James Glaser '21 Recruiting Profile

Water Polo is always been about achieving the highest level of success for my club, my teammates and myself. From my very first experience in the water I understood this principle and allowed it to guide me through every practice, game and adversity I faced. As I embark on the possibility of continuing my water polo career I've asked myself a simple question. Do I still think I can follow this guiding principle and more importantly do I want to continue following it? For me the value of Water Polo, at any level, translates into so many different valuable skills and traits which will help in any moment of your life in and out of the water. Whether it be qualities of character such as the leadership skills I've had to attain and the ability to value and understand the importance of hard work and perseverance, or abilities such as excelled communication and problem solving which are instilled as a result of water polo's dynamic characteristics I've found myself often seeing how vital Water Polo has been in helping me grow as an individual. These are qualities I don't feel I'm ready to give up on learning which is why I feel determined to further continue playing water polo. These intangibles which Water Polo has given me and has allowed to me to pass on and share with teammates and others throughout my club I consider to be their own form of extremely valuable success. However the tangible merits of success have not always presented themselves for me and has instilled a desire within me to continue working, and competing.

I was born in Southern California where my first exposure to water polo was given to me through my siblings. I was never interested in the and even grew a sort of contempt for it when my parents registered me to play for the first time. I quickly quit the sport and it never crossed my mind to play it again. When I moved to Canada I joined Edmonton Thunderbirds at twelve years old. I later transitioned to neighboring club Edmonton Tsunami where my competitive drive and ambition for success manifested itself. Having played for nearly six years I've experienced my own ups and downs however the dedication I had to myself and my teammates pushed me forward to attend training camps, summer programs and strive to compete at the highest level of Youth Water Polo in Canada (NCL).