New York Yankees Can’t Hold a Candle to Bonita’s Varsity Tennis Team

Torrie Thompson, Megan Rasmussen, Jasmine Beller, Anissa Leong, Mariah Grattan, Amanda Santomero, Sydney Monsen, Breanna Wyatt (back row) Stefanie Sizemore, Chrissy Normington, Sharaya Grattan, Lizzie Powell, Chelsey Zehm, Erin Winser, Rachel Strowbrige, Ally Patton and Karina Palillo.

The Yankees might be playing for their 27th World Series title, but Bonita’s head varsity coach Randy Bell doubts they could match his players’ intestinal fortitude.

“If the Yankees had the heart these girls had, they would have already swept the series (against Philadelphia Phillies),” he said before the team’s end-of-the-season barbecue. “The heart in these girls is the best I’ve seen in many years.”

Bell added that his girls’ heart is based on “truth, commitment, love and belief.”

“Truth, to be true to yourself and what your capabilities are,” the L.A. County Sheriff said. “Being true to your teammates. Commitment means staying committed to your family, your academics and your extracurriculars and finding a good balance. Love. You have to love what you do. Hopefully, the same thing happens with their academic and working careers. If you love what you do, stay with it. Belief. Believe in yourself, believe in your coach, believe in your teammates, and you’ll be successful in whatever you do.”

Bell’s 18 varsity players have responded with a 6-2 league record, led by his top singles player Anissa Leong.

“That girl won’t quit,” Bell said. “She’s a backboard out there. She drives her opponents crazy. She gets the ball back every time. She’s all over the court. She has quick feet and goes after every single ball there is.”

Bell also has a couple of top-performing doubles teams that he expects acquit themselves well in the upcoming CIF playoffs.

“Our doubles play really took off this year,” Bell said.

His No. 1 doubles team is the combination of Chrissy Normington and and Mariah Grattan. The No. 2 team consists of Megan Rasmussen and Sharayah Grattan.

Much of Bonita’s success stems from the leadership of its key senior players.

“Chrissy is our captain, along with Stefanie Sizemore and Lizzie Powell,” Bell said. “Those three seniors have carried this team. They have done a lot of the work, which means I can spend more time coaching.”

Bell, however, has been pleased by the efforts and contributions of his entire team. He said when juniors Ally Patton and Rachel Strowbrige, his No. 4 doubles team upset a top No. 1 doubles team earlier in the season, he couldn’t have been more proud of them and their progress as players.

“To see them win a tie-breaker and see those girls embrace in a big hug after a hard-fought match was a thrill for everyone. It was their moment. It was their time. It was their payoff for all the hard practice and time they put in every day.”

The City of La Verne might lack a professional tennis club or country club, but Bell has continued to lift the quality of the program in his six-year tenure as coach. His girls put in two hours of practice a day, and participate in a comprehensive summer program. “Every year, we’re getting bigger and bigger; pretty soon, we’re going to have put in more courts.”

For now, Bell carries 18 players on the varsity and another 28 on an undefeated JV team. He says he wouldn’t have been able to do it without the players’ parents’ support and participation.

“We have about six volunteers who regularly come out here,” Bell said. “They play tennis or have played tennis. They’re working with all the kids, so we get the clinics going and keep these kids hitting ball all day long.”

Bell also has received a big coaching boost from Margaret Rasmussen, an 8th grade science teacher at Ramona, whose daughter Megan is a sophomore on the team. Megan has blossomed under both their tutelage.

“Megan is our wow factor,” said Bell. “She’s all about athleticism. She’s tough. She’s got it altogether, not just in tennis, either. “She’s very cordial, takes good direction and she’s very coachable. I expect a collegiate career out of her. That’s going to happen.”

Although Bell may represent the stern face of the law as a cop, when he’s at Bonita, he’s the team’s biggest cheerleader, and that enthusiasm has been embraced by the team.

“Our players are like gladiators out there, with the crowd rooting them on,” Bell said. “But the crowd is their teammates. They’re right alongside them, in front of them, behind them, yelling, screaming, urging them to the ball. It’s all about team. There are no individuals out there. They’ve all become sisters with one another. That’s why we have so many former players coming back to help us year after year.”

The first round of the CIF playoffs begins Nov. 12 at an undetermined site. Individual competition begins Nov. 20.

Torrie Thompson, Megan Rasmussen, Jasmine Beller, Anissa Leong, Mariah Grattan, Amanda Santomero, Sydney Monsen, Breanna Wyatt; (back row) Stefanie Sizemore, Chrissy Normington, Sharaya Grattan, Lizzie Powell, Chelsey Zehm, Erin Winser, Rachel Strowbrige, Ally Patton and Karina Palillo.