essay on water polo

WATER POLO ARTICLES

In 1890, the first water-polo match took place between two National Teams: the Scottish won 4-0 against the English team in Kensington.

Between 1890 and 1900, the water polo game spread so rapidly throughout Europe that it triggered a number of tournaments in Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Hungary, Italy; following the rules developed in England.

In 1900, men’s water polo made its first appearance at the Olympic Games in Paris, the second edition of the Olympics. To represent the Countries were Team clubs from all around the world.

Great Britain was once again the protagonist, when Osborne Swimming club beat the Brussels rivals 7-2.

Participation at the 2nd edition of the Olympic Games was an important step for the sport, which raised it among the most popular Team sports of the Olympic Programme.

The establishment of FINA in 1908 was decisive to the further development of the Sport. By 1911, all countries would play by the same rules and Great Britain dominates the International scene Water Polo continue spreading around the World, despite the setback of the 1st World War.

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Introduction

One of the most strenuous sports played today is water polo. The game is played in indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Good players must be expert swimmers and ball handlers who can hold their breath for long periods.

Playing Area and Equipment

Under Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) rules water polo is played in a pool 22 to 33 yards long and 9 to 22 yards wide. The water must be at least one meter (39.37 inches) deep. International matches are usually played in water not less than 1.8 meters (71 inches) deep.

The goals, one at either end of the pool, are wood or metal frameworks 10 feet wide and at least one foot deep. They are enclosed by nets at the top, back, and ends. When the water is five feet or more deep, the goal crossbar is located three feet above the surface; in shallower water, 7.88 feet above the bottom of the pool. The ball, a hard, inflated leather-covered or rubber sphere, is 27 to 28 inches in circumference. It weighs 14 to 16 ounces.

Teams and Officials

A team consists of seven players—a goalkeeper (goalie), three forwards (chiefly offensive players), and three backs (chiefly defensive players). Each team has four reserves, or substitutes. One team wears dark blue caps; the other, white caps. The goalies wear blue-and-red or white-and-red caps.

Officials consist of a referee, two goal judges, and a timekeeper. The referee controls the game. He calls fouls and ejects players from the pool for misconduct or disobedience. He starts and restarts the game with a whistle and uses a blue or white flag to indicate the team awarded a free throw. The goal judges, one at either end, stand even with the goal lines. Both judges use a white flag to signal for a free throw and a red flag for a corner throw. Both flags are used to signal a goal. Each judge is responsible for keeping the score of both teams at his end of the pool. The timekeeper records the actual playing time and the intervals between periods on a stopwatch. He uses a whistle to stop play. Games consist of four 5- or 7-minute periods, with 2-minute intervals. The teams change goals each period.

How Water Polo Is Played

At the start of each period six players on each team take positions on their own goal line about 40 inches apart and at least 40 inches from the goal. Two players—one from each team—are positioned in midpool. The referee starts the game by blowing his whistle and tossing the ball near the center of the pool. The player first reaching the ball makes a one-handed pass backward or sideways to a teammate, who advances the ball by swimming or passing. Opponents try to grab the ball or knock it free. Only goalies may use two hands. A goal (one point) is scored by knocking the ball over the goal line and into the goal with any part of the body but the clenched fist.

When an attacking player knocks the ball across the goal line outside the goal, the defending goalie is awarded a goal throw. He puts the ball in play by passing it to a teammate outside the two-yard line. If a ball crossing the goal line outside the goal was last touched by a defender, the attackers are awarded a corner throw. The attacker nearest the point where the ball crossed the goal line puts the ball in play at the two-yard mark at the edge of the pool. All other players except the defending goalie must hold their positions outside the two-yard mark until the ball is put in play.

Ordinary fouls, such as clinging to goalposts, holding the ball underwater when tackled, or splashing in an opponent’s face, are penalized by giving the nearest opposing player a free throw from the point of foul. Major fouls include striking an opponent, interfering with a free throw, or holding an opponent not having the ball. If a major foul is made within four meters of the goal line, the nearest opponent takes a free throw at the goal. The offender is ordered from the pool until a goal is scored.

History of Water Polo

The first regular game of water polo was played at Bournemouth, England, in 1876. The first rules were established in Scotland in 1877, when goalposts were suggested. The sport was introduced into the United States in 1888, into Germany about 1894, and into Belgium and Hungary about 1900. During the early 1900s the AAU championship games in the United States were played with a soft ball. The United States won the first Olympic water-polo championship. Great Britain won the next three titles. Hungary has dominated the sport in the Olympics since 1932.

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Water Polo - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Water polo is a competitive team sport played in a swimming pool. The game involves two teams of seven players who attempt to score goals by throwing a ball into the opponent’s net while swimming and treading water. Players are not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool and must pass the ball to teammates using their hands while being defended by opponents. Water polo requires endurance, strength, and skill and is often played at the collegiate and international level.

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History of Water Polo

Water polo is the oldest team sports in the Olympics. It was initially created in order to attract more guests in British resorts. It was played in the murky waters of rivers and lakes by men who exhibited swimming prowess and considerable strength. Players wrestle with each other under water in order to achieve a goal.

The paper contains the history of water polo. It discusses how the sport was developed from a brutal and bloody game to a tame Olympic sport. It also includes an elaboration on the changes in the rules through time and who were the people who played an important part in the evolution of the said sport

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The history of water polo is not as precise as any other popular Olympic sport played in fact, there is limited data on its beginnings. According to the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA), the term water polo was adopted from the Indian term “pulu” which literally means ball.

The game was first played in Great Britain and was adopted by neighboring countries. The Europeans developed great interest for the game that they ended up formulating a more defined set of rules and regulations and had it included in the Olympic games.

First Water Polo

In an attempt to attract more guests, British resort owners, invented the past time during the mid-1800s. The game was first played in rivers and lakes using a ball made from a pig’s stomach. Players passed the ball just like in the horseback polo game (CWPA).

Scores are obtained when a player crosses over the side of the opposing team and places the ball at the end of the pool. This game demanded strength and swimming prowess as there is no set of rules formulated yet and the game was played in murky waters surrounded by trees and debris.

The lack of widely adopted rules led the players to engage in lake fights in order to pose a score in the game. The players are very intense and brutal in playing thus, instead of being a mere exhibition of talent, water polo games became bloody encounters among teams. It became an exhibition of strength rather than athletic skills (Bean, 2007).

The intensity of the game and the new twist it gave to water sports drew more people became to be interested in the game. People in the English and European territories became widely astonished with the sport that they adopted it even if there is no official set of rules prescribed for the game. The players loved the vigor and intensity that the game infused to water sports. It also gave an exciting twist to swimming competitions and other water related activities.

Water Polo Rules

The people’s wide acceptance of the sport in the English territory paved the way for its evolution. In 1869, the pig’s stomach ball was replaced by a rubber ball and the year after it, a group of swimming professionals was summoned by the Metropolitan Swimming Association in order to formulate the rules and regulations of the game (Terret). However, the first set of water polo rules to be publicized was created by William Wilson in Glasgow, Scotland in 1876.

The set of rules created by Wilson allowed two teams of three players to fight over an inflatable pouch. The game was named as aquatic football. The rules thereof were altered later on in order to add more entertainment value. The players were increased to nine and an additional post was included; the goal keeper. The latter is responsible for preventing the opposing team from making a score. The resemblance of the game with football drew greater interest among the people.

The set of rules promulgated resembled the sport, rugby. A ball which resembled a soccer ball and nets were used. The rules formulated set the dimensions of the goal and prohibited the players to throw and catch the ball using both hands. Players score by swimming towards the goal in order to remove the ball and slam it on the pool deck. The goal of the sport is to carry the ball towards the side of the opponent. A score is acknowledged only when the ball has completely entered the goal. The goalie is prohibited from throwing the ball across half of the pool and the players are not allowed to pass or keep the ball under water. One game lasts up to twenty minutes. The first official water polo game which utilized defined borders and followed a specific set of rules was played in Glasgow (NL Water Polo).

In 1886, the rules for water polo was altered by the Amateur Swimming Association. The new set of rules was patterned after the rules which were created and popularized by Wilson.

The introduction of the rules led to an evolution of the game from exhibition of strength to display of athletic skills. The rules made in Scotland was adopted in Great Britain as well as Belgium, Hungary, Austria, France and Germany. The set of rules which were followed only received minor alterations until 1900.

As the new century started, changes were imposed on the regulations adopted for water polo. The rules had to be more precise in order to ensure the safety of the players. Among the significant alterations introduced is the level of the water in the pool which is not less than three feet deep and the rule that players who left the pool or the playing area are no longer allowed to return. They are also prohibited to stay along the edge of the pool These rules were imposed in order to prohibit the players from diving back into the water and eventually attacking the players from the opposing team (Terret).

Water Polo in America

On the verge of its popularity in European nations, people from other countries also became interested with the sport thus, they also started adopting it. Among these counties is the United States of America.

It was during the year 1888 that water polo was first played in America. It was introduced by John Robinson, a swimming instructor. The game resembled the old rugby style. There are no goals to obtain. The only objective of the game is to hit the marked spot in the pool using the ball.

The Americans play water polo with the use of a loosely inflated ball which could be easily gripped and carried towards the goal. The use of such ball gave room for the opposing team to subject the possessor of the ball to attacks. The players wrestle with the one holding the ball and render him helpless under water.

 The sport became very popular among the Americans and was commonly played in the Madison Square Garden as well as the Mechanic’s Hall of Boston. The main attractions with American water polo are violence and the intensity of the players. Certain special awards are even given at the end of the game. Among these awards is the flying salmon; an award is accorded to the player who exhibited the best leap in the air in order to score a goal (CWPA).

An Olympic Game

During the 1900s, water polo reached a new stage as it became the first team sport to be included in the Olympic Games. The first four water polo Olympic Games was dominated by Great Britain.

The Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA) adopted in 1911 the Scottish rule for all water polo events. FINA is the international body which governs amateur water sports. Despite FINA’s recognition of the Scottish rules, players in the United States refused to obey such rules and remained attached with their own rules which espouses the use of strength to win the game. It was only in 1912 that Americans decided to concede to the Scottish rules.

 The Scottish rules are tamer and more refined compared to American water polo. However, even with the world wide adoption of the tamer version, water polo remained to be a game of vigor and strength. In a game between Hungary and the Soviet Union in 1956, the most notorious water polo match was played. Blood shed even before the day of the match as around 200,000 troops from the Soviet Union invaded Hungary. The invasion was meant to suppress the uprising of anti-Communists.

The heated conflict between the parties resulted to the fusion of anger during the match. Instead of just being a day of fun and exhibition of strength, the game between the two countries ended up in brawls. Due to the chaos that the incident led to, the game was called off by the officials (CWPA).

Among different countries buying Olympic medals for water polo, Hungary has bagged the most medals in water polo numbering to 13, seven of which were gold. Just like the other Southern European nations, Hungarians who compete with this Olympic event are drawn from professional leagues. European counties usually dominate the game in the Olympics as a matter of fact, the United States is the only non-European country which earned medals. The United States men’s division won a gold medal in 1904, silver medals in 1984 and 1988 and bronze medals in 1924, 1932 and 1972 (CWPA).

Water polo as an Olympic Game was limited to men only until 2000 when this game was opened to women players in the Sydney Olympics. However, this is not the first time that women engaged in the said game. As early as 1979, women are already engaged in the said sport. FINA sponsored the first Water Polo World Cup for women (CWPA).

Changes in the Game

The 1912 Olympic game used a leather ball for the event. It was slippery, heat and lopsided as the ball absorbed water. In 1936, the ball was changed from leather to cotton blatter and then to nylon. The nylon was wrapped with rubber fabric in order to facilitate a better grip with the ball. Initially, the color of the ball is red but this was changed to yellow as it is more visible. By the year 1956, the yellow ball became the official ball of water polo.

The rules for the game has also undergone series of changes. The initial rules that were set has been improved through the years. FINA is the body which is responsible for creating a set of unified rules for the game of water polo.

Despite starting out as a very rough and brutal game, water polo has evolved to become a safe exciting game. Water polo may not be a game of blood shed now but it still does not fail to stir in the interest among the audience. More and more people still patronage the sport and even play it for their past time.

Aside from being a form of entertainment, water polo also serves as an avenue where players could exhibit their athleticism. It has become a game of skill, team work and coordination.

• Bean, K. 2007, October 24. History of Water Polo. Retrieved January 8, 2009 from, http://searchwarp.com/swa258287.htm
• Terret. T. The Birth of a New Game. Federation Internationale de Natation. Retrieved January 8, 2009 from, http://www.fina.org/project/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1884&Itemid=50
• Collegiate Water Polo (CWPA). History of Water Polo. Retrieved January 8, 2009 from, http://www.collegiatewaterpolo.org/Kids_Only/History_of_Water_Polo/index
• NL Water Polo. Water Polo History. Retrieved January 8, 2009 from, http://history.nlwaterpolo.nl/index.php?id=29&pid=4

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I learned my husband has cancer while training for the Olympics. Now his battle is my motivation

Getting to Paris has been special, but different from past Olympics I’ve competed in, since my husband, Pat, has been fighting cancer this entire year. I’ve talked about how Pat’s journey has motivated me — he was diagnosed with a rare, stage 4 lung cancer at age 30 — but what most people don’t know is how it’s impacted our entire team. I’m personally going through this with him, but my team has been going through it, too — both as teammates and as friends.

Pat had a collegiate career within our sport so he knows what’s going on. I see the admiration my teammates have for him, and they see the passion and excitement he has for water polo. He gave an inspirational talk to our team, and I think he has a lot to do with the way we’ve been playing, fighting and competing so far in Paris. My teammates have said that if Pat’s fighting cancer, they can swim another lap, or work even a little harder. When they make comments like that, it makes it worth it — being here. Although sport is amazing, when life throws something at you like a cancer diagnosis, it all seems a little bit less important. But we’re all inspired by him, and I’m happy he’s a part of our process. Now that we’ve made it here, it’s time to play for him, and to show the world the work that this team’s put in, and to prove to myself that I can do hard things. 

I got the chance to show my husband around the Olympic Village . I wanted to take him because living there is so unique and unless you’re on an Olympic team, you don’t see that. My favorite part is the apartments where you live with other Team USA athletes. It’s consistent with past Olympics, where you get to be with top athletes from your country in the same building, crossing paths and connecting. For me, the respect that other athletes show you is the coolest thing ever. And when you step outside your Team USA building, then you’re surrounded by athletes from every country competing in so many different sports, all in one area. Not everyone speaks the same language, but we all made it here — to the Olympic Games. The first question people ask each other is, “Hey, you want to trade a pin?” And then, “What sport are you?”

Just that simple exchange connects the world in so many ways. My coach talks about how the Olympics are a great display of world peace because everyone’s in the same area getting along and being inspired by each other. But at the same time, we’re competing against each other. It’s cool to see the teams you play against, but I’m happy I don’t have to see them all the time. 

There’s a lot of energy in the village — you can feel the hype from the other athletes even before the opening ceremony . But we have a sports psychologist who does a good job of keeping our minds in the right place. If you let the expectations or that external energy get too big, they can consume you and not let you play your game the way that you know how to play it. We remind ourselves all the time that we’ve been playing water polo since we were kids and it’s no different just because we’re at the Olympics. We know what we need to do and just need to go out there and do it. We want to win a gold medal. But we can’t let that energy get to us and take us off our game. 

For me, to keep my mind in the right place, I tell myself that this is just another game of water polo, and I know how to play. I’ve seen teams totally implode or get consumed by the pressure. Everyone’s out here to win, and you can’t go in with any expectations. That’s just the reality. 

I’ve experienced the Olympic Village in Rio and Tokyo, but it can still feel chaotic. In the dining hall , there are so many people and so much going on, but our team pretty much hangs out together so it’s not as overwhelming. But I feel for the new people doing this for the first time. It can be a lot to take in and get used to the first couple days. 

Speaking of the dining hall, have you heard about the chocolate muffins ? They are really good. Like really good. Everyone’s eating them for dessert or just for a treat. It’s been fun to watch parts of the experience take off on social media, too. There was a Norwegian swimmer who posted TikToks about his chocolate muffin obsession . And my teammate created a funny TikTok about the Olympic pin trading game, because that’s her obsession. As for me, I’m just focused on Pat and playing the game. That said, the chocolate muffins are pretty bomb. And I do have a favorite village coffee shop that prints photos from your phone on your coffee foam. Whether it’s a photo of your dog or the Eiffel Tower, anything goes. Pat and I had our picture printed on our coffee, which was fun. Bike riding is new this year, but I don’t want to fall and hurt myself so I stick to walking. But there are people riding around near the river with a pretty view of the sunset, which is fun too. 

What’s surprised me the most so far at the Olympics is playing in different venues. For the quarterfinals, we were moved to a new, even bigger swimming venue, so it was an entirely new experience. It’s also been way louder than I expected in the venues, which makes it extremely hard to hear what your teammates are saying in the water. Luckily, I’ve been playing with them for years, so I’m able to figure it out. Whatever the environment is, that’s the environment, and we’ve just got to keep playing. 

Mostly, I’m grateful that Pat is doing well right now. It’s a bonus to even have him here moving around, going to events and enjoying himself more than we thought he would. When he goes through treatment, it can deplete him, but his energy’s been so high and excited, so that’s a win in itself. 

This interview has been edited.

Maddie Musselman is a water polo player for Team USA. Aubree Nichols is a Los Angeles-based writer who covers the science of beauty, wellness and mental health.

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U.S. women’s water polo wins its third straight gold medal.

One of the most dominant teams of recent Olympics routed Spain, 14-5, led by three goals from Maddie Musselman.

By Victor Mather

• Published Aug. 7, 2021 Updated Aug. 8, 2021

TOKYO — The U.S. women’s water polo team won its third consecutive Olympic gold medal on Saturday, routing Spain, 14-5.

The United States took a 6-1 lead, and after a brief Spain flurry, led by 7-4 at the half. But with Spain failing to score at all in the third quarter, the game was essentially over.

Maddie Musselman led the balanced scoring attack with three goals. There was also a goal for Maggie Steffens, the captain and for years the best player in the women’s game, who along with Melissa Seidemann captured her third gold.

Women’s Gold Medal Match

“It wasn’t just one player,” Steffens said. “It wasn’t two players. You look up on there and we had different people getting blocks, different people getting huge goals here, different people guarding.”

The United States played lockdown defense, getting bodies in front of many of Spain’s shots before they even reached the goal. Ashleigh Johnson, widely considered the world’s best goalkeeper, played nearly all of the game and saved 11 of the 15 shots that reached her.

“Her presence, you can feel it, even when you’re on offense,” Musselman said of Johnson. “You hear her voice everywhere you are.”

The path to the title was not as easy as expected.

Coming into the Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. team looked close to unstoppable : Between the 2016 and 2020 Games, it amassed a record of 128-3. Spain was also the Americans’ opponent in the last two world championship finals. The United States won those games, 11-6 and 13-6.

But the Americans suffered an unexpected group play loss to the eventual bronze medalists, Hungary, 10-9. The team shot just 29 percent that day; in the final, that figure was a more characteristic 54 percent.

The team expressed concern going into the Olympics, because the pandemic had limited its games against top opposition.

Coach Adam Krikorian said before the Games that it was “tough when you’re just competing against each other,” and that he sometimes had trouble motivating the players.

“We’ve had so much success,” he said, “and it’s natural for us to relax a little bit.”

If the players relaxed a bit against Hungary, it was out of their systems for the final, which looked like the kind of romps followers of the team had been seeing for years.

Victor Mather covers every sport for The Times. More about Victor Mather

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A Doctor Wrote About Racism As An Elite Athlete. He Wasn't Prepared For The Hate Which Followed

L ast May, following the death of George Floyd, I was invited to contribute to Race In LA. As a dark-skinned Egyptian American, I’m technically “African American.” I’ve often been mistaken for Black though I don’t identify as a member of the Black community. I’ve been called the n-word by classmates and neighbors. When I was younger, my father instructed me to keep my hands visible at all times if I was ever pulled over by the police. And, most dramatically, I’ve heard my share of racist taunts, when I was a medical student at Harvard and a member of the U.S. Olympic Water Polo Team. Though I’ve loved — and excelled at — water polo since I was a child, the sport was, and continues to be, largely dominated by white players and coaches. I felt I needed to share my story.

From June 2020 to July 2021, we published your stories each week to continue important conversations about race/ethnicity, identity and how both affect our lived experiences. We now have a new series Being American , which is again soliciting your essays.

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My essay was published in September, and it was quickly picked up by several other media outlets, including CBSLA and The Olympic Channel . I found myself thrust into the spotlight in a way I’d never fully intended. I’d wanted to raise awareness about the need to diversify my sport and to help people who’d faced similar experiences feel less alone.

The governing bodies involved in U.S. aquatics and Olympic sports largely ignored my call for reforms for racial and gender equity prior to the publication of my essay. When I’d played water polo competitively, it wasn’t uncommon for me to hear the n-word from opposing white players in the pool. Within days of publication, however, a task force was formed which enacted a “zero-tolerance policy.” However, specific details of what the policy covers and how it will be enforced have yet to be released.

ICYMI, 2004 Olympian Dr. Omar Amr shared his journey to an Olympic dream with @LAist . Amr chronicles the racism he faced both in and out of the pool on the way to become an Olympian and and a doctor. MORE: https://t.co/3y6trfxFnD — USA Water Polo (@USAWP) September 14, 2020

I never envisioned that my essay would become a commentary on race in America or that I would wind up on TV. I also didn’t expect to lose some of my closest friends.

Unexpected Backlash

While I received hundreds of kind messages from my family and friends, I received far more messages of hate and more than a few death threats. Some of these angry missives came from old friends I hadn’t seen or spoken to in decades. And, most heartbreakingly, a few of my former teammates. These were dear friends I’d played water polo with since I was a teenager, guys I’d once lived with and traveled with in pursuit of our shared Olympic dreams, who accused me of lying in my essay and insisted that, despite my experiences, racism in water polo didn’t exist. One teammate refused to talk to me about some of our past interactions; another questioned my mental health, suggesting I must have been unbalanced to publish my essay.

Another teammate, one of my oldest friends, insisted racism couldn’t exist in water polo because he’d worked with minority outreach programs in his hometown. The fact that he’d taught the sport to kids of color was proof of our sport’s enlightenment. He’d been a strong ambassador for the sport, and I told him so, but my experiences hadn’t been the same as his.

“Polo gave you everything you have today,” he told me. “Complaining this way is like biting the hand that fed you.”

“I’m not complaining,” I said. “I just wanted to call attention to the issue.”

He wasn’t convinced. He agreed with others that I might be mentally ill. They questioned my intelligence and wondered publicly how I could be a doctor.

Though several months have now passed, these teammates and I still haven’t spoken to each other. I think about them almost daily, and miss them. And I’m disheartened by the extent to which racism is ingrained in American culture.

Being Heard Versus Being Believed

For people of color, talking about racism can be almost as hard as experiencing it. It’s not because the topic itself is traumatic but because it’s often so hard to convince people who haven't experienced racism for themselves that racism is real. It can be hard to believe that the same police officer who kindly stops to help a white family change a flat tire can also pull a gun on a dark-skinned mother and her son over a parking violation, as a cop did when I was 12. In my experience, whenever a person of color tries to talk about racism, they’re often accused of exaggerating or outright lying, of being “angry,” “militant” or “uppity.” When we try to discuss racism, we have an ax to grind or a chip on their shoulder and are filtering everything through a lens of race.. To that, I say:

It’s hard not to see the world through a racialized lens when everywhere I go people perceive and judge me based on the color of my skin.

During my time in medical school and as an elite athlete, I noticed that people of color often seem to find each other. We gravitate toward one another across crowded classrooms, locker rooms, corridors and cafeterias. There is, of course, a reason for this: There is safety in numbers and one is, as the song says, the loneliest number. I appreciate my many white friends who have offered their support and sympathy. But, until they start believing stories of what it’s like to live in a dark-skinned body, I fear that both racism and, ironically, the denial that racism is real, will persist. In some respects, the problem seems to be getting worse.

I live in Huntington Beach, an old surfing town known mainly for its laid-back vibe and annual surf contest. Two weeks after George Floyd’s death, there was a Black Lives Matter protest in town. Initially, I was cheered by the event: The death of an unarmed Black man 2,000 miles away was igniting demands for racial justice in my hometown. Yet, the BLM march was greeted with a shocking counter protest of nearly equal size. A parade of Confederate flags and posters with swastikas flooded the streets and chants of, “All lives matter!” — a rallying cry that only underscores the fact that Black lives so often aren’t considered part of “all” lives — filled the air.

As I watched the protesters march down the street, I felt sick to my stomach. The more people work to take down the barriers of racism, the stronger those barriers seem to grow. However, standing there on the street, I also had another thought. These racist demonstrators are an embarrassment, but at least they’re honest about what they think. The harder problem to solve is what I sometimes think of as “covert racism” perpetrated by those who don’t think racism is real, who believe racism in America has been “solved” because a Black man once served as president, because they’ve donated money to an organization “that supports equality,” because they have coworkers or friends of color. I often find myself wanting to ask, “How seriously do you listen to your BIPOC friends? Do you make space for them to talk about their experiences? Do you believe them?”

After my essay was published, I received a call from a former teammate who told me he’d read what I’d written and wanted to offer his support. I was grateful and thanked him for calling. Later that afternoon, I was notified by the CEO of USA Water Polo that the same person, the same guy who’d reached out to me, had called the organization to discredit me and my essay. He was willing to come forward with other teammates to prove I lied. Ultimately, it came down to their word against mine. I was, once again, the outsider. I began to feel depressed.

For people of color — especially water polo players of color — the reaction to my essay was quite different. Many asked to talk to me directly but wanted to remain anonymous, fearing, I surmised, the same negative reactions I was receiving. They told me stories of being called racist names, being excluded from team meetings, humiliated in public. One athlete told me that while training with the national team, another player carved his name onto his arm and told him to call him “master.” He had the scar to prove it. Their stories broke my heart.

Racism Is Pervasive

The protests for and counter protests against racial justice, of course, are not the only hurdle America has faced in the last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the country — and the world. As an emergency medicine physician, I have borne witness to more death in the last year than I have in the previous 10 (and I’ve seen my share of gunshot wounds, horrific car accidents, heart attacks and domestic abuse). I have personally seen how the pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color, whose people often live in more crowded homes, earn less money from less stable jobs and have higher rates of underlying medical conditions. My personal observations are supported by research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yet, amazingly, the Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) — by all accounts, the most respected medical journal in the country — recently released a podcast on structural racism in which two high profile white physicians argued that structural racism could not exist in medicine because, in their words, “No physician is racist.” Racism, the doctors argued, has been “illegal” since the 1960s and that the problem instead was socioeconomic. The podcast, mired in controversy , was taken down by JAMA and an apology posted in its place. The editor-in-chief of JAMA was placed on leave in the fallout weeks later. Still, I wish their conversation were an anomaly, an outlier.

Almost, daily I overhear other physicians, my own colleagues, dismiss the possibilities of structural racism, deny their own implicit biases, and, as a result, fail to empathize with the very communities they, in other contexts, claim to support. Though medicine is a science, it’s also personal. It relies on honest, empathetic and trusting communication between a provider and a patient. Patients depend on their doctors not only to help them heal from their ailments and injuries but to see them as individual people. To believe them. How can physicians help their patients if they lack the cultural and racial knowledge — about the very real stresses, mental illnesses and chronic health conditions caused by persistent discrimination — to allow them to empathize? How can doctors heal patients if they don’t believe their patients are sick in the first place?

When I first set out to tell my story, I’d never worried about retaliation. I never thought about hate mail or death threats, and I certainly never expected to lose my relationships with friends I considered my brothers. I never considered the possibility that they wouldn’t believe me. We’d gone to battle together, for our country. I expected that fact, our common history, to see us through. Somewhere, in the corner of my heart, I still believe change is possible. I hold out hope that my old friends, my teammates, will one day be my friends again. But in order for that to happen, they’ll have to believe what I’m saying and accept that though we once wore the same uniform and competed for America, my experiences were different from theirs. All they have to do is believe that I’m the honest person they’ve known for decades. In the meantime, I refuse to be silent. I’ll keep telling my story.

Dr. Omar Amr is a Harvard-educated emergency medicine physician who has been practicing for 14 years. He is now the ultrasound director of a residency program he helped start at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton. While attending Harvard Medical School, he also competed in the 2004 Olympics for Team USA. Most recently, he founded the Alliance for Diversity and Equity in Water Polo . The ADEWP fights for equal opportunities for BIPOC athletes and works to prevent discrimination and promote inclusion within the sport.

JSerra, Newport Harbor, Harvard-Westlake, Oaks Christian are teams to watch in water polo

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A year ago, everyone knew which team would be best in Southern Section boys’ water polo — JSerra. It was as certain as the temperature reaching 100 degrees in Death Valley because the 30-0 Lions had Ryder Dodd, the best high school player in America. He’d go on to start for the U.S. Olympic team in Paris and earn a bronze medal.

Now comes life after Dodd, which means No. 1 in Southern California is up for grabs. JSerra, Harvard-Westlake, Newport Harbor and Oaks Christian all look capable of finishing on top and they’ll be playing one another in tournament and nonleague matches before the Open Division playoffs.

JSerra coach Brett Ormsby certainly has someone to build around in goalie Jonas Ransford, the starter as a sophomore on last year’s unbeaten team. There’s also 6-foot-5, 291-pound junior Tyler Anderson, one of the most imposing players in the pool.

“As a center, you can’t cover him with one player,” Ormsby said.

Taylor Bell scored five goals in the season opener and freshman Sean Anderson, Tyler’s brother, had three goals.

Oaks Christian is an intriguing team in that coach Jack Kocur’s top player is his son, Cam. There’s also Wyatt Williamson, who joined the team late last season from Hawaii, and Pepperdine commit Max Burstein. Hall of Fame water polo coach Rich Corso has joined the program to coach goalies.

Harvard-Westlake came close to toppling JSerra in several games last season. Otto Stothart, a senior, is one of the most sought after college recruits in the state. Collin Caras is committed to Stanford.

Newport Harbor, which has made five consecutive Southern Section finals, has added transfers from Harvard-Westlake and Mater Dei in Lucca Van Der Woude and Santino Rossi to join returnees Connor Ohl and Luke Harris (goalkeeper).

More to Read

Olympics bronze medalist Ryder Dodd receives hero’s welcome in return to JSerra pool

Aug. 15, 2024

Amid strong Paris run, U.S. men’s water polo aims to shine brighter in L.A.

Aug. 9, 2024

Dodd brothers, Ryder and Chase, selected to U.S. Olympic water polo team

June 18, 2024

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Eric Sondheimer is the prep sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has been honored seven times by the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for best prep sports column.

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