Senior Eleanor Stern鈥檚 favorite baseball memory is a disappointing one for many other fans: the 2020 World Series, when the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4 to 2.
鈥淚 was really excited and overjoyed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was also a really special moment to watch the final with my dad.鈥�
Stern became interested in baseball at a young age through her dad, eventually becoming a Dodgers fan.
鈥淕rowing up, (my dad) would take me and my sister to baseball games,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s I got older, I started getting more into the actual sport (through) watching it.鈥�
This tradition with her dad has continued, and Stern usually goes to two or four games during the year. Most recently, she watched the Dodgers play the San Francisco Giants in April. Despite having a soft spot for the Giants, Stern has remained a steadfast Dodgers fan because of her dad.
鈥淢y dad鈥檚 from LA, and he grew up watching (the Dodgers) and going into their games, so he鈥檚 always loved them,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat made me like them too. Also, I was born in D.C., so if anything, I wouldn鈥檛 be a Giants fan 鈥� I would be a (Washington) Nationals fan.鈥�
Stern keeps up with her favorite teams through social media and watches games and checks scores through ESPN. To show support, she buys merchandise, collecting Dodgers bobbleheads and baseball cards from various teams. Stern also wears her Dodgers apparel as part of her everyday outfits.
Unconventionally, Stern does not have a favorite player.
鈥淚 always say that I have really bad luck with my favorite players,鈥� she said. 鈥淲henever I choose a favorite player, they either get injured, start to suck or go to a different team. I can鈥檛 really have a favorite player, or it鈥檚 not going to work out for me.鈥�
Sophomore Liam Wong remains an avid fan of the Golden State Warriors, showing support by tracking games and following their social media accounts. Wong also goes the extra mile by directly sponsoring the team, purchasing merchandise that he wears proudly.
鈥淚 have a Golden State Warriors hat and pants,鈥� Wong said. 鈥淚 (also) have patches from the Finals to put in my backpack or basketball bag.鈥�
Wong grew up watching NBA games with his grandfather.
鈥淲hen I was little, he just had the TV on, watching different teams,鈥� he said. 鈥淲henever he put on Golden State Warriors games, I would really enjoy that team.鈥�
As a tradition, Wong wears his Warriors hat during important games, such as the Finals or playoffs. His favorite memory is watching the Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics 103 to 90 during the 2022 NBA Finals
while wearing the hat.
Wong鈥檚 love for basketball also extends to videography. Since eighth grade, Wong has been taking videography classes at school, and he currently films the Stanford University mens and womens basketball teams for fun.
鈥淚 really like the stories I could tell (through the camera),鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really fun experience. I wish I could film the Warriors, so if I film Stanford (games), I can work myself up (to that).鈥�
Wong鈥檚 enthusiasm for the Warriors isn鈥檛 just for the team as a whole. It extends to individual players: Shooting guard Gary Payton II has a special place in his heart. He attributes his fondness for Payton to their similar playing styles on the court.
鈥淗e鈥檚 more of a defensive player, which is the type of player I am,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e basically guards one through five (which means he guards all positions) and doesn鈥檛 back down if there鈥檚 a challenge.鈥�
Draymond Green, a power forward of the Warriors, has influenced Wong鈥檚 leadership on the Gunn boys basketball team.
鈥淥n the junior varsity team, I try to talk a lot on defense, be a team player and be a leader for the team as well,鈥� he said.
Your donation will support the student journalists of Henry M. Gunn High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
