In many sports, players work to perfect one specific skill set and employ those techniques in a game. In water polo, players train not only in the pool but also in skills that involve more hand-eye coordination such as catching, throwing, and general ball handling. The game is played in a pool, with about 7 players in the pool per team. The offensive players attempt to throw the ball into a net, which is guarded by a goalie and the defensive players.
A typical practice begins with stretching, followed by land exercises. They do 12-16 laps of swimming as a warm up and then do some passing and shooting drills. They then finish with some scrimmage games. A commonly unfavorable trait of the aquatic sports is the early morning practices.
“I have to be at the pool by 5:30 AM, so I often find myself waking up at 4:50 at the latest. Exhaustion is rampant throughout all our players as they struggle to perform in the water after a short night’s sleep. Usually halfway through practice a slight feeling of nausea settles in my stomach from a lack of sleep, breakfast, and an extreme workout,” junior and co-captain Natsu Gavin said.
The players agree that their relationship with the team benefits their dynamic in the pool.
“My teammates are actually what keep me going, they are so strong. My only goal is that I can give back even just a small part of the constant support and strength my team has given me.” senior Casie French said. Casie, being one of only two females on the varsity team, offers a unique perspective on the game.
She expands upon how she is one of the few girls in the sport.
“It’s hard being one of the few girls in a dominantly male sport. Not only are the guys physically stronger than you, but the ball is actually designed to fit their hands better…[however] despite the constant process of being dunked and picked on, the guys actually respect us all.”
The varsity season, having lost their first game, is working toward improvement with each practice.
“I just see the season as a learning experience where improvements happen each game,” freshman Luke Oliver said. “Our season has been pretty hard so far.”
The team looks forward to an invitational at Lafayette on April 11th.
