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With over 700 Dragons playing across 48 sports teams each year, excitement for the new O’Dowd Center continues to mount. Set to open this fall, the Center will boast an NBA regulation size court, new team meeting rooms, and a state-of-the-art athletic performance center for student-athletes to train, meet, and compete. With this Center serving as the new home for athletics at O’Dowd, our programs are set to strengthen and thrive. Johnnie Bryant ’03, Associate Head Coach for the New York Knicks, tours the O’Dowd Center with President J.D. Childs and Head Basketball Coach Lou Richie ’89. “Our athletic trainers, coaches, and players have done a phenomenal job in our current space, even though we’ve outgrown it,” says Director of Athletics, Carlos Reed. Right now, the volleyball and basketball programs manage ten teams and share just two court spaces for all their training, tryouts, team meetings, practices, and games. “Despite that, our teams have excelled,” Carlos states. The basketball program has won 5 CIF State Championships and 17 NorCal Championships. Girls volleyball has dominated with eight NorCal championships. Adding the O’Dowd Center to the current facilities will be a total game-changer. “We will have championship facilities to match our championship teams,” enthuses Reed. “We’ll finally be able to host championship games at home! We’re really looking forward to having our supportive fans in the house, and hearing the resounding ringing cheer of Dragon Pride.” Supporting Students Beyond the Field of Play Each year, more than 20 O’Dowd graduates go on to play college sports. Our counseling staff work in strong partnership with the athletics department, supporting student-athletes with their academic aspirations, and assisting with the college recruiting process. Many alumni have gone on to play professional sports in the United States and abroad, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NWSL., and even competing in the Olympics. And the experience of O’Dowd athletics is so positive for many students that they return as alumni to support the programs. “We are fortunate to have alumni return in various roles to inspire our current students,” shares Hillary Kigar, Associate Director of Athletics. “Some will return to coach our teams and more recently, alumni will be guest speakers as part of our Advanced Athletics program.” Coach Lauren Nadler with soccer players Sara Redfield (left) and Katie Senn (right) at their National Letter of Intent Signing Ceremony. Coaching is foundational to O’Dowd’s athletic excellence. Acting as powerful mentors and guides, coaches play a significant formative role in student lives – setting strong expectations for passion, hard work, and discipline. Dragon coaches emphasize winning graciously and losing with humility, but above all – competing ferociously. “Whether it is in the classroom or on the field, our student-athletes strive for excellence every day,” asserts Girls Head Soccer Coach Lauren Nadler. “Our soccer players are always looking for ways to learn and grow, and help their teammates do the same. The pillars of our program are hard work, pride, and teamwork. Each of these values is evident not only in how they solve problems together, but also in knowing that the strength of our team is in each other.”
In collaboration with coaches, O’Dowd’s strength and conditioning program utilizes digital technology to offer mobility training drills, posture analysis, movement patterns, strength training, and speed and power progressions, differentiated by gender, sport, and body type, for all student-athletes. “Adding the performance lab is going to be super impactful because we will double the number of athletes that we can train,” Reed explains. “This expansion has been something our program has needed for years. It’s going to allow us to accommodate all our coaches, year-round.” In addition, the new performance lab features enhanced equipment and sports medicine resources, accommodating more than 3,000 annual visits from students at every stage of fitness. “This is an incredible opportunity for O’Dowd,” exudes Head Athletic Trainer Joanne Kinyon. “With the new space and training facility we will elevate all of our athletic programs to the next level. ” A Win for Students When the O’Dowd Center opens this fall, it will enhance our student athletic experience in countless ways. As a community, we have chosen to invest in honoring our Dragon legacy – and we look forward, with heartfelt commitment, to the excellence, innovation and success that will undoubtedly rise up with future generations.

O’Dowd’s music students put on a spectacular show for their annual Winter Concert with 5 different groups performing. Check out the great videos below. Special thanks to our school videographer Mr. Rittenbach.

Our Annual Food and Toy Drive is underway! Each first period classroom is asked to “adopt” one family from St. Vincent Day Home in in West Oakland. SVDH offers day-care/pre-school/kindergarten programs that serve and support working families with economic challenges. To “adopt” a family means each class (approx. 25 students) will collect/donate 2 boxes of non-perishable food items and at least 1 gift for each member of the family, parents included. O’Dowd students may have already talked with their parents about items they are collecting. Each class decides who will bring in which items. A suggested list is below, but items vary by class and family needs. We need all items to be brought to Period 1 homerooms by next Tuesday morning, Dec. 6 . Delivery to SVDH will be on Wednesday morning, Dec. 7. A huge THANK YOU to the whole O’Dowd community for all the ways you have offered support. NOTE: We ask that food NOT be perishable and it is a request of St. Vincent Day Home that no toys be violence oriented (i.e. no guns, no knives, no fighting “action figures”) Thank you! SUGGESTED FOOD LIST ( NOTE – No perishable foods) Canned Fruit Canned Veggies Canned Soups & Crackers Cereals Coffee / Tea Sugar Flour Rice Pinto beans (dry) Peanut Butter & Jelly Canned meats Tuna – canned Vegetable oil Treats: fruit snacks, cookies, cocoa POSSIBLE HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES: Toothbrushes & Toothpaste Soap & Shampoo Cleaning sponges Lotions or skin cream Band Aids, first aid POSSIBLE (GENERAL) Kid’s items (if there are no specifics from the family info) Children’s Books Fun stickers Coloring books, Paper Pens, Pencils, Erasers Chalk, Crayons, Water color markers Dolls, balls, stuffed animals Games or puzzles “The annual Food and Toy Drive kicked off yesterday, and runs through Tuesday, December 6. The drive serves families from Saint Vincent’s Day Home , a non-profit with more than a century of service to children of low-income families. Learn more “

O’Dowd football players were presented with a proclamation honoring their state championship at the State Capitol by Assemblymember Rob Bonta. The 2016 CIF-State Division 5-AA champion O’Dowd football team was honored on the Assembly Floor at the State Capitol on February 9 and will be recognized by the Oakland City Council on February 21.

BOD 2016 Softball team Div. III defending champions win title for 2nd year in a row. The 8-0 shut out against San Marin High Scool consisted of excellent pitching by senior, Alexis Scalzo, and fantastic hitting and fielding by all the players ending their season with a 22-4 Overall and 11-2 League record. Congratulations to the players who made the WACC Foothill All-League Softball Teams: First Team: Alexis Scalzo, Hannah Rosenfeld and Frankie Hammoude Second Team: Michael Edwards-Gonzales and Nicole Hammoude Honorable Mention: Allie Curtis and Lizzy Avery Player of the Year for All League: Frankie Hammoude We are also proud of our Seniors and Team Captains: Alexis Scalzo, Olivia Olmos, and Haley Ferrufino-Jurs. Congratulations to the entire Team for all of their accomplishments

The Bishop O’Dowd 2016 Women’s Varsity Softball team with an overall record of 20-4 and league record of 11-2 head to the NCS Semi-Finals Wednesday 6/1/16 @ 6pm at the Castro Valley Community Center against Analy High School. – Click here for the NCS/Les Schwab Tires Softball Championships Division 3 bracket »

<img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170518.jpg" alt="P1170518" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1723 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170508.jpg" alt="P1170508" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1737 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170552.jpg" alt="P1170552" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1740 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170556.jpg" alt="P1170556" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1741 lazyload" />
<img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170506.jpg" alt="P1170506" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1736 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170494.jpg" alt="P1170494" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1735 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170493.jpg" alt="P1170493" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1734 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170470.jpg" alt="P1170470" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1733 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170465.jpg" alt="P1170465" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1732 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170461.jpg" alt="P1170461" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1731 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170444.jpg" alt="P1170444" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1730 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170434.jpg" alt="P1170434" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1729 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170426_1.jpg" alt="P1170426_1" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1728 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170422.jpg" alt="P1170422" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1727 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170415.jpg" alt="P1170415" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1726 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170408.jpg" alt="P1170408" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1725 lazyload" /> <img src="http://www.bishopodowd.org/blog_band/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/P1170387.jpg" alt="P1170387" width="960" height="641" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1724 lazyload" />

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This year the Dragon Parents are planning a festive tree-lighting event that is not to be missed. A spectacular 25-foot tree of <img class="size-medium wp-image-16748 alignleft lazyload" src="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/treelighting470x470_FB-300x300.jpg" alt="treelighting470x470_FB" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/treelighting470x470_FB-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/treelighting470x470_FB-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/treelighting470x470_FB.jpg 470w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />lights, replete with sparkling LED lights will be dramatically illuminated. Accompanied by holiday music performed by the O’Dowd String Orchestra and choir members, caroling by the light of beeswax candles will set the tone for the days leading up to Christmas. All are welcome to join in on this celebration. Bring friends and family! Enjoy the program, hot chocolate and holiday treats in the quad on Monday, November 27, 6 – 7 p.m . Questions? Contact  Dragon Parents Arts Chair Andrew Danish . <img class="size-full wp-image-16716 aligncenter lazyload" src="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/string-orchestra.jpg" alt="string-orchestra" width="640" height="365" srcset="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/string-orchestra.jpg 640w, https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/string-orchestra-300x171.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />             O’Dowd String Orchestra will be performing and accompanying caroling at the tree lighting event.

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<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11526 lazyload" src="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/art_festival.jpg" alt="art_festival" width="700" height="400" srcset="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/art_festival.jpg 700w, https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/art_festival-300x171.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />

Don’t miss the Music Department’s annual Spring Concert, set for Thursday May 18, beginning at 7:30 p.m., in the Theater. You’ll see and hear your talented friends and family members performing in String Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Jazz Workshop, Jazz Combo and Advanced Jazz Band. Works performed will cover a wide range, including the music of Mozart, Miles Davis, and Cee Lo Green, plus a special performance of western movie themes for full orchestra!  Admission is free so join us for a musical night to remember. <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11958 lazyload" src="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2017_Spring-Concert.jpg" alt="2017_Spring-Concert" width="469" height="720" srcset="https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2017_Spring-Concert.jpg 469w, https://www.bishopodowd.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2017_Spring-Concert-195x300.jpg 195w" sizes="(max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px" />