The Caney Creek Water Polo team wins their first game ever after having lost every game last year, Beating Aldine High School on Aug. 30, 2024 to reel in their first win.
“Last year was a scrimmage year,” head water polo coach Christopher Day said. “The season started, we didn’t have any equipment, so I canceled the UIL season. This year is really our first official year of water polo.”
Despite only being their second year, the water polo team were able to build each other up in order to inspire each other to win their first game.
“It’s the second year, so it’s still growing, but we’re really big on positivity,” Day said. “Energy itself is contagious, positive or negative, that’s in your control. We just put a lot of emphasis on positive energy, and we hold ourselves accountable.”
The team had lots of practice from last year, and despite not winning any games, it still helped them this year, letting them finally win this year’s game, the girls winning 12–0, and the boys winning 21–7.
“I think it all honestly helped everyone’s spirits, because all last year we were just getting dumpstered, defeat after defeat, and I don’t think everyone was feeling very optimistic about it,” sophomore Jayden Donenget said. “But actually being the ones to be told to scale it down this time, it felt good.”
The team had shown great sportsmanship against Aldine, recognizing they were new. So while they won, they made sure to give Aldine a good game as well.
“We recognize that our skill set was a little higher than theirs. So instead of running up the scoreboard,” Day said. “We implemented our good sportsmanship, and made it close, started passing the ball, working on our fundamentals, and some of the drills. We don’t go out there embarrassing other teams.”
The team still strives to become better and grow as they progress in the year.
“We actually looked like an actual polo team, and this year we’ve been training, actually training,” Junior Sky Waterson Said. “We’ve been taking tips from Olympic teams. We’ve been taking tips from lots of other coaches, and we’ve gotten a lot better on our skills and different aspects of playing games.”
They’re ready to continue this year, and while still being new and having lots to learn, they will give it their all.
“My Goal honestly for Caney Creek, I recognize our soccer program is the top tear sport at Caney Creek, I want water polo to be number two,” Day said. “I’m just going to make that happen, there’s no options.”
