Water polo was recently added to Clements and will start their season in the Fall of 2023, their next game is in Sep. 1, against Travis High School, at the Aquatics Practice Facility at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the sports, and the athletes enjoying their first time playing the sport,” Assistant Coach Lauren Neal said. “And, of course, a little competition.”
Many of the players are looking forward to competing in the new season, one being the captain of the boys’ team, senior Gregory Chance.
“It [water polo] seemed fun,” Chance said. “It’s a physical sport, and if you hit somebody it’s not like they’re going to tackle you. You can push them or drag them, but it’s not like you’re going to get a bad injury.”
However, water polo also has many challenges, especially since Clements is a year behind everyone else in the district, head coach Margaret Bowen said.
“This is a contact sport and a lot of them aren’t used to that because they’ve only ever done swimming,” Bowen said. “So, learning the rules of the game—what a foul is, what’s not a foul, when to shoot it, when to pass it—is a big challenge.”
Lauren Neal, the assistant coach for water polo and the head coach for swim also voiced her opinions on challenges the team may face in the future season.
“Another challenge we may face is pool space,” Neal said. “You need a whole pool to practice, and we have a boy and a girls’ team, so sharing the pool could be a challenge.”
There are also challenges during competitions and games, such as communication.
“It’s really hard to hear in the water,” Chance said. “There’s a lot of noise, a lot of splashing, so it’s really hard to get everyone doing the same thing.
Despite these challenges, players and coaches are ready to compete for the new season.
“My biggest goal is having the team know all the ins and outs of the sport, playing hard, for all the athletes playing 100%,” Neal said. “I hope to win some games, but we’ll see.”
Photos taken by: Noah Tran
