All sports require athletes to have strength, but water polo is a unique sport that requires athletes to have ball handling skills, stamina, coordination and agility, all while treading water. The Heritage High School Girls JV Water Polo Team undergoes a rigorous practice schedule in order to stay ready for their matches.
JV water polo player, Luciana Olson (11), explained normal practices start at 4:00 pm. They include a warmup swim, sometimes accompanied by swim sets before going into passing and shooting warmups and then drills.
One of the most challenging factors for Olson and other water polo athletes is stamina, which is why practice is key to pushing them to perform when they are tired. Olson’s water polo role model is olympian Emily Ausmus.
“She’s inspiring because she was only 18 at the last Olympics. She’s a freshman in college right now, so I think she’s really cool,” stated Olson.
Never playing a team sport before, JV player Carena Helvey (10) was inspired by her friends to pick up the sport.
“It really piqued my interest when all my friends were doing it. I just thought that it would be so much fun. It would be an environment that I was familiar with because I have been doing swim for quite a bit too,” stated Helvey.
Helvey first trained to be a goalie, as she gained confidence on her swimming skills but later transitioned to the field.
“I got a chance to play on field and I finally made my first goal and that’s when I said that I am capable of doing this, so I find it really fun to be a field player,” stated Helvey.
Helvey stresses the importance of stretching so that you can try to avoid body cramps during the game and the overall importance of being prepared for a sport with such intense matches.
Like many sports, teamwork plays a huge role. Dylan Alvies (11) stated how her team works together to win.
“You need to be always paying attention and always talking, communicating, being open, knowing where the ball is, talking to your teammates so that we can score some goals, or if someone needs help because they are being guarded to heavily by a girl to switch so they can get a better view,” stated Alvies.
She also feels the water polo team is close, referring to them as family.
“It’s just cool being part of that group and being able to do fun activities with them, hanging out with them every day,” stated Alvies.
This bond contributes to the team’s success. This year the teams’ wins were blowouts, both times the Patriots doubled their competitor’s score.
