On any given weekday after school, cascading whistles, shouts and splashes can be heard from the San Mateo High pool. Oftentimes, those sounds just mean that the girl’s water polo team is taking yet another dub. The team makes their victories seem easy; but in reality, girl’s water polo is one of the most stressful, physical sports at the high school varsity level. Below the surface, suits are pulled, legs are kicked, and punches are even thrown. Despite all this, the lady bearcats have managed not only to hold their own but thrive under the pressure. The San Mateo girls water polo clan competes in the PAL, a league chock full of strong, physical squads that are not skilled in the league, but in CCS and the state of California. It has been made clear by their consistently impressive seasons over the past few years that the San Mateo Bearcats are one of those teams. But what might be even more impressive than their performance in the pool, is their performance in the classroom. Last year, carrying an unweighted 3.71 GPA (not accounting for the 32 total AP classes the team was enrolled in), the SMHS girls water polo team was named a CCS Scholastic Team Award winner. They were the only SMUHSD and PAL fall team to be named to this prestigious list. It’s clear that no matter where you put ‘em, the lady bearcats will do two things: Succeed and achieve.
So what’s in that water? The success of the girl’s water polo team may seem like an anomaly, but really, the secret sauce in the bearcat’s continuous success is their communal trust and team chemistry. “You can pass to anyone and they’ll be able to catch it and be able to shoot,” said Senior Kalyn Chang. As many team-sport athletes know, that consistent talent spanning the roster is hard to come by. However, the opposite is true of SMHS girl’s water polo. The depth and skill level of the team has proven advantageous so far. “The season is going great,” chimed coach Kathy Parodi, “we have a lot of really great girls in the pool representing… everyone is committed. I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls.” And it’s clear that the girls can’t either. “I love our team this year. Everyone loves the sport so much, and is really willing to put in the work and do what they need to do,” senior Elsa Servantez voiced. The squad is looking to continue their tradition of success this season, with Coach Parodi saying that “I see us doing really well, being in the top three of the standings like last year.”
The girl’s water polo team is electric. Their grit, athleticism, and teamwork is a coach’s dream and a lot of fun for the spectator. Catch girl’s water polo at home on October 10, 16, 22 and 23, and come see for yourself what all the buzz is about!