Back in the pool: men’s water polo returns after two years away

After a year away from the pool, despite COVID-19 still looming over Orange County, the men’s water polo team is back with goals of making the best of their season. Panther Archives.

After a difficult 0-6 start to the new season, the Chapman men’s water polo team has found a groove winning three of their last five games. However, for the Panthers, just being back in the pool for the first time since the 2019 season is exhilarating. 

“It was a really long off season, so it’s really great to be back with the team again,” said Andy Anguiano, a senior data analytics major. “The team was so spread out last year, since we weren’t playing: some players were at home, some were at school. We weren’t really able to make a great connection, but that makes this year so much more exciting. It’s nice to be able to have the team together.” 

Over the last year and a half, there wasn’t much the team could do, since most pool access was shut down. Like most teams at Chapman, the water polo team tried to the best of their ability to foster a sense of team chemistry, but it wasn’t easy. 

“Last year, we were able to have a couple practices here and there,” Anguiano said. “But, we weren’t able to get a great team dynamic going.” 

Without many team practices going on, there also wasn’t the same structure for keeping the players in swimming shape. Instead, the responsibility was left in the hands of the players themselves. Their love of the game and hopes of playing together again is what kept them motivated during their individual workouts, according to teammate Owen Nicholas.

“Getting back into ‘game shape’ was more difficult than past years,” Nicholas said. “But, getting the opportunity to compete again with some of my best friends was motivating enough on its own.”

With two years of playing eliminated due to the pandemic, this year’s water polo team has a lot of new faces. For freshmen and sophomores, this fall is their first time in the pool competing for Chapman. 

“Some of last year’s freshmen were able to make it out to the practices we had last year, but a lot weren’t,” Anguiano said. “Still, almost half the team is new to Chapman so we’ve made an effort as upperclassmen to build team chemistry with them.” 

After missing so much time, the upperclassmen on the team are putting a large emphasis on making the best of this year. Not just with the way they are welcoming the younger players, but also in the way they look at this season as a whole. 

“This season means everything. For most of us, this is the last year we’ll be able to play at a high level for such a tight-knit group,” Anguiano said. “We’re trying to do everything we can this year to be good leaders (as well as) have the younger guys focused and ready to come to work every practice.” 

With a chunk of the season already under their belts, Chapman’s men’s water polo is looking to keep their team-building momentum going. 

“As the season has gone along, we have gotten very close and much better as a team, and we look to continue building on that as we continue our league schedule,” Nicholas said.

When things go well as a team in the locker room, things end up going well in the pool. The water polo team hopes that with a united group they can accomplish some team goals as well. 

“As a team, we have high standards,” Nicholas said. “Our goal is to make the SCIAC (Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) Tournament to give ourselves a chance to make a run at a SCIAC Championship and a Division III National Championship.”

Even with the Panthers back in the pool, COVID-19 concerns still remain due to unknown vaccine statuses among other players in the SCIAC division. Yet, some players have faith that regulations will keep their season protected.

“The NCAA and Chapman have many COIVID-19 regulations to make us feel safe playing other teams,” Nicholas said. “There is not too much of a concern, since most players around the conference are fully vaccinated, but as a team, we are staying cautious.”

With water polo being a high contact sport, the conversation around COVID-19 is increasingly relevant. The team is taking safety seriously by holding one another accountable to ensure the season isn’t jeopardized. 

“Early on in the season, it was something we talked a lot about as a team — (how) all the rules were changing, how they were going to mandate it (and) what we were going to do,” Anguiano said. “Luckily, on our team, everyone is vaccinated. Our coach and leaders are constantly reminding the groups on the weekends just to be careful what we’re doing. Anything (a player does) can affect the season or cause us to miss games, so we take it seriously.”

As a Division III sport, the water polo team must abide by a set of rules that mandate a certain percentage of the roster be vaccinated in order for the team to play. Some of the teams in the same division have even stricter rules and have gone on to say all players must be vaccinated to enter the pool. However, any additional regulations to the foundational Division III protocol are at the discretion of each team.

The water polo team will continue their season this Wednesday, Oct. 13, as they host Claremont-MS at 7 p.m.