The smells of chlorine and victory fill the lungs of the Arroyo Grande High School girls water polo team as they win another league title. This Mountain League victory is one of the team’s many successes.
“We practice pretty much two times a day for five days a week,” coach Steven Allen said. “In the morning we have zero period lifting or swimming, and then in the afternoons we practice for two hours a day.”
Work ethic is vital for team success. AGHS Girls Water Polo’s work ethic is one of their most valuable assets.
“Our team culture is basically [to] show up every day and work hard,” Allen said. “If we do that, we are going to be very successful.”
A lot of work goes into preparing for big games. The team needs to ensure they are ready for intense competition.
“Preparing for playoffs [means] getting physically ready for it,” Allen said. “And with that, making sure our bodies are able to handle the rigors that are coming [is important], especially for the kids [who] are going to play a lot of minutes.”
The players inspire each other with their commitment to the team and dedication to water polo.
“Everyone works so hard,” player Natalie Whitfield (‘26) said.
Whitfield began playing water polo almost ten years ago. Her dedication to the sport grew over the years.
“My dad played in high school, and then he started to teach my brother how to play,” Whitfield said. “Then I followed along.”
The team’s overall ambition inspires individual players to aim higher. Three varsity players—Ané Smith (‘25), Berkley Sinner (‘25), and Tessa Pettit (‘25)—already announced their D1 commitments to university teams.
“We all have big goals as a team,” Whitfield said. “It inspires me more with my individual goals as well because I feel like we can all work hard for each other.”
One challenge that comes with a talented, driven team is giving all players the opportunity to demonstrate their strengths.
“There is a lot of talent on the team,” Sinner said. “Organizing everyone in their specific jobs and roles—because we can only have 14 [players] on varsity—is really important.”
The team is tight-knit. Creating a supportive environment for all players is essential to a successful team.
“A lot of teams don’t get to call their teammates family,” Sinner said. “But because we spend so much time together—we’re really tight and really connected—we get to be a family. I think that’s the best part.”
As one of Arroyo Grande High School’s most successful sports teams, the Girls Water polo team continues to work hard each year.
