Fall Sports Preview - 2001

Football | Cross Country
Tennis | Golf
Volleyball | Cheer

‘Victory with honor:’ focus of YHS sports

Head coach looks forward to a successful year in all YHS sports

Dave Dooman is in his third year as the director of all sports at Yosemite High School.

This year the Badgers are involved with a program that is linked to the California Interscholastic Federation titled, “Pursuing Victory with Honor,” says Dave Dooman, Yosemite High School’s athletic director.

The program tries to get everyone involved in athletics to focus on the following: responsibility, respect, fairness, caring, trustworthiness and citizenship.

The Badgers also require that all coaches take an American Education Program class. This is a six-hour class held at night and taught by Kevin Shaw.

Dooman, beginning his third year as the head of YHS sports says athletic participation is holding its own. Around 800 students are involved in an extra-curricular activity at Yosemite.

Dooman is especially pleased with the new athletic facility. “The use of two gyms is great, and the weight room is fantastic,” he says. Victor Mendez, son of the late Richard Mendez and former Badger athlete, has donated a number of pieces of weight-training equipment,” says Dooman.

“This should be a good year for the Badgers. We are ranked third in the Valley in football,” remarks Dooman.

Goal is ‘positive experience’ for athletes, says principal

YHS Principal Steve Raupp shows the new sports lockers as he explains the enlargement and renovation of the high school’s original athletic facility.

Steve Raupp, Principal at Yosemite High School, is starting his third full year as the person in charge.

Steve is a former Badger football and wrestling coach. He equates his current position with his past head coaching jobs.

“I try to present a positive environment in all aspects at Yosemite High School,” he says. “We are here for academic achievement, but we are interested in all aspects of the students.”

Sixty-seven percent of our 1,200-student body participates in some type of extra curricular activity related to the school, he continues. “We want the student to feel part of the school,” he adds.

Program on upswing

“Our athletic program is on the upswing. The football program has improved, and our varsity should be competitive in the pre-season and has a good chance of winning the league,” he says.

The cross-country team is chasing its 10th league championship. Coach Ellen Peterson has a wealth of participation, he says.

“The girl’s volleyball team should produce one of the top teams in the Valley and Mountain Area,” he says. Varsity volleyball’s head coach, Michele Chenowith, “has been grooming this team for four years,” boasts Mr. Raupp.

Past experience

“Winning is important, but our goal is to produce a positive experience for the athlete,” he says.

The former coach related his experience as head football coach of the 1978 Badger team. The team improved each game, finally winning its last two games. The team’s season ended with a 2-8 record. The team, however, was a springboard to the next year’s winning season, highlighted by a victory over Dos Palos, one of the top teams in the state.

Lockers, weigh room

The athletic department will have a new locker room for the students and the coaches. The new locker room will include a visitor’s room and a much-needed training room.

The new wrestling room will be attached to the cafetorium which includes a full-size gym with seating for 600. This building will house the cafeteria which includes a snack bar.

The weight room is being constructed and should be finished any day.

Last year’s construction included the moving and remodeling of the library which includes a large computer room along with a career center plus a teacher’s work room.

The administration offices were moved and remodeled last year.

A large parking lot is now available for the students, and the teachers and visitors will park in the upper lot.

Mr. Raupp says, “The administration is attempting to find ways to complete the project which includes a drama and swimming complexes plus new softball diamonds.”

When asked about what one thing he would do for athletics if he had the funding? “We need a good training program for the younger coaches,” he responds.