Polo! Combined with Houston High School, St. George’s is bringing back the water polo team in style. The water polo athletes are working really hard to make this team successful with late night practices in the pool and several practices a week.

Water polo, a mix of soccer and basketball, is a sport played in a pool where players are trying to get a ball that looks somewhat like a volleyball into the opposing team’s goal. The catch however is that they are treading water the entire game.

Jackson Juckett, a sophomore at St. George’s explained that he enjoyed being on a team with Houston.

“I actually like [Houston players] because they give us a lot more numbers. All of them are very conditioned swimmers which really helps with endurance.”

Water polo is a very endurance heavy sport; having to tread water for six minute quarters can get tiring after a while.

Eighth grader Mehak Gupta described the game as being unique.

“It’s tiring because you’re treading water… [and] not like any other sport I’ve played before.”
Daniela Fernandez, a sophomore at Houston High School explained how she enjoys being on a team with St. George’s students.

“I like it because I see people that I don’t know and I get to meet different people that I haven’t met before.”, she said.

Gupta also seemed to enjoy the combination.

“I don’t mind it, It’s nice knowing people from other schools.”

The coaches this year for the water polo team are Kenneth “Kenny” Pratt and Patrick Thompson. Pratt has coached a club water polo team and a private team for a year. He has also refed water polo as well. Thompson has played water polo for three years in high school and coached for four after he graduated. Having played baseball growing up, it seemed like a natural transition to the pool.

“Water polo was kind of the combination of baseball and swim for me. It was nice,” he said.

These two coaches and the combined Levee teams are very excited for the season and upcoming games. Keep an eye out for them!