With school starting up again, so are fall sports. This means that the Granada Water Polo team is beginning its season, and there is a lot to know about it. The season stretches on until the end of October, and trailing with it will be many big events such as games, tournaments, scrimmages, and more. This season will bring chances for players new and old to prove themselves in the game. They will compete in games every week, with some weeks having multiple games, whether it be home or away. It’s also worth noting that with the start of this new season for Water Polo, comes a new club for it, which you can catch the meetings of every Monday at lunch in room 511.
There are three coaches for the water polo teams, all working their hardest to make our Granada team as good as it gets. The coaches are Jonathan Newkirk, the Boys’ Varsity Water Polo Coach, Megan McEntee, the Girls’ Water Polo and Swimming Coach, and Robert Kathan, also known as Mr. K, who helps with both Girls’ and Boys’ Water Polo as a coach. This year they are working hard to make sure everyone is comfortable and hard-working out in the games.
This year there are many new players, and they are all excited for the season. With lots of players being new, lots of new feelings will rise too. With so many players on both JV and Varsity, these feelings will vary based on familiarity with both the sport and the pool.
One of the newcomers who is joining as a Sophomore, Dylan Kandel, is also one of the captains of the JV team and is determined to improve at the game. Dylan said, “I love being captain because it gives me a sense of leadership and I get to help others.” These are great qualities to have for a leader, even bringing up that his ¨hopes for the season are to get better at the sport and help my team get better.¨ This means that Dylan, as one of the captains, will be not only improving himself but also guiding his team with him on the path to victory.Â
When asking Leo Quijalvo, a Sophomore swimmer, about how long he’s been swimming, his response was, “I’ve been doing swimming for five years, and reached varsity swim last year for Granada.” With such an achievement, it is clear that he does not struggle with swimming or speed as he is one of the go-to sprinters in the Water Polo games he competes in. About his role as a sprinter, he feels, “I do like being [a] sprinter to test my speeds, but it sometimes makes me feel like I have pressure put on me from the importance of the role.¨
Finally, I asked Madden Maccianno, a Sophomore, to share how he felt about his first time playing water polo, which is also his first swimming sport. He said, “At first I was nervous, but after learning the sport and the team, I wish I had joined my freshman year.” He also said that the goal he wants to achieve for the season is to “at least score one goal, that would make me happy.”
This season, two big tournaments are already on the radar. The first is the ¨Sierra Shootout¨, a varsity-exclusive tournament that is named after the location where it is being held, Sierra College, Rocklin. The first game will be on September 8, and the games will stretch till September 10, with games being at either Sierra College or Rocklin High School based on whether they win or lose. As it goes over the weekend, two games will be played on Friday, and another two on Saturday. Another tournament to look out for is the one in Turlock, coming up during homecoming week. While less is known about it, it is known that even with it possibly falling on the homecoming dance, players will have enough time to make it home and go to the dance without being late or missing it entirely. It is also good to note this one is not varsity-exclusive and will bring all players to the game, ready to play.
To summarize this article, everyone on the Granada Water Polo team is working hard, whether player, parent, or coach to show how incredible not only Granada is, but the sport as a whole. The sport, known by most to be challenging, creates opportunities for bonds to be made as people help those in need. So, go Granada, and good luck with the season!
