Oak Lawn Community High School has a variety of sports teams, ranging from golf, to basketball. Some of these teams fortunately get to participate in exciting activities and trips, one being the baseball team’s upcoming out-of-state tournament.
On March 25, the baseball team will pack up their gear, pile into a bus, and begin their nine-hour road trip down to Hoover, Alabama, for a thrilling tournament. This will actually be the team’s second time competing in the tournament. The first was in spring of 2023.
Head coach, William Gerny, is hoping it can become an every-other-year thing. They leave on Tuesday, March 25, play Wednesday through Friday, and make their way back home Saturday, March 29. During this period the boys will play seven games in three days. They play two games on Wednesday, two on Thursday, and three on Friday.
Gerny says, “The teams down there have a great advantage over us. They get the nice weather and play for longer in the year.” He also says that this tournament helps the team prepare for their seasonal games and better prepare for conference games.
Junior, Eli Kulpinski says, “I’m excited to see the competition in a different state with other teams and see how they play compared to us”. This will be Kulpinski’s first out-of-state tournament for baseball, but he is ready for the challenge.
The boys do year-round training to help prepare for the real season. Not only do these workouts help physically but also with team relationships. Forming a close bond and good communication with teammates before the season even starts builds a good foundation for success.
The coach and the team want to have the best year, so they have to work hard to make up for the talent they lose each year when seniors graduate. Gerny claims, “I think we will be pretty good. Only two of our starters left last year. We will be relying on the juniors, Justin Canvin, who has signed with UIC for baseball, Eli Kulpinski, John Olejniczak, Jack Dempsey, and seniors, such as, Peyton Melnik, and Zack Ullrick.”
Kulpinski, says, “ We have been practicing three to four days a week and have a good number of people showing up. So it’s good to see we have a lot of players that care and want to play.” With the effort from the boys and tournament coming up, the baseball team will be fired up and ready for their 2025 season.
An exciting out of state tournament was not only offered to boys baseball, but the girls basketball team also travelled south this school year. Back in December, the girls varsity team took a trip Tampa Bay, Florida, to compete in a weekend of basketball. The Spartans flew out to Tampa Bay on December 26 and stayed in Clearwater Beach. They stayed there for five days, played three games, and then flew back on December 31.
Head coach, Mark Sevedge shares, “Since I have been coaching here, the basketball team has never traveled out of the state for a tournament. This was our first time.” Even though it was their first time competing the girls made a name for themselves, almost winning the championship. Sevedge says, “The girls did really well, despite playing without two of our starters, who were out due to injuries.”
The Spartans won their first two games but lost to Ballard High school out of Kentucky in a close game with only an eight-point difference. Though the team lost, senior, Teagan Krzystof was named to the all-tournament team. The team’s effort and great achievement is recognized by many.
Parent of Danielle Dempsey, says, “They took second and went two and one which is always a very positive thing.”
Junior, Briany Lara shares, “Although we didn’t come back unbeaten, we got to experience a terrific tournament with unbelievable talent. Knowing how close we got to a championship victory speaks volumes on how talented our girls are.”
Senior, Annie McGrath claims, “Playing in a whole different state against schools we have never even heard of was a different, but it was a super cool opportunity for us all.” The girls aren’t letting the loss eclipse their remarkable performance and achievements or further discourage their abilities.
These team trips out of state aren’t only for extra games, but they are also team bonding. Being on a sports team means seeing teammates very often and spending a lot of high school life with them. But going out of state and sharing hotel rooms is a whole different level of close. These players will share an experience and have memories to last lifetimes.
McGrath shares, “The car rides to and from games is definitely a core memory for us all because they were always high energy and full of us singing and laughing. The nights at the hotel were also super fun because we got to swim, play games, shop, go to the beach, and just have a good time with one another.”
Lara says, “I grew closer to a lot of the seniors over the five days. We got to share a room together, doubts were raised when I heard there would be fifteen of us in a room but it was like a sleepover every night, playing games and just having fun.”
This trip was a fun, bonding experience for the girls, especially since it is the last year for nine of those girls. It’s fun for the parents and families as well.
Mrs. Dempsey, who is the mother of girls basketball player Danielle and baseball player Jack, went to Florida with the girls basketball team and is headed to Alabama with the baseball team.
Mrs. Dempsey claims, “It was nice for the seniors to have a closing trip before they leave; I know all those girls had a lot of fun with their team.” Not only did the girls have fun but so did the coaches and families. The girls’ families went down to Florida and all stayed in the same hotel. Mrs. Dempsey says all the parents are friends and being out of state with them was very nice. She also took part in the family dinner they had with all coaches, girls, and their families.
Sevedge says, “It was a lot of fun being able to hang out with the players and their families away from the basketball court. It was an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
The tournament was a positive experience for everyone involved. Hopefully when the boys go away, they share the same bonding experience as the girls basketball team and come back better than they left. Wish the Spartans good luck as they travel down to Alabama and prepare for the season that is starting on March 17.
