48 MARCH 2023 ARCADIANEWSARCHIVES.COM In Arcadia, Saint Patrick’s Day means more than four-leaf clovers and an abundance of green! Discover the magic and fun March 17 brings to the neighborhood. G etting an interview is hard. Interviewing for jobs takes a lot of work. This is especially true when you don’t know someone already at the company where you’re applying. Through the process of automated email rejections to our job applications, we try to make sense of it all. It’s human nature to try to piece together what we can’t see. It helps us to feel more in control. It helps us try to perform better next time if only we understand what went wrong. When I hear from job seekers, they are almost always beaten down. It’s a lot like dating. The entire process can be rough until you find the one person you happen to click with. The experience is a sea of rejections and unanswered questions until that point. When you ask a job seeker why they weren’t hired, you’ll hear common themes: “I didn’t meet the minimum number of years of experience required.” “I’ve never worked in that industry before.” “They weren’t impressed with my job history.” What is interesting is what comes next. If you ask the same jobseeker how they received this feedback, they didn’t. Very often, they have yet to get a job interview. Because the job description was so extensive, it was easy to find a spot where their experience didn’t align with the job posting. They deduced that they weren’t a match based on what they knew about the role. The problem is this logic is flawed. The job seeker could be correct. More than likely, a human has yet to see their job application. Unfortunately, the system of applying online needs to be fixed. Beyond that, online job postings allow hundreds of people to apply to a single posting with just a few clicks. Sadly, job searching has evolved into a numbers game. To find a new job, job seekers should set a goal of applying to 100 jobs. The number seems high, but it’s about increasing your odds. The more applications you put in, the more likely you will get an interview. The more often you have a friend refer you to a role who already works at the company, the more likely you are to get an interview. The more often you email the hiring manager directly, the more likely you will get an interview. The interview is critical. If you don’t speak to a human, it’s possible a human never saw your resume. That’s why applying to so many jobs is essential. That’s why going the extra mile by tapping your network is important. Set goals and stick to them. When you are rejected, try to accept that a large part of the problem is the system. Every rejection should not be taken as a personal attack but as a message to keep applying for other opportunities. The stories we tell ourselves Career Corner Career Corner Career Career expert and founder of Copeland Coaching. copelandcoaching.com BY ANGELA COPELAND

49 MARCH 2023 By Melissa Hirschl St. Theresa Catholic School’s Broncos softball team was jubilant after winning the Catholic Youth Athletic Association (CYAA) championship game in January. Being a back-to- back win to last year’s championship – the first in school history – made the moment even more gratifying. Christ Lutheran and St. Theresa played a tense game due to consistent ties and excellent play on both sides. During the 5th and 6th innings, the Broncos took the lead, which they held until the last strike was called for the third and final out. “The girls immediately rushed the field as parents, friends and family stood up, cheered and clapped with gusto,” Assistant Coach Andy Bandura said. “The eighth-graders had bittersweet tears of joy knowing it was their last hoorah as a Bronco.” Teams lined up to congratulate each other with fist bumps and high fives as the coaches shook hands. According to Assistant Coach Shawn Brown, officials from the softball league said it was one of the greatest championship games they had witnessed. The championship was the last game of a double- elimination tournament consisting of eighth-grade teams. The CYAA allowed concessions for St. Theresa team since they did not have enough girls to play on the field. “Our starting team consisted of one sixth grader, four seventh graders and four eight graders,” Coach Brown said. “The concession allowed us to play with younger players versus all eighth graders.” Participating schools in the tournament included Christ Lutheran, St. Francis Xavier, St. Gregory, St. John XXIII and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. To commemorate the Bronco’s performance, the school proudly displays the three-foot trophy the girls received. In addition, a banner will be on permanent display in the gymnasium. “We had a unique team of sixth, seventh and eighth- graders, all playing at a high level,” Bandura said. “We had players who never picked up a ball and bat and others who have played half their life.” Despite the variances in age and skill levels, the team proved to have a winning chemistry. For the novice players, coaches worked on hitting, fielding, taking signs and base running. “It was refreshing to have such good listeners who were very coachable, despite their inexperience,” Bandura said. “St. Theresa’s has never won a softball championship before last year, and winning two in a row is a big deal. It was very satisfying to see younger players increase their skill levels and win.” “The championship was very exciting,” seventh-grader Addie Bandura said. “Our team had a lot of girls last year, and it was fun playing with friends since we all enjoy each other. Also, our coaches are great; they give us moral support and training.” “It was a big team effort, and we all pulled together. It was intimidating playing CLS since they were undefeated for two years,” eighth-grader Angie Falls said. Head Coach Eric Dreier said that the coaches work hard to provide balance during practices. “We try to have a laid-back attitude but also encourage competition,” he explained. “I tell them anytime they play, they need to give 100 percent effort to ensure a good chance positive things happen. Mastering the fundamentals and having a positive attitude is the most important thing. We are naturally hoping for another win next year.” Two-in-a-row for St. Theresa’s softball team (front) Coach Shawn Brown, Milla Meinhausen, Meredith Shager, Valeria Rosas, Catie Murphy, Adeleine Bandura, Lulu Smith, Angie Falls, Lucy Dreier, Annie Drier, Lexi Brown, Lila Evarkiou, Gia Catton. (back) Reese Brown, Coach Eric Dreier, Coach Andrew Bandura. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW BANDURA By Mallory Gleich St. Theresa’s seventh-grade basketball team recently made waves as they went undefeated through the regular season and took home the Catholic Youth Athletic Association (CYAA) Championship. The St. Theresa Broncos start practice at the beginning of November, with games starting in the middle of that month and going through the end of January. They played 12 games this season, including the CYAA playoffs. “We have a good amount of interest in basketball at St. Theresa,” Coach Jason Elrod said. “Most of the boys in seventh grade participate. Because of that, we split the boys into two teams of seven and six for the regular season, so they all get plenty of playing time.” The coaches combined both teams for the playoffs, so 13 players participated in the CYAA games. Elrod said the strength of the team is defined by their basketball IQ. “More than half of the boys play for the Phoenix Runnin’ Rebels club program in Arcadia. They are a fun group to watch play, and they play at a very advanced level for their age,” he said. The CYAA Championship games took place in late January at St. Francis in Phoenix. The Broncos took on a “very tough St. Thomas team,” according to Elrod, who explained that most Catholic schools in the Valley were in attendance. “We were the No. 1 seed going into the playoffs, and we beat St. Jerome, St. Vincent, All Saints and St. Thomas twice,” he said. “Our team was laser focused all season. I was proud of the way they stayed focused throughout the playoffs. Being the No. 1 seed, we got everyone’s best every night.” Teammate Bentley Elrod has been playing basketball since he was four years old and said his strong will to win helps him during gameplay. “We were all locked in and didn’t want to let each other down,” Bentley said. “After the championship, we were introduced in front of the whole school at the closing prayer ceremony.” Seventh-grader Luke Polachek said his favorite part of winning was knowing there would be a banner hung up, so he could remember the accomplishment with his friends and teammates. “I stay motivated by having fun and always wanting to get better,” Luke said. “When the championship was over, we told each other good work and passed around the trophy that we brought back to St. Theresa.” The team’s motto, which helps keep them motivated on and off the court, is “the job’s not done.” “We really wanted to finish undefeated. We were able to do that in football this season and were focused on doing it again for basketball,” Elrod said. Congratulations, Broncos! St. Theresa Basketball wins CYAA Championships (back) Assistant Coach Jeremy Barnes, Jackson Keeler, Jedi Lopatin, Bentley Elrod, Carter Manuel, Pierce Foster, Drew Ogan, Assistant Chip Pisoni, Head Coach Jason Elrod. (front) AJ DeMarco, Andrew Leuer, Luke Polachek, Jordan Barnes, Jake Martone, Blake Pisoni. PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON ELROD