Senior water polo player transfers to Saratoga

As the coach calls for the girls’ water polo team to get ready, everyone scrambles to the locker room. Senior starter and set player Emma Ford pulls on her cap and goggles and walks out to the deck to meet everyone for water polo practice. 

Just last year, Ford was playing water polo at a school in Massachusetts. Although she is new to Saratoga, she is adapting to playing on the team. 

    Ford has been playing water polo for seven years and recently came here for her last year of high school. Previously, she went to Los Gatos High School for her freshman and sophomore years, playing on a CCS winning team, and then moved to Massachusetts for her junior year.

 However, after coming back to the Bay Area this year, Ford made the decision to attend Saratoga instead of Los Gatos, saying she did not like the social environment at Los Gatos.

    Ford said she is adapting to the team quite well, mainly because she knew two other players from a club team beforehand. 

    “Everyone on the team is really nice and they were all very welcoming,” Ford said.

    So far, the team has performed significantly better than last year, which concluded with a 1-19-1 record.

    With a 5-0 conference record, the girls have defeated Milpitas 22-3, Lynbrook 23-6, Monta Vista 20-3, Santa Clara 20-6 and Wilcox 21-6. 

    The Falcons also played at a Lynbrook invitational tournament on Sept. 14-15, taking victory by a wide margin over Santa Clara 17-4, Lynbrook 17-6 and Santa Teresa 14-7.

    At their first game on Aug. 24 against Half Moon Bay, Ford played for most of the game, and she said the team worked really well together and she enjoyed playing as part of the team. The girls won 13-3.

    “The game made me feel like I was part of something special,” Ford said. 

    Coach Jeremy Chung said Ford has been performing well this season, scoring several goals and excelling in team defense and passes.

    “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Chung said. “She communicates in a calm way with her teammates and creates a great environment for the team.”

    According to Ford, the main difference between water polo at Los Gatos and the team here is the work ethic. Ford said that at her old school, people would not try hard for the sake of the sport, as they were only interested in getting school credit.

    “The main difference about the team is the practice environment. Everyone works really hard and has fun doing it,” she said.

    The girls’ water polo team will be playing Santa Clara on Oct. 2 and Monta Vista on Oct. 4.

    Due to printing deadlines, the Falcon was unable to cover the games at Cupertino on Sept. 25 and Wilcox on Sept. 27.