My extravagant lifestyle of a high
school water polo player (not really) started when I was only a mere freshman.
I first started water polo because I was tired of playing my childhood sport of
baseball and I wanted to try something I had never done before. Little did I
know I was getting myself into 4 years of blood, sweat, and tears.
During the course of my 4 years I
had formed a brotherhood with friends I will remember forever. The first test
of the brotherhood was the worst week of my entire life, the dreaded HELL WEEK.
This single week that I would have to endure during the hottest month of the
summer for 4 years was my Achilles heel. Thousands of yards swam with any
stroke you can possibly think of, pushups, burpees, sit ups, stairs, running,
the whole enchilada. This was used as a bonding week to see if your family for
the next 4 years would not quit no matter the task at hand. The love that we
all shared was mutual even with all of the blisters, cuts, and bruises from all
the work we put in through the seasons.
Playing water polo actually led me
to a job in the area. My first year working was being a lifeguard up at the
Fontana Park Aquatics Center. The leadership skills I had gained from playing
water polo allowed me to excel at my job. The strength that I had from being
able to tread a 20 pound weight belt for an hour really made me stand out
during my interview and testing. I actually got to work with some of my
brothers on the team which made the working experience that much better. I even
got the chance to spread my love of the water to children eager to learn how to
swim. I disciplined them into well trained swimmers so they are able to promote
to their next level and possibly pursue other activities in the aquatics
program.
The final season of water polo in
high school was the most emotional and easily my best performance of my 4
years. I maintained my starting varsity position from the year before and I
believe I was the second highest scorer on the team next to my good friend
Kyle. Towards the end of my season i would reminisce on all of my team dinners,
morning practices, and the love that I had for my brothers. At my last game of
the season I was emotional because I knew that I would never experience a water
polo game with the friends I had and I remembered all of the lifelong memories
that I had formed on that pool deck. At the banquet I was honored by the
Baseline League for outstanding performance in water polo and that sealed my
participation in the most extravagant lifestyle of a high school water polo
player and it was the best 4 years of my entire life.
I really enjoyed reading this piece. I liked how you described the memories and the bonds that you have made with your teammates over the years. I found the subtle humor and deep emotional contrasts to work very well to explain your experience on the water polo team. Great work!
ReplyDeleteI feel as if I can relate to your piece quite easily because of my two years in club soccer. You grow quite fond of your teammates and start to view them as a family. Your piece allowed the reader to relate to your feelings by your use of intricate detail in your experience of being in water polo. I also enjoyed the bits of humor you added in order for the piece not to be all emotion but rather a mix of emotions.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great piece. The way you were able to use diction in your descriptions of all of your hardships and experiences really sets the tone for your story. I would just like to say that this work just goes to show that with hard work and determination, you can succeed. And all the hard work that you do will pay off, which is evident when you stated that you gained a position as a lifeguard with the help of your water polo skills. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI see your determination, passion, and hard work you have displayed through this piece. I can relate because I too have this drive for boxing. I also enjoyed the part where you connected your work to the sport you play and how it benefitted and shaped your skills for water polo.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed how your team can make a brotherhood through a week of hell. That really shows how determined and passionate you all are! I also liked how you related a food type to all of the exercises your team would do; I found that really interesting and also funny. I can see in the end that all the hard work, blood and sweat really did pay off. Great job! - Aryelle Estrada
ReplyDeleteThis was a great and very connecting piece. I think many of us can relate to the heartache of having to depart the teams, clubs, or groups we've been with throughout high school. It definitely made the ending of our four years in high school seem that much closer. You had a good use of allusions such as the Achilles Heel. Nice job:)
ReplyDeletePlaying a high school sport has a lot or work and dedication. You showed the dedication of that and especially for only starting your freshman year is really good. Having friends within the sport makes it even better too! I heard how hard hell week is and that puts a lot of effort on yourself. Good job on this Camrin!
ReplyDeleteThis brings back a lot of memories for me it was bittersweet reading your piece. I as well started my freshmen year and can relate to your story deeply because little did I know that the next four years were going to be the most memorable times of my life. Congrats on the outstanding performance granted by the Baseline League and a great run with you and your boys.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very well written story. I enjoyed the comedic input and the passionate and heartfelt tone you had when you were describing how water polo had benefited your life. I especially like how you didn't focus on the negative aspects of the sport and put a positive twist on the tough situations in order to emphasize the brotherhood you formed with your teammates. This was a great piece, thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeletei can really feel the genuine aspect of this piece. I think all athletes can relate to this, in a sense that we build lifelong relationships through a sport we enjoy doing. As a "tracklete" i was able to create a bond with people i would never think i would associate myself with, and that is the sheer beauty of it. I like to think that sports are sort of a universal language that helps humans connect with each other.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this piece. It had a very nostalgic tone to it as you were reminiscing not only on the good times you had with your fellow team mates, but the struggles you all had to endure as well. And really going in depth of these struggles throughout your story showed how it brought you and your team mates together.
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed your story of water polo. It made me laugh in the beginning like the "dreaded HELL WEEK" because most of us understand how that week goes. Not just that, in this piece you shared your passion for water polo and the strong relationship you have maintained with your team for 4 years. Just the idea of the 4 years and memories really made me upset because you always want to re-live those moments and memories. Fantastic job man, I really enjoyed this piece.
ReplyDeleteCamrin, I really enjoyed this piece mostly because I related to it. It reminded me of all the good times of water polo, and the bad, since I did not play my senior year. You made me cringe when your brought up the "dreaded HELL WEEK" but that's part of the sport, even though mostly everyone hates it. Overall, thanks for having me re-live the memories, good job!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this piece because it focused on your experience as an athlete and all the good memories you had with your teammates throughout the years. In this piece, you didn't just talk about the sport you played, but you wrote with passion about the sport, but more importantly about the bond that was formed with your team and the relationship you guys all have. You also did an excellent job of going deeper than the surface level, and exposing all of the hardships and struggles that were mixed in with all of the happy memories! Great Job!
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty great, I enjoyed reading this piece. Even though I'm not an athlete I can definitely relate to this from my passions like film making and my involvement in MSA (Muslim student association), great job! I also noticed that the biggest troubles you face in a passion make the benefits better and more lasting. I hope you're able to do something like this after high school.
ReplyDeleteI really understand what the pain and also the good feeling you get after Hell Week. It's horrible because you have to work really hard and push your body for an entire week. Usually that's the down side but people don't realize how you can bond with your teammates at the same time. No one else could understand what you are going through besides your sport family. Great job on the piece.
ReplyDeleteThis was very good piece of writing, I admire how you were able to turn something brand new to you into a great 4 year experience. The piece also really shows your determination.
ReplyDeleteWow! Its awesome how you grew from a beginner to the second top scorer in just 4 years! Your story also proves to show the strong bonds you can make with others throughout the years. 😛
ReplyDeleteProps to you for working hard to be best you can be at a sport. They're a lot of hard work and I know I would never last long on a water polo team... Thanks for sharing your story and growth through your sport team it is very inspiring!
ReplyDeleteThis piece is really inspiring as it pushes one to try something new and step out of the comfort zone. I really like how much love you have towards the sport and the team. Overall, you did an amazing job going deeper and expressing your feelings.
ReplyDeleteI liked reading this because you could tell how much you enjoyed this sport. I think it is also relatable to anyone who plays in a sport because we all experience hardships, but in the end it is all worth it with the friendships we make with others and the feeling of accomplishment. Good job.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this piece because it reminded me of how I felt when I joined the cheer team my sophomore year & made all new friendships. I liked how you talked about the struggles but then the happiness on making new friendships.
ReplyDeleteGreat Piece! I love how you not only wrote about your experience playing water polo, but also included how it has impacted other facets of your life. The personal style of your writing is very enticing and made me want to keep reading. I also enjoy how you include some hardship in the midst of your excellence in polo. GREAT JOB!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your piece. It showed how dedicated you are with water polo. I can relate to you because I joined the track team my freshman year and made a lot of friends. At the end, I will be sad that I have to leave, but I will have good memories to remember.
ReplyDeleteI liked this piece of writing your were very descriptive and helped me feel what you have felt over the last four years of playing water polo. I really liked your writing it was pretty exciting and any athlete can relate to the pain and soreness you felt. Your piece was a type of writing that keeps the audience wanting to read more and I enjoyed it all. Thank your for sharing this pice of art in its own shape and form.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your story because it really emphasizes how an athlete will experience hardships at times but also build lasting friendships with their teammates. The use of diction in your descriptions of all of the hardships you endured helps convey a motivating tone. The idea that hard work and effort will eventually pay off is apparent when you mentioned that you acquired a lifeguard position as a result of your dedication and passion. This was a very interesting story, great job!
ReplyDeleteIn your piece you emphasized many different ways how the sport benefited you throughout high school while also showing how it was not always easy. I enjoyed reading your story because it brought me back to those long practices and also reminded me how much more that being on the team brought with friendships that will never be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteEven though I have never experienced the pain of going through the hardships an athlete goes through, your story really shows how hard you work to be the best as well as the good things that come out of it, like becoming closer with your teammates. Your story was really motivating and descriptive. Good Job.
ReplyDeleteNice job with this piece Camrin! I really identified with the sense of community and togetherness you felt when practicing with your team, it reminded me of how I felt being on the cross country team and practicing during summers. I found it really funny of your diction choice of "the whole enchilada" when you were describing the extent of work you had to put in over the course of your time in the sport. Overall this piece was solid and really encapsulated an important time in your life, once again this was done very well.
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow aquatics member I absolutely understand where you are coming from. We definitely have a brotherhood through swim and polo. A bond im sure we will never forget.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this. Not only was it easy to read, it was also well organized. I enjoyed how you embraced the hardships the sport water polo brings but how you still find a way to enjoy it. Great piece!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your piece. I like the detail that you put when describing your emotions. I thought it was nice that you focused a lot on your bond with your teammates. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI love how you were able to make the transition from baseball to water polo at the beginning of your Freshman year. I greatly admire the passion and the determination you expressed within your story as well. I'm glad that you were able to form a bond with your "brothers" in water polo and I hope you pursue water polo in the future after high school! Excellent work!
ReplyDelete