Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Michael Bury

Steve Virgen

Michael Bury says he has two roles to fulfill as a sophomore

two-meter man on the Newport Harbor High boys water polo team. His duty

is to score and provide comic relief.

Sometimes Bury and teammate Thomas Buttman sing songs from Disney

movies while the Sailors take their showers. Occasionally, as if

symbolically, they sing, A Whole New World, from “Aladdin.”

The song’s title describes Bury and Newport’s season, and Bury is

thriving in the scenario. With first-year coach Jason Lynch directing the

team and a load of quality players gone from graduation last year, Bury

has become like a prodigy, leading the Sailors through their season of

transition.

“He’s a fast learner,” Lynch said of the Daily Pilot Athlete of the

Week. “We’re demanding a lot out of him because he’s one of our two

two-meter men. He definitely has come up with big goals, and has scored

on experienced players as well. I’ve definitely seen improvement over the

course of the season.”

Bury displayed that improvement last week. He scored 14 goals in three

games, including a game-high eight to lead the Sailors to a 15-8 Sea View

League win over Irvine. He scored three in the third period when Newport

outscored the Vaqueros 6-1.

“I think I’ve improved a lot,” Bury said. “I’ve just been paying

attention and trying to learn as much as I can in practice and in games.

When I guard two-meter players, I use their (offensive) moves against

them.”

The young Bury’s improvement started last year when former coach Brian

Kreutzkamp called up the frosh-soph player to varsity for the Sailors’

CIF Southern Section Division I playoff run. Buried in the background,

the freshman two-meter player took notes, figuratively speaking, while

practicing among champions.

“It was fun to be able to play with the seniors,” said Bury, who will

be 16 on Nov. 7. “I tried to learn as much as I could from them. I

basically learned the big differences from frosh-soph to varsity. You

have to play with intensity and a lot more smarts. I learned that it

takes hard work to become a champion.”

So now, while it appears the Sailors, No. 6 in the latest CIF Division

I poll, are starting over with their new coach and some new players, Bury

remains focused on providing Newport with another CIF title. It may not

come this year, but his concentration is unbroken nonetheless.

“I want to try to learn a lot this season, so that next season we have

a really good chance of winning CIF,” said Bury, who also noted he is

excited in terms of the high amount of experience he is receiving.

During his learning season, Bury also maintains his comedic side.

Playing at two-meter usually requires a sense of humor, or at least

coolness. And Bury’s shower tunes provide calmness and a down-to-earth

quality.

“He has a really good demeanor for the position,” Lynch said. “(The

two-meter position is) one where you have to take a lot of physical

abuse. Sometimes you’re rewarded. The guys that are most successful are

the ones who stay emotionally in control.”

Said Bury: “You can never get too mad and let your emotions overcome

you. Sometimes I get mad, but I try to hold back.”