Boys’ Water Polo Prepares For Comeback Season to Rebound From Last Year
With strong leadership, a fresh attitude and a new workout plan, Bear Polo is ready to get back in the pool with an optimistic outlook on the season ahead. The co-captains for this season, seniors JP Mullins and Liam Oakley, will lead the team through their season, starting with their first game against Suffield.
The boys’ water polo team faced a difficult season the previous year as a result of a strained team dynamic and an attitude problem. “Relationships were strained among teammates and, because of that, the team chemistry was interrupted,” upper Jackson Parell said.
Oakley felt that the mindset of the team going into games last season further contributed to their failure. “In the past years, Bear Polo has been a bit over-confident when going into some games and hasn’t been able to take on some of the tougher teams,” he said.
Although Bear Polo finished with a winning record, their performance was subpar by the team’s standards. “We had the potential to do much better,” upper Taylor Walshe said.
"Overall, with a solid leadership and a new practice plan, things are looking up for the Exeter water polo team, and I am excited to see our performance in the coming season."
However, the team has learned from their struggles last season. “We were quite disappointed with our performance last season and are trying to use our failure as fuel for a successful season this year,” Mullins said. He emphasized the importance of a strong bond among team members.
Parell also expressed a desire to mend relationships on the team. “We hope to work on our team play which seemed to be somewhat lacking last season,” he said.
Walshe said that the team intends to “never say ‘we could have beaten them if we had played up to our true potential at the end of a game.’”
The team has taken advantage of the long summer break, with the captains regularly emailing the team to ensure overall fitness. Returning members of the team will face intense workouts during the preseason training sessions to whip Bear Polo back into shape.
Team members are optimistic looking forward. “This season we’re going to really kick it into high gear with more intensive training and our goal is to not lose a game this season, which I feel is quite possible with our hard work,” Mullins said.
Parell is hopeful that changes to the team will prove fruitful. “Overall, with a solid leadership and a new practice plan, things are looking up for the Exeter water polo team, and I am excited to see our performance in the coming season,” he said.
The team also hopes to win enough games this season to qualify for the Liquid Four tournament at the end of the year for a chance to claim the title of New England champions. While the team qualified for the tournament in 2014, they fell short last fall due to their season record.
Overall, the team is ready to get back to work. “This season is looking great. Everybody on the team is extremely excited to get back to work in the pool,” Oakley said.
Bear Polo will have the majority of their games at home this season, providing the Exeter community with plenty of opportunities to watch as the boys get their redemption.