This season, the girls water polo team needed a goalie. Despite it being Chloe Kaelin’s (12) last year, she stepped up to play the position.

“I want to do as much as I can before I graduate,” Kaelin said. “More than my time, I’ve invested my spirit into making this team succeed as much as possible before my time at Westview expires.”

Kaelin started playing water polo in the sixth grade. Prior to water polo, Kaelin played the goalie position in competitive soccer for eight years before she broke her pinky and arm while diving for the ball. From there, she moved onto water polo. 

“Rather than dwelling on [my injuries], I decided to start a new sport,” Kaelin said. “I ended up trying a few and sticking with water polo from then on.” 

 Throughout her entire water polo career in both club and her high school seasons, Kaelin has demonstrated versatility. 

“I’ve played pretty much every position at this point, and now even goalie, so I like to joke with my team that I’m a true utility player because [I] can be put in every position,” Kaelin said. 

With her past experiences in goalkeeping in soccer, Kaelin notices similarities in game play between the sports,  but she said the difference in the physical aspect has made it hard for her to adjust to blocking the ball.

“Jumping in the water is much harder than jumping off the ground,” Kaelin said. “I’ve often found myself missing the hard ground I had at my disposal back when I was a soccer goalie. There’s not much I can do about that though, so I’ve just become used to getting myself up [and] out of the water to get the ball. I try to work with [the goalie coach] at least one practice a week exclusively on goalie training. Other than that, doing blocking shots in practice allows me to apply what I’m taught in order to do better. ”

Kaelin said she wouldn’t have been able to play this position without the support and encouragement of her teammates.

“It was a little discouraging at first because it felt like [the balls] were all getting past me, but my teammates believed in me and encouraged me,” Kaelin said. 

 Gaining the confidence to play this new position and having a positive mindset about it was difficult for Kaelin to develop at first, but thus far, she has been able to improve her skills and surpass her expectations. 

“My teammates understood that I was doing my best and never got mad at me,” Kaelin said. “That continued support really pushed me to keep going and try my hardest.” 

Kaelin doesn’t have to play goalie the entire time. Eden Cahill (12) also practices the position, switching out with Kaelin in games during halftime.

Playing two positions, Kaelin sometimes struggles to juggle her responsibilities in the sport. She said that trying to fit in time to practice both blocking balls and shooting balls during games and practice is difficult. On top of this, her role as captain plays a part in her inability to find time to practice shooting.

“Because I’m also a captain, warm-ups before games can be a bit hectic for me,” Kaelin said. “I practice blocking while everyone else is shooting, and I have to meet up with the refs before the game begins, so a lot of the time I don’t get much of a chance to practice shooting before the game begins.”

Regardless, Kaelin is able to play well in the water despite less time practicing. Her goal for this season is to be a player that her team can depend on no matter what position she plays.

“I want to improve in every aspect I can so that I can be someone my team can rely on in both goalie and in my skills as a field player,” Kaelin said. “As a teammate, I wish for a season where we can all bond as friends, to have fun no matter how the game is, to be cohesive, to inspire, and make this season as fun as it can be for everyone.”