The Los Osos Girls Water Polo team is on a roll this season.
The team started their season in November and will finish their season with the Baseline League Tournament. The team is focusing on CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) and bringing home another win.
Head Coach Jordan Ellis is excited for this season and is working on building the girls into amazing players and people.
She said, “Our main focus is to work together as one unit. We go possession by possession, quarter by quarter, game by game. We understand that we cannot control anyone but ourselves and work as hard as we can in the moment. We also pick one another up if we have a bad day, bad practice, or bad game. That is what teammates are for, throughout the good and the bad!”
Other than the sport, she highlights that being a student-athlete is important.
“We focus on the student aspect in being a ‘student-athlete’. It is crucial to be a student of the game. Learning from yourself and teammates’ mistakes is important in learning and growing as an athlete,” said Coach Ellis.
Coach Ellis looks forward to any game and tournament that her girls play in. “Although this is my second season with the Grizzlies, this is my first season on campus and at our pool. Watching these girls grow has been incredible and each game they bring excitement,” she said.
In the past year, Osos had their pool renovated which has brought excitement that Grizzlies will finally be back in their pool.
Sophomore Varsity Player Harley Rodriguez realized the importance of her coaches and how they have affected her team’s experience.
“Without our coaches, we wouldn’t even be close to where we are as a team right now. They truly shaped our team and made such a positive environment,” Rodriguez said.
Other than their coaches who have helped bring the team closer together, the team has had many team bonds where the camaraderie between the girls has grown. Regardless of their performance, the team has supported each other through it all.
Like many other sports, athletes will face mental blocks. Rodriguez mentioned that many girls on the team had mental blocks but they were able to overcome this with the help of their coaches who constantly reminded them how valued they were on the team.
Sophomore Varsity Player Alexis Demski mentioned that balancing school and sports has been difficult. “It is really hard to balance but I try to get some work done in class and then finish the rest after practice,” she said.
Demski said that she is proud of how far her team has come and how they have been able to trust each other inside and outside the pool.
Other than athletics, no sport can ever be successful without the help of the parents.
Coach Ellis said, “We have an incredible group of outstanding and supportive parents. Parents are definitely the unsung heroes of sports because they are typically the ones driving the kids to the morning practices, away tournaments, and team dinners. Our Grizzly parents don’t miss games or likes on our Instagram posts. As a new coach coming into a new high school district and team, I couldn’t be more honored to have such great parents of such great young women.”
The Girls’ Water Polo Instagram has been constantly updated with game times and different spotlights on athletes. This has helped draw the attention of other students who are interested in the sport. Social media is an excellent way for students on campus to see all the amazing work that a team has put into their sport.
Coach Ellis said, “To anyone looking to join girls’ water polo, this is one sport that takes a lot of dedication. Our sport is in the cold, during every holiday of the year and in a different element. If you are willing to sacrifice so much and put up a good fight, water polo may be the sport for you!”
She is incredibly proud of her players and she wants to remind them to “Keep fighting the good fight. I am so incredibly proud of this team and the efforts they put forth both in and out of the water. It is an absolute privilege to coach them and be a coach at Los Osos High School.”