Walk on to Women's Water Polo
As a former (very burnt out) high school competitive swimmer, I came to Dartmouth thinking that I never wanted to jump into a pool again. That decision quickly changed when I met Hallie and PJ, two '17s on the water polo team, my freshman fall. The energy and love they shared for the team that day convinced me to attend the team's first practice a few weeks later. Even though I was a newcomer to the sport, they welcomed me as one of their own. I suddenly found myself back where I vowed I'd never be: swimming, treading, and eggbeater-ing my way through the water.
After four years of late-night practices, weekend tourneys, and lots of time outside the pool together, I can confidently say that joining the Women's Water Polo family (and being involved in a club sport in general) has definitely been one of my best decisions at Dartmouth. Here are a few reasons why:
- No. 1
It pushed me out of my comfort zone.
I had to learn (and fail, and learn again) how to get better at something I wasn't naturally good at. And our hard work paid off! This is us cheesing after winning the New England Championship last year. Here's the silly version of what happens when we work hard: (Personally, I think Abby '17 and her face-palm demonstration reflects the disbelief we were all feeling after placing 8th at Nationals last spring.)
- No. 2
So many team bonding activities!
Some of my favorites include finding the best sandwich shops for #eats between games at tournaments, watching movies or hiking on weekends, and partaking in other Dartmouth traditions together. One team tradition our stomachs will never forget is demolishing a Ben and Jerry’s Vermonster Sundae as part of our post-season recovery. Trust me, it’s a lot–even for an ice cream lover like me.
- No. 3
Every year, we go on a preseason training trip to California.
- No. 4
If you want to learn more about us or about what a club sport might look like, check out our website, or learn more about Dartmouth club sports here. We’d love to have you!