This season, Jack Sun ’21 has totaled 53 goals, 6 assists, 20 steals, and 22 ejections drawn. Photo courtesy of Ross Mortensen
Jack Sun ’21 does it all for Boys’ Varsity Water Polo — leading the team with 53 goals, 6 assists, and 22 ejections drawn. Sun arrived at Choate with extensive water polo ability and has started games from the team since he arrived on campus as a new sophomore. Recently, Sun spoke with reporter Alex Skrypek ’23 about his water polo career before and during his time at Choate.
Alex Skrypek: How did you start playing water polo?
Jack Sun: I started playing water polo during my seventh-grade year at the Eaglebrook School, in Deerfield, Mass. I was already a swimmer, which was a winter sport, so I needed a sport for the fall. My dad suggested I play water polo because I was already a swimmer, and I had big hands.
AS: What other water polo experience did you have before Choate?
JS: I’ve never played on a club team or done a summer camp. I’ve only played at my schools, so just Eaglebrook and Choate.
AS: Did water polo play a role in your decision to come to Choate?
JS: I chose to come to Choate because of the sense of community I felt when I visited. Water polo definitely played a role in that decision. When I revisited, I met my captains-to-be — Ollie Chessen ’19, Tommy Wachtell ’19, and Matt Anastasio ’19 — who warmly welcomed me.
AS: How did you adjust to playing against high-school competition?
JS: The transition was definitely unexpected. You start playing against people who’ve played their whole lives and can do things you’ve never seen. There are people from California, part of the Olympic Development Program who play a completely different kind of water polo than you’re used to. You’re forced to learn and adapt to these competitors, and the game is so much more physical. In water polo, anything underwater that the referee can’t see is allowed. I learned that the hard way, with a lot of bruises and scratches.
AS: What are the differences and similarities between swimming and water polo?
JS: I think I’m equally competitive in both sports, but I have to say I enjoy water polo more. Swimming gets really monotonous at times. You’re spending two hours a day following a black line at the bottom of the pool, and when you’re lucky, you get a change of scenery to the roof of the pool. There’s very little variation in swimming. Water polo, on the other hand, has endless possibilities. There are so many ways to improve and beat the other team, and that’s what I enjoy about the sport.
AS: What is your favorite thing about the sport?
JS: The game is physically, intellectually, and mentally demanding. Obviously, you have to be physically fit to play the sport. Treading water and swimming back and forth for four seven-minute quarters is exhausting. Intellectually, you are forced to make a smart decision in an instant — where to pass, where to shoot, who to guard, where to shot-block. Mentally, you’ve got to learn to keep a cool head. After your defender punches you in the stomach and nearly drowns you, you have to learn to keep your cool and focus on the game. When your opponent scores goal after goal, you have to learn to focus on the next play and learn from your mistakes.
AS: What number are you, and do you have a story behind that number?
JS: I am number nine in the pool. Last year, I wanted to be number eight, because American water polo legend Tony Azevedo was number eight. However, one of the seniors last year pulled the seniority card, and so I changed to number nine. I’ve grown to like it.
AS: What are your future plans in water polo?
JS: I would love to play water polo at the collegiate level, whether that’s on a varsity or club team. I don’t think I could stand being separated from a sport I love so much.
