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You might have guessed that California dominates in girls water polo, but you might not have known that Orange County’s athletes lead the charge. Our teens and preteens make up a solid half of the players selected to try out for the USA 2005 Women’s Junior Team. And our high school programs are among the state’s best, which means on a national scale they stand out as well, by any measure. One reason for this phenomenon is the tradition of great swimmers. Good swimmers generally make good water polo players. Another reason is that Southern California, with a mild climate, allows year-round training and attracts more water polo clubs than almost anywhere in the nation. The third key ingredient is a collection of the country’s best water polo coaches alongside parents who are dedicated and supportive of their young athletes. Foothill’s on top Foothill High School in North Tustin is California’s powerhouse. They have won four straight CIF Division 1 championships; they have the potential to win again this season, which opened in mid-November. One reason is Grace Reynolds. The photogenic senior is the Orange County Register’s Girls Water Polo player of the year. She made a splash as a junior, and should be outright dominant this season. The strong but young team around her gives Foothill a clear shot at the title this year; they are the favorite. Dave Mikesell, Foothill’s coach, explains where phenomenal local players like Grace come from. Most of his players “started swimming when they were much younger, and when water polo became a CIF-sanctioned sport for females, many of them found a new home.” Mikesell has 18 years of experience as a head coach; under his tutelage, Foothill’s girls team has won five championships. Many of the players have gone on to play for major programs such as USC, UCLA and Stanford. Club teams contribute Mikesell says that water polo club teams, such as Socal Water Polo (www.socalwaterpolo.org) are important contributors to the talent pool for high school teams. “Socal Water Polo Foundation has been instrumental in the development of these young ladies and continues to be a great contributor to not only Foothill High School, but to Tustin and Beckman high schools as well.” “Orange County is the hotbed of youth-aged water polo...currently there probably exists close to 25 age-group water polo clubs. The larger ones carry memberships of over 300 athletes, whereas the smaller ones probably top out at 75.” One of the more successful of those club teams is the Laguna Beach Water Polo Club coached by Chad Beeler. His age 12-and-under girls team made it to the championships of the 2005 Girl’s Junior Olympics. Several of his players, including Melena Masson, Etianne Manetta, and Yoshi Andersen, were nominated to the Junior Olympics All-American first team. Beeler believes that part of the recent surge in interest in water polo is because players love the sport. “Girls, like boys, have found out that waiting for someone to hit, kick, or throw the ball in their direction is not as much fun as being involved in the game from the moment you get in the water. When the ref blows the whistle, it means go. In other sports, it means stop and set up again.” Room for newcomers Although new to water polo, Russ Joseph is in many ways typical of Orange County water polo parents. He is supportive of his daughter Sara’s efforts in water polo, softball, and a whole range of other sports. He is currently coaching his other daughter’s softball team. Last year, Russ suddenly became immersed in the world of water polo when Sara joined Santa Margarita Catholic High School’s novice water polo team. “My daughter tried water polo on the recommendation of a friend of hers who played at Mission Viejo High School. She told Sara she could play both softball and water polo because their seasons did not overlap.” Sara is not a competitive swimmer, but the arm strength she developed as a softball pitcher has served her well in the pool: “In one game she scored a goal from three-quarters of the length of the pool. The novice single season scoring record was 27 goals. Sara shattered that record with a 48-goal season.” Her father says that water polo “proved to have everything a parent should be looking for in a sport for their kid. The coaches really know the sport and are not just dads who are in it to make sure their daughters get more playing time than anyone else. The kids in the water polo program seem to be genuinely nice kids. The varsity girls are very friendly toward the rookies and work well together. The parents are also very nice and pitch in.” Sara is currently focusing on improving her swimming speed. Many of the other girls on Sara’s team have a swim background, but not being a competitive swimmer doesn’t necessarily close the door on high school water polo. Out of the spotlight Unfortunately, the timing of the girls water polo high school season pushes it to the back of the sports pages. Football, basketball, soccer and wrestling events get the most ink. Gina Cousineau, water polo parent, believes the media’s non-coverage “really hurts the sport.” (Gina’s daughter Mary Cousineau played at Santa Margarita and has moved on to USC.) Even this dark cloud has a silver lining. Perhaps because of water polo’s relative lack of press, a developing player can still find opportunities to play on the high school team, unlike more mainstream sports like softball and basketball. Orange County coaches and parents are making certain that youth athletes who want to make a splash in water polo will get a fair chance to do so. Schools like SMCHS have novice-level teams to introduce new players to the sport. It’s a great way to ensure that our local water polo programs thrive for years to come. If you were given a quiz and asked to name the sport where Orange County girls are the nation’s best, your first reaction might be to say soccer, or swimming, or softball. The correct answer may just be water polo. David Kries of Mission Viejo writes about families, sports and fitness for several regional publications. |
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