As the sun streams down, a bright reflection is cast upon the water. Players swiftly swim down the pool, eyes darting between opposing players and the goal. A teammate calls for the ball and a pass is lobbed his way. He reaches back and quickly strikes, adding another goal to the board for Poly.
After starting the season on a rocky foot, the Poly boys Varsity water polo team has become more resilient in an effort to make a comeback. The team currently has a 10-10 record overall but a 5-1 record in league. They have won 5 of their last 6 games, including a dominant 20-4 victory over La Salle.
With multiple seniors lost in the offseason, the team is now full of younger players and, as such, is relatively undersized and inexperienced. While navigating this challenge, Head Coach Sean Grabs is pleased to see his team making strides in the right direction. “Our approach is always to try and learn from losses,” Grabs said. “As frustrating as some of them may be, we are able to move past them by understanding the things we need to do to win. Through film sessions, discussions and training, we find ways to improve, so that we feel more prepared for the next game.”
The team has learned to bounce back from losses with intelligence, discipline and preparation. Whether they’re poring over footage in the film room, sweating through strength training in the weight room or conditioning in the pool, the team constantly strives for improvement. “We are in the process of finding and empowering new leaders in the program,” Grabs noted. “We are a team that is super freshman and sophomore heavy, and all of them have stepped up and contributed. They all have an important role regardless of minutes played or goals scored. We are all learning and growing collectively and it takes all of them buying in and supporting each other to do that.”
Senior August Tonthat agrees that the underclassmen are up to the task. “I’ve definitely seen a lot of freshmen and underclassmen stepping up,” he said. “Everybody has their own specific role to play, and it can be challenging to remember every play, so I’m glad to see underclassmen help out the JV players and newer players to the team.”
As the season progresses, the opponents will only get tougher, but freshman Ajani Durham is confident in the team’s ability to step up to the challenge and attain success. “I think we’re looking at a good CIF run this year if we can beat Prep,” said Durham.
Coach Grabs emphasizes that their goal is always to win the Prep League, but, above all else, play their best water polo at the end of the season. As the team continues to hone their technique and amplify their team spirit, there is no doubt that they will make waves wherever their success takes them next.