Captains of the Week: Boys Water Polo
By JACK CASSIDY, ROHIT KANTAMNENI, LAUREN LEE
The boys varsity water polo team has had an exhilarating start to their season. With an undefeated record of 6-0, they’re bound to be a competitive team at Interschols. Most recently, the boys pulled away with a 13-12 win over Choate this past weekend. Looking forward, the varsity squad will be facing off against Brunswick and CT Premier, among others this weekend at the Cardinal Cup. Although very good teams, Big Red is prepared to show them what the team’s been working on, including a more efficient defense and driving plays. These recent successes and top form demonstrate the leadership and mentality exhibited by the senior varsity captains: Alex Rosen, Charlie Gao, and Will Reed.
Some captains started their water polo journeys from early on while others started playing at Exeter. “I’ve been playing for quite a while starting around 12-13. I played club water polo at my local club, Greenwich Aquatics, whose program was certainly competitive,” Gao said.
Reed also started out early. “I started playing in 7th grade after a friend invited me to his club’s practice, it would end up becoming my year-round sport. It developed from U14 games to the current day here at Exeter.
On the flip side, Rosen started playing water polo in his first year at Exeter.“It sounded like a fun sport to get into as a beginner as I used to be a swimmer. My first year we did junior varsity and varsity together, so I got to play with varsity too. It was terrifying. I originally practiced with the JV guys and, in a shooting drill, volunteered to be goalie...That’s how I first got in cage, and I’ve been a goalie ever since.
The captains have also done a fantastic job motivating the entire team to leave it all in the pool, and to hold each other accountable. “They influence me to be a better player, they inspire me to be a better teammate,” prep Henry Wise said. Wise is not alone when he says this, as all preps on varsity have made significant progress already, since arriving for preseason.
For Gao, team camaraderie is crucial. Despite entering the Exeter Aquatics program as an experienced water polo athlete, Gao highlighted how the “transition into the high school water polo dynamic…changed the style that [he plays with].” As a leader, he believes that to truly push his fellow players to perform their best, he must set “good precedent to how we should practice, act, and play.”
Rosen’s style of leadership is also built on inclusivity and mentality. “I think that its most important for everyone to feel like they fit in. After that, I think its most important that people try their best.”
Reed also expects a winning mentality and performance from his teammates. “When leading the team, I try to work with my fellow captains to make sure the boys are having fun while also working hard and focusing on the task at hand.”
Upper Leo Zhang reflected on his captains’ leadership qualities. “They’re very good leaders and I think more concretely they lead by example a lot. So whether that be swim sets, the intervals, and lifts. They’re always making us stay on track.”
One of Charlie’s and the coaches’ favorite ways to push the team is with “a lot of chairs” - an exercise in which players will hold metal chairs above their heads for minutes at a time in order to strengthen their legs. It’s become a team signature.
The tight-knit relationships between the three captains are evident in how they cultivate a supportive team environment. “All three water polo captains are my close friends. I have been on varsity with Will all four years at Exeter, and Rosen and Gao since lower year,” said senior Michael Yang.
Leo Zhang shared a similar sentiment. “They push us to our very best on the court and they push us very good off the court too ‘cause they’re great people.” While the captains have fostered a very friendly and sociable team environment, their hard-nosed work ethics have enabled the team to get down to business when necessary.
