Art/Photo by Photo courtesy of David Ventura.

Varsity field player Leo Garrison (9) handles the ball and scans the pool. West’s loss in last week’s match against Milken Community was largely due to a lack of communication in the pool as well as two dominating players on the opposing team. Despite losing, West continued to play and fight hard until the game was finished. Photo courtesy of David Ventura.

   Contrary to what many people may believe, water polo is one of the most physically demanding sports. It is challenging because it requires extreme endurance and full-body engagement. Fortunately for West, the Boys’ Water Polo team is ready to ramp up the season and confront the grueling and fatigue-filled journey to success.

   After practicing through their summer program for the past two and a half months, West’s Boys’ Water Polo just kicked off their fall season two weeks before school started. Through tournaments and weekly games, the team will have to persevere and work hard to achieve their goals. However, they seem to ubiquitously find solidity in fighting together. Varsity field player Ian Noe (11) stated how “the one strength our team has is our bond– we’ve been through highs and lows together.” 

   It’s safe to say that West’s water polo has one of the most important aspects of every winning sports team: strong chemistry. However, it won’t be a smooth road just because everyone on the team gets along. This past Wednesday was the Sept. 13 match against Milken Community, in which West’s Varsity suffered a tough loss of 7 – 19. 

   Despite having good chemistry, the team needed to learn to effectively translate their bond into the communication involved in their games. Water polo is a contact-oriented sport that involves making quick decisions. With the chaos of a water polo game, staying calm and relying on each other while in the pool is essential. Varsity team captain Aaron Lee (12) remarked that a pitfall of the team was not being able to “communicate well” whilst making plays. Additionally, not “talking during the games” allowed some players to fall behind. Lee felt that in order to beat strong teams such as Milken Community, everyone on the team needed to “try [their] best because water polo is a hard sport.” “Don’t give up!” he encouraged. 

   While the season rages on, the team will continue to push forward to reach their goals. If everyone on the team continues to work hard, improve, and adapt to the challenges they face, West will be a formidable contender for any opposing team. In every game, Noe advised the team  to “always give it one hundred percent!”