Underwater hockey.
Giant pumpkin kayaking.
CarJitsu.
It’s unlikely that these bizarre, unusual sports have anything to do with the girls water polo team. After all, what even is underwater hockey?
According to sophomore Neehla Gracia, they have more in common than a person might think.
“When I tell someone I play water polo, they always ask me, ‘Is it like soccer in the water or something?’ They’re not always sure what water polo is, and how it’s played, and how aggressive and hands-on it is,” Gracia said.
For senior Emily Sellman, varsity team captain, the effort her team has poured into her sport is deserving of more recognition than the girls have received.
“I personally think [water polo] is harder than a lot of the other sports that go on here, and I think that people just overlook it,” Sellman said. “It’s a really fun sport, and I think people, if they knew a little bit more about it, [would] care more.”
Last year, the girls were awarded the title of D2 state championships. Because of that, this year’s team is facing even more difficult opponents.
“We definitely have a lot of supporters from friends and family, but as a school, I feel like it doesn’t really get that much attention,” Gracia said. “I feel like it got washed over a little bit because of other sports.”
Coach Jordan Brain attributes this cycle of disregard as due to water polo not being a WIAA sanctioned sport.
“The Olympics does a great job of making sure that it’s seen, and the USA teams are wonderful. It has become increasingly popular. But there aren’t [a lot of] those avenues for younger students to have immediate access,” Brain said.
One thing that can definitely not be credited as a cause is a lack of effort from the girls themselves.
“The team atmosphere is intense. In games, we’re always focused, watching and thinking, but it’s also fun. We laugh and joke, and I feel like it’s a good mix of serious, hard work and determination,” Gracia said.
There is no shortage of passion, neither from the team nor their coach.
“I’m biased, but I do think it is one of my favorite sports to watch and do, because it encompasses so many different things. Your skill set that you bring is unique, and we can use it in a lot of different places,” Brain said. “I do have to shout out that we have quite an amazing team, a wonderful group of young ladies who are kind, considerate and just great people.”
Just like every other sport, water polo is both an enjoyable and advantageous pastime.
“I think physically, it’s really helped my endurance, my physical capabilities, but also mentally,” Sellman said. “Especially this year, playing harder teams, being able to mentally stay in the game and be able to do really hard things without getting like annoyed or frustrated.”
Just like underwater hockey and giant pumpkin kayaking, Water Polo has several key features that separate it from other sports.
“Most, if not all, sports, you can see everything that is going on, essentially for what it is, because no part of their body is under something or not being able to be seen by the crowd,” Brain said. “Here, pretty much everything, except for your arms, is underwater, and you can’t see how aggressive it can be underwater. I think that’s what people would be surprised about, is how physical and aggressive the game is.”
For most high school sports, “aggressive” can describe both the gameplay and the atmosphere, especially with tons of strict cuts and tryout environments.
“We are a no cut sport, so we allow anybody and everybody to walk on and learn. I think that’s super valuable in the realm of high school. When you walk onto a team, you have the possibility of being cut and then never being able to experience that,” Brain said.
It’s up to both students and staff at Puyallup to grant this amazing team both the respect and admiration they deserve.
“Last year, when we were able to place super high, we didn’t get nearly as much recognition,” Sellman said. “I think water sports in general don’t get enough. Just because it’s not as popular, people just look aside.”
