As head mentor of the varsity football and baseball teams, Coach Al Carstens is highly respected by the members of his squads. His attitude towards sports can be summed up in five words, "The name of the game is 'win'."

Mr. Carstens has been a coach at Maine West since the school opened in 1959, He was made head football coach this year and has been very successful with the varsity team. They've won two games, and lost only one, in conference competition.

When asked how he tries to coach the team into having more spirit, Coach Carstens answered, "First of all, every game is different. We try to instill in the boys the thought that there's no such thing as a good loser."

Coach Carstens is a hard worker and is very devoted to his teams. He often spends up to 30 hours a week coaching; moreover, he enjoys doing it. Although he thinks the football team is doing very well this year, his opinion is that it could be improved with better timing and less injuries.

This is Coach Thomas Nystrom's first year at Maine West and his first year of teaching physical education on a high school level. Commenting on his first year here, Mr. Nystrom said, "I enjoy working with the students now, and I look forward to working with them in the upcoming years. Hopefully, we'll be able to grow in the sport of soccer."

When asked about his hopes for the soccer team, the coach stated, "The team needs experience which it will acquire in future games. This is the first year with a soccer team."

Coach Nystrom also encourages all boys to go out for soccer this year. "Size is not important. It's a new sport here, and it is a good chance to take part in a fall sport."