Everyday, during the fall season, Andrew Thompson 25’, the team captain of the GA Boys Water Polo Team, goes to water polo practice. There he meets with his teammates, and coaches, practicing and planning for their upcoming games.
Thompson recently broke the all-time scoring record for GA boys water polo, with over 354 goals, scored during his high school career.
“I think the biggest things that helped Thompson be so successful is that, one, he is super talented,” fellow water polo player Utsav Mittal ‘25 said. “But honestly, more importantly, he is truly committed to the sport, to bettering himself and fighting to his best abilities.”
Thompson first started playing water polo when his mom put him into the sport in 5th grade, and he has been playing ever since.
“I started in 5th grade because my mom made me,” Thompson said. “Everyone in my family swam. Swimming wasn’t my thing then, but it is now.”
As Thompson has played more and more water polo, he has grown to cherish the sport and his team.
“My favorite part about water polo is the GA and club team,” Thompson said. “We spend a lot of time practicing.”
Thompson also acknowledges that water polo has changed him on a more personal level outside of the pool.
“It has made me tougher, physically and definitely mentally,” Thompson said. “You can’t control the officiating and that is frustrating, but it has taught me how to deal with things not going my way.”
Thompson practiced and played a lot throughout middle and high school to become as good as he is now and be able to break GA’s scoring record.
“I just played a lot. It was like my whole life,” Thompson said. “I was consistent. I played club, and I had very good coaches, like Coach Mike [Koizol].”
Not only has Thompson broken the point scoring record, he is the boys water polo team captain and helps lead the team to more success.
“He is a really strong leader on the team, in the game and out of the pool,” Mittal said. “A lot of the younger guys look up to him.“
Thompson attributes much of his success to his great coaches and his close teammates.
“I can’t score if [my teammates] do not pass me the ball and if they don’t know what’s going on,” Thompson said. “My coaches are always there for me and help me out, [giving] me insight on stuff I wouldn’t think to improve on”
During the season, Thompson goes to three-hour-long practices daily and plays games on Tuesdays and Friday. In the off season, Thompson swims, which helps improve his water polo game, and he plays club in the spring.
“The biggest thing everyone else on the team can learn from Thompson is his consistency and perseverance,” Mittal said. “I do not think I have been to a practice where he is not there.”
Thompson has decided to move away from water polo, and instead he has committed to swim D3 in college at DePauw University.
“I am kind of burnt out. It is all I’ve known for a long time,” Thompson said. “I am ready to be done and I want to try something else, but GA/PC day will be fun and we’ll go out with a bang.”