Athletes of the Week: Boys’ Water Polo Captains

Last year’s Boys’ Water Polo team smiles for a team photo. Adam Tuchler/The Exonian

By Emma Liu 

The captains of Boys’ Varsity Water Polo have had a challenging season, but despite the setbacks, they continue to persevere. This is likely due to the team’s highly qualified captains—senior and co-captain Osiris Russell-Delano was one of Big Red’s top offensive players last year; senior and co-captain Cooper Walshe received all-tournament honors last year at the 2019 NEPSAC water polo championships; and senior and co-captain Aiden O’Brien was the top goalie in the finals, ending the tournament with eight saves.

This year, this power trio hopes to energize the water polo team, famously known as “Bear Polo.” While O’Brien is out with a concussion and remote for now, the other two co-captains are holding down the fort, teaching the preps and refining the skills of other players. All three of these captains have their own quirks and together, they lead a very strong roster. 

Charlie Venci ’20, a water polo alum and past captain, praised the team’s leadership.  “Cooper and Osiris are fantastic leaders-by-example,” he said. “They come to practice fired up and, while they may not be vocal about it, their energy and passion in the water gets their teammates going. It’s been a pleasure coaching them this year. Unfortunately, Aidan suffered a concussion early in the year and was unable to be with us for a large portion of the season. However, his spirited approach to every challenge that he faced complemented Osiris and Cooper’s lead-by-example methods.”

Another co-captain alum, Milo Walshe ’20, agreed with Venci’s point. “Aiden is a born leader, and ever since his prep year he has had a big influence on the team,” he said. “He stepped up big and played goalie last year which really helped our season. Osiris is a really competitive player and is an absolute weapon on offense. He embodies Bear Polo’s fighting spirit, and leads by example in the water. Lastly, Cooper is an extremely scrappy water polo player. He actually never gives up, and it’s won us games. Nobody grinds harder than Cooper, and I’m sure he sets a good example to follow.”

C. Walshe’s persevering attitude is immediately noticeable after he tells the story of how he first got involved in Water Polo. “When I first came to Exeter, I was actually planning on joining the cross-country team when I arrived on campus,” he said. “I arrived on campus early one morning and was able to watch the latter half of a water polo practice. I decided to try out and needed to borrow a suit from my brothers.”

“I was so out of shape at the time that one of my brothers was holding me up in the water between drills so that I could get some rest,” Walshe continued. “I barely made the JV team and the first game we had, our coach didn’t even let me be a bench warmer: I was made to watch from the stands.”

“I worked hard that year and I made the Varsity team my Sophomore year. I then came back my junior year and earned a spot on the starting lineup of Varsity,” Walshe said. “I was named captain at the end of that season and it is still shocking to me that I was able to start as a spectator in the stands for JV all the way to leading the team. I always take a special interest in the JV group. I was in their shoes at one point, and I know that each of them has so much potential.”

Prep Michael Yang agreed. “The captains are really dedicated whether that is their work ethic or their determination to contribute to the water polo team. Osiris and Cooper are really committed to elevate the team as a whole and always do it with a sense of passion upon their face. They have done a great job connecting the string of new water polo athletes to the returning ones, making me feel a part of the team,” he said.

While being made a captain within these uncertain times puts extra pressure on them to perform at their best and motivate the team, the captains take it in stride. “Although it is my last season, for a lot of the team, they will have many more seasons of Exeter Water Polo,” Walshe said. Not having a game that we are training for sometimes makes it hard to put your full energy into practice but knowing that the rest of the team is watching me, I make sure to bring the intensity to every drill because I want the team to be in good hands for the years to come. I make sure to explain different plays to everyone because I want to set the team up for success in the years to come.”

“The captains have been motivating us by leading by example. They work hard every day and set a good example,” senior Aren Mizuno said. “Seeing this tremendous effort from them makes the rest of us have to do the same. They have also organized a tournament for these last two weeks of practice which is exciting. We are hyped to play competitive games like we would in a regular-season free of COVID-19.”