The Water Polo team’s most recent win against The Webb Schools team with a score of 18-8 had the players practicing harder to be able to keep increasing their wins. Sophomore Erick Olvera had decided to join water polo his freshman year and has been working on himself and his team ever since, pushing himself to better as a student and athlete.

“A regular day for me is getting up early at 5 am to get to school at 5:30 for morning water polo practice. I then go to my classes and make sure I’m eating constantly to have enough energy throughout the daym” Said Olvera.

Morning practices are draining and can tire him out throughout the day. He tries to eat snacks and drinks plenty of water to stay filled the whole day.

Erick plays goalie position, a challenging defensive position that takes a lot of work. As well as being a main component of the team.

“As a goalie, I take on majority of the responsibility when playing. I need to help guide players on defense and block balls, but also help players make precise passes on offense,” said Olvera.

Hard work pays off for Erick when it comes to games. He enjoys participating and the competitive aspect of the sport, appreciating his team’s strenuous practice when they are able to defeat other schools.

“It is one of the hardest sports out there but the satisfaction of beating a team proves the determination… I remind myself that I work hard during difficult times not for myself but those who support me,” said Olvera.

To Erick, the one thing that he thinks contributes and can lead his team to success is communication. Being able to talk in or out of the pool and listen to each other’s ideas and strategies.

“As a team, we can improve upon communication. Communication is key in any sport but especially in water polo because there is a lot of movement and a lot of noise, which cause teammates to be distracted and lose focus in the game. Communication is CRITICAL!” said Olvera.

Erick isn’t the only player on the team that works hard and thrives for success. Everyone else tries their best and does their part when it comes to working together to keep their record.