10 Characteristics That Every Good Water Polo Player Has

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If you’ve been around water polo long enough, you’ve seen it: two athletes with similar size, speed, and shot… but one player keeps improving and earning trust, while the other stays inconsistent.

The difference usually isn’t talent.

It’s characteristics — the habits and behaviors that show up every day, especially when things get hard.

Below are the 10 characteristics that every good water polo player has, with simple ways to build each one.

1) Discipline

Discipline is doing the basics even when you don’t feel like it.

Good players:

• show up on time

• warm up properly

• repeat the same drill with focus (even when it’s boring)

• do the “small things” consistently

One rule that builds discipline fast:
“I don’t skip warm-up. I don’t skip prep.”

2) They stay healthy by preparing their body for practice

“Stay healthy” doesn’t mean “hope you don’t get hurt.”
It means you prepare your body so it can handle the work.

Good players:

• do band exercises before every practice (shoulder health)

• do dryland/activation so the body is ready to sprint, shoot, wrestle, and take contact

• build strength and stability so practice doesn’t break them

Simple standard:
If you want to train hard, your body must be strong enough to handle hard training.

3) Coachable

Being coachable means you accept feedback as it is, and you apply it.

Good players:

• listen fully

• say “got it”

• try it immediately

• don’t negotiate, argue, or complain

Key mindset:
Your job is to apply what coach says — not to debate it.

4) They don’t complain about anything that happens

Complaining is a sign you’re giving away control.

Good players don’t waste energy on:

• “that’s not fair”

• “why are we doing this”

• “he didn’t pass”

• “the ref is terrible”

• “this practice is pointless”

They focus on:

• what they can control

• what they can fix

• what they can do next

Truth: Complaining makes you weaker. Ownership makes you better.

5) 100% effort in every part of practice and every game

This is 100% effort, not 100% chaos.

Good players bring:

• full focus

• full intensity

• full purpose

…to warm-up, passing, legs, defense, counterattack, shooting, and communication.

They don’t “save energy” during important reps. They train like they want to play.

Rule: If you want to be a good player, there are no “throwaway minutes.”

6) Smart breaks (and smart vacations)

Good players rest smart, not lazy.

During season:

• they use short breaks to breathe, reset, and refocus

During vacations:

• they don’t take more than 7 days completely off

• if they have a 2nd or 3rd week of vacation, they start doing:

  • light shoulder activation

  • light dryland

  • not to “improve” — but to maintain strength and protect the shoulder

Why? Because if you fully shut down for weeks, you’re much more likely to get injured when you jump back into the pool.

Goal: Come back ready — not rusty and breakable.

7) During the game, they only say words of support to teammates

In a game, your teammates are your only “family” in the water — besides your coach.

Good players understand:

• during the game = support only

• constructive feedback can happen before the game, after the game, or after practice

• but not in the middle of competition

During the game they say:

• “you’re good”

• “next play”

• “nice job”

• “I got you”

• “keep going”

Rule: During the game, only words that help the team perform better right now.

8) They never complain to referees

It has basically never happened that an athlete complained and the referee changed the decision.

But it has happened millions of times that an athlete complained, and:

• lost focus

• hurt their team

• and made the referee feel disrespected

When you complain, you’re also making the referee “look bad” — and in that situation, the referee will definitely watch you more closely.

Good players:

• accept the call

• reset immediately

• play the next possession

Simple truth: Your energy is valuable. Don’t waste it on ref arguments. FOCUS!

9) They never underestimate or overestimate opponents

Good players respect everyone and fear no one.

• If they’re winning by far, they still give their best — and they might try new tricks (while still being respectful).

• If they’re losing by far, they don’t slow down — because the way you finish the game is the way you will start the next one.

Good players don’t play based on emotions or the score. They play based on standards.

10) They know what they want

Good players have a clear target:

• “I want to become a starter.”

• “I want to make varsity.”

• “I want to be reliable on defense.”

• “I want my weak-hand passing to become a weapon.”

Because when your WHY gets clear, your HOW gets easy.

Quick exercise:

1. My goal: ______

2. The #1 skill holding me back: ______

3. The weekly habit I’ll do to fix it: ______

That’s how real progress starts.

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