by Pranav Sharma ’29 and Vivan Vipin ’29
The Bellarmine Water Polo Team has made remarkable victories and productive losses during their season, as shown by the Freshman, JV, and Varsity Team. As the season comes to a close this week, let’s look at what each of the teams have accomplished.
Image provided by Khang Dao ’28
The Freshman Team
The Bellarmine Freshman team has had many struggles over the past months, but they have risen over it, with the excellent coaching of Coach Ryan and Coach Godar. They have improved so much from tryouts to now, almost the end of the season, and the changes are magnificent. They are the perfect example of not letting your losses get to you because while they hadn’t won any games, they’ve most certainly improved from a 13-point difference all the way down to a 2-point difference. That shows dedication to the team. In the last game for the freshman team against Valley Christian, the Bells won for the first time with a score of 7 to 3! Specifically stated by Coach Godar, the Head Freshman and Varsity Assistant Coach, all of the athletes have worked their hardest in practice, as shown by the efforts in the swim sets, the scrimmages, and the many drills. Everyone in the team pushes each other up and has lifted each other spirits, never letting each other feel bad for the losses.
The JV Team
Although they haven’t lost nearly as many games as the freshman team, the JV team also shows the empowerment of the athletes putting the team over themselves. They’ve won many games, and after having watched one of their games very recently, I can vouch for them by saying that their drives, their strategies, and just how they play is very well thought out. You can certainly tell they’ve been training their hardest in practice. They know exactly when it’s time to drive into the set, they communicate in the water, and they work together like an extremely efficient powerhouse. They even helped coach some of the freshman team’s players on how to be goalie and some tips and strategies. It’s amazing how much work they’ve done over such a short period of time.
The Varsity Team
Right after school ends, the Varsity players are up and running, getting ready for their water polo practice, where they go through intense practices to simulate the games. They start off with their warmup and get into their swimming sets to ensure peak speed at all times. These sets are rigorous, not for the average athlete. Then, they warm up their legs and shooting, with the “eggbeater” tread meant to propel them up in the water. It’s a very difficult leg workout, but for them, leg day is every day. After the cardio, they begin the drills. They have to swim into each other, and almost wrestle in the water, simulating how the opponents would attack, and making their bodies stronger while doing so. Anyone watching would certainly worry for sure if it’s safe, but this is ordinary practice for them. Their bodies have adapted to the tough workouts. This is all done in the span of a 2.5-hour practice. With their overall win-to-loss record being 8-18, the varsity players have not given up, and they are working harder than ever. Every game is played like it’s the last.