Most college athletes start their sport at a young age; business administration senior Jack Sweet is no different. What started as Splash Ball, an introductory version of water polo for children, developed into collegiate water polo and the dreams of eventually winning a national championship.
“I played Splash Ball for two nights. Then the coach for the 12-year-old team came and said, ‘I need you to come play for me,’ So I went and I was playing with 12-year-olds as an 8-year-old,” Sweet said. “That’s when I started playing and I’ve been playing since then.”
With Sweet’s fourth-year season coming to an end, most club athletes would prepare for graduation. But still hungry for more, Sweet decided to push back his graduation date so he could have one last season.
“I have another chance to come back and play one more season because water polo ends after college. This is my last opportunity to play, but if that factor didn’t exist, I probably would have just finished school,” he said.
What seems like an isolated experience is actually common for the fourth-year men’s water polo players. Fueled by their drive for glory along with their determination to take back the stolen years from COVID, there were a record number of players returning for a fifth season this year.
Nathan Williams is one of eight players who pushed their graduation date back to be able to play another season on the team.
“I decided to take on an extra quarter,” Williams said. “I was looking for a way to play one more season of water polo without taking a full year of school.”
Williams graduated in fall 2023 and said he has no regrets regarding taking an extra quarter.
“My mom always told me that it’s not always about the destination, it’s about the journey,” Williams said.
While reflecting on his last season as a Cal Poly Mustang, Williams realized his favorite part of this season wasn’t the games or the fun events — it was the daily grind of practice.
“I always looked forward to finishing my academic day with a great two hour practice and playing the sport I love with some of my closest friends,” Williams said. “I will always remember those memories.”
After losing in the national championships two seasons ago, many seniors decided to stick around for another season.
“The group of young men on the team are very special. We have been through a lot together and our class especially was very selfless,” Williams said. “That’s hard to come by these days and I think everyone was more motivated than ever to keep playing for each other.”
Senior Dylan Weiglein, who is currently getting his master’s in engineering management through the five-year blended program, found other benefits of staying a fifth year in addition to playing another season of water polo.
“You learn a lot in college about who you are, the kind of people you like to be around, and how you like to spend your time,” Weiglein said. “A fifth year is a great chance to take advantage of all of those things.”
As a club team, they raise their own money, schedule their own pool time, write their own workouts and get themselves to their tournaments.
“Having the motivation to put that extra work upon ourselves requires a lot of love for each other and love for the game,” Weiglein said.
While this past season ended with losing by one point in double overtime in the Regional Championships, playing for each other is what motivates Weiglein.
“Being on the brink of success with the national championship within reach for multiple years makes everyone want to work harder for each other,” he said. “That motivation to work for the guys around you is a special feeling and is something that no one wanted to leave behind.”
Weiglein also plays for his dad. He has had the unique experience of having his dad as his head coach since he started playing at just 9 years old.
Weiglein said his parents moved to be near Cal Poly so his dad could continue coaching, leading the team to more success than the club had found in recent years.
While the team created a bond through brotherhood, playing for family means even more to Weiglein.
“To me, there’s nothing better in sports than getting to fight for a national championship with your dad,” he said. “You’re in a situation where you’re working together towards a common goal. You both feel the pressure and have to perform in the big moments.”
Since the players give their all to this team, taking a fifth year becomes a natural next step for most of these seniors.
“Water polo is over after college and I have the rest of my life to work. So why not take the extra time and enjoy college? Water polo was the first family I found at Cal Poly,” Sweet said.