California State Games : Staying Afloat After a Pair of Big Defeats : San Diego Water Polo Team Discovers Areas That Need Plenty of Work

LA JOLLA â€”  Unfettered by an 8-6 loss to a Northern California squad in the morning, members of San Diego’s California State Games water polo team sat at poolside at the Jewish Community Center and waited for a Friday afternoon game against Orange County.

The mood was light as tanned team members with sun-streaked hair joked among themselves and commented on the ongoing game. “Great crossover,� one player shouted to no one in particular. “Press out on the right,� another suggested.

Shortly, San Diego’s entry took to the water in the second round.

From the opening whistle, Orange County dominated San Diego. The northern visitors took a 2-1 first-quarter lead and extended it to 7-1 at the half and 12-4 by the third quarter. San Diego saved its best effort for the fourth period, playing to a 2-2 stalemate, for the 14-6 final loss.

Although they’re not medal contenders, the players said that the first-time games are an experience to remember.

“It’s an honor just to be able to play on this team,� said Steve Ostrum, 17, a senior at Poway High School.

Said Jim Foti, 16, a senior at Monte Vista High School: “When I heard that the games were being sponsored by the Olympic committee, I knew they were something I wanted to be involved with. My friends were telling me what an honor it would be, and I knew a lot of the guys (from the junior development team) I’d be playing with.�

Players agreed that competing against stronger teams was a means of gaining experience.

“It’s good to play against such good teams,� said Todd Kroepel of Poway. “There are a lot of All-Americans (playing) here.�

“It wasn’t really discouraging,� Foti said. “We’ve only played together in three tournaments and seven practices since about the end of May. We’re separate people, and we really don’t know how to work together yet.�

Team members represent high schools including Poway, Monte Vista, University of San Diego, Coronado, Army/Navy Academy, Fallbrook, Mt. Carmel and University City.

San Diego’s three coaches for the games oversee water polo teams throughout the county at the community college level. The players and coaches represent a segment of San Diego’s junior national development water polo program.

If nothing else, the competition demonstrated some of the San Diego team’s weaknesses.

“I learned I have to start lifting weights,� said Ostrum, who scored four goals. “And I need to swim laps more, but I never really liked to just swim laps.�

Kroepel said: “We need to get strong outside shooters. That’s the main thing we need to work on.�

Scott Smith, an assistant water polo coach at Mesa College, has worked with the junior national development team for two years here and said what San Diego needs is an attitude adjustment about the sport itself.

“It’s not considered a sport here,� Smith said. “There are so many other things to do. The kids put other things ahead of water polo.�

He said the level of water polo play in San Diego is “a little bit better than I thought, but originally I thought we were at the bottom. Most kids here start their first year of high school. Ideally, it would be better if they started earlier.�