“It’s always good to try something new,” said freshman Mitchell Andersen. First experiences happen every day, including in water polo.

The students who make up the JV water polo team are mostly brand new to the sport. “The first day of water polo, I didn’t know what to expect,”  said freshman Chad Keefer. “[I’d] heard a lot from my brother, and my cousins played it too. My brother told me it was a really hard sport, but it all turned out just fine.”

For many, water polo’s physical demands prove to be a challenging transition. “It’s really hard and pretty tough. I have never swam this much.  I pretty much had to learn everything,” said freshman Caedon Palmer.

Playing in the group environment is a new experience for many of the players. “[Water polo] has taught me teamwork [is important.] I did swimming, but [I] have never [done a sport that involves] teamwork,” said freshman Isaac Dent.

Water polo requires hard work, but the team often jokes about the tan lines when the speedos arrive. “The thing I value most in water polo is the awkward jammer tans,” said junior Bryce Kirklen with a laugh.

Even outside the pool, the team experienced strange situations. “At the Washington Pool, there is this gang that has shown up a couple times and attempt[ed] to break in[to] cars. The lifeguard had to call the police [on] them once,” said freshman Jonathan Holmes.

The CAHS JV boys’ water polo team proves that experience doesn’t matter when motivation and confidence are a priority.