Water polo: Azevedo clinic at Conant puts focus on the future

These days, Tony Azevedo is spending a lot of his time considering the future of water polo.

With that in mind, the most decorated men's player in U.S. history visited Conant High School in Hoffman Estates on Sunday with two main ideas.

Foremost, it was an opportunity to share his passion for the game with a group of mostly 16-and-under players in a four-hour, hands-on teaching clinic.

But Azevedo also revealed he'd like to be involved in the creation of a U.S. professional league for the sport.

He knows plenty about playing professionally, having done so for clubs in Croatia, Italy, Montenegro and Brazil.

"It's great that those opportunities exist," he told the young players, "but we'd like to have a professional league here in the U.S., and we'd want Chicago to be a part of that."

Continuing to grow the sport in places like Hoffman Estates would be central to any future pro league's success in the midwest. So getting more people involved in the sport here - as opposed to places like his native California, where it's long thrived - serves two purposes.

The event featured a mix of established boys and girls players, along with some very new to the sport.

At one extreme was 7-year old Emmett Mortensen, and at the other was Carmen Rosas, a Conant grad who just wrapped her sophomore year as a player and student Brown University.

While Mortensen did well to keep his head above water, Rosas actually helped instruct the clinic. In between them were players of all ability and experience ranges, from a wide range of schools - mostly in the Northwest suburbs, but also from Naperville and Chicago.

Lending a hand in instructing the clinic as Tony's father, Ricardo Azevedo. He's a legend in his own right, having assisted the U.S. National Team and won NCAA championships while coaching Long Beach State. More recently, Ricardo Azevedo was head coach for the Chinese women's national team.

Also directing drills during the clinic was Conant varsity boys water polo coach Tim Daniel, who helped arrange the event.

Daniel is the coach of the Midwest Team in USA Water Polo's Olympic Development Program, as well as the Youth Team Manager for the organization. So he knew Azevedo, 36, was on the verge of retiring as a player, and also that the highest-scoring player in Olympic history had an interest in running clinics geared toward younger players, along with an opportunity to make them happen.

Tony's wife, Sarah, is from the Chicago area, and it became clear that he'd regularly be in the area to visit family following his retirement as a player.

Daniel sees clinics like the one Azevedo ran at Conant as central to water polo's development in the Midwest.

"This is crucial to growth of the sport in this area," Daniel said. "The Northwest suburbs are not yet thought of as a water polo powerhouse. When I ask athletes to name Olympic players or name their role models in the sport, they don't have an answer. But now, in this area, every player had the chance to meet and interact with one of the best, and make a connection."

The main message from Azevedo was universal, and it involved the importance of hard work. He said he knew in the eighth grade that he wanted to be an Olympian, and it was helpful that his father could explain, without mincing words, what achieving that goal would entail.

"When I told my dad that I wanted to represent my country in the Olympics, he was honest - he said, 'Well, you're short and you're fat. You can do it - but it's going to take a lot of work.' "

So Azevedo encouraged young players to have big ambitions, but to prioritize and work on challenges that are more immediate.

"It's great to have big goals - everyone should have them," Azevedo said. "But have little goals, too. For me, it was being a starter on my high school team as freshman."

That worked out well for Azevedo, who ended up leading Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, Calif., to four straight state championships.

Next was a standout collegiate career at Stanford, which included two NCAA championships.

Azevedo has been a fixture on the national team for about 15 years now, with his to achievement a silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Games. He also captained the U.S. team in the 2012 London Games.

Fair to say, those little steps led some mighty big achievements.

Coming on the heels of an Illinois high school state tournament that featured Stevenson winning both the boys and girls titles in overtime games, the timing was great for a visit from an Olympic legend.

Daniel, whose runs Northwest Chicago Water Polo Club with Palatine boys coach Joe Grzybek and Fremd coach Brian Newby, hopes the Azevedo clinic helps give polo a healthy shot in the arm. As one measure of its success, the event was booked to capacity well in advance.

"Every great athlete in their sport talks about a role model they looked up to, tried to imitate and copy," said Daniel, who was appreciative of the pool time made available for the event by Dist. 211. "Now, hopefully water polo players in our community have that as well.

"In addition, coaches from the area were able to attend and receive professional development from an Olympic coach. Hopefully the Northwest suburbs become a powerhouse - much like Fenwick, Naperville or Stevenson. Water polo is growing here, and the fact that we are able to attract an event like this is very exciting."