Finding culture through sports

Summer or verano, is a time for a siesta as students leave school for a few months to enjoy time off. Most students go back home to relax, with the occasional trip for something fun.

Others use it as a time to take summer classes or gain work experience through jobs and internships.

For UCLA’s women water polo players Sarah Orozco and Gisselle Naranjo, the summer of 2011 was an adventure that they would never forget as they continued their season by joining Mexico’s national water polo team.

Beginning in the spring of 2011, both Orozco and Naranjo were recruited by the Mexican National Water Polo team to train and eventually play in the Pan American Games that took place in October of 2011.

Although both girls were born and raised in the United States, they obtained dual citizenship in order to play for the team.

The decision to join the Mexican national team did not come easily though.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” senior attacker Orozco said.

“We had to think whether it was going to be worth putting our lives on hold and leaving school to go train with this team,” junior attacker Naranjo said, echoing her teammate.

The girls’ hesitation quickly wore off as they began to recognize not only what an opportunity this would be for their game but also for themselves.

Both girls had previously played for the U.S. national team at the youth level and have experience with tough competition.

But playing for a country where water polo is not as popular allowed both Orozco and Naranjo the chance to improve their sport and gain a better understanding of Mexican culture.

“We’ve both played for the U.S national team before but this opportunity was different. This was an opportunity to play for a different country and to embrace who we are: Mexican Americans,” Orozco said.

For both Orozco and Naranjo it was clear that they would not just be playing water polo for the Mexican national team, they would also be growing and embracing who they are.

“The opportunity was amazing, and I have never felt so proud of my culture,” Naranjo said.

Training with the Mexican national team and playing in the Pan Am Games also gave them the opportunity to help promote the sport they love in another country.

“I think the team saw something in us and knew that we had things to bring to the table, and if the opportunity comes again, why not join. The level of play is different here (in the United States), and it would be an opportunity to help the team in Mexico make a dent in their level of play,” Orozco said.

The competition and level of play Orozco and Naranjo will face at UCLA is different than the international level.

At the Pan Am Games, the competition was quicker and more aggressive, so the girls had to learn to adapt quickly to that kind of level of play.

By playing in that kind of environment, they not only sharpened their competitive skills in the water but also raised their confidence.

“Our confidence has increased both individually and as players, and that is going to help us and our team here at UCLA. The knowledge and strategy we learned at the national level are skills we can take and use now for the collegiate season,” Naranjo said.

UCLA’s third-year coach Brandon Brooks agreed that the girls’ experience playing for Mexico has helped them to grow as players and will contribute to the growth of their game back at UCLA.

“They played in the Pan American Games, and in preparing for that they got five, almost six, months of really good training and working out twice a day, which will help them out a lot. This experience definitely will pay off and gives them an advantage,” Brooks said.

For Orozco and Naranjo the opportunity to play water polo for the Mexican national team was far more than just getting to play the game they love for a few extra months.

It was an opportunity to help the sport grow in a country where water polo is not a household term.

It was an opportunity to advance their own games and to grow as a player in strength and confidence in order to be a better player back at UCLA.

Both girls agreed that training with the Mexican national team and playing at the Pan Am Games have been the best experiences in their water polo careers.

“So far this is the best water polo experience I have had in my life,” Naranjo said.