2019-2020 Academic All-Americans
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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF USA WATER POLO Eliza and Oliver Wilkins Ocean and Waiahuli Akau Aidan, Adison and Sidney Finkler Rain City WP (WA) Hawaii Water Polo (HI) Navy Aquatic Club (MD) 2019-2020 Academic All-Americans Thomas and Patrick Ray Record number of athletes Samuel and Thomas Quinnild Columbus Water Polo (OH) recognized from around the country Lamorinda (CA) Avery and Madison Szczublewski Saum and Armin Mohammadi Ian, Amelia and Wes Baca Team Vegas WP (NV) OC Water Polo (CA) Hurricanes WP (FL) VOLUME 35, NUMBER 3, FALL 2020 Finn and Rhys Bugelli La Jolla United WPC (CA) Pictured: A collage of Academic All-American siblings from around the country. THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF USA WATER POLO VOL. 35, NUM. 3, Fall 2020 What’s Inside... Aidan, Adison and Sidney Finkler USA WATER POLO NATIONAL OFFICE Navy Aquatic Club (MD) Ocean and Waiahuli Akau ON THE COVER . Hawaii Water Polo (HI) Eliza and Oliver Wilkins 6 Morgan, Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92618 Rain City WP (WA) (714) 500-5445 business • (714) 500-5449 membership 2019-2020 Athletes from around the Inside Water ...................2 Academic Samuel and Thomas Quinnild All-Americans Lamorinda (CA) country were honored as USA WATER POLO NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER Record number of athletes Thomas and Patrick Ray recognized from around the country 11360 Valley Forge Ave., Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Columbus Water Polo (OH) Academic All-Americans WEB SITE 5 Meters ......................4 Ian, Amelia and Wes Baca Hurricanes WP (FL) Photos submitted by families www.usawaterpolo.org Saum and Armin Mohammadi OC Water Polo (CA) Avery and Madison Szczublewski Team Vegas WP (NV) CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Finn and Rhys Bugelli Christopher Ramsey La Jolla United WPC (CA) From the Deck ................22 Pictured: CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER A collage of Academic All-American siblings from around the country. Stephanie London Krogius CHIEF HIGH PERFORMANCE OFFICER Lob Shots ....................26 John Abdou SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP & SAFESPORT COMPLIANCE Christy Sicard DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Hot Shots ....................28 Greg Mescall DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & SPORT GROWTH Ryan Cunnane DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Nancy Atufunwa DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Scott Aubin SENIOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MANAGER Anne Laurence FINANCE MANAGER Fay Hu Also In This Issue DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER Sherie Key TEXAS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Joe Linehan Recruiting During EVENTS MANAGER the Pandemic . 24 Katie Wieber pg8 ReCaps DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Eva Padilla SPORT GROWTH MANAGER New YA Novel Genai Kerr ODP Girls Rosters Highlights Water Polo . 26 NATIONAL REFEREE MANAGER Levon Dermendjian PARTNERSHIP MARKETING MANAGER Yiyon Lee Announced MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS MANAGER Congratulations to all the athletes selected Hannah Meyer HIGH PERFORMANCE MANAGER Meghan Nee EVENTS & SPORTS GROWTH MANAGER Blake Nahmias MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR/ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Emily Cardona Look Ahead... NATIONAL REFEREE COORDINATOR Tiffany Spiritosanto Next Issue EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CEO >Golf tournaments see water polo Mai Lam SENIOR HUMAN RESOURCE SPECIALIST community come together Joni Walbring EVENTS COORDINATOR McKenna Mitchell COMMUNICATIONS/SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Robert Nilsen STRATEGIC PLANNING ASSOCIATE Marty Samuels BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Graff (Chairman), Rudy Baldoni, Houston Hall, Sheldon Pang, > Alliance, 6on5.org, Swim4Diversity Walt Price, Alfonso Pulido, Bill Smith, Jessica Steffens, Peter Varellas, Brenda Villa, Gerrit Adams, Susan Bao, Laura Muller, Ted Weggeland, bringing positive change to water polo Nori Gerardo Lietz, Frank Quesada pg14 EDITOR Greg Mescall CONTRIBUTORS Kelley L. Cox, Angela Kraus, Jonathan Moore, Matt Szabo, Michael Randazzo, Academic Dave Williamson, Brian Alexander, Chris Ramsey, Dr. Naresh Rao, Elizabeth Judge, Chris Duffy, Ray Kreienkamp, David Urbanksi, Alex Banarer, Levon Dermendjian PRINTING Quad Graphics, 555 South 108th Street, West Allis, WI 53214 All-Americans CREATIVE Adrenalin, Inc., 54 West 11th Ave., Denver, CO 80204 Record number of athletes honored 303-454-8888 • goadrenalin.com USA Water Polo Skip Shot Magazine (ISSN# 15507580) is published four times per year by United States Water Polo, Inc., 6 Morgan, Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92618. Periodicals postage is paid at Irvine, CA 92618 and additional mailing offices. usawaterpolo.org 1 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Skip Shot Magazine, United States Water Polo, Inc., 6 Morgan, Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92618 INSIDE WATER letter from the CEO, Christopher Ramsey USA WATER POLO During Challenging Times, Taking Care Of Yourself Is More Important Than Ever This morning I awoke to a small earthquake. With the wildfires raging, hur- Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life. ricanes and tropical storms laying siege to the southeastern seaboard, fre- Each one of us reacts differently to difficult situations, and it’s normal to feel quent tornadoes in the heartland and, of course, the ever-present COVID-19 stress and worry during a crisis. But multiple daily challenges, such as the pandemic, the earthquake seemed like small potatoes. My reaction to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, can push you beyond your ability to cope. earthquake, however, did prompt me to reflect on exactly how disruptive Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling helpless, sad, angry, recent events have been. If this feels like the new normal, it is understandable irritable, hopeless, anxious, or afraid. if we are all a little numb. Get help when you need it: Saturday morning, I attended the memorial service for William “Jack” Green, Hoping that mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, will go Jr., a water polo player from Huntington Beach/Napa, CA, who was accepted away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms. If you have concerns, or Photo courtesy Liza Lee to play at UC Irvine this fall. Jack seemingly if you experience symptoms of mental health problems, ask for help when you had it all, but he experienced a rapid decline in need it, and don’t be afraid to be honest about how you are doing. his mental health brought on by the COVID-19 If you’re feeling suicidal or thinking of hurting yourself, please seek help. quarantine. Jack has not been the only one to Contact your primary care provider or a mental health professional. Or call succumb to despair in this strange time, but a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at his charismatic personality and technicolor 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or use its web chat at suicideprevention- smile makes his loss especially poignant. Jack’s lifeline.org/chat. passing is a reminder to all of us that we need to make a special effort in these times to These are far from ordinary times. So, take care of yourself, take care of those keep ourselves healthy. The Mayo Clinic has you love, and take steps to be ready for whatever life serves up next. Jack Green published useful counsel on managing life Chris during this pandemic, and I wanted to share Materials in this article are courtesy The Mayo Clinic, for more information visit www.mayoclinic.org some of the clinic’s observations in the hope that they might help all of us cope a little better. Take care of your body: Be mindful about your physical health: 1. Get enough sleep. Go to bed and get up at the same times each day. Stick closely to your typical schedule, even if you’re staying at home. 2. Participate in regular physical activity. Regular physical activity and exercise can help reduce anxiety and improve mood. 3. Eat healthy. Choose a well-balanced diet. Avoid loading up on junk food and refined sugar. Limit caffeine as it can aggravate stress and anxiety. 4. Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Stay current with USA Water Polo by 5. Limit screen time. Turn off electronic devices for some time each day, including 30 minutes before bedtime. Make a conscious effort to spend less time in front visiting USAWaterPolo.org or joining of a screen—television, tablet, computer, and phone. our social media community! Take care of your mind: Reduce stress triggers: 1. Keep your regular routine. Maintaining a regular schedule is important to your mental health. In addition to sticking to a regular bedtime routine, keep consistent times for meals, bathing, getting dressed, work or study schedules, www.facebook.com/usawp www.youtube.com/usawp and exercise. Also set aside time for activities you enjoy. This predictability can help you feel more in control. 2. Stay busy. Stay away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression. Choose to focus on the positive things in your life instead of www.twitter.com/usawp dwelling on how bad you feel. Consider starting each day by listing things for which you are thankful. Maintain a sense of hope, work to accept changes as they occur, and try to keep problems in perspective. 3. Relax and recharge. Set aside time for yourself. Even a few minutes of quiet Follow “USAWP”snapchat time can refresh and calm your mind and reduce anxiety. 4. Set reasonable goals each day and outline steps you can take to reach those goals. Give yourself credit for every step in the right direction, no matter how small. And recognize that some days will be better than others. www.instagram.com/usawp Connect with others: Build support and strengthen relationships: 1. Avoid isolation. Reach out to friends and teammates. Do something for others. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Find purpose in helping the people around you. For example, email, text, or If you have a comment or question concerning Skip Shot magazine, call to check on your friends, family members, and neighbors—especially those send in a letter to the editor. who are elderly. You can write to Skip Shot Magazine: c/o USA Water Polo, 6 Morgan, Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92618 2 or send an email to: [email protected] YOUR NEW PORTABLE WIRELESS SCORING PACKAGE IS HERE This wireless water polo package is a great solution for teams wherever they travel.