace as other players got into the scoring with key baskets from Matthew Scholze, Grayson Klein, and
Gold division sub Logan Cappiccille. Lakeside tried to get the lead back on points from Gabriel Chibane, but fell short, thanks to tough defense from Gold sub Jack Meyer to help the Contours get the victory.
SUN 7/23/23
Girls 8-9
Santa Monica YMCA vs Culver/Westchester YMCA
Coach Lamondo Greer brought girls from the Culver YMCA and Westchester YMCA combined to play against the Santa Monica YMCA girls. First quarter action saw Santa Monica get 6 points from Ray Song, and Culver/Westchester get 8 points to take a lead.
The second quarter saw Santa Monica take a halftime lead on a basket each from Olivia Wu and Mariella Belew. The second half was back and forth as Santa Monica had a narrow lead at the end of the third quarter as Milena Zewdie and Kahya Strock
got multiple rebounds for Santa Monica, but Culver/Westchester was strong on defense in the fourth quarter as Player of the Game Georgia Underwood and her teammates Eva, Grace, and Kathryn shut out Santa Monica in the 4th quarter and got a one point victory. It was great to see all the girls play strong and have fun.
Copper
Players vs Express
A defensive struggle with a lot of shots popping in and out, but a few baskets were made. The Players had first quarter buckets from Oliver Williams and River Stanton. The Express tied the score by the end of the third quarter with a basket each from
Jason Ren and Louis Liu, as they made their baskets on assists from Luke Sarley. The fourth quarter saw the Players get big rebounds from Lior Vaisburd and Hugo Casarella, and Player of the Game River Stanton had the winning basket in the fourth quarter to give the Players the victory.
Bronze
Drifters vs Coasters
The Coasters got the first basket from Aiden McCabe, but the Drifters took the lead with buckets from Saum Safavi and Jett Shung, but the Coasters tied the score at halftime with a bucket by Rome Ricks. In the second half, Rome got two more field goals and his teammate Ray Song had a field goal for the Coasters. The Drifters pulled away in the fourth quarter as Saum Safavi, Jett Shung, and William Holt made baskets to get ahead, and Cetine Travnikoff got steals to give her team the victory.
Silver
Bar-Kays vs Miracles
The Bar-Kays had 9 first half points from Player of the Game James Boesiger, along with a bucket from Beau Zaczepinski. The Miracles had one basket each in the first quarter from Mariella Belew, Auden Travnikoff, and Declan Wong. The third quarter
saw the Miracles get a free throw from Jaxon Silverstein and a basket from Mai Ly Pariser, and 4th quarter scoring from Declan Wong and Auden Travnikoff. The Bar-Kays were able to pull away late in the fourth quarter as Harrison Bond made a free
throw, and Oliver Lynn and Rohan Peddi made key baskets towards the end to give their team the victory.
Gold
Spinners vs Supremes
The Spinners jumped out to a lead in the first half as Logan Cappiccille made baskets and free throws, and Jack Meyer sank a “trey”, and Sammy Weil made two baskets. The Supremes got first half scoring from Kay Roberts and Alden Wong. In the second
half, the Supremes narrowed the gap by using full court pressure from Dominic Drew, Eugene Edouarzin, and Michelle Guinzberg to create turnovers which got points for Chloe Scofield and Jason Gaines. But down the stretch, The Spinners got key points
from Kudus Dagnew, James Boesiger, Jack Meyer, Sammy Weil, and Player of the Game Logan Cappiccille to hang on to the win.
Boys 12-15
Impressions vs Westchester/Culver YMCA(Junior Clippers)
Coach Lamondo Greer was doing bookend duty, as he coached the Culver/Westchester girls in the first game of the day, and now was coaching the boys in the last game of the day. This would turn out to be an incredible game that really showcased youth
basketball. The Clippers jumped out to a big first quarter lead as they scored the first ten points from Nolan, Christian, Jeremy, and Journey. But the Impressions came back as Sam McGowan, Danny Zhou, and Rowan Booher got the first points for their team.
The second quarter saw the Impressions Louis Meehan-Smith make a basket, and the Clippers lead was narrowed at halftime. The third quarter saw the Clippers Player of the Game, Eric Benet, making big shots to give the Clippers a slim lead by the end of
the quarter, and the Impressions had Jack Phelan make the scoring column. The fourth quarter went back and forth between the two teams, with teams exchanging driving layups and making free throws. As the Impressions were holding a one point lead, AJ
Evans was able to make a drive to the hoop to put his team up by three. The tying “3” by the Clippers fell just short, and the Impressions held onto the victory, as Sam McGowan was awarded Player of the Game for his game high 20 points. Special
thanks to Lamando Greer and all the Culver and Westchester YMCA participants this Sunday for coming to our YMCA. You are always welcome here, and we are all one big family!
SAT 7/29/23 WEEKEND #2
Bronze
Parliaments vs Chi-Lites
Nice competitive game to start the weekend, as these two teams were evenly matched. The Chi-Lites took a narrow first quarter lead on baskets from Jonas Ketai and Alex Blondheim, and both added a basket each in the second quarter. However, the Parliaments took the halftime lead on baskets by Oscar Farrar, Jakob Sroka, Olivia Wu, and Moss McFly Ton who also had a couple of good assists.
The end of the third quarter saw the Chi-Lites get back the lead as Mateo Chan made steals, but the Parliaments also had good defensive rebounds from Mai Ly Pariser, Beau Bigler, Oliver Doyle, and Oliver Farrar. The fourth quarter had the Parliaments take the early lead on baskets from Oscar Farrar and Jakob Sroka, but in the end, a basket by Qiao Ren and Player of the Game Alex Blondheim, helped the Chi-Lites get the narrow victory.
Copper
Stones vs Players
The Players came to play as first half points came from River Stanton, Jaxon Oxendine, Oliver Williams, and Hugo Casarella. The Stones had Zayden Rashid make two free throws in the first half. The Stones also had good defense from Asher Beale, Teddy
Carey, Grayson Hahn, and Noah Wolfe in the first half to keep it close. However, the Players were too strong as Leonardo Marin played great defense, and Oliver Williams, River Stanton, and Player of the Game Hugo Casarella continued to score. The Stones
had Quentin Dijols and Zayden Rashid make their first basket ever, and Josephine Carey was the standout player for Stones leading her team in rebounds and steals.
Silver
Meters vs Miracles
The Meters got the first basket from Charlie Hackett, but the Miracles countered with baskets from Mai Ly Pariser and Auden Travnikoff to take the lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter had the Meters take the lead back on 8 points from Royal Luna, steals from Leo Yaghoubzadeh, and rebounds from Logan Christenson and Elliot Israels. The Miracles had a basket from Mariella Belew. In the second half, Liesha Aggarwal had her first basket ever to bring the Miracles closer, and Saryah Reece
pounded the boards for rebounds, and Cetine Travnikoff had multiple steals. The difference between these two teams came down to the 4th quarter as Ocean Yaghoubzadeh had 4 points, and Player of the Game, Royal Luna, was a perfect 2 for 2 from the charity stripe to give the Meters the victory.
Gold
Cameo vs Godfathers
The Godfathers got the early lead on baskets by Spencer Nelson and Maryck Booher; but, Cameo got strong in the second quarter as Kamden King grabbed rebounds, Rohham Taherian had 6 points, and Ming Zhu had 7 points to give Cameo a halftime
lead, and continued to expand on the lead as Max Oganes had a bucket in the third quarter. The Godfathers turned it around in the second half as Ross Nelson had a bucket, and Mariama Belew got steals to give assists to Maryck Booher and Player of the Game, Diego Gonzalez, to take the victory.
Platinum
Wonders vs Gap
The Wonders got the early lead on points from Mia Kondratyeva, River Zelenovic, Mesalay Benyam, and Vihaan Nawathe. But the second quarter would go to the Gap, as Aayan Lakhani displayed his dribbling prowess by penetrating the lane and scoring 6
points in the quarter, and Amensisa Alemayehu took some of those passes from Aayan to score points, to give the Gap the lead at halftime. The Wonders got Azariah Gebeyehu and Joshua Edwards into the scoring column in the third quarter, but the Gap
Darien Jones and Cassius Taylor started to ride the “Party Trey” as they were making threes from beyond the arc. The Wonders had Vihaan Nawathe light it up in the 4th quarter as he had 8 points, but Aayan Lakhani and Darien Jones had 2 points each, and
their teammate, Player of the Game, Cassius Taylor continued to drain the “Trey” to give the Gap the victory.
Impressions vs Lakeside
Lakeside got the early lead on points from Kai Halpert, Ryan Chambers, and Dagmawi Ayele. The Impressions struck back in the second quarter with points from AJ Evans, Rowan Booher, Sam McGowan, and Jack Phalen. The first half ended in what Barbara
Walters would have said “This is 20/20”. Lakeside got additional points, in the second half, from Ryan Cohen and Dylan Kravitz who had four “3”s in the game. The Impressions got stronger in the second half as Jerry Tao, Louis Meehan Smith, and
Asher Zaczepinski put on the press forcing turnovers that led to points. Player of the Game, Danny Zhou of the Impressions, took over down the stretch, using his big frame and speed to make multiple drives for scores, then hitting “3”s from downtown to give
the Impressions the decisive victory.
SUN 7/30/23
Copper
Express vs Stones
The Express had 4 points each from Beck Britto, Louis Liu, and Player of the Game Luke Sarley. The Stones had good defensive performances from Quentin Dijols, Grayson Hahn, and Zayden Rashid. The Express were able to get rebounds from Jason Ren and Sofi Pulusani to help their team win. The star of the game was the Stones Sora Nomoto who had 4 points and led her team in rebounds and steals.
8-9 year olds
Santa Monica YMCA vs Westchester/Culver YMCA
Metro YMCA youth sports coordinator Lamondo Greer brought some talented 8-9 year olds from the Westchester YMCA and Culver/Palms YMCA to take on our Junior Lakers whose roster included James Boesiger, Pablo Gonzalez, Sean Murphy, Ray Song,
Rohan Peddi, Oliver Lynn, Rome Ricks, Royal Luna, and Bodhi Kothari. The Junior Lakers put up a valiant effort against a much bigger Junior Clippers team, but in the end the Junior Clippers were victorious, but all had a good time and learned valuable skills
and team play. Special thanks to coaches Jeff Boesiger and Jennifer Lynn for coaching the Junior Lakers.
Bronze
Chi-Lites vs Drifters
Tough defense was the name of the game in the first half as the score was 4 to 4 at halftime on Drifters Killian Georgaris and William Holt baskets, and baskets from Chi-Lites Jonas Ketai and Alex Blondheim. In the second half, the Drifters Jett Shung
made a free throw, Cetine Travnikoff and Pablo Gonzalez got rebounds and steals to keep it close, but the Chi-Lites locked down the defense with Max Lind, Mateo Chan, and Luis Marin preventing the opponent getting to the basket, Rocco Tomas making a
basket, and 8 points from Alex Blondheim to give the Chi-Lites the victory.
Silver
Bar-Kays vs Meters
Both teams were a little on the short side of the number of players, but it was an entertaining game. Halftime had the Bar-Kays with a one point lead on scoring from James Boesiger and Rohan Peddi, and steals from Harrison Bond. The Meters had first
half scoring from Royal Luna and Leo Yaghoubzadeh, and strong defense from Charlie Hackett. The second half saw the Meters get rebounds from Ocean Yaghoubzadeh and points from Logan Christenson. The Bar-Kays were able to pull away with a basket
from Ray Song and multiple points from Oliver Lynn including a perfect 4 for 4 from the free throw line.
Gold
Supremes vs Godfathers
The Supremes lived up to their name in the first half as points were scored by Rayan Chibane, Dominic Drew, Eugene Edouarzin, Jason Gaines, and Chloe Scofield to take a good lead into halftime. First half scoring for the Godfathers came from Maryck Booher and Azumi Nomoto. The second half, the Godfathers had Diego Gonzalez and Mariama Belew make the scoring column, and Ross and Spencer Nelson get rebounds and steals. The Supremes played big down the stretch as Michelle Guinzburg blocked
shots, Kay Roberts made outside shots, and Player of the Game, Ibrahim Ally made big points and rebounds to give his team the victory.
Spinners vs Cameo
Both teams were on the short side, and it was 5 on 4. Cameo had Coen Haynes as the leading scorer, with points from Ming Zhu and Radin Taherian. Cameo got rebounds from Ryan Yousefi and Player of the Game Kamden King who also had a basket. The
Spinners put up a valiant effort with points from all 4 of their players as Logan Cappiccille was the leading scorer for his team, and Jack Meyer converted two free throws. But most impressive were the young 7 year old Silver division subs: James Boesiger who had 5 points, and Ray Song who had 3 points, thus becoming the youngest boy and girl to ever score points in the Gold division.
SAT 8/5/23 WEEKEND #3
Copper
Express vs Players
Grudge match in the first half, as the only scoring came from the Express Luke Sarley and the Players River Stanton. Rebounds were made by the Express Issa Ally, Jason Ren, and Sofia Pulusani. The Players had Esme Chen and Leonardo Marin stealing the
ball. The second half had more scoring as Louis Liu and Player of the Game Beck Britto made the scoring column for the Express. The Players kept pace with more points from River Stanton who was a perfect two for two from the charity stripe, and sub Luis Marin converted an “And 1”; but in the end, the Express held on to get the victory.
Bronze
Coasters vs Chi-Lites
Very close game in the first half as the only points came from the Coasters Rome Ricks and the Chi-Lites Luis Marin and Rocco Tomas. The second half saw a third quarter surge from the Chi-Lites as Jonas Ketai, Mateo Chan, and Player of the Game, Rocco
Tomas, helped their team get a big lead. The Coasters kept pace as Sean Murphy made his first basket ever and had multiple blocks, and rebounds were had by Nicholas Rivas, Tyler Enayati, Sidney Dubois, and Renzo Anfossi.
Silver
Miracles vs Bar-Kays
The Bar-Kays did most of their damage in the first half as James Boesiger had 10 first half points, Rohan Peddi had 5 points, and Ray Song had all 10 of her points in the first half. The Miracles had first half scoring from Rome Ricks, Auden Travnikoff, and Saryah Reece. In the second half, the Miracles got steals from Alice Roberts and Liesha Aggarwal, along with rebounds from Saryah Reece and Mariella Belew. The Bar-Kays held off the Miracles with good defense from Buck Jacobs and Harrison Bond.
Girls 9-13
Junior Lakers Gold vs Junior Lakers/Clippers Purple/Blue
The most exciting game of the season so far, as girls from the Santa Monica YMCA Junior Lakers combined with girls from the Westchester and Culver/Palms YMCA Junior Clippers. Lamando Greer coached the Purple/Blue team with Ray Song who had 4 first quarter points, Mia Kondratyeva who had 6 points in the match, Milena Zewdie who had a basket, Mariella Belew who had multiple rebounds, Paityn who had many steals, and Eden who had a basket. Amanda Camacho was the Player of the Game for the Purple/Blue as she had 12 points.
Kelly Roberts coached the Gold team that had Cetine Travnikoff who was able to out rebound taller players, Leisha Aggarwal who made a key 4th quarter basket, Saryah Reece who had many rebounds and 3 points, Chloe Scofield who blocked several shots, Julia Enayati who had 4 first quarter points, Alice Roberts who was a master thief, Kay Roberts who had 8 points, and of course Player of the Game for the Gold, Mariama Belew who had 10 points and the most important basket of the match.
This game was close all the way throughout with Gold having a two point at the end of the first quarter, and a 18-18 tie at halftime. Purple/Blue was able to have a 3 point lead at the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter saw the lead change several times, and Blue/Purple had a one point lead in the final seconds, when Gold Mariama Belew stole the ball and dribbled down the court and put up a buzzer beater off the backboard and in for a one point victory for the Gold team. An exciting ending to a great game that featured the best of YMCA youth basketball as all the girls made contributions to the game, and everyone had fun.
Platinum
Wonders vs Lakeside
The Wonders got the scoring going early as Vihaan Nawathe, MIa Kondratyeva, Azariah Gebeyehu, Amanda Camacho, and Josh Weil put their team up at the end of the first quarter. Lakeside countered with 5 first quarter points from Ryan Cohen, and 4 points from Dagmawi Ayele, and a basket from Brandon Israels. The second quarter saw Lakeside Ryan Chambers heat up as he scored 8 points in the frame, then 11 more points in the third quarter to give his team a slight lead. The Wonders continued to get scoring from MIa Kondratyeva, Josh Weil, Amanda Camacho, and Vihaan Nawathe, but Player of the Game Dagmawi Ayele took over the fourth quarter with points and rebounds, and with help on defense from Aiden Lin and Abdullah Jooma, as Lakeside
went on to victory.
Gap vs Impressions
The first half belonged to the Impressions as they took a halftime lead on points from TJ Turner, Rowan Booher, a “3” from Louis Meehan-Smith, a free throw made by Asher Zaczepinski, and 10 points in the second quarter from Sam McGowan. The Gap kept pace with points from Amensisa Alemayehu, a “Trey” from Aayan Lakhani, strong defense from Antonio Rodriguez, and Darien Jones with two “3” pointers in the second quarter which was only the beginning of one of the greatest performances to ever been
seen at this YMCA.
The Impressions kept the lead to the end of the third quarter as Asher Zaczepinski had an impressive quarter with 8 points, and Ethan Schwartz got into the scoring, which continued in the fourth quarter as AJ Evans made a bucket. The Gap started to close the gap as Estevan Padron had a bucket, but then it became the biggest “3” party that we have ever seen as the Gap Darien Jones sank 7 consecutive 3-pointers in the second half to add to his record nine “3”s for the game, and none bigger than the game ending buzzer beater “Trey” as time expired to give his team the one point victory.
As referee Robert Clark said to me: “His threes are nothing but net!”. A performance for the ages to not only earn Player of the Game, but Player of the Week honors. I almost ran to get the fire extinguisher because Darien was “En Fuego!” Scorekeeper Nicholas Walker told me that was unbelievable and incredible. Great job Darien!!
SUN 8/6/23
Copper
Players vs Stones
Unfortunately the Players didn’t have enough players to field a team, so the Stones got the victory as Player of the Game Josephine Carey led her teammates Teddy Carey, Quentin Dijols, and Aidan Seet who also played for both teams. The Players River Stanton scored a ton of points in the scrimmage and helped his teammate Prokhor Menshykov.
11-13 Year Olds
Santa Monica YMCA vs Anderson/Munger YMCA
Lamondo Greer brought a talented group of young men representing the Anderson/Munger YMCA Junior Clippers to play against a select group of Santa Monica YMCA Junior Lakers. The Lakers jumped out to an early lead taking the first quarter on 8 points from Vihaan Nawathe, and a bucket each from Estevan Padron and Darien Jones. The Lakers continued the scoring in the second quarter as Yisaac Tariku and Mesalay Benyam made a basket each, and River Zelenovic and Antonio Rodriguez grabbed rebounds. The third quarter had the Lakers Josh Weil get into the scoring column, Joshua Edwards getting rebounds, and Olana Alemayehu with key steals. The Lakers out rebounded the Clippers the entire game, and were able to win the battle of each quarter; however, the Clippers were a formidable team and looked to build on the experience.
Bronze
Coasters vs Parliaments
First half, a defensive battle with the Coasters Tyler Enayati and Sora Nomoto making steals, and the Parliaments Beau Bigler and Rayden Toteja locking down the defense. The second half saw the scoring pick up, and it became a back and forth game. The
Coasters Nicholas Rivas made key assists to Aiden McCabe and Sean Murphy, and Bodhi Kothari got the rebounds. The Parliaments had Faizan Khan with 2 baskets and Oscar Farrar had 10 points for the game on assists from his brother Oliver, to give the Parliaments a one point lead with seconds left. The Coasters managed to get a steal and Player of the Game Decker Amos drove the court to put the go ahead basket in with seconds left to add to his game high total of 12 points, and to give his team the victory.
Silver
Bar-Kays vs Meters
The Meters had the early lead on baskets from Charlie Hackett, but the Bar-Kays quickly countered and took the lead on the strength of baskets from James Boesiger, Rohan Peddi, and Player of the Game Oliver Lynn, to take a halftime lead. In the second half, the Meters got points from Johnny DeNeufville and Elliot Israels, and tough defense from Leo and Ocean Yaghoubzadeh. The Bar-Kays got points from Ray Song and Oliver Hector to go on to a commanding victory.
Gold
Godfathers vs Spinners
Close game throughout as first half scoring for the Godfathers came from Jarec Garibay, Maryck Booher, and Abdullah Jooma; and the Spinners had points from Sammy Weil, Mariama Belew, and Logan Cappiccille. Defense was key in the second half as the Spinners got steals from James Boesiger, rebounds from Henry Kendall and Redeat Gebeyehu. Jack Meyer added a couple of baskets in the half to keep the Spinners close. Down the stretch, the Godfathers had tough defense from brothers Ross and Spencer Nelson, and Player of the Game Jarec Garibay had a game high 18 points to give their team the victory.
Platinum
Wonders vs Contours
The Wonders are young but improving as Joshua Edwards made a couple free throws, Mia Kondratyeva and Josh Weil had baskets, River Zelenovic made two “3”s, and Vihaan Nawathe had 20 points including a triple of treys in the fourth quarter. The
Contours were too strong and took a commanding lead in the second half as Parker Cappiccille had 29 points for the game including a perfect 3 for 3 from the charity stripe, but not to be outdone, teammates Max Baracy and Matthew Scholze had a trey party as each made one from downtown, and Nicholas Huether and Player of the Game Hunter
Esposito Doi had double-doubles in rebounds and points, along with steals from Radin Taherian to have a commanding victory to keep the Contours undefeated.
SAT 8/12/23 WEEKEND #4
Copper
Stones vs Express
The Express took the first quarter lead on a basket and an assist from Sofia Pulusani, and two baskets by Luke Sarley. The Stones got their scoring going in the second half on a free throw made by Zayden Rashid, and a basket by Sora Nomoto. The second half saw the Stones get tougher on defense with Asher Beale and Grayson Hahn making contributions, and Issa Ally was able to help the Stones even though he is an Express player. The Express got steals from Benson Berry, 10 second half points from Beck Britto, and multiple blocks and rebounds from Player of the Game, Louis Liu, to give the Express the victory.
Bronze
Drifters vs Parliaments
Unfortunately, the Drifters didn’t have enough players to start the game, so we divided the players that came, to have a nice scrimmage which saw multiple players score, get rebounds, and make assists. Notable standouts were the Parliaments Faizan Khan, Oscar Farrar, Olivia Wu, and Beau Bigler who all scored; and, notable standouts for the Drifters were Pablo Gonzalez, Jett Shung, and Cetine Travnikoff. The Parliaments also had good defensive performances from Jakob Sroka and Moss McFly Ton.
Silver
Meters vs Miracles
The Meters took the first half lead on points from Royal Luna, Elliot Israels, Leo and Ocean Yaghoubzadeh, and Alexander Melamed. The Miracles got first half scoring from Auden Travnikoff and Liesha Aggarwal. The second half saw the Miracles Alice
Roberts get three baskets in the third quarter, and her teammate Declan Wong had a bucket. The Miracles also got good defense from Jett Shung, and 2 more baskets from Auden Travnikoff. The Meters had strong defense from Levi Cogan, a basket from Elliot Israels, and 9 second half points from Player of the Game, Ocean Yaghoubzadeh to guide their team to victory.
Gold
Supremes vs Spinners
The Supremes reigned supreme in the first half as they got points from Ibrahim Ally, Rayan Chibane, Eugene Edouarzin, Kay Roberts, Alden Wong, and Jason Gaines to build a good lead at halftime. The Spinners kept up with baskets from Logan
Cappiccille, an “And1” from Redeat Gebeyehu, and a “3” from Sammy Weil. The second half saw the Spinners close the gap as Jack Meyer had three baskets, Logan Cappiccille had four baskets, and Redeat Gebeyehu made a basket on an assist from
Henry Kendall. The Supremes continued to get scoring, and Dominic Drew made a basket to then have all players on the team make a bucket. The Supremes Jason Gaines was Player of the Games as he continued to score and make assists for his
team to lead them to victory.
Platinum
Gap vs Lakeside
The first quarter belonged to Lakeside as Gabriel Chibane, Dagmawi Ayele, and Dylan Kravitz had baskets in the frame to put their team ahead, but the Gap countered and took the lead at halftime as Darien Jones continued his “3” parade from his last game, and Estevan Padron and Antonio Rodriguez made a basket each. The third quarter had multiple lead changes as the Gap got scoring from Olana and Amensisa Alemayehu, while Lakeside got scoring from Noah Michael, Kai Halpert, and Brandon Israels. In the fourth quarter, the Gap Cassius Taylor got hot with multiple treys and deuces, but Lakeside pulled away in the last minutes of the game as Player of the Game, Ryan Chambers made key baskets and free throws to give his team the hard fought victory.
Impressions vs Wonders
Defense was present in the first half as both teams remained tied at the end of the first and second quarters. Notable first half scoring for the Impressions came from Loukang Zhou, Asher Zaczepinski, and Ethan Schwartz; for the Wonders, Mesalay Benyam, River Zelenovic, and Vihaan Nawathe scored to help keep it even at the halftime break.
The second half had the Impressions pull away on the strength of Sam McGowan leading the scoring, but also strong rebounding and drives to the hoop by Player of the Game, TJ Turner, to put his team out front. The Wonders got a “3” from Amanda Camacho, and assists from Noah Hagooli Bolaños to get closer; but down the stretch, the Impressions got points from Louis Meehan-Smith and AJ Evans to go on to win the match.
SUN 8/13/23
Copper
Players vs Express
The first half was full of balls that rolled out of the rim, but also good defense from the Express as Benson Berry, Issa Ally, and Louis Liu got rebounds, and from the Players Prokhor Menshykov who got a couple of steals. The only score in the first half came
from the Express Beck Britto who had a bucket. The second half saw the scoring pick up as Jaxon Oxendine and Lior Vaisburd each had a basket, and Player of the Game, Oliver Williams had 3 buckets to give the Players a five point lead late in the game.
But the Express came roaring back as Player of the Game Sofia Pulusani made a basket as she was fouled and converted the “And1”, Beck Britto made a free throw, and with time winding down, Luke Sarley made two free throws to make the final a tie. Although both teams were shorthanded, everyone gave it their all.
8-9 year olds
Santa Monica YMCA Junior Lakers vs Westchester/Culver YMCA Junior Clippers
Lamondo Greer of the LA Metro YMCA was gracious enough to bring over talented Junior Clippers players to play against the Junior Lakers of the Santa Monica YMCA. The Lakers got rolling early as Liam Katz and Arya Nawathe scored in the first quarter,
to give their team a big lead. The Lakers continued their scoring in the second quarter, as Jason Gaines had 12 points, and Coen Haynes and Eugene Edouarzin had baskets.
The Clippers got more into the flow in the second half and narrowed the deficit, but the Lakers responded with Declan Wong making assists and a bucket, and Players of the Game: Jason Gaines, Liam Katz, and Coen Haynes continuing to add more points.
The Clippers Player of the Game was Mason Portillo who had some nice drives to the hoop, as he floated several shots in for scores to help his team try to close the gap, but in the end, the Lakers were strong on defense, and held on to the victory. Special thanks to Jeff Boesiger for coaching the Junior Lakers.
Bronze
Chi-Lites vs Parliaments
The first half saw the Parliaments get the lead on a basket each from Faizan Khan and Oscar Farrar, and Player of the Game Olivia Wu who had a bucket and two made free throws.. The Chi-Lites had rebounds from Luis Marin, Mateo Chan, and Rocco Tomas; with Max Lind making steals to keep their team close. The second half saw Alex Blondheim do all the scoring for the Chi-Lites to get them closer, but tough defense from Beau Bigler, Jakob Sroka, and Rayden Toteja helped the Parliaments lock down the defense, and with Oliver Farrar making a key free throw, the Parliaments got the victory.
Bar-Kays vs Miracles
Back and forth in the first half with multiple lead changes. The Bar-Kays had scoring from Liana Enayati, Oliver Lynn, and Beau Zaczepinski; the Miracles had scoring from Alice Roberts and Mariella Belew who had 11 first half points. The second half saw the
Bronze subs Alex Blondheim and Faizan Khan help the Miracles with rebounds and points, and Declan Wong got into the scoring column; however, the Bar-Kays pulled away with Oliver Hector making steals, Oliver Lynn and Rohan Peddi each having 6 points, and Player of the Game Beau Zaczepinski shutting down the top scorers of the other team, to earn a hard fought win for their team.
Gold
Godfathers vs Cameo
Godfathers came out strong, as Ross Nelson brought the soul to the hole, as he power drove to the basket for scores, and Abdullah Jooma and Jarec Garibay each had baskets. Cameo dominated the second quarter as the three-ball became their best
friend, as Coen Haynes and Ming Zhu made field goals from downtown. In the second half, the Godfathers mounted a comeback led by Kayhler Tomlinson who had multiple points from baskets and free throws. Cameo was strong on defense with Oliver Harris,
Max Oganes, and Conrad DiMauro locking it down, and with the help of points from Liam Katz and Player of the Game Ming Zhu, they were able to secure the victory.
Platinum
Contours vs Gap
The Gap kept up in the first half as Olana Alemayehu, Darien Jones, and Cassius Taylor were putting points on the board. The Contours had no subs, and were using a Gold division player, but this would not deter them, as all five players scored at least 8 or more points. The Contours were led in scoring by Parker Cappiccille with 37 points, including multiple assists to his brother Logan Cappiccille.
The Contours all around guard play of Matthew Scholze and Hunter Esposito-Doi stymied the opponents, and the overall hustle of Player of the Game Nicholas Huether shows how much they wanted the victory that they ran away with in the second half. Bright spots for the Gap were the continued scoring from Darien Jones and Cassius Taylor who each had three “3”s in the game, and the hustle of Antonio Rodriguez and Ryan Negusse.
SAT 8/19/23. WEEKEND #5
Copper
Stones vs Players
The Players did most of their damage in the first half as Oliver Williams and Player of the Game, Lior Vaisburd scored all the points. The Stones had steals and rebounds from Josephine Carey and Zayden Rashid. The second half saw the Stones get on the
scoring board with 4 points from Owen Wang who was also 2 for 2 from the free throw line. The Stones defense picked up in the second half as Asher Beale, Teddy Chang, Aidan Seet, and Grayson Hahn made contributions. But the Players locked down in the
end as Greysen Lovett, Leonardo Marin and Esme Chan were strong and kept the Stones from making a comeback.
Bronze
Coasters vs Drifters
The first quarter had the Drifters taking an early lead on baskets from Chase Ajiboye, and steals from Cetine Travnikoff. The Coasters took a halftime lead on buckets from Decker Amos, Rome Ricks, and Sidney Dubois. The second half saw the Drifters get points from Leo Belldegrun, Killian Georgaris, and Pablo Gonzalez to get within two points. In the end, the strong defense by Aiden McCabe, Bodhi Kothari, and Player of the Game Sean Murphy allowed the Coasters to hang on for the narrow victory.
All Girls game
Gold vs Purple
A fun time had by all the girls that participated in this special game. We divided the teams up into Gold versus Purple. Gold won the matchup on the strength of points from Olivia Ruiz, Mariama Belew, and Player of the Game Kay Roberts. The Purple had
points from Ray Song, Mariella Belew, and Player of the Game Mia Kondratyeva. Gold had strong performances from Alice Roberts and Michelle Guinzberg, and Purple had good defense from Mai Ly Pariser and her friend River who came to help out. Special thanks to Craig Pariser and Kelly Roberts for coaching both sides.
Gold
Cameo vs Spinners
Close first quarter as the Spinners got points from Logan Cappiccille and Austin Bernier, and Cameo had buckets from Ming Zhu and Player of the Game, Coen Haynes. Cameo took a lead in the second quarter as Oliver Harris made the scoring column, and
Max Oganes and Arya Nawathe got rebounds and steals. The Spinners got scoring in the second half again from Austin Bernier and Logan Cappiccille, but also had points from Sam Affleck and Henry Kendall, along with steals from Redeat Gebeyehu to mount a comeback; however, Cameo stayed strong as Liam Katz made buckets in the 4th quarter to keep his team ahead and on to victory.
Platinum
Impressions vs Contours
Unfortunately, none of the Contours were able to attend the match, so we divided up the Impressions along with some alumni of the program, and they played each other. We even got to see coach Brian Phelan play a few minutes out there, and display some
very good moves. This was the last game for cousins Yuze “Jerry” Tao and Loukang “Danny” Zhou as they returned back to Beijing later in the evening. We will miss them, after all, they made a lasting Impression on us all.
Gap vs Wonders
The Gap was shorthanded and needed the help of Gold sub Kay Roberts just to have 4 players. The Wonders were looking for their first win of the season. The Gap jumped out to a big first quarter lead as Darien Jones made a couple of deuces and treys, along with points from Kay Roberts and Antonio Rodriguez. But the Wonders narrowed the deficit by the end of the first half, as all the Wonders scored: River Zelenovic with a “3”, Mia Kondratyeva, Noah Hagooli Bolaños, Mesalay Benyam with a basket each, and Joshua Edwards with a strong second quarter with three field goals, and teammate Amanda Camacho had 7 first half points from free throws and threes.
The second half saw Darien Jones continue to score points as he had 16 points in the second half, and teammate Ryan Negusse made key steals. The Wonders took the lead at the end of the third quarter as Mia Kondratyeva was getting big rebounds with putbacks for points, River Zelenovic and Amanda Camacho each sank a “3”, and Noah Hagooli Bolaños had a bucket and was setting up plays at the point. The fourth quarter continued the drama as the Gap fought back with steals by Antonio Rodriguez, and more points by Darien Jones. The Wonders countered with Mesalay Benyam making a key outside 12-footer, and Joshua Edwards with a driving layup and a perfect 2 for 2 from the charity stripe to keep a narrow lead that was quickly lost when the Gap, Kay Roberts, swished a running 3-pointer to pull even with only a minute left.
But the hero would be the Wonders Amanda Camacho, with ice water in her veins, nailed her third “3” of the game, made
another basket, and converted a free throw to give her team their first victory of the season, earning Player of the Game and Player of the Week honors in a very exciting game in which both teams fought fair and hard.
SUN 8/20/23
Games Postponed due to tropical storm Hillary
FRI 8/25/23
Silver
Meters vs Bar-Kays
Early lead for the Meters as Charlie Hackett got a bucket seconds into the contest. The Bar-Kays came back in the first half with baskets by Ray Song, Beau Zaczepinski, Rohan Peddi, and Oliver Lynn. The second half saw the Bar-Kays extend their lead on
continued scoring from Player of the Game Ray Song, and Harrison Bond and James Boesiger made baskets. The Meters got baskets from Andrey Sterlyagov, Ocean Yaghoubzadeh, and Alexander Melamed, along with good defense from Elliot Israels.
The Bar-Kays were able to keep their lead as Nicholas Chan and Liana Enayati locked down the defense to help their team obtain the victory.
Gold
Supremes vs Cameo
Hard fought battle with tough defense in the first half. Scoring for Cameo came from Coen Haynes, Oliver Harris, Liam Katz, and Ming Zhu; and for the Supremes, Jason Gaines, Kay Roberts, and Alden Wong had all the first half points for their team. The second half saw Cameo close the gap by being only down 3 points as Arya Nawathe and Kamden King got steals and rebounds, and Ming Zhu made driving layups and a “3”. The Supremes got a bucket from Eugene Edouarzin, then locked down the defense
as Dominic Drew was dominant with his rebounds, steals, and tying up the ball.
Player of the Game, Alden Wong made an incredible assist by threading the needle to Chloe Scofield as she hit the bucket in full stride to help give the victory to the Supremes.
Platinum
Contours vs Impressions
The Contours had a strong first quarter from Hunter Esposito-Doi, Matthew Scholze, and Nicholas Huether as they gave their team the lead at the end of the quarter. The Impressions got their scoring going in the second quarter with two “3”s from Jack
Phelan, and a bucket each from Louis Meehan-Smith, Ethan Schwartz, and Sam McGowan.
The Impressions continued to score in the third quarter to get closer, as Rowan Booher had all 6 of his points in the third frame. The Contours remained strong as Parker Cappiccille and Max Baracy scored, and Grayson Klein added a bucket. The fourth quarter belonged to Player of the Game, Nicholas Huether, as he was key down the stretch making free throws and grabbing rebounds to give the Contours the victory.
SAT 8/26/23 WEEKEND #6
Bronze
Chi-Lites vs Coasters
All the first half scoring for the Chi-Lites came from Jonas Ketai, but the Coasters had two baskets each from Decker Amos, Bodhi Kothari, and Aiden McCabe, along with a free throw made from Nicholas Rivas, to give the Coasters the halftime lead. The
Chi-Lites got additional scoring from Alex Blondheim, along with rebounds and steals from Mateo Chan and Qiao Ren. But the Coasters were strong as Sean Murphy and Player of the Game Aiden McCabe grabbed multiple rebounds to give the Coasters the
victory.
Parliaments vs Drifters
The first half ended in a tie, with the Drifters getting points from Saum Safavi and Pablo Gonzalez, and the Parliaments got points from Oliver and Oscar Farrar. The second half saw the Parliaments get steals and rebounds from Mai Ly Pariser and Olivia Wu,
along with steals from Jakob Sroka; however, the Drifters were tough on defense with Teo Escalante and William Holt shutting down the middle, and points from Jett Shung, Killian Georgaris, Leo Belldegrun, and Player of the Game, Saum Safavi, to give their team the victory.
Gold
Spinners vs Godfathers
The Spinners were able to take a halftime lead and increase the lead to 12 points in the third quarter as they got baskets from Redeat Gebeyehu, Henry Kendall, Jack Meyer, Sammy Weil, and Austin Bernier. It looked as if the Spinners would cruise to victory, but don’t count out the Godfathers as they got up on the good foot late in the third quarter with points from Jarec Garibay, Diego Gonzalez, and Spencer Nelson to catch up.
The Spinners got the lead back on a bucket by Sam Affleck, but the Godfathers continued to score off of steals from Ross Nelson who gave the ball to Player of the Game, Abdullah Jooma who came up with two late buckets to give the Godfathers the big comeback win.
Cameo vs Supremes
Cameo got on the scoreboard early as Oliver Harris and Coen Haynes had first quarter points, and Liam Katz and Rohham Taherian added points in the second quarter. The Supremes got rolling in the first half with baskets from Eugene Edouarzin, Jason
Gaines, Kay Roberts, and Alden Wong to give their team the halftime lead. In the second half, Cameo had scoring from Liam Katz, Coen Haynes, and Ming Zhu, with teammates Kamden King, Arya Nawathe, and Conrad DiMauro being tough on defense.
The Supremes got the benefit of having the rest of the team contribute in big ways in the second half; Dominic Drew was stealing, assisting, and disrupting play to help his team get transition baskets, and Michelle Guinzburg made key rebounds, and Ibrahim Ally and Player of the Game, Chloe Scofield, each had two baskets to give their team the victory.
Platinum
Lakeside vs Impressions
The Impressions made a lasting impression right from the start as they had all six players score in the first half with AJ Evans and Sam McGowan leading the way with the most points, followed by Rowan Booher, Louis Meehan-Smith, Jack Phelan, and
Asher Zaczepinski. Lakeside was able to get points from Ryan Chambers, Dagmawi Ayel, Kai Halpert, and Brandon Israels in the first half. In the second half, Lakeside got additional scoring from Dylan Kravitz, and the Impressions continued to expand their
lead as Player of the Game, AJ Evans, was the leading scorer for the match, as his team cruised to victory.
Contours vs Wonders
The Wonders got the early lead on points from Noah Hagooli Bolaños, Josh Weil, and Vihaan Nawathe who had five 3-pointers in the match. The Contours fought back with points from brothers Parker and Logan Cappiccille, Nicholas Huether, and Radin
Taherian, to take a halftime lead. In the second half, the Wonders came back to within a few points on the hot shooting of Sasha Peterson who had three “3”s in the third quarter, and Joshua Edwards played tough defense, Isaac Lynn had a “trey”, and Mia
Kondratyeva got down on the floor to get loose balls and score points. The Contours guard play took over down the stretch as Hunter Esposito-Doi and Matthew Scholze scored and assisted teammates Grayson Klein and Player of the Game, Max Baracy, to
keep the lead and go on to the victory.
SUN 8/27/23
Copper
Express vs Players
First quarter had the Players Oliver Williams get a quick bucket to start the game, but was quickly countered by the Express with Luke Sarley making a basket. Another exchange of buckets with the Players Lior Vaisburd and the Express Shay Belldegrun
had it all tied up at the end of the first frame. The second quarter was more of the same back and forth, as the Players River Stanton and Oliver Williams, and the Express Player of the Game, Shay Belldegrun, and Luke Sarley each had one field goal to end the first half in a tie. The second half became lock down defense between both teams as the Express had Kai Belldegrun, Beck Britto, Sofia Pulusani, Louis Liu, and Theofilos Manolelis marking steals and getting rebounds; the Players had Prokhor Menshykov, Jaxon Oxendine, and Greyson Lovett not allowing the opponent to penetrate the lane.
The Express got a bucket from Player of the Game, Hugo Casarella, to take a two point lead; but, the Express tied it with a basket by Luke Sarley. As the two teams exchanged shots in the final minutes, nothing would fall in, and for the second time in a
row, these two teams would tie again. Time to kiss your twin sister!
Bronze
Parliaments vs Chi-Lites
The first half saw the Parliaments Olivia Wu get all of her game high 9 points and teammate Jakob Sroka had 6 points for the match, as their team took the first half lead.
The Chi-Lites had most of their scoring in the second half as Jonas Ketai was a perfect 4 for 4 from the free throw line, and Alex Blondheim and Rocco Tomas each had a basket, along with steals from Luis Marin; however, it was not enough to overcome the
Parliaments who locked down the defense with Mai Ly Pariser, and got a free throw from Rayden Toteja and a basket from Player of the Game, Billy Casarella, to hold onto the victory.
Drifters vs Coasters
In one of the more exciting games of the weekend, the Coasters got the first half lead on baskets from Sean Murphy, Decker Amos, and Bodhi Kothari. The Drifters got their scoring going in the second half as Leo Belldegrun, Pablo Gonzalez, and Killian
Georgaris each had a bucket in the third quarter, and the Coasters Rome Ricks had a basket to keep the game tied at the end of the third. In the fourth quarter, the Coasters got the lead on driving layups from Decker Amos, but the Drifters tied with baskets by Pablo Gonzalez and Saum Safavi on assists from Player of the Game, William Holt, along with tight defense from Cetine Travnikoff, Evan Ambar, and Teo Escalante. In the final minute, Saum Safavi made a free throw that turned out to be the difference maker, and the Drifters held onto the victory.
Silver
Miracles vs Bar-Kays
The Miracles came to battle and got on the scoreboard early with baskets from Olivia Ruiz, Mai Ly Pariser, and Declan Wong. The Bar-Kays fought back with a couple baskets from Ray Song and free throws by Rohan Peddi to take a narrow halftime lead.
The second half had the Bar-Kays James Boesiger and Oliver Lynn get on the scoreboard, and the Miracles Auden Travnikoff scoring to keep the game close, and Miracles teammates Alice Roberts, Leisha Aggarwal, and Liam Desante held the defense down. The fourth quarter had Player of the Game, the Bar-Kays Beau Zaczepinski score 6 points late in the match, and Harrison Bond get key rebounds to give their team the victory.
Platinum
Lakeside vs Wonders
The Wonders got the early lead on a big first half from Josh Weil with 4 points and Sasha Peterson with 14 points that included two “3”s, and contributions from Mesalay Benyam and Vihaan Nawathe with points. But Lakeside caught up and had a one point
lead at halftime thanks to 10 points from Ryan Chambers, 7 points and multiple rebounds from Kai Halpert, and treys from Dylan Kravitz.
The second half saw Lakeside Gabriel Chibane with two 3-pointers, and strong defense from Brandon Israels and Luca Hayutin, to keep getting their team the lead in a back and forth 3rd quarter. The Wonders kept fighting as Isaac Lynn grabbed rebounds, Azariah Gebeyehu hit a big “3”, Mia Kondratyeva with her scrappy play and hustle got loose balls and 6 second half points, Vihaan Nawathe and Joshua Edwards drove to the basket to score, and Player of the Game Sasha Peterson continued his three parade as he nailed two more from downtown to give the Wonders the narrow victory.
This Issue’s Profile
Each issue, Swish has a profile of a coach, player, or someone in the program who
inspires all of us involved in Santa Monica YMCA youth basketball.
This issue’s profile is of longtime players and brothers, Radin and Rohham Taherian. Radin is currently playing in the Platinum division, and Rohham is playing in the Gold division. Both boys are well liked by their teammates and coaches, for their good sportsmanship, coachability, and teamwork. With each season, the boys show vast improvement in their skills and play, and represent what are league is all about.
Most importantly, they love to play basketball and meet new friends.
Their parents Mohammad and Shima come to all the games to provide support and cheer on all the players.
Oftentimes, I see the two boys staying after practice for hours working on their game and playing with other kids in the program. It is always a pleasure to converse with them and to see their enjoyment in playing at the Santa Monica YMCA.
I asked Rohham and Radin a few questions for the Swish:
DocDrew: What is your favorite thing about youth basketball at the Santa Monica YMCA?
Radin: You don’t need to be good, you can just play.
Rohham: Before the games, there is always time to practice.
DocDrew: Who is your favorite player, and why?
Radin: Kobe Bryant because his plays were smart.
Rohham: LeBron James, he to me is the best player in the NBA right now.
DocDrew: What hobbies or activities do you like to do?
Radin: Play video games and basketball.
Rohham: Art, basketball, playing video
It is players such as Radin and Rohham and their family that help to keep our program strong, and we can’t thank them enough for all that they have done to promote and support our program of youth basketball at the Santa Monica Family YMCA.
Scores
SAT 7/22/23 WEEKEND #1
Platinum
Lakeside 38, Contours 48
SUN 7/23/23
Girls 8-9
Santa Monica YMCA 17, Westchester YMCA 18
Copper
Players 6, Express 4
Bronze
Drifters 18, Coasters 10
Silver
Bar-Kays 20, Miracles 15
Gold
Spinners 25, Supremes 22
Boys 12-15
Impressions 41, Westchester/Culver YMCA 38
SAT 7/29/23 WEEKEND #2
Bronze
Parliaments 20, Chi-Lites 22
Copper
Stones 6, Players 31
Silver
Meters 17, Miracles 11
Gold
Cameo 22, Godfathers 33
Platinum
Wonders 32, Gap 39
Impressions 57, Lakeside 45
SUN 7/30/23
Copper
Express 12, Stones 4
8-9 year olds
Santa Monica YMCA 15, Westchester/Culver YMCA 45
Bronze
Chi-Lites 14, Drifters 8
Silver
Bar-Kays 27, Meters 15
Gold
Supremes 38, Godfathers 24
Spinners 18, Cameo 41
SAT 8/5/23 WEEKEND #3
Copper
Express 12, Players 9
Bronze
Coasters 5, Chi-Lites 17
Silver
Miracles 10, Bar-Kays 31
Girls 9-13
Junior Lakers Gold 27
Junior Lakers/Clippers Purple/Blue 26
Platinum
Wonders 35, Lakeside 42
Gap 48, Impressions 47
SUN 8/6/23
Copper
Players 0, Stones 1
(Stones won by forfeit)
11-13 Year Olds
Santa Monica YMCA 25
Anderson/Munger YMCA 17
Bronze
Coasters 15, Parliaments 14
Silver
Bar-Kays 41, Meters 13
Gold
Godfathers 32, Spinners 26
Platinum
Wonders 34, Contours 65
SAT 8/12/23 WEEKEND #4
Copper
Stones 3, Express 18
Bronze
Drifters 0, Parliaments 1
(Parliaments won by forfeit)
Silver
Meters 37, Miracles 17
Gold
Supremes 52, Spinners 31
Platinum
Gap 45, Lakeside 49
Impressions 47, Wonders 28
SUN 8/13/23
Copper
Players 10, Express 10
8-9 year olds
Santa Monica YMCA 57
Westchester/Culver YMCA 30
Bronze
Chi-Lites 9, Parliaments 13
Bar-Kays 26, Miracles 18
Gold
Godfathers 20, Cameo 30
Platinum
Contours 73, Gap 39
SAT 8/19/23 WEEKEND #5
Copper
Stones 4, Players 23
Bronze
Coasters 16, Drifters 14
All-Girls
Gold 22, Purple 15
Gold
Cameo 44, Spinners 20
Platinum
Impressions 1, Contours 0
(Impressions won by forfeit)
Gap 44, Wonders 49
FRI 8/25/23
Silver
Meters 14, Bar-Kays 32
Gold
Supremes 39, Cameo 27
Platinum
Contours 51, Impressions 42
SAT 8/26/23 WEEKEND #6
Bronze
Chi-Lites 10, Coasters 21
Parliaments 8, Drifters 18
Gold
Spinners 21, Godfathers 25
Cameo 30, Supremes 49
Platinum
Lakeside 35, Impressions 56
Contours 62, Wonders 44
SUN 8/27/23
Copper
Express 10, Players 10
Bronze
Parliaments 19, Chi-Lites 10
Drifters 15, Coasters 14
Silver
Miracles 12, Bar-Kays 23
Platinum
Lakeside 42, Wonders 45
Standings:
Teams are awarded 5 points for a win, 3 points for a tie, 1 point for a loss, 0 points for a forfeit. Tournament games have greater point value. Teams are listed in their place in the standings with W-L-T and team points.
Copper:
Express 3-1-2, 22 points
Players 3-2-2, 22 points
Stones 1-4-0, 9 points
Bronze:
Coasters 3-3-0, 18 points
Chi-Lites 3-3-0, 18 points
Parliaments 3-3-0, 18 points
Drifters 3-3-0, 17 points
Silver:
Bar-Kays 7-0-0, 35 points
Meters 2-3-0, 13 points
Miracles 0-6-0, 6 points
Gold:
Supremes 4-1-0, 21 points
Cameo 3-3-0, 18 points
Godfathers 3-2-0, 17 points
Spinners 1-5-0, 10 points
Platinum:
Contours 5-1-0, 25 points
Impressions 4-2-0, 22 points
Wonders 2-5-0, 15 points
Lakeside 2-4-0, 14 points
Gap 2-3-0, 13 points
Thank you very much, to all the coaches, parents, players, referees, and my assistant Nicholas Walker.
Special thanks to the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation for partnering with the Santa MonIca Family YMCA youth basketball program.
Dr. Paul Drew, youth basketball coordinator at the Santa Monica Family YMCA, editor and publisher of Swish.
