After taking two off-seasons due to Covid-19, Girls’ Water Polo is back and better than ever. Led by captains Martha Chessen ’22, Paige Loughlin ’22, and Macie Simmons ’22, new players are ready to put their best foot forward as they take on the upcoming season.
Water polo is widely known as one of the most challenging sports, both mentally and physically. The lengthy rules of the game make it especially difficult to pick up. Water polo also proves to be a mental challenge with its aggressive and competitive nature. Coach Brooke Fichera said, “It takes so much confidence and bravery to get out there and try something so overwhelming and so new that it’s a bit of a mental game in some ways, where you have to kind of talk yourself into being able to do it.” Fortunately, the team has an experienced trio of captains to lead them. Lauren Hsu ’24, a new water polo player, said, “I think the most powerful thing that has helped me overcome challenges [is] having the captains there to give feedback.” All three captains are passionate about the sport and are encouraging their new teammates to become more confident.
A significant number of water polo players were once swimmers, which, for many, is a motivating factor in joining the sport. For example, captains Chessen and Simmons started with competitive swimming and decided to join water polo to complete their spring sport requirements. Hsu is also a swim team member and decided to try out water polo because of its popularity among swimmers. She said, “I knew that at U.S. boarding schools, a lot of swimmers take up water polo in the spring, and I just wanted to try it to get a feel for it to see if it was something I wanted to do in the future.” They all ended up enjoying the sport, especially the team aspect. “I like being part of a team, so we practice relying on other people and building as a group,” said Chessen. Loughlin also enjoys the sport for the connection she has with her team. She voiced, “I’m really excited to see how much closer the team can get because our team is pretty close, definitely supportive, and very encouraging.”
Water polo is a game played entirely on water where two teams compete by shooting the ball in the opposing team’s goal, requiring players to be swimming, treading water, being aware of their surroundings, and handling the ball simultaneously. Coach Fichera recommends that players “get in [the] best physical shape that [they] can possibly get into so that [their] conditioning is never an issue, so that it’s never a matter of getting beat because [they] were slower and out of shape.” Many water polo players have found the physical demands of the sport to be challenging. Simmons said, “It’s a really demanding sport; swimming on its own is pretty hard. Combine that with having to not only be quick but also strong.”
Aside from physical fitness, water polo also requires immense mental strength. With its extensive list of rules, understanding the game and building up the confidence to be aggressive proves to be a challenge. Chessen said, “Even though I would consider us captains to be experienced players, there are still things that I don’t know about the game that I still find out every day.”
Choate’s Girls’ Varsity Water polo team members face the difficulties with strong mindsets and fierce determination. With the season ahead, their goal is to make it to the New England Championships. Led by a great group of captains and coaches, Girls’ Water Polo is definitely on the path to success.
