This year, the nominees chosen to represent high schools and colleges across Northern Santa Barbara County were a competitive bunch. From wrestlers to golfers, a variety of young athletes vied for the chance to be named an Athlete of the Year by the Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Roundtable.
One of the contenders who stood out for his achievements in the classroom and the pool was Ernest Righetti High School senior Colter Knight. The award he received honored his ability to balance athletic commitments while maintaining exemplary grades.
Colter has played water polo since he was 9. His enjoyment of the sport began at a young age since his father, Rob Knight, is a longtime water polo coach at Righetti.
There, Colter showcased his abilities in the pool during water polo season and the spring swim season. His fast freestyle times helped the swim team while keeping him conditioned for water polo.
However, you won’t find Colter touting his athletic and scholarly successes. When asked about the winning recent award, he remained modest.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” he said. “It felt like my hard work paid off.”
He’s the first to say that there were many other hardworking athletes who also deserved the award, and that he’s honored to have earned the scholarship. Clearly, he isn’t taking this for granted.
His coach, Kyle Shaffer, recognizes the strong work ethic and leadership skills that set Colter apart.
“He works extremely hard, and is extremely competitive,” Shaffer said. “He’s a great kid to have on the team.”
Colter has an enormous amount of respect for his coach, citing the man’s dedication as the reason for much of the team’s success.
“Shaffer puts a ton of time into the program,” Colter said.
A ton of time is what it takes. After many years of playing water polo, Colter understands the amount of effort and practice that goes into being a skilled high school athlete. Despite performing at such a competitive level, he has fun facing each new challenge. Some of his favorite parts of playing water polo include swimming with speed and precision, playing smart, and knowing the game.
As a forward, his knowledge of the game and passing abilities are what make him an accomplished water polo player—and what helped his team reach remarkable heights.
Some of his favorite matches occurred during CIF, when the team competed against some of the best teams in Southern California. The intense duels went into single and double overtime, but Colter and his team held firm. Those are the memories he’ll carry with him as he begins the next chapter of his life.
For Colter, plans after high school include attending the UC Davis honors program in the fall to pursue a major in viticulture. As this Righetti Warrior becomes a Davis Aggie, he’ll surely continue to impress.
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 5, 2014.