Water Polo is a great time for ANY sports fan

A few years ago, I married a sports nut. But he’s not the typical sports nut who only cheers for his teams and the sports he likes to watch or play. My husband is an ultra-crazy sports nut: one who appreciates all different types of sports, never discriminating between male and female, mainstream and Olympic, professional, college, high school and age group. My husband is open to watching and supporting anything that falls in the realm of athletics — anything. It’s actually the best type of sports nut to marry.

When Dave and I first started dating in 2008, he was quickly thrown into the world of water polo. He had seen a few high school games prior to meeting me, but it was limited exposure. His first game experience with me was a UC San Diego alumni game, where he was lucky enough to meet my closest friends (all former Triton teammates) and see us relive our glory days. Maybe it wasn’t the best environment to expose a new boyfriend to, but he clearly had no idea what he was getting himself into…especially witnessing my aggressive style of play.

Lucky for me Dave was still on the pool deck after that first game, and as our relationship progressed, Dave accompanied me to many more water polo games at UC San Diego. Always willing to go to the pool and learn the game, Dave showed an amazing appreciation for the sport and the work that goes into training for a game and a season. I felt lucky that I found someone who genuinely cared the same about the sport that I love.

But, truth be told, you don’t have to be an ultra-crazy sports nut to love watching water polo: the intensity and athleticism of the game alone will captivate you. 

Water polo, in my opinion, is one of the most fan-friendly sports to watch. Games are about an hour long (compared to a basketball game that can last up to two hours, or a football game that is pushing three. Don’t even talk to me about baseball!)

Collegiate games are comprised of four, eight minute quarters, with a two minute break between quarters, and a five minute break at half time. The game is fast paced thanks to a 30 second shot clock, always challenging the athletes to pass and shoot quickly. The swimming is impressive and the athleticism these athletes portray would be difficult to achieve on land, let alone in 15 feet of water.

The game might be confusing at first (in the words of my husband “I have no idea what just happened.”) Whistles are blown every five seconds, hundreds of ordinary fouls are called, and players get ejected for unknown reasons to the untrained eye. In addition, the sport has also adopted rules that seem unnatural to any sport: if a defender shot blocks a shot on the goal, the ball is rewarded to the defense (where as in most sports, last person to touch the ball is penalized, and the ball is rewarded the other team-usually the offense.) Amongst all the quirks and confusion to the game of water polo, however, the great thing is fans know when an athlete steals the ball, when a great pass takes place, and when a goal is scored. Fans know when a team is playing well and winning, and they can feel the energy on the pool deck.

I am lucky enough to have a career in collegiate athletics, where I witness students coming to Canyonview Pool at UC San Diego every year to watch their very first water polo game. These students, many of whom are not well versed in athletics to begin with, turn into ultra-crazy fans by the end of the game. They don’t know why there was a foul, or why someone got kicked out, but they feel the energy of the players. They see the intensity in the student-athlete’s eyes, are in awe of their physique, and can’t believe the athletic moves they are seeing. They leave recharged and ready for the next game, because for the whole 60 minutes they never took their eyes off the pool.

If you get an opportunity, I challenge you to go watch a water polo game. Whether it is at the high school level, or on the Pac-12 network, watch for at least a quarter. I can’t promise that you will understand everything that is going on, but I can promise you that you will enjoy 60 minutes of a sport that shows a heightened level of athleticism and passion that you might not see every day. Just remember that being an ultra-crazy sport nut is not required; simply being a fan of sport is.