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closeIn the Redzone: Discovering something new
Shaun Scott
Ever since I officially became a sports writer in September of 2005, I’ve covered a plethora of sporting events on the job. Every year it seems I end up covering something that I hadn’t had the opportunity to do in the past.
This year was no different.
For the first time in my life, this spring I’ve had the opportunity and privilege of covering girls’ water polo in East Pierce County. Thus far, I’ve been on hand for at least one of Rogers’, Emerald Ridge’s and Puyallup’s contests in the pool and will likely be in attendance for many more for the remainder of season.
In my opinion, water polo resembles soccer in a variety of ways. It’s like watching a soccer game in the water. Even though water polo has just seven players in the pool as opposed to soccer’s 11 players on the field, the two sports pretty much mirror one another. Passing, defense, stellar goalie play and endurance are staples of any water polo or soccer contest. Breakaways and one-on-one battles between goalies and offensive players are common. The one glaring difference in soccer is the ball rests on the player’s feet, while in water polo, it typically resides on a player’s forehead. In water polo, there are two types of passes: dry passes and wet passes. Dry passes occur when the ball goes from one player to another without the ball ever touching the water. Wet passes are when a pass hits the water in front of their teammate by several yards, allowing the athlete to use speed to catch up to the loose ball. Once the offensive player acquires possession, they use their head to push the ball as they feverishly swim faster and faster toward the goal before uncorking a shot. Typically wet passes result in breakaways and one-on-one battles.
Water polo athletes must possess superb physical conditioning in order to even set foot in the pool. A game lasts 28 minutes and for those 28 minutes, players are constantly swimming or treading water with only a few breaks in between to catch their breath. Participants in water polo aren’t allowed to touch their feet onto the bottom of pool. Teams displaying superior conditioning typically win. This phenomenon was clear in a recent contest between Rogers High School and Auburn Mountainview.
Rogers held a slim 5-3 lead at halftime before outscoring Auburn Mountainview 12-6 in the second half.
“Our conditioning was stronger than theirs,” Rogers head coach Debbie Turver said. “We were able to maintain our level of play and stay with it. They couldn’t keep up with us.”
After going through a soccer practice with the Cascade Christian boys soccer team a few weeks ago, I know firsthand how much conditioning can make a difference when partaking in an athletic endeavor. With the exception of track and field, water polo players are probably the most well-conditioned athletes participating in spring sports in East Pierce County.
Seeing water polo athletes putting all they have into their favorite sport with little fanfare is what high school sports are all about. These players don’t have the luxury of playing in front of hundreds of screaming fans on a nightly basis like many of their peers in other sports at the high school level.
Each day they make their way to the pool because of their passion for the sport.
Isn’t that what it’s all about!