There we were, the Laney College Women’s Water Polo Team, stuffed inside our team van for an hour-long drive to West Valley College in Saratoga. It was our first game of the season. As we pulled onto their campus, we couldn’t help but marvel at their impressive aquatics facilities, even before stepping out of the vehicle.
For many of us, including myself, it was our first time playing water polo. I had no idea what to expect. We knew West Valley was the best team in our conference but that mattered little to us. We were Eagle strong, and I believed we would put up a fight.
That day, we lost 19 to 1.
Battling currents: The return of Laney water polo
Laney College hasn’t had a water polo team since 2019, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the team has a new coach, Laney hasn’t even updated the team website yet.
To build her aquatics roster, the new water polo coach, Leslie Cortez, sent out 1,500 emails to any female students who marked an interest in playing a sport on their college applications.
We started the season in October with nine players. When the season concluded on November 8, we had eight.
In a sport where seven players have to be on the field at all times, we would often play our games with no substitutes. We lost all six of our games this season, but by the way we showed up for each game, you could never tell. We adorned smiles on our faces and demonstrated gratitude for the opportunity to play. We represented our Laney College in the water to the fullest, even when our school officials hung us out to dry.
Unfortunately, just a few weeks into the water polo season, the motor of the Laney College pool broke. We couldn’t use our own pool for practice.
Initially, officials said the motor would be fixed in weeks, but it lasted through the entire fall water polo season—a problem likely to remain unsolved into the Spring 2025 swim season.
Coach Cortez secured the pool at Fremont High School in East Oakland as our new practice site. While we were grateful for Fremont Pool providing us a practice location, it was a dramatic shift from the facility we started our season in. The loss of an adequate training facility for our team was not a reality we were going to take lying down.
Swimming through Laney College, Peralta District bureaucracy
Our team captain, Jayden Grizzle, decided to take matters into her own hands. She contacted Laney College’s Vice President of Administrative Ashish Sahni. After short email correspondence, Grizzle was redirected to the Peralta Community Colleges District offices, Amy Marshall, the associate director of Public Safety. Grizzle cited the Fremont Pool’s non-potable water and distance from Laney College as negative factors affecting our team’s physical safety and mental health. This to no avail.
Inspired by her actions, I emailed Laney College Vice President Ashish Sahni, who responded tersely that this task was not the responsibility of Laney College, but of the District. He/she added that the contract to fix the pool was pending. I requested a contact at the District to communicate with. This turned out to be the contact best suited to receive this message. I reached out to BC Hoff, director of Facilities, Maintenance and Operations, but never received a response.
Despite these challenges navigating the waters of the campus bureaucracy, this is not a story about the Peralta District disregarding the underdogs. This is about eight players, one coach, and a hell of a water polo season.
Laney College Water Polo making waves
Our team traveled to Merced, Saratoga, San Mateo, Marin, and San Francisco, and we played hard every time. Despite the challenges we faced this season with our pool, our small numbers, and injuries, we were always uplifted. Coach Cortez and the Laney Athletics Department constantly affirmed us. Laney College Athletics, under the leadership of Coach John Beam, provided true wraparound services, including athlete meals, tutoring, and physical therapy.
“Some people are here (playing for Laney) because they want to have a unique experience while working towards their degree,” Assistant Coach Robert Crowley said. “We want to help them achieve those goals no matter what they want to do and we’re going to do that any way possible.”
I experienced this firsthand as a Laney College student-athlete. I balanced a 17-unit course load while pushing my physical limits. A hard feat, but so worth it.
‘Eagles on 3!’
The 2024 Laney Women’s Water Polo Team will always have a special place in my heart. Here is my salute to you:
- Captain Gabby Cassaro for being a skillful leader;
- Captain Jaden Grizzle for demonstrating speed and strength;
- Trina Pimentel for pushing yourself and upping the score;
- Aletha Madriaga for fighting hard and feeding us after;
- Frida Schiesser for challenging yourself and never giving up;
- Sydnie Kleiva for giving them hell and swimming fast; and
- Ping Zhang, our beloved goalie, for showing up to every game with everything you had.
Thank you Coach Leslie Cortez for your seasoned guidance, necessary tough love, and for creating a safe space to explore our abilities and build an unforgettable team bond.
Eagles on 3, Eagles on me. EAGLES! SKWAAAAAA!
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