Book by maria haggart

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Community over Competition Maria Haggart

Community over Competition Maria Haggart

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Dedication F

or my water polo teammates, who have become some of my closest friends and have pushed me to improve.

Previous page: The shock clock used in water polo to count down from 30 seconds.

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Acknowledgements

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couldn’t have created this book without the help of all the teachers at Freestyle Academy and all my interviewees: Don Appleton, Teresa Hao, Nicole Thomas and Malena Nyugen. My thanks to Aaron Waldrip, who supplied me with information through email and helped me learn even more about the club.

Previous page: A water polo ball in a bag for easy transport.

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Prefac e

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ite Flav r o o av

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oduction r t n

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eaL g n a h if

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d Your n o s ey

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Table of Contents

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Preface F

rom the beginning of the year, I was aware of just how time-consuming and stressful this project would be.

We were tasked with writing either a magazine or a book about a subject that we were both interested in documenting, and was related to something of importance today. I needed something accessible to me, but something I was also interested in learning more about. I decided on West Valley Water Polo club because it fit the criteria of what we needed in a subject, and was about a topic that I enjoyed learning about. I had considered topics such as DPS Rescue, where I got my dogs from, and gay pride within the MVHS community.

As a player participating in the club, I had already developed a relationship with the coaches and players. I was excited to document the sport of water polo itself and dedicate my time to learning its history. Documenting this subject, and writing an entire book on it allowed me to break past my awkwardness when it came to asking questions and favors from friends and coaches. I’m not shy by any means, but I ďŹ nd myself second-guessing the wording of everything I write and ask.

I hope that the readers of this book take away the importance of coaches and bonding with their teammates. I hope that they will recognize the bond they have with their friends and teammates is something special, and the community within any team will bolster their conďŹ dence and skills in life.

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Introduction A

series of loud whistles pierces the air, stilling the players in the pool. The water sloshes into the gutter of the pool, and the players look to the referee for direction. His arm is in the air, pointing towards the goal. A moment later, a bright yellow ball is travelling through the air toward the goal, narrowly missing the arms of the defenders.

The ball hits the back of the net. From the bench, cheers erupt as the buzzer sounds, the game won at the last second.

Teammates hug each other, before putting their hands in a circle. They thank the other team, and then line up to give the traditional high fives. Friends hug their friends on the other team, smiles lighting up their faces. This is water polo at its finest.

Water polo teams create a community that lasts a lifetime. A community that impacts not only the player’s social relationships, but their life and impact in their community. (Sport England) Through the multitude of clubs, players learn the skills of water polo. Through coaches, players learn the life skills they’ll need in the workplace. A coach plays an important role in the player’s life, both in and out of the pool. They have the opportunity to impact the player’s lives in more ways than one, taking part in one of the most demanding, but one of the most rewarding jobs out there. (Ohio University) Participating in a sport where you work as a team to achieve one common goal offers opportunities to exercise, to develop a bond with the coach, to develop a bond with your teammates and learn how to work fluidly as a team. After all, teamwork makes the dream work.

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“Water polo in essence takes the most difficult aspects of soccer and football and puts them together in a 30 meter pool. The synergy of the physical and mental aspects of water polo creates one of the most pure and true sports in the world. ” Urban Dictionary

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Pulu P

olo and water polo are two very different sports, despite what their names might suggest.

While they both contain the English pronunciation of the Indian word “pulu”, the nature of the sports share no similarities. Pulu means ball, and the English version of it was soon known as the game that was played on horseback.

Water polo, however, got its name because the players played it in water and used a ball. Hence, you get ‘water polo’, or in other words, ‘water ball’.

Beginning in England during the 19th century, the version of water polo we know today shows little resemblance to the beginning of the sport. The first version of the sport was invented

by British holiday resort owners, to attempt to attract guests. Rivers and lakes were the fields of play. The ball was originally made from a pig’s stomach, but was replaced with a rubber ball in 1869. Gaining rules in 1870, the first official game of this version was hosted by the London Swimming Club, and took place in the Crystal

Palace Plunge. However, the rules changed in 1880, when Scotland introduced the rules that still stand today, preventing the ‘tackling’ of a person who does not have possession of the ball, increasing the size of the ball, and adding in the goal. These rules quickly caught on throughout the world, except for America.

Featuring a play style that resembled rugby, and showing similarities to American Football but in the water, the first game of the American water polo was played in the United States in 1888. This style of water polo caught the attention of the nation and was soon rising in popularity. A decade later, games were played in Madison Square Garden and Boston’s Mechanics Hall. The national championship games attracted 14,000 spectators. These games were violent, and only grew more violent as the popularity increased. With murky water to hide the actions of the players, and few rules preventing the violence, it created a shroud of mystery around

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the actions of the players. It was not an uncommon sight to see players being dragged out of the water, unconscious to the world. Men’s water polo became so popular it was added to the Olympics as the first team sport in 1900, though women’s water polo was only added a hundred years later. America continued its violent game until 1912, when the Amateur Athletic Union withdrew its sponsorship of the sport, only resuming it when the American clubs agreed to adopt the international rules in 1914. (Collegiate Water Polo Association).

The game of water polo today is played all over the world, with a multitude of clubs offering opportunities to play from as young as 10 years old. West Valley, founded

in Saratoga, California is one of many clubs available to water polo players of all skill levels and ages. Beginning in 1978, in an effort to promote the sport in the community, as well as allow player to participate at a national level and international level. It began as a men’s club, offering a program for 16 and under, as well as 18 and under. In 2012, the club filed for the designation of a non profit organization, obtaining the designation within two months.

The club grew in size and popularity, adding more age groups for the boys and adding a girl’s program. The club grew from only offering programs for high school boys, to offering programs for both genders from 10 to 18 years of age. The 10 and under age group began in the past year, the mixed team playing in their first tournament in December of 2017. West Valley goes beyond high school years in their program. In the recent years, the club has developed a master’s team, open to both adults and high school students who want to attend the practices. “...The key thing that contributes all this change to come is to communicate with families.

Their voice is what told us that ‘ hey we need to do the 12 program, we need to do the 10 program’” (T. Hao).

(Left) A player’s towel.

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Favorite Flavors I

magine looking at the wall of ice cream cartons at the back of the supermarket, trying to choose a single flavor of ice cream. Each one has advantages and disadvantages, and each one is the favorite of another person. A person chooses based on what appeals to them. Choosing a water polo club, according to West Valley Water Polo Club (West Valley) coach Aaron Waldrip, places a person in the same situation.

Each player will have their own standards for a club, and each person will argue with another in defense of that decision. West Valley offers the opportunity to not only learn the sport, but allows the players to establish lifelong connections with their teammates and coaches, helping them with unrelated issues and learning skills that they will use outside of the sport. When participating in West Valley, the player joins a community that they’re a part of long after they graduate high school.

The club brings it’s players to countries across the

world, offering the opportunity to not only bond with their teammates, but also with international players. West Valley has offered the players the opportunity to make friendships they never would’ve had before, and provides an environment to grow closer with their teammates from their water polo team. Time management skills and responsibility develop in the players, and holds them responsible for taking care of themselves, both mentally and physically. West Valley has a goal to improve everybody’s skills as a water polo player, no matter their skill level. “It gives everybody an opportunity to succeed. It doesn’t matter what level of water polo you want to play, we have a spot for you, and a team for you. As long as you want to work hard and get better, that’s what it offers you.” (D. Appleton) Qualified coaches are hard to come by for part time clubs. When West Valley finds one, they try their best to 19

keep the coaches coming back each season. West Valley offers the best pay in the Bay Area to their coaches, paying them more than they would make if they started their own club. The club also offers flexibility in their schedule.

Many of the coaches are teachers, as well as the coach for the school’s swim team. The roster of coaches work together in order to cover for the coaches unable to work a day. By offering them better pay, as well as flexibility in schedule, the coaches are willing to come back season after season. One coach, Don Appleton, has been with the club for 15 years, beginning when he was 19 years old. Gabor Sarusi, coach for the women’s team at San Jose State University and an award-winning water polo player when he was in college, has been with the club for 8 years. (T. Hao) In total, West Valley has two former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 coaches, two current NCAA Division 1 coaches, and multiple successful high school coaches as well. This coaching roster is complemented by the coaches West Valley pays to visit and help coach the players. Recently, West Valley had Dante Dettamanti, who is regarded as 20

one of the best men’s coaches in the history of the NCAA, visit the players to coach them. They also had Michel Roy, internationally renowned as one of the best women’s water polo coaches in the history of women’s water polo, come in to coach. These coaches are available to all age groups, and all skill levels. Many clubs only have one or two coaches of this caliber, and are only available to the players on the best team of the club.

West Valley plans their practices around each skill level getting coached by the same coaches, in an effort to better serve the athletes. (A. Waldrip) Nothing’s perfect. West Valley has its flaws, and it’s downsides. West Valley practices for two hours, two days a week during the school year. Even during the summer, practices aren’t as often or as intense as the school season’s practices.

Coach Don Appleton believes practicing more would benefit the players immensely. “But unfortunately there’s things like school and life and social life and friends that we have to take into account.” (D. Appleton) Nicole Thomas, a sophomore on Mountain View High School’s varsity water polo team, imagines that letting the different age groups play together more often would benefit the players for playing in the older group when they reached that age (N. Thomas).

“[Supportive coaches] That’s why I wouldn’t trade it for any other club.”

Malena Nyugen

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Change a Life C

oaches. The keystone of any team, the guiding figure for the players both in the sport, and in life. Holding this position is one of the most rewarding jobs a person can have, with the ability to influence the player’s lives both on and off the field. The lessons a coach teaches them about life now, will remain with their players for life. However, the job of a coach is also one of the most demanding. A spectrum of emotions are constantly felt, from exhilaration to exasperation, pride and disappointment. A coach’s duty is to guide the players through the highs and lows of a season, and improve their skills in the sport. (Ohio University) A coach is tasked with not only advancing each player’s individual skills, but the whole team’s ability to work together fluidly, to make it known that if the team loses, they lose as a team. If they win, they win as a team.

Coaches must make sure the players are putting in effort for the team, and sacrifice their personal desires for the benefit

of the entire team. These lessons will stick with them long after they retire from the sport.

A coach’s duty doesn’t stop at improving the individual skills and the team’s cohesiveness. A coach has the capacity to fill various roles for the players.

From a role model to even a substitute parent, the players of a team will look to their coach for guidance on anything. During a car ride to Los Angeles, in a van filled with 14 girls and their “7 foot ...something...” coach Aaron Waldrip, “he’s technically the therapist for every girl in that car...listening to all the girls singing Party in the USA, telling us what we need to do, and he’s helped me with guy problems” (N. Thomas) While the coaches all have different personalities, each of them have two traits in common. All are helpful, and 23

all are supportive. Malena Nyugen, a participant of West Valley since the beginning of 8th grade, wouldn’t trade that relationship with the coaches for anything. At West Valley, many of the coaches are teachers, ranging from math to physical education. They offer free tutoring to the players participating in West Valley, helping their players in both their academic and athletic endeavors.

Having a good coach is half the reason why a player’s skills improve - the other half simply being the player’s own motivation and hard work.

Establishing and maintaining a positive relationship with a coach allows the player to reap the benefits of that relationship.

One of the most relevant effect a positive relationship with a coach can have on a player of high school age is the effect it has on the player’s academic skills.

Ronald E. Smith and Frank L Stoll, both professors of psychology at the University of Washington, and co-directors of the Youth Enrichment in Sports program, conducted a study to examine the effects of having a good relationship with a coach.

It fosters greater mutual respect between the coach and the athlete, and allows the players to have more fun and the team to become more cohesive. Goals are set higher, both in the sport and academically, while simultaneously increasing the player’s self esteem. A player’s fear of failure and performancedestroying anxiety drops dramatically, and the dropout rate plummeted from 30% to 5%, regardless of the amount of games won. (Smith et al.)

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Being able to work as a team is one of the most valuable skills a person can have in today’s workplace. Having the capability to communicate with your team members outside of the workplace, and within the workplace, and working well together helps many workers flourish in their setting.

Working as a group creates an opportunity to contribute more ideas than an individual would’ve come up with on their own, and fosters the person’s ability to decide on something as a group. Members of a team grow a healthy respect for different cultures, opinions, and the preferences of difference people. If a person has good ideas, but is unable to work well in a team, they might not be as successful in the workplace today.

According to the US Department of Labor, being able to work with a team to create a cohesive project, while contributing their own, original ideas is an asset that all employers are looking for. In any situation, having a competitive edge over the other applicants can be the difference between being hired and being rejected. Whether the competitive edge is having prior experience working with the material the job makes use of, or already having well developed skills such as teamwork.

College applications. One of the most stressful periods of time a high school student experiences. Colleges take a holistic approach when reviewing applications, taking into account their extra-curriculars along with their grades. These extra activities give the applicant a prime opportunity to develop the skills that colleges and workplaces are looking for in their employees. West Valley begins developing these

skills in it’s players as soon as they join the club. As a team sport, a player is essentially forced to communicate with their teammates.

The communication between players and time spent around each other develops a relationship that no other bond of friendship can come close to. “...[friends] you play a sport with you get really really close to. “ (N. Thomas) From the practices two times a week for two hours, to the six hour car rides with 13 other players and a coach who helps with everything, West Valley brings its players together, and develops a setting where teamwork blossoms. “[West Valley] really helped me be a team player.” (M. Nyugen) Responsibility,time management,networking, communication.

All four are skills that are crucial in workplaces. (K. Miller) A player at West Valley has the responsibility to notify the coaches of missing practices or tournaments, and arriving to events on time. By encouraging the students to take responsibility of their own schedule, West Valley prepares them for life in the workplace, where they won’t have parents making sure they get to everything on time, or to call to inform the school of absences. A player must create their schedule around the two hour practices, and ensure that they have enough time for schoolwork and time to themselves. They have to create connections with their teammates, coaches and other teams, developing networking skills they wouldn’t have otherwise.

All of this requires communication. Communication with a player’s peers, their coaches, and their teachers if they’re missing school.

“It helps with a lot of communicating…” (N.Thomas) If a player doesn’t communicate well, the player faces consequences for missing class work that they didn’t know was coming up, or for missing a practice or game where they were needed. A player must be able to communicate to the team while playing, and be able to actively listen to their teammates for plays called or calls for the ball. If a player cannot hear or communicate within the game, they cannot work fluidly as a team.

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“We are not a team because we work together. We are a team because we respect, trust and care for each other.�

Vala Afshar

Previous Page: A water polo player in the shallow end.

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Beyond Yourself V

olunteering in the community is a rewarding experience - a person helps members of the community live better lives, and impacts their own life. Participating in a sport, team or individual, boosts the amount of people in the community volunteering, impacting the people who don’t play a sport as much as those who do. 3% of regularly involved athletes find themselves regularly volunteering in their community.(Sport England) Volunteering provides both the volunteer and the people in need with happiness. It provides the volunteer with opportunities to bond with others, and brings fulfillment to their life, while simultaneously advancing their career. (J. Segal, et al.) Participating in the community gives the players a chance to showcase the skills they learned through the club and managing their own time. Volunteering can have ‘side effects’: lower mortality rates, increased functional ability, and lower rates of depression later on in life. These are simply a benefit the volunteer reaps from their act of kindness.(R. Grimm et al.) A person gives out of the goodness in their heart, and expects nothing in return. That is the essence of volunteering. People volunteer for experiences like this: Actually, you know what, I have. I started volunteering at a homeless shelter about two months ago and I met this little girl, and there were no other girls there and so you can obviously tell she was probably feeling a little lonely. And I started going at least once a week to play with her, and for like three hours. It feels so nice after you volunteer. (N. Thomas) Regular participation in sports doesn’t end at increasing the probability of community members volunteering in their community. Player’s numeracy scores improve by 8% on average, when compared to non-participants. Players who are currently unemployed have been found to be 11% more likely to have looked for a job in the past month. Communities become more cohesive and inclusive, instilling the value of diversity in its citizens, and allowing the locals to have greater influence in decision making. It fosters local pride and a sense of belonging within the community, and reduces crime and substance abuse. A culture of respect and tolerance is built through participation in sports, and a reduction in bullying and antisocial behavior has been observed. (Sport England) At West Valley, there isn’t a requirement for community service hours for their players. The club is aware of 29

the other commitments the players have outside of the club, 2000 dollars to the Mountain View High School Sports from class work to other extracurriculars. The club accepts Boosters. (T. Hao) The money this organization raises the need for the players to have down time to themselves, is then given to the Activity Director, who distributes or the time to hang out with their friends outside of the it to different sports and provides the money needed club. The club encourages their players to participate in to hire new coaches. The water polo club used part of their community in one way or another. In an effort to this money to buy new water polo balls and goals to use give back to the schools and communities their in, West during games and practices. If the club sees the need Valley donates money back to the schools that the club for new equipment, the club will purchase it with their uses for practices. In the past year, West Valley donated funds, rather than the school’s.

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Conclusion A

series of whistles pierce the air, bringing the players in the pool to a stop - but only for a moment. The halt lasts a second at most, before the ball is being picked up from the surface of the water and is leaving the player’s hand.

The ball reaches the back of the net, and cheers erupt from the bench. Another moment, before the players are scrambling out of the pool and pushing themselves to their feet, throwing an arm over the closest teammate while putting their hand in the middle for the traditional cheer after a game. High fives and hugs are exchanged between teams, smiles on both the losing and the winning team. A minute later, a group of people approach the team. Congratulations are given, before the group engages in conversation with the coach. These are former players of the club, talking to their former coach. These are the players that handed the water polo ball they used to their younger siblings and said ‘here, I learned a lot from this’. These are the players who have taken those same skills and implemented them in their college careers and their jobs. These are players who have remained part of the community long after they passed their years of adolescence.

Previous page: Players helping each other during practice.

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Works Cited Appleton, Don. Personal Interview. 5 February 2018 Grimm, Robert, et al. “The Health Benefits of Volunteering.” Corporation for National and Community Service, Apr. 2007. Accessed 5 April 2018 Hao, Teresa. Personal Interview 19 March 2018 “History.” Collegiate Water Polo Association, collegiatewaterpolo.org/fans/gameinfo/history/. Accessed 1 April 2018 “How Does Sport Bring Communities Together?” How Does Sport Bring Communities Together? - Sport England, www.sportengland.org/our-work/partnering-local-government/scenarios/how-does-sport-bring-communities-together/.

Accessed 1 April 2018 MacWilliam, Irene. “The Importance of Teams.” Go to NCVO Knowhow Nonprofit, 23 June 2017, knowhownonprofit.org/people/people-management-skills/teams/about-teams-and-types-of-team/importance. Accessed 1 April 2018 Miller, Kim F. “College Riding Hones Life Skills.” Expert How-to for English Riders, 28 Nov. 2011, practicalhorsemanmag.com/lifestyle/college-riding-hones-life-skills-11632. Accessed 3 April 2018 Nyugen, Malena. Personal Interview. 2 April 2018 Segal, Jeanne. Robinson, Lawrence. “Volunteering and Its Surprising Benefits.” Volunteering and Its Surprising Benefits: How Giving to Others Makes You Healthier and Happier, www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/volunteering-and-its-surprisingbenefits.htm. Accessed 5 April 2018 35

Thomas, Nicole. Personal Interview 23 March 2018 “Understanding the Importance of Coaches.” Understanding the Importance of Coaches | Ohio University, onlinemasters.ohio.edu/understanding-the-importance-of-coaches/. Accessed 1 April 2018 US Department of Labor. “ODEP - Office of Disability Employment Policy.” U.S. Department of Labor -- ODEP - Office of Disability Employment Policy - Youth in Transition - Soft Skills: The Competitive Edge, US Department of Labor, www.dol.gov/odep/ topics/youth/softskills/. Accessed 1 April 2018 Waldrip, Aaron. “Re: Follow up on my previous email” Received by Maria Haggart, 15 March 2018. Accessed 1 April 2018 “Why Coaches Matter: Implications for Mentoring.” The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring, chronicle.umbmentoring.org/leading-sports-psychologists-smith-and-smoll-discuss-the-importance-of-coaches-in-youthslives/. Accessed 3 April 2018

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“In the end nothing mattered. All that mattered was heart.”

Tony Avezedo

about the author M

aria Haggart is currently a junior at Mountain View High School and Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts and Technology. At Freestyle, her elective is animation, where they animate snapshots of the projects they work on in English. She’s part of the Mountain View High School water polo team, swim team and the robotics team.

In her free time, she likes to write short stories, and read novels. Some of her favorite books include Caraval by Stephanie Garber and Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger. In the future, she hopes to be an author.

Previous page: A hook to connect lane lines to the wall.

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Check out my other pieces by scanning this!

Community over Competition Maria Haggart