The boys’ varsity water polo team has received three transfer students this year, who have stepped in and immediately contributed to a current undefeated record of 8-0 in the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL). The three transfers — a sophomore, junior and senior -– have surged into the lineup and made a splash. Sophomore goalie William “Yummy” Mills from Saint Ignatius has 10 saves this season, supporting the Giants’ winning streak as an underclassman. Senior Tyler Mahabir, from Point Loma High School in San Diego, has four goals this season and junior Maximilian
Lippiatt, who transferred from Tamalpais High School, has three steals this season. Since transferring can sometimes be difficult, Mills appreciates the team’s connectivity and support of the new arrivals.
“[My favorite part of the team is] the camaraderie. Everybody is connected and we all want each other to succeed, be each other’s best and be there to help each other and back each other up,” Mills said.
Learning to adapt with a new team can be challenging and Mahabir has noticed an adjustment with the coaching at Redwood.
“[With a] new coach, I feel like I have to prove myself instead of just playing for my old coach that trusted me and knew how I played,” Mahabir said.
As a transfer, playing with a new team and coach can be a challenging adjustment.
“As an athlete, it’s like a different system [playing at Redwood]. It’s a different style of coaching,” Lippiatt said.
Mills acknowledges that with the team being interconnected, it’s been a great community for the transfers to join because of the team’s unity both in and out of the water.
(Noah Gersch)
“My favorite moment so far playing for Redwood is definitely the time we spend outside of the pool together. We’re all friends inside and outside of the pool, which makes us better as we play in the pool and connect. [It is great] knowing that every time we show up to practice, we all want to get better as a team,” Mills said.
Pushing each other to do their best is a strong point of the team and helps bring the competitive energy that advances their performance in games. Mills advises transfers like him to be outgoing with new teammates in order to build chemistry out of the pool that translates into real-game scenarios.
“I would say reach out. Go a step further to [meet] people and learn more about them. Try to know as much about them as you can so you can be friends,” Mills said.
