Every morning when the pool covers are ripped off of the water and steam billows off into the sky, the SLV boys Varsity Water Polo gets prepared to take on their opponent. One of the players that can be seen jumping in the pool is senior Nate Alisago. Alisago has been an avid water polo player throughout his time on the team. He is also a tremendous asset, helping the team go 2-2 in the regular season and 2-1 in league play.
Alisago has been described by many fellow waterpolo players as Strong both offensively and defensively, a team leader, and always having a positive impact on the team leader. Alisago was one of the strongest offensive players this season, starting at outside shooter. Even against a league of difficult teams, the senior dominated.
One very unique thing about Alisago is the number of years he has played water polo. Unlike most of the better players on Varsity Polo, he has only two years under his belt. Since He did not start playing as a freshman or sophomore, Alisago had to make up for his lack of knowledge with skill. After his first year playing as a junior, he showed himself as an athlete. In order to prepare himself for the upcoming season, he decided to join a club team in the offseason. Playing with a club honed his skills and set himself up for success as a senior. Doing this also made Alisago into what is called a utility player. Someone who can really play any position.
As well as being a strong player, Nate also has other qualities that benefit the team. Sophmore JV Water Polo player Aidan Largey said “Nate has a very humorous outlook on things and does a good job at keeping the team well humored.” Having a funny and positive attitude helped out the team tremendously by helping to make practices a little bit less uptight and serious. Another player Rowan Garties also said “Nate was one of the funniest and nicest kids on the team. He has a very great personality and is always fun to be around.” Nate is consistently admired by his peers for his amazing personality and large amounts of kindness.
Alisago explained “My love for Water Polo comes from the controlled tribalism that forges the team into a cohesive unit and creates strong bonds between individuals.” His time on the Water Polo team was one of his most valued experiences in highschool because of the amount of good experiences he has gained and the friendships he has formed.
After his senior year, Alisago hopes to attend a four year college and “Find a good place to be, and some even better people to enjoy it with.” He has applied to schools such as UCSB and UC Boulder, and hopes to major in Applied Mathematics and English.
by Isaac Wallace Menge
The Claw 