Free throws. Cherry picking. Lane pressure. Lob shots. The newest club on campus isn’t what you might expect. In addition to bringing in lots of attention for the outfit they wear, they compete for bragging rights.
The Water Polo Club has taken the campus by storm. Starting on Sept. 13, the Water Polo Club became official. Co-advised by Jason Craighead and Loren Pearson, the club gives students the chance to play a new sport at the college.
“We wanted to give the opportunity for all the people who played water polo in high school to participate,” said Craighead, “but anybody who wants to play can come out.”
Water polo seems a little odd at first glance. It’s a mash-up of basketball, soccer and swimming. Elements of each can be seen as the intense battle rages above and below the water.
“It gives you a great ab workout,” club member Devon Shepodd said.
The club isn’t your traditional campus club. They still participate in club events and show up to the Inter-Club Council, but they have a competitive side. Unlike most clubs, they compete in tournaments. For them it isn’t necessarily about winning – it’s about the experience.
“We’re playing teams that are in midseason form,” Craighead said. “We were competitive at some points. We rotated people in equally, swam until they thought they were going to die and then subbed them out. Everyone had a blast.”
One of the great parts about being on a club is meeting the people. That’s what has been drawing people in. Mixing in the swimmers and divers training in the off-season, members have joined just for the chance to play again.
Eventually, the club would like to become an intercollegiate team. The current problem for them is securing the funding.
“Former President Dr. Walthers made a pretty smart decision thinking that with our turning around, if we added an intercollegiate sport as the first ting coming back, it might not be the best move,” Craighead said.
Regardless of the future of the club, it is certain that the Water Polo Club is stealing the attention of those on campus, one speedo at a time.