Local basketball teams have kicked off their summer league seasons, which will continue through mid July.
This week, the Sobrato boys and girls teams kicked off their summer schedule along with the Live Oak boys varsity team. The Lady Acorns begin their summer league schedule Monday.
The Lady Bulldogs have already been in action for a week, while the boys hoops teams from both Sobrato and Live Oak started Thursday and will continue Friday.
The coaches reiterated that this summer is about team building, and less about wins and losses.
Live Oak is losing just five seniors and is returning some key pieces looking to improve on last season.
Coach Brett Paolucci will have a formidable crop of seniors in the next season and is looking to ramp up his boys to make a run in 2013.
The Acorns are returning Luke Laguna, who led the team in scoring last season. He is joined by Kalum Bergstrom, who was second in both blocked shots and rebounds last year.
Sobrato girls coach Erica Wallace said she wants to see the team come together. She said last year, the girls played too much as individuals and weren’t used to the teamwork and family work that she emphasized.
She also noted that because of girls leaving the team for different reasons, some had to play in roles they weren’t used to and couldn’t get used to because the line up shifted so much.
“I want them to be able to have fun and start to step into their roles,” Wallace said.
The Sobrato boys coach Lee Washington said he wants his boys to build camaraderie on and off the floor.
“They’ve done a good job communicating on the court and making adjustments on the court or in the huddle, after games and at half time,” Washington said. “The leadership is really building.”
Both Sobrato teams are coming off of tough seasons last year, but both have a good upside heading into the 2013/14 season.
The boys have most of their weapons back, including leading scorer Karl Mann along with captain Bryce Shore and Max Mosgrove.
Washington said Mosgrove has been adaptive to multiple roles and is showing an aggressiveness as he gets more time under his belt.
For the girls, Tauheeda Id’deen is beginning to step up into a strong role. Wallace said Id’deen was quiet last season, but is taking off in the summer league.
Joining her is Megan Yabumoto, who hit a pair of 3-pointers at the end of Sobrato’s game against Santa Teresa on Thursday that nearly put the Bulldogs past the Saints.
Wallace also gave credit to point guard Vanessa Gonzalez, whom she called the heart of the team.
“She brings this intensity that everyone is trying to match,” Wallace said.
The girls’ next game is Tuesday against Piedmont Hills. The two local boys teams will face off against each other June 20.
