Photo by Sarah Malone
Senior Danny White is ready to take water polo to the next level. It was not an easy choice for White to make the decision to redshirt his senior year and stay at Pepperdine a fifth year to play water polo, but he is glad for the opportunity to make the best of his last year here, especially under the tutelage of two coaches who were Olympians.
“The only thing that hurts is that I didn’t get to play my last year with the guys I came in with,” White said.
White is one of the three captains on the water polo team together with Seniors Bence Valics and Mike Tragitt. White was chosen by coaches Terry Schroeder and Merrill Moses for his leadership in and out of the pool and his time and experience with the team. It’s a privilege, but the job comes with its own pressures to always maintain a positive attitude.
The Waves are 3-3 for the season in non-conference play with their next game against UCLA this Friday, and they have hopes of bringing home a national championship this year.
“If we work as hard as we have and play to the best of our ability, we can compete with anyone in the country,” White said.
White has dreamed of playing on the national team and being an Olympian since he fell in love with the sport of water polo his freshman year in high school.
He has played on the Cadet Junior National Team and the Junior National team, and has had the opportunity to train with the Senior National team under Schroeder. White has also had the opportunity to travel and play polo as far as the Dominican Republic and has won two Pan-American gold medals and participated as a Junior Olympic All-American.
“He’s a very talented player who shows great leadership … he has great offensive shots, and great defensive skills as well. I think if he works really hard he could take it to the next level and play for the national team,” Moses said.
White also mentions his family as an inspiration for getting this far and encouraging him to get to where he is now. The life of an athlete — balancing rigorous practice times, game schedules, classwork and other pressures is no mean feat, and White describes his lowest moment in his sophomore year when he seriously considered giving up polo to just be a “normal kid.” He was encouraged by his coach and his mother (who has never missed a game), as well as the support of his extended family. Having a tight-knit family behind him makes White all the more appreciative of familial ties, and he describes his team as a brotherhood.
“He’s a great captain who pushes us to be better in the water … he’s very vocal in the game which gives us direction …[he’s] very approachable; I can talk to him about everything, and he has everybody’s back, especially in the game when things get heated,” said Sophomore Nick Candau.
“Pepperdine was different from all the other schools because I wouldn’t have had the chance to create such tight-knit relationships,” White said.
Coming from his experience of five years in Malibu, White’s advice is to appreciate the small things because everything can go by so fast, which leads into his life-philosophy of seizing every opportunity.
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As published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Pepperdine Graphic.
