Club Corner: Men's Water polo

Where can you find dedication? At 11 p.m. in Sterling? At 2 a.m. in CCL? At 4 a.m. in the Law Library? No, you find dedication from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. every weeknight in the exhibition pool of the Payne Whitney Gym, as the men's water polo players strap on their caps and prepare for the brutal battles of their sport.

One of the challenges facing the squad is maintaining focus on both daily routines and long-term goals. This year's team aims to achieve both of these ends by increasing efficiency in practice each day. "We have to remember that practice is forgiving," Trevor Hawkins, DC '99, commented. "The game isn't."

Due to Title IX regulations, which stipulate that equal funding go into men's and women's athletics programs, the water polo squad was relegated to club status in 1991. The team practices in the pool six days a week for approximately two hours each day. Practice consists of a about a half-hour of conditioning, followed by drills and group scrimmages.

A large burden is placed on Ted Zarrow, BK '98, who must act as both captain and coach while remaining focused enough to be an effective player. This immense responsibility, Zarrow admitted, is trying, both in practice and games.

"It is really difficult to play and watch everything that is going on at the same time," he said. Zarrow is handling his roles well thus far. "There's been amazing improvement on the team this year," Hawkins said. "This year's sophomores have especially improved their level and quality of play."

Over the weekend, the team competed in a tournament at Amherst, where it faced Dartmouth, Trinity, Wesleyan, and Williams, and compiled a 2-2 record. While somewhat disappointed by this result, the team's members saw the weekend as a preview of the competition for the upcoming season.

Though the official schedule includes only club teams, the Bulldogs were willing to test themselves by playing Brown, a varsity team ranked 12th in the nation. The focus of the game was to stay competitive. They lost in a tough face-off (20-1), but Zarrow commented,"We looked to learn what works against a really superior team."

The squad's next tournament appearance will be this weekend at Wesleyan. Every game is an opportunity for the team not only to improve its record but also to heighten its level of play. The players look forward to a successful performance at the New England Tournament, the competition which marks the end of the water polo season. The Law Library will just have to wait for them until then.

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