Home   About Us   Advertising   ArchivAlyssa Hess, a senior at Newark Memorial High School, has been named the Tri-City Voice Female Athlete of the Month for October, 2009, based on her performance last month. Hess is the Captain of the Cougars? Girls Water Polo team and plays the position of ?hole set?. Hole set positions herself in the front of the opposition?s goal when on offense, and waits for passes from her teammates to take close shots on goal. This is similar to the center in basketball.

ed Issues   CNewark is 13-1, 1-1 in Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL) play so far this year. Hess has scored 62 of NM's 136 goals, and is second on the team in steals with 20. According to her Head Coach, Gordon Crosby, she is the team leader and an ?all around tough player.?

When advised of her award, TCV asked her the following questions followed by her responses:

TCV: What is your favorite subject or subjects in school?
AH: My favorite subjects in school include English, art, and American Sign Language.

TCV: Do you plan on going to college or junior college after high school?
AH: Yes, I plan on going to college after high school.

TCV: If so, in what colleges are you interested?
AH: I am really looking into going to a private college, Azusa Pacific University.

TCV: Do you have any idea what field you would like get into when your school days have finished or maybe delayed for a while?
AH: I am most likely going to be majoring in liberal arts to become an elementary school teacher.

TCV: Would you like to continue playing water polo after high school?
AH: Yes! I am planning on playing water polo at APU, but we'll see where God leads me.

TCV: Who has been your hero or role model to this point in your young life?
AH: The person who inspires me the most would be my sister, Danielle. I look up to her as a hero and my role model.

TCV: Is there any athlete you have admired during your growth?
AH: Two athletes I admire the most are Michael Phelps and Cael Sanderson.

TCV: What is your favorite food?
AH: Great question!!! My favorite food is pretty much everything, although I do have my favorites: Thai food is amazing and can't forget about that spinach dip.

TCV: To what kind of music do you listen?
AH: I have a variety of music I listen to. It varies from oldies to Hip hop and R&B to my favorite folk rock. I love music!!!

TCV: Do you have a favorite movie?
AH: I am a big fan of Will Farrell. So, I enjoy anything he is in. But Chick flicks are a must!

TCV: Do you play any other sports besides water polo?
AH: I am so lucky, I get to be involved in the two greatest sports in the world! Water Polo and Wrestling!!! Both tough, aggressive, and fantastic sports. I also am on the swim team, but who needs it when you have water polo and wrestling! Honestly!

TCV: What do you like to do when not doing school work or water polo activities?
AH: When I am not doing sports activities, I sing and play guitar. Singing is one of my passions. God gave me the gift of music as well as athletics.

TCV: Do you have any siblings?
AH: I have an older sister, Danielle.

TCV: What is her age and does she play any sports?
AH: She is 22 years old and just graduated from Seattle Pacific University last Spring. In high school she played water polo, soccer, and swimming. She is an amazing athlete herself.

TCV: Do you have any superstitions you do before or after a water polo game?
AH: As a team, before we play every game we do what we call "p-time" which is prayer time. We thank Jesus for giving us the ability to play the sport that we love and for letting us all be healthy and ready to play. We also pray that we can go out there and play as a family, work together, have energy, endurance, heart, strength, and drive to go and give it our all and play the best we can possibly play. We give all the glory and honor to Him. We close our prayer with signing "Amen" in sign language.

Hess' father, Tim, is also the wrestling coach at Newark Memorial.