Senior Season of Water Polo for KK

Last home game as a Wildcat

I have to start this blog off by saying I wish I could have seen more of KK’s games. Being a part of the real world kind of sucks (at times). Living 120 miles away does not help my cause either. What it does make me realize is how amazing my parents are. The fact that they rarely missed a game or a swim meet. How they juggled it with work I have no idea. I only hope I can be half as amazing when I am a parent.

Riverside Tourny

Well back to KK. I wish I could have seen more games this year. But looking back I am pretty proud of the number I did see. I made it to a day at the tournament in Riverside, a day at the tournament in San Diego, was present for Senior day and the semifinal game of CIF. Maybe another tournament or two.

Earlier in the season I asked KK if I could make it to one league game which game it would be. I assumed she would be choosing between the rivalry game against RHS (where Brooke & I went to school) or senior day. She decided on Senior Day as the one league game I would see. Sadly it was against a very very bad team in the league- in all honesty I do not even remember who they played.  But senior day is always fun- it is the last time you will ever play in your home pool. 

In order to be available for Senior day I took that Tuesday off work- I figured since I am going up to Redlands might as well make the most of it and boy did I. Mom also took the day off work. I would get grandpa in San Diego at 8:00 am and we would start the day. Once in Redlands mom and I signed a contract for the preferred hotel for my wedding, went to the church and turned in a bunch of paper work, meet with a photographer, looked at a place or two for a rehearsal dinner. Then after KK’s game we would meet with the wedding coordinator and event planner both of which were amazing.  We managed to plan out basically the entire reception from the dance floor location to the table wear. Very productive day.

The most important part of the whole day was being at KK’s game. It was weird to think that my little sister was a senior. Her school held senior day much like we did. I guess she filled out a questionnaire so that her coach had a place to start with talking about her. While he is talking my parents gave KK  some flowers. Her team signed a polo ball for her that is in a nice case. I was impressed what a great gift! He did a great job talking about what KK had meant to the program, some of the awards she had received, the school records, a few of his lasting memories, and then a few things from her sheet. Like the most embarrassing moment.  That is when she was trying to get everyone going during Brooke & I CIF final game- she was leading a cheer and spelled Redlands wrong. To give her some credit she was really little at that time. I don’t think she was older than 8. During the time her coach was talking about her grandpa got dragged up & then so did I. My attempt to say I was the camera woman did not work to well. So Mom, Dad, Grandpa & I all stood with KK!



SD Touny

I was honored to be a part of her senior day presentation. Oddly enough her coach was actually present when I was honored at my own senior day. The Vessey’s will no longer be playing water polo in Redlands. I feel that we have left a lasting mark on both high schools and there programs.  Well Brooke and KK probably more than me. But their names will stay up on the record board for some time. The game itself was nothing to write home about as the other team was not very good. It is one of those teams that you watch and just feel bad for. KK had a few goals some assists. She does it all!                                                                   

 

Ater league ends you head into the CIF Playoffs.  This is the stressful time cause it is win or go home. I was unable to make it to KK’s 1^st round or 2^nd round games. But the semifinal I was not going to miss. I managed to get out of work early. Get my brother; pick up my grandpa and hall butt the 120 miles through orange county traffic. I am sure I aged 10 years with my driving and freaking out about getting to the school on time. But we parked and the game had just begun. Very quickly the other team got out a head. The bleeding did not stop right away. The other team always knew ere KK was. Many times having her double teamed. I think finally in the 3^rd quarter we got on the board. We managed to score a few more times.  KK played a great game defensively and offensively. It reminded me much of Brooke in her CIF finals game.  Just only so much she could do and hard to beat two defenders every play.

CIF Semi Final Game

After the game she did not seem super upset- but you could tell she realized it was over. Her high school polo days were behind her. As Sean went to give her a hug the teams other coach stopped her. From what I was told later he basically told her she was the best player in the division.  That there game plan revolved around stopping her! That she has had a remarkable high school career. Wished her the best of luck in college. If there is a way to have it end with a loss- you at least want a compliment. That coach had some class. That team would go on two days later to win the title- beating the other team by a few goals. It was never even a game!

Riverside Tourny

I might not have seen every game but I saw a good amount of games. I saw the big stuff. I am so proud of you KK. I look forward to watching the next four years. And I am willing to part with my red and black once in a while for LMU Lions apparel! Plus by then I will be even better with my camera and take hundreds of more pictures of you!

 

Click on these links to see all the different photo albums:

Tournament Play

Senior Day

CIF Semi Final Game

Article on Mikayla

Sooo proud of my little sister.. Thought she deserved a little blog post for it!!! Below is an article that ran in the Press Enterprise!! Way to go KK!!

Redlands East Valley's Mikayla Vessey has bee a star in the pool, swimming and water polo, for years but now she's also excelling on the track and field team.

REDLANDS — Everyone around her at Redlands East Valley High already knew Mikayla Vessey was an incredible force in the water.

All-CIF water polo player for two straight years, leading the Wildcats to the semifinals both times. CIF qualifier in swimming a year ago and on pace to qualify in two more events this year.
But who would have guessed Vessey could be just as dangerous on land?

Well, a school security guard who watched the 5-foot-1 blonde running 40-yard sprints one day during a football weight training class. It’s the third year in the class for Vessey, who says, “I’m just pushing myself to be the best athlete I can be.”

The security guard was impressed enough to tell Vessey she should try out for the track team. Sort of in her spare time while not swimming, going to club practices and maintaining honor-roll status as a junior student.

“It was really random,” Vessey said. “I thought why not, I’ll go talk to the track coach and see what she thinks.”

REV track and field coach Andrea Johnson-Bernardy was fine with the idea, as long as it didn’t interfere with what else Vessey had going on.

“I think she was excited that somebody noticed her as more than a swimmer,” Johnson-Bernardy said. “I said let’s just try it and have fun.”

Wildcats swimming coach Troy Delmonico, who had helped coach Mikayla’s older sisters Brooke and Jamie at Redlands High last decade as they achieved swimming and water polo stardom before heading off to San Diego State, hesitated.

Not many athletes try to play two sports that are going on at the same time.

“You sure you want to print that?” Delmonico said, laughing when asked about his initital reaction when Vessey came to him with the idea.

But after reaching a deal that Vessey would get her swimming workouts in no matter what was going on with track, Delmonico began working with Johnson-Bernardy on a schedule to make it happen.

It makes for a hectic schedule, but now Vessey is not only REV’s swimming star with a school record in the 100-yard freestyle, she’s also the fastest 100-meter sprinter on the track team.

“You’re saying, ‘I know she’s a quality swimmer,’” Johnson-Bernardy said. “I knew her 40 time was pretty good, but you don’t really expect it. Then you see her race and you say, wow, she’s pretty fast.”
Delmonico said he’s most impressed with Vessey’s work ethic.

“She’s one of the hardest-working athletes I’ve ever come in contact with,” Delmonico said. “She goes to track practice, then comes over and gets in the pool. That was our agreement.

“How many high school girls are that committed, not just to one sport, but both? She’s not your typical high school athlete.”

The best part for Vessey is that with Citrus Belt League swimming meets on Wednesday and track meets on Thursday, she doesn’t have to miss competing in either.

“I definitely didn’t know what to expect, but it’s working out so far,” said Vessey, favoring a tender ankle but determined to ignore it, as well as fears she might injure herself while trying to do too much.

“I could hurt my shoulder swimming,” she said. “That wasn’t a factor for me. I can injure myself doing anything, so I might as well just try it.”

That attitude is the byproduct of being in a family with a father, Jim, who’s the freshman football coach, and two sisters and a brother (Sean, who graduated last year) who all competed in sports.

“They keep me going,” Vessey said. “I’m really close to my brother and I called him the other night and said I’m tired, I’m trying to get through the week. He said you’re fine, just keep pushing.”
And she has, overcoming a size disadvantage in both the pool and on the track.

There’s also the little matter of being deaf in her left ear, which means compensating by doing things at events like lining up in the closest lane available to the starter and paying extra attention with her eyes.

She wears a hearing aid in the classroom to help her understand her teachers. Understanding her classmates is sometimes a different matter.

“Friends will come up and whisper and I’m like, ‘Deaf ear, I can’t hear you, I don’t know what you just said,’” she laughed.

Just another challenge that Vessey tackles with enthusiasm, and with the competitive streak that makes her smile as she points out she’s the first sibling in the family to compete in track.

“I got that on them,” she said. “I one-upped ’em on that.”

See the article here at: http://www.pe.com/sports/high-school/hsg-schools/hsg-redlands-east-valley/hsg-redlands-east-valley-headlines/20120423-swimming-and-track-revs-vessey-tackles-both-with-enthusiasm.ece

Water Polo and Swimming

I just cant stay away.. I guess I just really love water polo and swimming.  I was able to attended the San Diego State Sports Club banquet.  It was a ton of fun to attend the event with the girls I coached.  They also received some recognition for an outstanding season in which we lost in the semi finals of the WWPA tournament.  It was also great to see the Women's Water Polo Club President Rachel win the most prestigious award presented that evening, for her leadership in and out of the pool.  Rachel was the person who basically hired me and was extremely helpful to me as a coach.  She was also a joy to coach and reminded me constantly why I love the game of water polo.  

                                       

Some of the team

I am going to do a bit of bragging.  My little sister Mikayla who has always been awesome was able to qualify for the CIF prelims in the 100 Fly.  As a sophomore and an athlete that doesn't really enjoy swimming, I could not have been happier or more proud of her.  I got to see her race earlier in the season where she just missed going under a minute in the 100 fly.  She managed to get under the milestone of a minute and qualify during the Citrus Belt League Finals. So Mikayla would be making her first trip to Belmont in an individual event. 

I would not miss Mikayla racing so Brennan and I headed to Long Beach to watch her compete.  I had forgotten the energy and tensions that are present when you walk into Belmont shore.  As we drew neared to Mikayla's race I was even getting nervous for her.  She had a great race, she went out after it.  She struggled to get home a bit, but hey she was swimming and so many other kids had not met the qualifying times to even have the opportunity.  So I would say it was a great experience.

                                         

KK's race

 After the race when I was talking to her, she said "I have been here so many times to watch you and Brooke compete in swimming and water polo.  I was not nervous at all and then I got up on the block and got so nervous."  I just laughed, which she did not find funny. And replied " You have been here a lot to watch, what is the best part of this is I got to come back and watch you compete.  And sometimes this place gets the best of you or you get the best of it.  Either way KK you are here competing and that is awesome, and we all get nervous." 

 Brennan and KK.. 

We have a lot of pictures in this area over the last 10 years

I am so thankful to have the ability and opportunities to be present for all the different events that my siblings participate in.