[singlepic id=1605 w=320 h=240 float=left]Before even entering the pool, the Niles West Water Polo team is already swimming, but not through water, but rather a sea of humidity. A few short minutes later, they jump (or dive) into the pool and quickly begin their pregame drills. Various players such as seniors Elliott Kerbel, Sam Stein, Ryan Miller, and Tim Binkley take practice shots against sophomore Max Romanelli while their head coach, John Przekota, watches over them with a keen eye.

“Some athletes, mainly swimmers, had been asking for a water polo team long before I was ever brought into the process.” The requests reached a point last year where they could no longer be ignored, so Mr. Rosenguard and the administration began looking for a head coach. “When they hired me, I knew that we had our work cut out for us, since most of our swimmers hadn’t played before, but I’m happy with where we are right now. Last year, we didn’t have a varsity team; we only had a few JV games to see if the kids liked it or not, so I’m glad we are back for a second season,” says Przekota of the teams origins.

Althetic director David Rosenguard said that there is no formal process that a club or activity must go through to become a sport, saying, “When coaches, parents, and students approach me about the possibility of a new sport, I investigate the level of interest, whether or not we have the facilities, and possible coaching options. In some cases, such as that of the water polo team, we start off by only having a JV team for a year to see if players like it.”

When asked why he gave water polo a try, Stein said, “I didn’t have a spring sport, I swam year round, so it got boring. When I heard about water polo, I thought that it sounded pretty fun, and it has been that and more for me.”

[singlepic id=1601 w=320 h=240 float=right]Let’s face it. Before this year’s spring spirit assembly, you’d probably never heard that we had a water polo team. OK, you know we have a team. That’s a start. How about the rules? No? Fine. Most people see water polo as a combination of basketball and soccer, just in the water. In a game of water polo, there are four, seven-minute periods. Including goalies, seven players from each team face each other at a time. Like basketball, there is a shot clock that allows each offense to hold the ball for no more than thirty seconds before scoring a goal. Major fouls include holding the ball with two hands and attempting to drown someone, which can result in temporary ejections. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, two, three minute over-times are played, followed by a shootout if necessary.

***
The stands are half filled for the team’s game today. The spectators include everyone from student athletes who just finished practice, to parents of the players, fully decked in red, Niles West Water Polo apparel. The players continue to run their pregame routine on the right side of the pool, which just so happens to be the deep end, while the Highland Park “Giants” occupy the shallow end (they most likely later complained about their feet feet being tired from standing too much).

When the timer on the south wall of the pool room shows 00:00, it quickly resets to 07:00, marking the start of the first of four periods. Soon after, the zebra-shirted ref lobs the yellow ball into the center of the pool, where it then proceeds to dance for a few seconds before being snatched away by the Niles West offense. The Wolves jump out to a 2-0 lead, but lose their way throughout the rest of the half, with the scoreboard now showing 8-3 in favor of Highland Park, which would latter lead to a 16-10 final score; a loss for the Wolves.

***
[singlepic id=1609 w=320 h=240 float=left]The next day, it’s back to practice for the water polo team. The door to the balcony overlooking the pool is open, but no one bothers to enter. No one is there to see the numerous offensive drills, or the players treading water on the deep end with a folding chair above their heads. Not a grunt, sigh, nor groan comes from the mass of muscle and testosterone that is the water polo team as the chairs slowly move up and down at their coaches command.

When asked about the toughness of the sport, Stein said that there was no comparison between other sports, saying, “It is without a doubt the hardest sport offered here. It takes not only physical toughness, but mental toughness as well. It challenges all the muscles in your body, and your also pitting yourself against others.”

Senior Eric Krikorian said he enjoys playing water polo because he’s able to exert his energy, unlike swimming.

“I never really liked swimming, and water polo allowed me to be aggressive,” he said. “I’ve been in agressive sports and swimming wouldn’t allow me to use that agression. I really enjoy the energy given off from the team atmosphere.”

***

The chairs, the drills, the sweat, and the experiences, eventually, all paid off. The overtime rules were put into effect at Riverside-Brookfield on a dead March morning. While most students were sleeping in on the first day of their coveted spring break, alas, the water polo team had awoken early to board a bus to the suburb of Riverside, where the team would gain an exciting overtime victory over the Bulldogs.

“They’re doing great. They’re really starting to bond as a team, and they’re improving each week,” says Przekota on the teams improvement.

***
The team continues to pursue a number of goals they’ve set for themselves, as told by Przekota who says, “We expect to get better every time we have practice. We want to play teams more competitively, especially conference teams that we played close last year, and beat them this year.”

As today’s water polo practice ends, Przekota tells his players gives them insight on upcoming games and the upcoming team photo, and as the Wolves enter the locker room, the humidity is gone, and the welcome warmth of a small, green towel is graced upon them. The wisest of the team keeps their own towel in their locker, where leftover goggles from the swim season linger, as well as a well-loved cap protective cap worn during games.

“Oh God, I love those things. They make me feel like an epic combination of Captain America and a Super Model,” says Stein on the caps.

The team’s record is currently 4-13-1, but the team is content with their record, as told by Przekota who says, “Of course we would like to win every game, but I’m very happy with our record. The team has shown tremendous growth and improvement. Our varsity team is playing against established programs with players who have been playing for at least four years, this is a tough sport to pick up in a couple of months. Lately, we have been playing great polo, and I expect to add to that win total. We have some good talent and potential with this team, and if we get rolling the sky is the limit.”