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Overcoming Defeat
OVERCOMING DEFEATOVERCOMING DEFEAT
Boy’s Water Polo shares insights on their two-year journey to a win
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TANVEE SAI | SHAONA DAS
social media manager | writer
The Cupertino High School boys water polo team is no stranger to defeat. Notorious for their inability to win, the team faced ridicule from neighboring schools and their own during the 2022 season. On Oct. 13, the team left their senior night with their first victory of the year, earning the respect of the water polo community.
The team managed to win only one game in the two years before their 2022 season. Their downfall continued at the beginning of this season when they lost 12 straight matches before a victory.
“We always feel that same sense of loss after each game. But there’s a bigger sense of reflection,” senior and captain Siddharth Kadari said. “We’re always looking forward. We keep our heads up. We just decide to
Season Results 1 - 17
move on and get better for our next game.”
Larry Demuth, retired teacher and former boys water polo coach, returned this season to lead the varsity team as head coach alongside Steven Puccinelli. Demuth has numerous years of coaching experience under his belt, even leading the 1996 boys water polo team to win the Central Coast Section Championship.
“There was a coaching shortage, and Mr. Pucinelli approached me and encouraged me to come out and play,” Demuth said. “I feel very strongly about Cupertino High School and their aquatics program. I didn’t want to see it go under, so I came back.”
When Demuth returned, he discovered that the team lacked proficiency in fundamental water polo skills.
“I think the team was inexperienced – the majority of players did not come from the swim team, so we were a slow team. Water polo requires swimming
CREDITS TO TANVEE SAI
speed, and to really compete, you have to be a fast swimmer,” Demuth said. “Our focus was on fundamentals of water polo this year. Before you can go farther than that, you have to master those fundamentals, and that’s what this year was all about.”
Determined to break their losing streak, the team continued to reform their practices.
“During practice, sometimes we look at the game film, and our coach will point out the things he liked or didn’t like,” Kadari said. “We watch the film to figure out, visually, what we’re doing wrong, what other teams are doing right, what we need to grow on and recurring problems.”
Demuth’s coaching positively impacted the players this season.
“Before we get into the pool and start practicing or playing, our coach will always talk to us about a few specific things we need to work on,” said Jay Shah, a current senior and fourth-year team member. “I really liked the change compared to the previous season because I think that helped us focus on key things.”
The team vastly improved throughout the season – the margin of their losses against the same team, Fremont, decreased from 16 to 5.
After a riveting match against Wilcox that stretched two peri-
ods into overtime, the Cupertino boys water polo team won their first game in two years, their senior night.
Said Kadari, “Everyone was hyped. There was so much energy, and it was coming from everyone on the team.”
“Our coaches told us that it wasn’t a fluke. It wasn’t just some random chance. It was the accumulation of us practicing, losing all the time and building up new experiences. Finally, we were able to pull through,” Shah recapped.
Following their win, the team shifted their mindsets.
Said Shah, “We’re more confident in our skills, and we’ve shown the league what we can do [...]. We have that confidence that we are a real team, a competitive one that poses a threat to other teams in the league.”
The team is optimistically looking forward with elevated spirits and confidence due to their improvement.
“Every year is different; what makes a team is its players. You have to be able to learn and listen. It’s teaching. Obviously, winning at a high level is fun, but watching players improve, like this year, is also fun for a coach,” Demuth said. “I had just as much fun coaching as any other year” SPORTS | 27
