Personal Statement
In South Africa, water polo is primarily a school sport. I have captained every one of my school teams and at least one of my national, provincial, and club teams every year that I have played, since grade 4, earning various MVP’s, Best Goalie awards and gold medals. Since the age of 16, I have often been called up to step in as goalie for our local Cape Town men’s club, which is coached by and includes former Olympians. I have competed in three different countries and represented South Africa twice at different World Championships.
Nonetheless, I find it difficult to show off my achievements as I have always been a humble and respectful player, with the mentality, for example, that you can only ever criticise the referee if you win the game. My coaches say that I have a strong character, leading not only from the front and setting the example for others to follow, but also from the back (as a good goalie does), doing the work outside of the pool that no one wants to do. I often find myself consoling the opposition before celebrating with my team, emphasising my integrity.
I have been told by many a coach that I am the epitome of "coachable" because on top of my humility and dedication, I constantly ask questions about how I can improve and why certain things are done. Being a captain for many years has given me deep insight into field players, and at practices I often help field players with body positioning, technique and motivation.
I have never had a goalie coach and almost everything I’ve learnt has been on my own. One of the reasons I am most excited to play water polo at college level in the USA is that I believe with the level of mentoring and training available, my potential could grow exponentially.
I also excel outside of the pool, with a hunger for excellence in the classroom and a keen passion for my music. I was also a high-achieving rugby player and track and field athlete. I have a broad view on what it takes to be a student-athlete and I am willing and keen to give it all I have in order to be the best and contribute to the team for which I am recruited.
My fields of interest for academics include Economics, Cognitive Science and Psychology
