Did you know you could water polo is a club sport? Math teacher Mrs. Elizabeth Kress is the coach. Currently, there are only four members on the team and we are a combined team with Princess Anne High School (similar to how we used to create combined teams for lacrosse).
Coach: Mrs. Liz Kress
- What made you interested in water polo?
My daughter has played recreational water polo for two seasons with Anna and Toby. When we learned that other schools had club teams, I decided that Salem would have one also and started the ball rolling on getting a club approved working with our student activities coordinator, Ms. Fernheimer.
- How do you feel about the water polo team this year?
We started with a larger group of male and female students interested in playing, but when it came down to it, only four students from Salem were committed to the program. Because of low numbers, and needing a minimum of seven to play, we combined teams with PA. Our combo team had players from Salem, Princess Anne, Tallwood, First Colonial, Bayside, and Green Run. The team finished 4th out of 6 teams.
- What’s your favorite thing about coaching water polo?
My favorite thing about the team this year was being able to see Salem athletes ON A WATER POLO team! I would LOVE for the team to grow and for us to be able to have our own coed team next season (all athletes welcome)!
Q&A with the water polo team members
Senior Janelle Breitkreutz
- What are you most excited about water polo?
I was excited to follow in my aunt’s footsteps by playing water polo. I had always found the sport intriguing, but I really knew nothing about the ins and outs. I’m not a swimmer, and I’ve never really liked the water, but this sport really captures my attention for its uniqueness and I’m always excited to go to practice and work at becoming more confident and increasing my knowledge and skills.
- How long have you been playing water polo?
This season was my first season, and after learning as I played, I am going to play rec water polo with some of my school teammates in the spring.
- What made you interested in water polo?
Mrs. Kress called me out in the hall one day and asked me a series of questions. “Can you swim? Can you tread water?” I was really confused at that point, but I was confident in my ability to swim and I said yes to all of her questions. Then she said to me, “Join water polo!” I signed the interest form and now here I am. My aunt also played water polo in college, and I wanted to make her proud by doing something that she was so passionate about.
Freshman Magdalena Kress
- What are you most excited about water polo?
I love the team and the excitement before games. Playing against the other teams/schools is also a lot of fun.
- How long have you been playing water polo?
This upcoming rec season will be my third year. I have done two seasons on Kempsville’s rec team and one on the school team.
- What made you interested in water polo?
I have competed on swim teams for five years and a few of my friends from my rec team convinced me to try it. It was so different from swimming because it is a team sport and because of this I felt a lot closer to my water polo teammates than the swim team.
Junior Toby Sealy
- What are you most excited about water polo?
I love meeting new team members and playing against different teams since every game is different and fun in their own way.
- How long have you been playing water polo?
I have been playing for five years including rec and high school teams.
- What made you interested in water polo?
A lot of my team members from the swim league said water polo was a fun way to stay in shape for the swim season and now I look forward to the water polo season more than swim!
Junior Anna Rufh
- What are you most excited about water polo?
I just love playing the sport so much and all the people I’ve become friends with on my team and others.
- How long have you been playing water polo?
I started playing water polo in 2020 and my season got cut short, but I’ve been playing since then, making it four years.
- What made you interested in water polo?
Toby actually mentioned it to me because he started a year before me and I got interested, decided to sign up, and I’ve been playing since.
