Water polo is one of the most consistent teams. They reinvent their standards and relentlessly push forward. The group is composed of extremely dedicated players and leaders constantly striving for improvement. At its forefront is Sixth Former Former Luka Sekulic, a force in the water and a highly devoted, disciplined player.
Sekculic believes that the key to the water polo team’s success is their unshakable chemistry.
“We’re a pretty dynamic team; everyone understands their role,” Sekulic said. “We’re not like a typical team where we want everybody to think that they have the exact same role in the pool. Everybody understands their job; everyone knows what they’re supposed to do.”
Fifth Former Brady Stallkamp, another experienced player who truly embodies the family spirit of the team, echoed these beliefs.
“Our team chemistry is so much more important and so much more complex than any other sport’s chemistry,” Stallkamp said. “It’s one of the core aspects of the water polo team. We all get along; we’re brothers.”
Built around a solid group of upperclassmen, the Fifth and Sixth Formers hope to guide the younger players to follow in their footsteps.
“There is a lot of talent [among underclassmen],” Sekulic said. “Us seniors and juniors can take the things that we liked when we were underclassmen and build onto those ideas. We can take away the negatives we’ve felt in the past and create a positive environment where everyone is comfortable. We want to make sure that everyone is a part of the team and a part of our family.”
Whether you’re on the bench or in the water, you’re always cheering for your brothers, always uplifting each other
Luka Sekulic ’23
Fifth Former Stallkamp is also using his experiences from when he was an underclassman to shape his objectives for this year.
“When I was younger I was definitely influenced by some of the older guys on the water polo team that I really looked up to, the big guys like Luka,” Stallkamp said. “It makes you realize, ‘Wow, I can be that by senior year.’”
Right now the team is focusing on mastering different fundamentals to create consistent and efficient gameplans. The team’s work ethic is another huge factor in their success.
“One thing that we really want to focus on is building strong work habits,” Sekulic said. “Habits that carry out into more than just water polo, but into schoolwork, extracurriculars; anything in life.”
The water polo team’s tightly-knit dynamic goes much farther than the pool, it’s a matter of family anywhere and everywhere.
“Whether you’re on the bench or in the water, you’re always cheering for your brothers, always uplifting each other,” Sekulic said. “It’s important that we’re the ones that scream for each other and get loud for each other. That’s what builds our chemistry.”
“We are a family, we are a group; we all work together, we all work in the same pool, we all work the same hours, we all play the same games. We share our losses; we share our wins,” Stallkamp said.
So what exactly separates the Haverford water polo team from all of their competition? It is a combination of their powerful and unwavering team bond, hard work ethic, and ability to improve and adapt to any challenges that come their way.
“We’re very excited for this year, us as seniors and as captains are very proud of how the team is doing,” Sekulic said. “We’re very proud of how the team has overcome a lot of different battles throughout this season.”
Stallkamp said, “We’re all menaces in the pool, but what’ll really make us the best in the Inter-Ac is how we all bond and all help each other all the time.”
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