Animo Leadership getting ready to enter new territory
FOOTBALL: Under guidance from Olivares, school putting together first team.
There's a new kid on the block. High school football season might be three months away, but Animo Leadership is already looking to make a name for itself in its first season this fall.
The public charter school located in Inglewood has been in place for only two years, but the administration felt that adding a football program was the next step to improving the school's athletic department.
"I thought a football team would bring school spirit and a sense of pride to our school," Assistant Athletic Director Michael Gonzalez said. "Football is a big part of high school. It's something that the students and faculty can rally behind."
With an enrollment of only 420 students, the administration hoped for a team of 30 students. But when 45 students signed up to play and began attending practices this spring, Gonzalez knew that a strong football program was in the making.
But it won't stop there. With an incoming freshman class, the team could have as many as 60 students on its first-year roster.
Head coach Ricardo Olivares has been coaching football for 10 years and was pleasantly surprised by the turnout of student-athletes this spring at practices in Inglewood's Edwards Vincent.
"We're just starting with the basics," Olivares said. "We're teaching them basic stance and the positions. The kids catch on quick, and we do have some athletes.
"But it's a whole different story when the pads come on. I keep telling them that's the true test."
Even with a lack of experience and a new program slowly developing, Olivares is optimistic about the team's performance in the fall.
"We just want to compete in every football game in our first year out there," said Olivares, who left Compton-Dominguez as defensive coordinator to take over the new program. "For a first-year program, everything is going as smoothly as it could go.
One of the reasons Olivares has enjoyed the move to Animo is the willingness of his players to listen. Because of their lack of playing experience and knowledge of the game, Olivares' players have shown a passion to win simply through teamwork and hard work.
"I have kids come up to me and say 'Coach, I'll do whatever you want us to do. We'll play wherever you want us to play,' " Olivares said. "These kids just want to play. My kids don't really know, so they just are willing to have any opportunity to go out and hit somebody."
Still, several logistics lie ahead for Olivares and the new program.
Facilities and scheduling are just some of the issues that are still being worked out for the fall season. Without a football stadium, Olivares will take his team on the road for the entire 10-game schedule this season, beginning Sept. 11 at Chadwick.
Animo Leadership hopes to have a permanent home playing field for the 2005-2006 school year, as well as a spot in the Golden Athletic Conference after playing a freelance schedule for the first year.
While athletics are important, Animo Leadership believes that its students should strive to maintain academic excellence. Unlike most public high schools in the area, the school requires all student-athletes to hold a 2.5 GPA in order to participate in sports. The CIF requirement is 2.0.
Last year, Gonzalez and Athletic Director Sergio Medrano helped form a basketball program and a soccer program, which has shown success in its first year with several seniors receiving Division I scholarships from UCLA and Cal State Fullerton last spring.
With the success of these first-year programs, Gonzalez and Medrano continue to work hard with the administration to create other teams for the next few years.
Recently, more interest has been expressed in track and field, baseball and softball as Animo's athletic department continues to grow in all disciplines.
"We're the new school in Inglewood," Olivares said. "No one has heard of us or knows what we're about, so these kids are ready to make a name for this program next fall."
Publish Date: 6/30/04