Lea Steen '22 Recruiting Profile

Hello! My name is Lea Steen from the class of 2022 and I have a goal to play goalie in college water polo. Ever since I jumped into the water for my first ever water polo practice, I knew it was the sport for me.  For as long as I can remember I loved swimming, but water polo gave me the chance to realize what a true team sport looks like. At first, the idea of having complete trust and confidence in my teammates seemed foreign, but I quickly learned that you can have the most talented individuals, but if they don't play together, they will never be successful. This idea of playing as a team led me to become a successful captain, where I was able to lead my high school team to a strong season by teaching that every player must be willing to give up their personal goals for the better of the team.

While some of my strengths as player include accurate passing, communication, and the ability to take calculated risks, I am also a coachable, hardworking, and persistent player. These characteristics come from my beliefs that 1. A coach is there to make you better. When a coach pushes you to your limits, it is simply to improve your strengths as a player. 2. Nobody is a natural at water polo and it takes hard work to become an elite player. 3. A little more persistence and a little more effort makes those hopeless dreams become a reality. For example, during my junior year, my high school water polo team was diminishing as there was little interest. Through my persistence in recruiting players, even when it seemed like no one was interested, I was able to recruit enough players to have both a varsity and junior varsity team. 

Outside of water polo, I have been successful in school with 3.85 unweighted and 4.65 weighted GPA, as well as many AP and honors programs.  In music, I have achieved many honors including all-state chorus and district chorus. I have also led fundraising efforts for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Thank you for your time reading and I look forward to finding ways I can be a benefit to college water polo team.