SDCEA Lifeguards are Back in the Water for Bulldog Water Polo

RHS students and SDCE residents Aeson Buckley, 15, Mark Gilliland, 15, John Gilliland, 17, Greg Richardson, 15, and Ramona resident Henry Pepich, 16, were all lifeguards for the San Diego Country Estates over the summer and are on the RHS Water Polo Team, playing in Division 2.

“We started lifeguarding June 9 to now,” says Aeson. His mom, Jenna Buckley, says, “It was a great first job and a great job for a water polo player.” As a lifeguard, they learn customer service skills by keeping people at the pool safe and enforcing rules. The boys are well-liked by the community and are role models for the younger kids. Aeson plans to lifeguard next summer at the San Diego Country Estates pool. He says he loves to swim and likes to be in the water more than on land.

The RHS Water polo season started in August and runs through November, with daily 2.5-hour practice Monday through Saturday. “They work really hard,” says Jenna. The boys go to school from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm and are in the pool from 4 to 6:30 pm. Water Polo is fast-paced, with six players on each team and a goalie, similar to football or soccer. Players have to tread water for seven minutes at a time and can only touch the ball with one hand. Aeson says they use their bodies to move, score, and defend, which conditions their bodies and teaches teamwork. Jenna, says that when people come and watch the games, they are amazed by the game’s complexity and how physical it is.

Water polo was dubbed the toughest sport in the world by a 2016 Bleacher Report based upon six parameters of strength, endurance, speed, agility, skill, and physicality. Aeson says there is a higher chance of obtaining a scholarship through water polo.

The sport doesn’t get as much attention as other high-intensity sports like football, basketball, and baseball, but it is gaining popularity. The USA Men’s Water Polo team won a bronze medal in this summer’s Paris Olympics. Three of the players on the Olympic team were from San Diego. Each July, USA Water Polo hosts the Junior Olympics, the largest youth water polo tournament in the U.S., where the best teams in the country battle for the gold medal. This summer, two Ramona Bulldog players participated in the national tournament with their club teams: Brady Bailey (senior) on 18U with Del Mar Water Polo Club and Aeson Buckley (sophomore) on 16U with Poway Valley Water Polo Club.

“We hope it excites some kids in the community to learn more about it and consider checking it out next summer,” says Jenna. She wants to get the word out and introduce the sport to Ramona because it’s not very well-known. RHS Water Polo has a varsity and junior varsity team with a total of 18 kids led by three coaches. It’s a summer/fall sport and a good option for our climate.

People looking for more information or who want to follow the boys' progress this season can find them on Facebook at Ramona Boys Water Polo and Instagram: @ramonaboyswaterpolo.

The next home game is Tuesday, Oct. 8, against Fallbrook High School, and the team would love to see some new fans.

Photos courtesy of the players. The name on each photo is the swimmer with the ball.