Honoring Team Mates (Part 3) 6/30/2012

The painful process of making cuts is finally over.  After spending the last few weeks evaluating and processing the positives and negatives of each player, we settled on making JW Krumpholz our 14^th man (the alternate) on our Olympic team.  It was a very difficult decision and I think all of the coaches agonized and shed some tears over it. Every one of these guys is like a son and at this point they have all given up so much to be a part of the team.  It is difficult to leave any one behind.

JW Krumpolz is one of the “best of the best” in our country.  He is 24 years old, 6’3” and 205 lbs. JW was the last man to make the team in Beijing.  He made a huge impact on that team that won the silver medal. He was heavily recruited out of Foothill High School, where he was a three time All-American.  He went on to play at USC where he led the team to back to back championships in 2008 and 2009.  He won the Cutino Award in 2009 and 2010. This award recognizes the best collegiate player of the year. He has been a part of the national team since 2005, when he made the World Championship team as a 17 year old. It was an extremely difficult decision to make JW our alternate.  He is loved by all the guys. Just to let you know what a great team player he is – JW has decided to continue to train with the team and “do whatever he can to help the team”.  It is good to have him around and as the alternate – he can replace an injured player if anything was to happen to one of the thirteen prior to the Games.

Now let me briefly introduce you to our 2012 Olympic water polo team.  The two goalies are Merrill Moses and Chay Lapin.  Merrill was selected the “Best Goalie” in the Beijing Olympics and we will be relying on him to keep the opponents scoring at a minimum so that we have a chance to win every game – even when the offense is sputtering a bit.  Chay Lapin will back Merrill up and represent Team USA as a first time Olympian. Our two centers are Ryan Bailey and John Mann.  John was one of the last players cut in 2008 and has come back to earn a spot on this team. Ryan is our oldest player.  At 36, he is still a “machine” in the water.  He is one of our strongest players and certainly one of the best in the world at his position.  To have a successful offense, we will need Ryan and John to be strong in the middle for us. We have selected three defenders to the team. They are Jesse Smith, Tim Hutton and Peter Hudnut.  This will be Jesse’s third Olympic Games and second for Peter and Tim.  I feel like we have three of the best and toughest defenders in the world.  All three of these guys are also good shooters and can “post up” an opposing player. I do know this - No center is going to enjoy playing against us. Our attackers include four time Olympian Tony Azevedo (our captain), three time Olympians Adam Wright and Layne Beaubien, two time Olympian Peter Varellas and newcomer Shea Buckner.  Tony is considered by many one of the best players in the world.  He has been called the Michael Jordan of our sport because he such a dynamic scorer. He is also a great leader in the water.  Adam Wright is one of smartest players in the water.  He coaches at UCLA and is essentially a coach in the water. He is a great passer and we will look to him to be leading the team in assists.  Layne Beaubien is a sharp shooter who should provide some good offensive fire, while Perter Varellas is the only left hander on the team.  Peter actually led our team in scoring at the World League Super Final in Kazakhstan with 10 goals.  He has improved greatly over this past year and his role as a passer and a shooter on the right side of the pool is critical to our success. Shea Buckner  “soldier” is going to do whatever it takes to win.  Finally, rounding out the 13 is Jeff Powers.  He is in a class all by himself, because he is so versatile.  He can play center, center defender or attacker.  We will count on Jeff to do a little of everything for us.  I feel like this is a team that CAN make history and CAN bring home the gold in London. 

It is difficult to understand what an Olympian gives up to be a part of the team.  Making the Olympic team and winning a gold medal become the number one priority in their lives.  Yes -perhaps it is a bit unbalanced and perhaps we all put too much time and emphasis on winning the gold.  But I would argue that it is a worthy goal. There is a small window in all of our lives when we can actually represent our country as an Olympian. The Olympic Games bring out the best in each of us.  As we push towards our goal – we challenge ourselves and our team mates to grow and get better. Then in the end, we test ourselves against the rest of the world to see just how good we have become.  Only one team will bring home the gold and be crowned the best team in the world.    It is truly an incredible journey of self discovery.  For me, the absolute best part is to share this experience with a group of guys that you love and respect. As you can imagine, along this journey to the Games, you share many ups and downs.  Through the adversity and the fun times you become closer.  I believe that we have a special group – it is very close family.  Just this week, one of the media made a comment to me about our team.  He said, “I have been exposed to teams all over the world – both professional and Olympic and the vibe that I get with your team is the best I have ever felt”.  That was a great compliment and one that I certainly agree with.  I love these guys like family and I am excited about what will occur in the next few weeks.  Team USA’s Olympic motto in 2008 was “Amazing Awaits”. As we approach London, I am convinced more than ever that amazing is right around the corner for this team.

It seems like the word is out.  Every day this week, we have had media at practice.  We have had NBC, BBC, Universal Sports, a new cooking show and of course the Star at practice.  There has also been more and more “fans” showing up to watch practice and support the team.  The positive momentum is growing.  I am enjoying each day and each moment as our team comes together.  We are climbing towards the top.  .

See you at the pool.

Coach