Boys' water polo making waves

As Samo sports kick off into the new year, Samo’s athletes have already begun training for their seasons, and the boys’ water polo team is no exception. After last year’s team brought forth a victory for the school in the CIF Division IV Championship, the pressure is on for the new team to replicate that success as they carry themselves to keep the school's success alive. As one of the school’s few water sports, boys’ water polo presents a unique experience for the average player and viewer alike. From the aquatic training that isolates sets of muscles usually left underutilized, to the difficulty in properly training outside of school hours, the complications are apparent. Yet despite these difficulties, the team seems committed to meeting the task before them, as Co-Captain Francis Schumann (’20) mentioned.“We lost several key players with our graduating seniors last year and we’ve got a lot of work to do to construct a better team, but I’m very excited and eager to see what the boys can accomplish this season,” Schumann said. Fellow co-captain Aaron Akhavan (’20) matched his excitement.“I’m excited about our team and what we can accomplish. We all gotta put maximum effort and build chemistry to ultimately make this season a success,” Akhaven said.With the season just beginning, it’s hard to predict how things will pan out for this freshly-formed team, but with competence, tact and training, there's hope in sight, and it looks like Head Coach Matthew Flanders sees potential in this group of athletes.“I am looking forward to seeing this group of young men fulfill their potential,” Flanders said. With the new group of players putting their best foot forward, it’s sure to be an interesting season. If you want to see it for yourself, be sure to watch their games here at the Samo Drake pool.