The edge of winter is almost upon us, and the girls’ water polo has shown they aren’t going to be deterred by the cold. Every weekday they conquer the water through practices, anticipating the tournaments that are yet to come.

 Members of the team,  agree that this year the polo team will be well equipped to deal with any challenge it faces.

Ariella Alvarez, a senior on the team, states how proud she is of her team.

“I have been swimming with some of my teammates since I was nine. We want this to be our best year,” she comments. 

With confidence like this, it tends to resonate throughout the entire team. The water polo team has been shown to work countless hours, sharpening their skills. According to Alvarez, the team is “physically, spiritually, and mentally prepared” for the upcoming events occurring in the near future.

Emily Pallesi, a freshman on the team, has agreed with Ariella that the team has begun pushing the team members on practicing, especially conditioning.`

The team runs, weight lifts and trains all to make them the best they’ve’s ever been.

With this hard year yet to show any promise of COVID getting better, there’s always a question on how it might affect the team. Emily, though, has a positive outlook on it.

“We can’t get too close to each other because of social distancing and just the risk is a challenge, but we take careful measures to stay safe,” she states. Pallesi is definitely not the only one who wants this pandemic to end, but it’s teams and sports like the girls’ polo team that give the most to support both their interests and supply entertainment for those who need sports.

As the head coach of the polo team, Coach Wood has been doing his all to make sure that the team gains strength. He has been creating strategies, uses the team’s personal strengths, and especially gives good feedback to learn from.

“Coach Wood is a great coach. He knows how to bring the best out of all of us,” says Ariella.

For this new year of water polo, there is always one question that could be asked; how far is this team willing to go? What goals do they have individually and as a group? From the individual standpoint, the willpower is strong. The teammates interviewed both had the same mindset, which was to reach CSL and Valley Championships. This, on the surface, shows how strong the chemistry the team has which is extremely promising for their future.

The girls’ water polo team is continuing to practice until early next year, where they have their next tournament against Madera South. The game will be away, but the team is not worried in the slightest, having complete faith in each other.