Sophie Flott '18 Recruiting Profile

I have been swimming with a club since I was 11 years old. In 6^th grade, I first joined my school team, while continuing to swim with a club team. In school, I often placed at swim meets, which fueled my enjoyment of the sport. Once I reached high school, however, my love for swimming began to plateau. I found myself looking for other ways to enjoy the water, and when multiple girls on the team encouraged me to join the water polo team, I did, and ended up loving it.

My freshman year, I started learning how to play. By the end of the regular season, I was a starter for the JV team, and was asked to join the Varsity team for the post season. My high school placed third in the state, after winning both our District and Regional tournaments. Having never played, or heard of, water polo before, my first season was immensely successful, going from not knowing what a kick-out is to playing in a state game.

This new sport completely enchanted me and led me to quit swimming year-round and join a water polo club in the winter instead. I continued to develop my skills, working on refining my skills and knowledge of the game.  

During my sophomore year, I was once again a starter on the JV team, and I was often invited to join the Varsity team for their games. This year, I gained a much better understanding of the game and some of the finer points. I developed my playing style. I am a very strong defensive player, due to my aggressive style and constant pressure on the offensive player. I also am an outstanding team player, constantly using the whole width of the field to gain advantages throughout the game.

This summer, I went to a water polo camp at the University of Michigan, coached by Marcelo Leonardi, the head coach for UM. I enjoyed my time there immensely. We got to spend time, and practice with, three college players. I learnt a lot about playing water polo in college and I started seeing this as a goal and a dream for my water polo career.