Supporters Behind the Sport

Behind every athlete is their biggest supporter. Redwood athletes share who their biggest supporters are, while coaches and parents share the impact of their support on their team.

By: Justyne Sanchez

Parents, friends, and family members play a crucial role in supporting their children in sports, by providing encouragement, attending games, confidence boosts, a positive mindset, and so much more. Having supportive people in your life doesn’t mean showing up to every game. It means to have someone always cheering you on through your hard moments, having someone who will never doubt you and will always support your dreams and ambitions. 

As these Redwood Rangers that participate in wrestling, soccer, and basketball go into their season they share who their biggest supporters are and how much it affects them throughout their season. 

Varsity Wrestling, Mia Santibanez ’24, says that her biggest supporter, “is my mom because she goes to my tournaments the best she can.” 

She says, “Talking to my mom about practices and what I did wrong is nice since she’s interested in my wrestling journey. Throughout my wrestling career, she’s always trying to do her best for me and that’s what matters most. If I’m having a bad day she comforts me and reminds me that it’s not always about the outcome but the journey and to not let it ruin my mindset.” 

Santibanez also says the type of support she gets from her mom is, “We have practice pretty late so she definitely takes a big part in taking me and dropping me off. I go to the gym after practice and she likes to go with me which also is really nice. It’s the small things that make me appreciate everything she does for me. It’s definitely helped me get better and easier on me stress-wise.” 

Leah See ’24 has been playing soccer for 13 years and plays midfield/forward. See says, “My biggest supporter is my dad. He’s always pushed me to be my best both on and off the field. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. He’s helped me so much along my journey and I can’t wait to see what my future holds.” 

She says, “My dad supports me in every way possible. He is always at my games whether they’re home or away. He also tries to make as much time as he can to support me. It feels amazing to know I have such a supportive dad by my side. Again without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the sacrifices he’s made for me. He’s my number one supporter and I know that he will always be.”  

Isla Esquivel ’26, a member of girls junior varsity basketball, describes who supports her through her basketball journey and academics she says, “My biggest supporters are my family. They affected my journey by being there when I needed them. I get all kinds of support when it comes to sports. My family always shows up and they cheer me on and when it comes to academics they come to my award ceremonies.”

Esquivel says, “It makes me happy because they come out and support me.” 

Head coach of Boys Basketball, Mr. Black shares his thoughts on what ways he supports his team and the importance of parent support. “I support the team, by being there every day. I treat the players when they are in my supervision as if they are mine. We have real-life conversations as life and actions happen during the course of the season.” He says.

Mr. Black shares the key role parents play in supporting sports, he says, “The parents help by supporting our athletes through our boosters. Boosters are usually parents that have the best interest of the players and their well-being. Our parents whom aren’t boosters have done a great job of supporting the coach and the player. Parent’s role during a season should be to encourage and make sure their player/son is taken care of mentally and physically to perform their best. Being positive with their child is a big element to our team’s success. Our parents have been great.”

Elsie McDonnell, the mother of Erin McDonnell ’26, says “I’m my daughter’s biggest cheerleader. I attend as many games and events as I can. I involve myself by getting to know the coaches and players to find out what their needs are.”

As a booster parent, McDonnell explains what she does, “A booster club is set up to support the team and coaches. It consists of a board of directors and members, usually the parents of the players. We hold fundraisers to raise money to spend on anything that would benefit the program. Funds are used for things like uniforms, team events, media day, and senior night.” She says.

She says, “communication. Before the season we reach out to the coaches to find out what their plans and needs are. We have a Remind that we use to ask parents for various items such as running the scoreboard, announcing at games, snack donations, or whatever else the coach and the team needs.”

McDonnell shares her most memorable moment that stood out to her from her time helping the team, she says “during an all-day tournament, the boosters provided snacks and meals for the team to ensure they have energy to play throughout the day. I received multiple texts from players on how grateful they were for the food. It makes my heart happy.”

Parents’ involvement contributes to their children’s overall success, development, and enjoyment of the sport they are playing. 

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