What made you want to coach water polo?
My father was a professional water polo player in Hungary. I grew up in swimming pools. When I was 19, already in Canada, the local water polo club – The Ottawa Titans – became almost extinct. I started coaching kids to make sure that when I was older I would still have water polo in Ottawa. I didn’t know at the time, but I was coaching 11-12 year olds who are now my friends and current teammates. The opportunity to coach Carleton came up seven years ago after I graduated from Carleton. I jumped on it. It’s my dream job and I wish I could do it full time.
What do you personally get out of coaching water polo?
It’s a straight-forward question, but it’s hard to answer it.
For my university job, the school hired me to develop and run a program that is worthy of the name Carleton University. Student athletes are the school’s best ambassadors, and winning teams mean winning schools. I am blessed that for the most part I have been able to put winning teams together.
Why do you love it?
I love coaching in general. It’s very satisfying to see the result of your work both in the short run, within the season, and in the long run, year to year as you develop a program. In my first year we came last in [Ontario University Athletics] (OUA). In my second, we played the championship game and never finished lower than bronze. Two years ago we won Carleton’s first-ever OUA title. I find my coaching job challenging but very satisfying. In addition water polo has been my life since I was six, so I love the sport.
What are some of the challenges the team has faced this year?
Quite a few, more than usual. I lost eight guys to either graduation or dropping out of school, three guys had unexpected eligibility issues and three or four potential recruits – that applied to Carleton – moved to Calgary to train with the Olympic team. In addition, my small roster was hit by various flu symptoms and we had quite a few injuries as well. The fact that the team overcame all of these challenges and managed to qualify for the finals in second place is almost a miracle.
I have to give credit to all the guys on the team who realized they can turn this depressing situation into something positive.
They did just that. So far this is my most memorable year as a coach at Carleton, including the year we won, simply because every win has been like a championship game.
You hold the OUA scoring record with 56 goals in one season. How would it feel to have one of your own players beat that record?
It would never happen. I’d bench that player at 55 goals. Jokes aside, it is a 10-year record and I would be very impressed if anyone broke it. If it does get broken, I do hope that it is one of my players that breaks it.
How does the team inspire you?
By performing over and beyond their potential. It’s usually my job to make believers out of my team. This year they made a believer out of me.