This is an article in Sporty Seniors, a bi-weekly column celebrating M-A senior athletes’ dedication to their sport.
Senior Kanoa Lee has been playing water polo since sixth grade. He initially began the sport because his older brother played, and his parents convinced him and his sister to take it up too. Despite initial hesitation, when Lee got into the pool, he immediately found a love for water polo. “I liked its physicality. I thought it was really fun,” he said.
Lee has played water polo for M-A all four years while also playing for various club teams in the off-season. Lee played on JV during his freshman and sophomore years before starting on varsity as a junior.
Growing up, Lee tried several sports, including basketball, soccer, and baseball. Some skills from these sports transferred over to water polo. “Baseball helps a ton, especially because you’re throwing a ball,” he said.
In addition to water polo, Lee played volleyball during his freshman and sophomore years. Lee also swam for M-A last year and plans to do it again in spring.
Lee is always looking to help his underclassmen teammates improve. “Across my teammates, I’m definitely emphasizing physicality the most. That’s what really helps you thrive in sports like these,” he said.
As his final games at M-A approach, Lee hopes to make the most of every moment in the pool. “Definitely just having fun with these last few games,” he said. “It was definitely a ton of fun. Kind of sad that it’s all gonna be gone.”
More than anyone else, Lee is grateful for his parents. “My parents put me into the sport. If they didn’t put me in, I would have never known about water polo,” he said.
Lee is also grateful to his coaches for helping him improve. He especially credits his 14-U coach, Coach Gumby, for making him take water polo seriously. “He taught me a lot of important skills that helped me become the starting player I am now,” he said. “Not a lot of coaches coach like him, and he wasn’t all that liked by the older players because he’s very strict, but that’s kind of what you need when you’re young.”
After high school, Lee plans to attend a four-year college. He doesn’t expect to play water polo in college, but he is open to it if given the chance. “[It’s] definitely gonna be a switch going from high school to college. During water polo season I’m playing five to six days a week. And in the summer, I’m also playing five or six days [a week]. I imagine I’m gonna have a lot of free time during college,” he said.
One of Lee’s most memorable water polo stories comes from his freshman year. “I came out [of the water] with a bite mark in a game against Serra on my left shoulder. It was a molar,” he said. “Water polo is full of crazy moments like that. That’s what makes it fun,” he said.
Lee strongly encouraged students to play a team sport in high school. “You learn to work with different people,” he said. “It’s also a great community. You get to know a ton of people.”
