Mert Ali Yener '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Mert Ali Yener and I am a junior at the Sankt Georg Austrian School in Istanbul, Turkey. Growing up in Istanbul, I have always been a water baby. When I was in 4th grade, I was introduced to waterpolo through a summer camp which took place at Galatasaray's facility. Ever since that facility has become the second home of mine as I have been a committed athlete for Galatasaray for the past 9 years. In the near future, I strive to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering while also committing to a varsity team. 

Throughout the 9 years, I have grown a lot as an athlete and as an individual. Although we, as a team, have accomplished many achievements, I always believed that waterpolo allowed me to demonstrate and obtain the necessary skills which are critical to succeed in today’s society. For instance, when I was only 14 years old, I was given the opportunity to play for multiple age groups: U13, U14, U15, U17, U19, and Senior Team. Taking such a big responsibility at such a young age placed a huge pressure on my shoulders. However, the support I got from my coaches and family consoled me and I was able to develop stress-management skills.

Developments of such skills reflected on my academics. On the Turkish National High School Exam, I scored an outstanding score and got a composite percentile of 99.3 among approximately 1.1 million students. 

As of today, I am the captain of Galatasaray U19 and Turkish National U17 teams. Leading two profound groups of players enhanced my leadership abilities while improving my progressive skills. With a goal of succeeding across multiple platforms, I try to inspire my teammates and support them thoroughly. As my high school life is coming to an end, I am looking forward to new beginnings at university.