The members of the Taft Girls Water Polo team are starting to prepare for the beginning of the 2023-2024 season. There is much excitement going around the team as the season starts up again with some preseason activities and recruitment.
With the season coming up, opportunities for conditioning and extra practice have started. Many of the girls are beginning to go to the Taft weight room from 3:15 – 4:15 pm on Thursdays. As well as practicing at Shabbona on Tuesdays from 7:45 to 8:45 pm.
Shabbona is a Chicago Park District that has a Women’s Water Polo team in which many of the girls have been participating in. On top of practices on Tuesdays there are also games against other park district teams on Thursdays.
These practices are vital to the girls’ Water Polo skills. Shabbona has given the girls a way to get in the water and work on struggling skill areas before the season starts.
Taft senior Weronika Urbanek said, “Shabbona has really helped me work on my defense and offense when it comes to guarding. It’s also just super fun to be able to play with friends.”
The recruitment is also crucial because it is hard to play without a team. The current members of the team have been trying to help spread the word about Water Polo and encourage people to join.
Taft senior Savannah Storr said, “I am excited about this year’s season and we’ll see how it goes.”
It is also good to know that preseason is not just important to learn or re-learn the skills of the game, but it is also to help bond with former or potential teammates. Connection with the team is one of the most important aspects of Water Polo and it is almost impossible to play without it.
“It’s important to build team chemistry before the season starts,” said Taft junior Molly Donlin.
It is very important to the team as well as the coaches that anybody interested in joining the Water Polo team makes an effort to show up for preseason. It is not only to help benefit the potential player, but also the team itself needs confident, prepared people to be as successful as possible.
To play Water Polo, being strong is just as important as being smart. Joining the pre season activities helps gain the strength and endurance needed as well as teaches how to play and how to play smart.
“What happens underwater, stays underwater,” said Taft junior Denisse Villa.
There have been many other things that people have been doing to stay active and ready for the upcoming season. Some of the team members swam competitively for their club teams, went to the gym, and just did what they could to stay in shape.
“I would go to the gym after work and now I go to the weight room as well as Shabbona because it’s during the week to help prepare,” said Storr.
Playing as a team and working together is important. It is not just about being close in the water, but also making long time friends that are by you no matter what. It is one big group of people who are there to support and be with each other.
“This team has really supported and encouraged me to give everything I’ve got in every game that we’ve played. I really thank them for that,” said Taft senior Magdalena Tomaszewski.
These preseason activities are just the start to having an amazing season with a great team with awesome people and wonderful coaches. Water Polo is all about working together and encouraging each other to be better every day.
