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Mountain View News Saturday, October 25, 2025

LA SALLE GIRLS’ TENNIS 
CLOSES LEAGUE PLAY 
WITH GRIT, EYES CIF 
PLAYOFF PUSH

After an unpredictable regular season filled with 
lineup shifts, injuries, and late-match heroics, the 
La Salle Girls’ Tennis team capped off league play 
with a strong showing at the Del Rey League prelims 
and finals this week — setting the stage for 
another CIF playoff run.

Head Coach Javier Djeu, now in his fifth season 
leading the girls’ program, described this year’s 
league tournament as “something else.” For the 
first time in program history, La Salle entered 
prelims without a single seeded player in either 
the singles or doubles draws. That didn’t stop the 
Lancers from turning heads and battling through 
a grueling week of competition.

To shake things up, Coach Javier split up one of 
his doubles teams — Olivia Peterson and Amanda 
Carvalho — to compete in the singles draw. The 
duo delivered an impressive opening-round win 
before falling to the #2 and #4 seeds in the quarterfinals. 
In doubles, Adeline Ward and Emily 
Murphy fought through a marathon match that 
came down to a 10-point in a deciding 3rd set tie 
breaker.

The highlight of the week came from La Salle’s #1 
doubles team, Captain Zoey Yang and Sima Samri, 
who stormed through the opening rounds with 
grit and poise. After defeating the #3 seeds from 
St. Joseph, the pair advanced to the semifinals 
against Bishop Montgomery. In a high-quality 
three-set thriller, the Lancers took the second set 
6–2 before narrowly dropping the decider. They 
bounced back to claim third place with a 4–6, 6–0, 
6–2 victory in another marathon match against 
Bishop.

“It was a rough week of matches for us, but this 
gives me a lot of confidence going into the end of 
the season,” Coach said. “Although I’m sad to be 
losing my captain this year, I’m thrilled knowing I 
have a great team coming back next year.”

The Lancers close the regular season with a 6-4 
record finishing in 3rd place, all while playing 
short-handed much of the year. Despite starting 
many matches down sets due to roster limitations, 
the team leaned on its doubles depth and mental 
toughness to stay competitive throughout.

Reflecting on the journey, Coach Javier emphasized 
that this season felt “fresh” — not like a rebuild, 
but a renewal. “I’m so happy with the team 
chemistry, the memories, and the individual relationships 
I’ve built with my players and parents 
this season,” he said.

Now, as La Salle prepares for team CIF, the mindset 
is clear.

“We’re ready to compete,” Coach Djeu stated 
confidently. “Still short-handed, but I’ll put my 
team’s grit and endurance up against any team this 
playoff.”

With momentum from a hard-fought postseason 
and a core group returning next year, La Salle 
Girls’ Tennis isn’t just closing a chapter — they’re 
opening a new era.


REWIRING THE BRAIN: Affirmations can 
help to rewire the brain by creating new 
neural pathways.


No matter what’s happening in national or international news, I 
want to remind you of this: you still have the power to direct your 
attention, and in doing so, shape your life. The world can be noisy, 
unpredictable, and sometimes heartbreaking. But you don’t have 
to live at the mercy of every headline or every scroll.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once advised, “Stand guard at the portal 
of your mind.” Those nine words are as relevant today as they were nearly two centuries 
ago. Be mindful of what you allow to enter your mental space. Every thought you rehearse 
becomes a signal to your brain about what to strengthen, what to fear, and what to believe.

According to the National Institutes of Health, affirmations, those simple, positive statements 
we repeat to ourselves, are not just feel-good slogans. They’re a form of mental conditioning 
backed by neuroscience. When we practice affirmations, the brain’s neuroplasticity, 
its ability to rewire itself, kicks in. Positive statements activate the prefrontal cortex, 
the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and decision-making, helping us process 
empowering thoughts as true.

Here’s the fascinating part: when we make a positive statement about ourselves, the brain 
doesn’t just passively accept it; it gets curious. It starts searching for evidence to support that 
statement. This natural cognitive bias reinforces the affirmation, making it more believable 
and more deeply felt over time. In other words, by choosing affirming thoughts, you’re 
teaching your brain to find proof that you’re capable, resilient, and worthy.

Meanwhile, the amygdala, which fuels anxiety and fear, begins to quiet. The reward system 
releases dopamine, giving us a natural hit of motivation and a sense of ease. Even the hippocampus, 
which governs memory, records these moments—making self-belief easier to 
recall when we need it most.

So, while the news cycle runs 24/7 and the noise persists, you can train your mind to choose 
peace, gratitude, and grounded optimism. It’s not denial, it’s discipline.

Power Tool: Try This Practice

1. Morning Reset: Before you check your phone, take one deep breath and repeat an
affirmation such as,

“I am grounded, capable, and at peace in this moment.”

or

“I choose thoughts that strengthen my joy.” Then watch as your mind and body comply.

2. Evening Reflection: Write down one kind thing you told yourself, or wish you had,
during the day. Let it become your bridge to better self-talk tomorrow. You can rewrite your
day. Who can stop you?

Protect your peace. Guard your attention. Because where your attention goes, your energy
flows, and your life follows.

Lori A. Harris, is an Integrative Change Coach and Consultant. Download her free gratitude 
journal at loriaharris.com. 

Lori A. Harris


POST-OP PROGRESS


Michele Silence, M.A. is a 37-year certified fitness 

professional who offers semi-private/virtual fitness 
classes. Contact Michele at michele@kid-fit.
com. Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness 
Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness.

Well, it’s been five months since my shoulder surgery. Here is my update 
and some insight if you are considering this procedure. Keep in mind your 
experience could be vastly different from mine. I’ve only had one other 
major surgery (total hip replacement a year ago) so anything that causes 
pain and inactivity is a definite hit to my psyche. 

To refresh your memory, I had a supraspinatus repair (rotator cuff surgery). 
One of the main muscles in the shoulder was torn off the bone. The surgeon 
drilled holes and reattached the retracted muscle with sutures so that it 
could grow onto the bone again. As an added bonus, I also had a bicep 
tendon repair (bicep tenodesis). For that, they cut off the “shredded” part 
of the bicep tendon, drilled a new hole in the arm bone closer to the bicep, 
and stuffed the new tendon end inside to grow back. If you need a shoulder 
repair because of overuse, there’s a good chance you’ll need this bicep repair 
work done at the same time. Two surgeries at once. What a deal.

The first month was a nightmare! My special eSling was the size of a shoe 
box that I had to wear between my elbow and waist at all times. For a full 
month! You cannot use your arm for anything. Nothing. So if it’s your 
dominant arm be sure you aren’t scheduling it at a time when you need to do a lot of computer work, cooking, 
cleaning or driving. The pain is BAD!! When I went back for the one- month follow up, the doctor decides to 
tell me “this is one of the most painful surgeries you can have”. Ah, thanks for the warning – a little late I’d say. 
I was so depressed and in so much pain I broke down in his office. He immediately took the sling off, told me 
not wear it anymore and said to “give it time.”

Months two and three were not much better. Not being able to touch your face, comb or wash your hair, close 
a door, or pick up anything heavier than a coffee cup isn’t fun. The doc assured me beforehand I could still 
type and drive - not! Typing was horrible and when I tried to drive just putting on the seat belt required doing 
a pirouette to get in the car. Once I got on the freeway I almost killed myself. Hiking and running? Out of the 
picture, too much jarring. Everything that keeps me sane was gone.

Then came the disappointment with the physical therapy offices. I tried. The first one couldn’t see me for a 
month. The second one didn’t believe in ultrasound or laser therapy. The doctor recommended five other 
places, none of which returned my messages. So I decided if I wanted to get better I was going to have to rehab 
myself. Being in fitness my whole life I do know my body, my limits and how to go slow. Whatever I couldn’t 
figure out, AI did. 

It was a whole other month before I could reach over my head. Only within the last two weeks do I feel like I 
will someday return to normal. I haven’t even slept on the affected arm yet. Sleeping upright or on one side gets 
old and uncomfortable. Muscles in my surgical arm have atrophied and now I’m slowly working to add weights 
to my routine again. God only knows when push-ups and dips will be possible.

No, this is not motivational. But it’s the truth. I’m not a baby when it comes to pain. I walked around with a 
deteriorated hip joint for two years. But I’d rather go through childbirth every day for a week than to have this 
surgery again.

Yes, the surgeon was excellent. I have no doubt I’ll be back to better than before – someday. But I’m not the 
patient type (no pun intended). Getting back to the same level of strength, flexibility, and endurance won’t be 
easy, even though I did my best to work the rest of my body and strength train the muscles I could from day 
one. I understand how people give up when they have surgeries like this. But what’s the alternative? Live in pain 
every day? Give up exercise? I don’t think so.

When it’s time for another surgery I’m hoping advances in regenerative medicine will make these treatments 
obsolete. Too much pain. Not good enough pain management. Way too long recovery time. 

If you’re going under for this soon, have someone stay with you for a while. Get a recliner. Don’t try to open any 
pickle jars. Install a bidet and get used to the idea of a lot of bad hair days.

Michele Silence, M.A. is a certified fitness professional who offers semi-private/virtual fitness classes. Contact 
Michele at michele@kid-fit.com. Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness

“OF COURSE, YOU’RE RIGHT” – 

ON AI SYCOPHANCY

By Paul J. Carpenter

A well-known adult cartoon recently tackled the topic of blind reliance on 
AI tools for coming up with solutions to problems, without keeping at least 
one foot firmly planted on the ground about the expected results. 

Having high expectations for an advanced tool to deliver advanced results 
is not a problem in itself. It’s often the main selling point that catches our 
attention in the first place. 

The disconnect from reality appears 
from the way we process the hype often 
associated with new, hot-topic hi-tech 
solutions. 

These products, known as AI Chatbots, 
are often used to provide quick answers 
and solutions for a variety of situations. 
Probably the most well-known of 
this group is ChatGPT. Users interface with these products using natural 
language which adds to the ease-of-use factor. Combined with all the 
processing power the average consumer would need, computers have never 
been friendlier than they are right now. 

Sometimes a little too friendly. This is where this issue of AI Sycophancy 
first appears. 

AI Sycophancy is the observed tendency of chatbots to go along with users 
in ways that prioritize approval over accuracy and truthfulness. Sometimes 
this can take the form of being overly agreeable, or mirroring the users 
already established opinions. 

In the example depicted in the cartoon, the chatbot agreed and even 
amplified the users’ ideas despite their ridiculous nature and obviously 
negative chances of improving the problem that prompted the consultation 
in the first place. There are a number of factors that can start a user down into 
this echo chamber including the data used to train the AI model, feedback 
loops, improperly formatted input data, and just plain old asking the wrong 
questions. Ordinary desperation can also lead to magical thinking at both 
ends of the process.

In the previously mentioned cartoon, a business man turned to a popular 
chatbot looking for answers when he ran into issues that capsized his 
operations. He turned to a popular chatbot for ideas on how to rebrand his 
business and get back up and running. 

In the cartoon, the AI was voiced as a highly supportive consultant whose 
demeanor had the effect of making the user believe that the original problem 
solved and he would soon corner the market in Bezos-like fashion. 

It took some firmly delivered advice from his wife to make him realize that 
“just because something kisses your butt all the time doesn’t mean that your 
ideas are good!” This seems political somehow.


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