Playing water polo for Coach Swanson isn’t just about mastering the sport; it’s about feeling secure and confident in the water. While doing this, the boys’ and girls’ teams function, respectively, as a single, cohesive unit.
Water safety is Swanson’s top priority. His only requirement is that players feel secure in the water. For those who don’t, he builds confidence through peer mentorship and consistent safety drills, ensuring no one faces the pool alone.”
Playing any sport has a risk to it, but especially water polo. Many people don’t know the basics of water safety. Swanson understands this and does everything in his power to lessen this risk.
“We (coaches) try to mitigate risk, but there’s always an inherent risk in what we’re doing,” said Swanson. “I try to mitigate that risk by suggesting the only thing I require of people who want to play water polo is that you can show me that you can be saved.”
Safety is a core part of Swanson’s job as coach, and he puts emphasis on true safety while playing water polo. Safety happens as a team; as you play for Swanson’s team, the other players are also there to lift you up.
“It has always been important to me that people understand what water safety is and what it is to truly be safe in the water,” said Swanson.
Another core value of Swanson’s coaching is teamwork. He really pushes his players to work together, highlighting teamwork during water polo games.
“You’re playing it as a team. It’s not an individual thing. You’re not individually going to go out there and try to pass or fail based on your own. You’re going to go out there as part of a team, you’re going to learn to carry each other,” he said.
The girls’ team is in a very unique position. They are one player down due to lack of sign ups, so when they play games, they play coed, which means both teams are very integrated during their practices. They also train every day after school. Both of these things allow for strong bonds between the players to form.
“It’s really fun and I feel like it’s a really great way to make friends because you’re around the people, like, every day after school for a long time,” said Lila De Ponte, a sophomore in her second year of water polo.
Water polo isn’t just about teamwork and water safety; you also gain skills that are crucial for outside of the pool. Playing this sport teaches you to take what you’re given in life and embrace it.
“If you can come out here and you can teach yourself how to embrace the position you find yourself in and learn to control yourself through that, then in life it lends to teaching you a lot about yourself and what you can handle,” said Swanson.
In Coach Swanson’s pool, water polo is more than just a sport, it’s a lesson in trust, resilience, and what it means to truly have each other’s backs.
