Water polo player Emmy De La Pena said that the smell of chlorine is her favorite perfume. A senior goalie for Pioneer Valley High School, De La Pena is embarking on her fourth season of Panther water polo.
“I started playing my freshman year because my sister told me to try it out—even though I couldn’t swim,” De La Pena said. “I just wanted to challenge myself.”
She admitted that the first year was rough. There were plenty of times she wanted to quit, and she never thought she would learn to swim.
“I just kept practicing and putting in the time,” De La Pena said. “It definitely got easier as I kept going.”
And now being in the water is her favorite thing. Entering her senior season, De La Pena shared that she really just wants to have a good time, bond with her teammates, and win some games.
“We have a bunch of new girls this year learning the steps, but I have confidence we can go far and go beyond where we are already,” De La Pena said.
The toughest competition for the Panthers will come from Santa Maria High School—the Panthers tied with the Saints during their first home game, but De La Pena is hoping to lead the team through the season with spirit and a dominating presence at the net. As a goalie, the senior said her role is to get the girls pumped up.
“I want them to know what to do and not do. I try to help them out by being a vocal leader,” De La Pena said.
Being a goalie requires toughness, leg strength, and both mental and physical stamina—all of which De La Pena has demonstrated consistently this season.
“The most challenging thing is being able to stay afloat when you’re getting tired,” De La Pena said. “But we have other girls learning to be goalies, so I have to stay strong for them.”
Her favorite part of being a goalie are the moments when the ball is being shot at her and being able to block it, and then seeing the shocked look on the other person’s face. According to seasoned head water polo coach for Pioneer Torri Burke, De La Pena is averaging 16 saves a game—and it’s still early in the season.
“Last year her record for saves was 22 in one game,” Burke said. “She already has 18 in one game and will definitely beat her record.”
Burke said that the coaches know they can rely on De La Pena in any situation.
“She is an amazing goalie who helps keep the score closer for the team,” Burke said.
Burke shared that what makes De La Pena a stellar goalie is her quick reaction time and ability to make smart, split-second decisions.
“She has a lot of steals by coming out of the cage and you don’t see a lot of goalies doing that,” Burke said. “Emmy performs consistently well each game; the younger girls definitely look up to her.”
De La Pena is not sure if she will pursue water polo in college; volleyball is her main sport, and she is being scouted by several colleges.
“I want to shout out to my sister, Eloisa, who introduced me to the sport, to the seniors who graduated and wanted me to continue what they started, and to my coaches who helped me overcome challenges,” De La Pena said. “With the right mentality you can overcome anything.”
This article appears in Dec 17-24, 2015.