The coed water polo club team at DePaul University may have experienced their fair share of difficulties, but they believe this year can be different. 

In past years, they have struggled to recruit and maintain players. 

When Noah Robles, the former water polo president who graduated last June, was a sophomore, they had “a pretty good year.’’ Even though they had a lot of players, many of them were seniors.  When the president and vice president graduated, the numbers dropped. 

“The team was basically on to three of us because we were the most consistent,’’ Robles said. 

During his junior year, the team continued to lack players. Some members barely showed up to practices. But during his senior year they had a “pretty good amount’’ of players.

“I think that was the starting point of something different,’’ Robles said. 

Robles mentioned Carlos Matteo, the current president of the DePaul Water Polo Club, and the other officers this year when discussing the difference within the club.

“Last year they got to see the inconsistencies and what they can do better, and they definitely just grew and learned (in) to who they are now,’’ Robles said. 

Robles noted that the team now has a lot more people, estimating that 15 to 20 new people joined this year. Additionally, there are more girls on the team. 

Normally, the first day of the club is always packed, and that number decreases as time goes on. This year, the players continued to show up. 

Robles believes their success in recruiting came from what they saw in games and from thinking of water polo from “a marketing standpoint.’’ Their recruitment at the involvement fair was full of enthusiasm for the upcoming year. 

According to Matteo, the team plays throughout the entire year for a total of 10 to 15 games. Last year they did not win any tournament matches, but they did win a few scored scrimmages. 

The scrimmages usually occur throughout the quarter. This year, they will play University of Chicago, Loyola University and Northwestern. Scrimmages are for fun and can be scored or unscored.  

The tournament matches consist of going away to another college during a long weekend and playing back-to-back games. 

“Though we have not had the greatest reputation and history of winning, I look to create a welcoming community that connects people via a shared interest in water polo,” Matteo said. “My leadership philosophy is that a team that consists of people who are friends have a fun time playing despite their record.”

As for how they address issues, Matteo believes that success does not just come from drills. 

“Obviously we still try our hardest out there and in practice, but there always comes a point where you need to rely on each other as well as your skills and that level of teamwork doesn’t really come from repetitive drills,’’ Matteo said. 

The team is now able to scrimmage due to the larger number of players. Additionally, Matteo has focused on conditioning. One of the conditioning drills is treading water in a specific pattern, which is how water polo players remain afloat. 

“It’s just like practicing certain plays that we wouldn’t usually succeed at in a scrimmage versus other teams,’’ Lindsay Freiberger, a DePaul junior and one of the team’s outside wings, said. “A lot of passing drills (and) shooting drills.”

The games, conditioning, plays, passing drills and shooting drills in practices were things the team worked on last year. They are also a response to struggles they have seen in scrimmages against other teams. 

“Because we have more people on the team this year who are consistently showing up, it makes everything easier,” Freiberger said. “I think there’s such a great opportunity for us to start winning games because we can effectively practice things.”

When the team went into their scrimmage against Northwestern University this season, there was excitement among the members. The freshmen looked forward to playing against a college opponent.  

“I think it’s more exciting and hopeful rather than fear,’’ Freiberger said. “It’s always optimism.’’

Freiberger also said that it has been an adjustment playing with her male teammates. Still, the male and female players on the team have a good relationship with each other. 

“We are always giving each other advice. There’s a strong relationship for sure,’’ Freiberger said. 

Freiberger also shared what keeps the team going: how enjoyable water polo is.

“Water polo is such a fun game to play,’’ Freiberger said. “Even if you might lose, it’s going to be a whole new team you have never seen before and a whole new dynamic.’’

As for Matteo’s beliefs on the season, he is confident in the team. 

“I believe that with this new group, we can break our streak of losses and become a serious threat to win big games,” Matteo said.

Editor’s Note: Lindsay Freiberger is a contributor for The DePaulia.

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