Lucas Gannon '24 Recruiting Profile

Recruiting a well-rounded player that has a high impact on the team’s performance is not an easy task, but I think I can make it easier for recruiters.  Ever since I was invited to play up at the varsity level as a freshman, I’ve been fortunate to watch, learn and play alongside the strongest players on Archbishop Mitty’s Varsity water polo team.  In addition to the skill set improvements that came with playing as an underclassman against individuals who had slightly better abilities, I also developed the mental skills that I observed in our most competent players. The mental and physical attributes that made me a high impact player on our team this year are the same ones that make me a great candidate at the collegiate level: my grit, sportsmanship, and athletic ability. Being mentally tough enables me to recover and quickly move on from mistakes, which reduces the risk of lingering on errors and puts me immediately back into a position where I can help the team.  I have the highest regard for sportsmanship and have never received a brutality or gotten ejected during a game. During a tight game against Soquel, I watched one of our best players get kicked out for challenging the official and punching someone on the other team, and it resulted in a huge swing in momentum at a critical point in the game when we needed him the most. It was a reminder to always keep my cool and never to put my team at a disadvantage by acting on an impulse to retaliate. During our end of year team dinner, our coach called out how my athletic ability made me a strong defensive asset against bigger players and how, from an offensive perspective, I consistently found a way to score in difficult situations. This combination of grit, sportsmanship and overall athletic ability would make me a tremendous asset at the collegiate level.  

Let me start by saying that without my family values, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.  We are a family of routines and those routines began as early as I can remember.  Checklists that kept me accountable for making my bed, brushing my teeth, cleaning up after meals, and doing chores on weekends instilled a strong sense of the shared responsibility that was necessary to keep our house in order, despite the chaos that comes from living with 2 siblings, 3 cats, a dog, four chickens, and 2 working parents.  The orientation towards routines also has a fun side.  Our meals often revolve around either a card or board game, which taught me from an early age how to lose gracefully and how to engage in good-natured ribbing.  I differ from other recruits in character because I always have a positive and uplifting mentality, despite what life throws at me. This may sound strange, but I’m sure not too many other recruits single-handedly built a rock wall in my family’s backyard that included moving a pile of 2 ton boulders. Most importantly, we are a family of boundless energy and that has resulted in a year-round water polo schedule (I play for two different water polo clubs in the off season) while also maintaining a 4.2 GPA despite carrying 3 AP and Honors classes my junior year. 

I believe that I differ from other recruits in character, athletics, and academics because I am able to manage all three effectively. I am a well-rounded recruit. I am able to train and practice water polo year round while performing well academically. Additionally, I differ in athletics because I am constantly training myself: playing water polo in the off-season, on the field practicing lacrosse in the off season, and hitting the gym consistently. In the off-season, I typically balance two different water polo clubs, so that I can challenge myself athletically and grow as a water polo player. Therefore, I differ from other recruits because of my ability to maintain my grades, my ability to manage an intense athletic schedule, have fun with my family, and enjoy a social life.