By Theo Vuong, Staff Writer
Imagine staring down an immovable object, barring entrance to some location or fortifying whatever lies behind it. Every attempt to thwart or sneak around it fails. Simply put, nothing will ever get past it. This description could easily be applied to numerous things: a fallen tree, a large boulder, or even a mountain. But this description also fits senior Jake Huynen, the Boys Varsity Water Polo goalie.
Huynen started playing water polo at a very young age. While he experimented with other sports, he eventually found his home in the deep end of the pool.
“Water polo was just the most fun for me. I definitely have fun playing other sports, but polo is where I’m the most serious,” said Huynen.
He started training seriously in the later years of elementary school, as he joinedthe Riptide club team. While practicing amongst other talented and dedicated individuals, Huynen discovered his natural talent as a defensive player.
“I think I tried just about every position there was. I liked scoring, but something about the goal was just cooler to me.”
Upon arriving in Fountain Valley High School (FVHS), Huynen quickly established himself as a strong player and earned a spot playing with older players on the Varsity team, impressing teammates and coaches alike.
“I got into the goal during tryouts and blocked everything no problem. In water polo there’s usually a lot of seniors showing their dominance and stuff and I did get a lot of that. On the other hand, because I knew how to play and I knew how to defend, I also gained their respect.” said Huynen
Having Huynen on the team has created a strong foundation that has withheld many challenges. Over the years and throughout multiple games, Huynen’s current teammates have also come to love the immovable wall that is their goalie.
Senior teammate Kyle Graham said, “I play a lot of offense, so I don’t really get to be around [Huynen] that much. I’m usually on the other side of the pool doing my own thing. That being said, I can still feel his presence. I don’t even have to look to know that he’s doing well. I just hear the gasps and cheers from the crowd and I know that [Huynen] just did something amazing.”
Now, with his final high school season behind him, Huynen shows no sign of stopping his growth. For his athleticism and superior water polo ability, he has received a scholarship to play water polo for the University of California, Irvine (UCI).
“I’m pretty stoked to go. Not only is it a pretty good school, but it basically means that I still get to play water polo. I still get to do what I like,” he said.
Huynen definitely fits the stereotype of someone who would be able to tread water for hours on end and be able to simultaneously block water polo balls coming directly at him. He towers over his fellow students and could probably crush a watermelon using his legs. With that in mind, Huynen knows excelling at anything does not come easy.
“Yeah, I am a little taller and bigger than everyone else. I still work hard though. I don’t want to slack off. Besides, when I’m in the water, it doesn’t even feel like doing work. It’s just plain fun.”
Yeah, but if that steering wheel cover is sold in California, the manufacturer may be required to put that warning on the product. They aren’t gonna create different packaging for different states in most cases.