After being rained out Jan. 30, the boys basketball program hopes for a rebound with the weather this Saturday so coaches can evaluate students wishing to try out for the team on the Sunny Hills outdoor sports courts.
Boys basketball head coach Joseph Ok said he hopes to form a freshman squad so that his staff can start to work with the athletes for the future. From the 10:00-11:30 a.m. tryout, Ok also aims to fill limited roster spots on the junior varsity and sophomore team.
“We waited as long as we could to have a normal tryout, but under the current circumstances, it is unknown when we will be allowed back in the gym and play normal basketball,” he said. “So we decided to at least designate teams and have them work out and condition together.”
The coaches will set up drills that test those trying out their skills on passing, ball handling and shooting, Ok said. He and his assistants will also put students through physical conditioning exercise to look at these athletes’ agility and mobility, albeit limited by coronavirus restrictions.
“We are permitted to share equipment in pods, but we will keep sharing equipment to a minimum,” the head coach said, referring to small groups of 10 people who will pass sanitized basketballs.
Students must bring their own basketball and also complete their athletic clearance and athletic waiver before they can participate, Ok said. The form can be found in the front office in Room 5 or on the Sunny Hills website under “Important News & Announcements.”
As of Jan. 13, Ok said up to 20 students have shown interest and communicated with him regarding the tryouts.
“The tryouts will most definitely be different than the tryouts Sunny has had in the past,” said freshman Andrew Song, who hopes to be added to any roster spot that Ok assigns him to. “I assume everyone will be wearing their masks, and I trust that the coaches will make tryouts as safe as possible with all that is going on right now.”
Song said he has been practicing with his friends at Bastanchury Park in Fullerton to prepare for Saturday’s tryouts.
“I feel excited,” he said. “I have been in tryouts before but never for a high school team, so I don’t know what to expect, but I’m looking forward to it.”
If students are interested in trying out for the basketball team, they should contact Ok through his email, [email protected].
