Water Polo a Sport Like Any Other free essay sample

Under pressure, the clock is ticking and they either need to pass the ball or shoot. No one is open so they push off of their defender, pull up above the water with the ball in their hand. They look at the goalie, and fake that they are going to throw the ball with a few quick flicks of their wrists and their poker faces on, finally, they extend their arm back like a boomerang, within a blink of an eye, they hurl the ball with all their force and THUD! That’s the sound of the ball hitting the back of the goal at approximately fifty miles per hour. Football, Basketball, and Baseball are the most popular sports in America. Water polo is a combination of swimming, basketball, and football; but played in water, yet water polo is not among the most respected. In fact, people forget about it all together. We will write a custom essay sample on Water Polo: a Sport Like Any Other or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Land sports are considered the toughest and most physically demanding sports, but why not water polo? Water polo is just as grueling and aggressive maybe even more, so why is it the most underrated sport? It has all of the added elements in most popular land sports, with an x factor because you also have to be able to keep yourself afloat all while navigating yourself and the ball through the water. Anyone who thinks this is inferior to land sports is clearly fooling themselves. From afar, the players seem to drift effortlessly through the water, and this could be why people don’t think twice about water polo; but when you move up close you can hear the grunts and gasps of exertion. You see waves of water moving aggressively crashing back and forth. As players rise from under the water they reveal scrapes and cuts all over their arms and at least a few players may be sporting impressive black eyes, and the players view these injuries as their badge of courage. It doesn’t look like kids playing in the pool, it looks like a battle field, with each player doing everything they can to survive their opponent’s attempt to drown them. You see that after every goal,missed shot, there is a turnover, and that means a sprint back down to the other side of the pool. After 4 quarters of this, even the most fit of players are exhausted. Three times a week, I would wake-up at 5 in the morning and hop into a pool and work out until my legs could not hold me above the water anymore. Then, I had to swim a mile and a half up and down the pool, while trying to steer the ball in front of me. We practiced some techniques such as dribbling and shooting, it definitely wasn’t as easy as it looked. I was only allowed to touch the ball with one hand at a time. The ball was wet and slippery making the techniques I was learning very difficult to perform. When shooting, I couldn’t touch the ground with my feet which made it more difficult to aim and throw hard. I am constantly treading water, rising up into the air to shoot and block shots. So you can image how upset I get when this sport doesn’t get the same respect as other sports do. This sport is like most land sports, but in water; which in my book makes it a lot more exciting and fun to watch. You will be on the edge of your seats from start to finish. This sport is fast pace and unpredictable. Anything can happen. You watch each player each player working together as a team to get that ball past the goalie. You hear the players screaming at each other, calling out for the ball, moving around, trying to get pass the other player. Like basketball, you see each player constantly under pressure from the ticking of the shot clock, and the reliance of their teammates and coach on making the right move throughout the game. This game is one that you need to be there physically as well as mentally. It is like all other sports a game where work and determination is needed as well as fitness and athletic ability.