Monrovia Water Polo is all about teamwork

-Courtesy photo

By SHEL SEGAL
Performing well in the pool for the Monrovia High boys’ water polo team the past three seasons has been Jacob Miravet. And as he’s been playing the two-meter this season, Miravet said it’s all about just getting better.
“It’s been going well,” said Miravet, a junior. “The team has improved immensely. And that’s how we all improve. One person improves so we all improve together. As they get better I get better, as well.”
While he didn’t play water polo as a young kid he said his family’s history got him into the pool to play.
“My cousins and my family had a background in water polo,” he said. “I’ve always loved the water. Freshman year I decided to do it and it worked.”
And it’s not just water polo. Miravet said he is also a competitive swimmer.
“I do a lot of swimming,” said Miravet, 16. “I love swimming. I swim year-round. I do weight lifting with a lot more reps than weight. I run. I do a lot of light work in the water. I do a lot of shooting and a lot of technique.”
One of his strongest events, he said, is the 500 free as he has a 5.31. He added he can do better in that event.
“I can improve it by personal motivation, working harder and not cheating myself and going one more step than what my coach gives me,” Miravet said.
Lev Bates, the water polo coach at Monrovia, said Miravet is performing very well for the team.
“Jacob’s my two-meter my for this year and also my two-meter man for next year,” Bates said of Miravet. “It’s like the center in basketball. He’s the person in front of the goal. He’s stepped up. He’s done a lot of two-meter training this year. He’s gotten better at it.”
Bates added Miravet is just a nice kid to have around.
“He’s a good kid,” Bates said. “He’s balanced, both educationally and in the water.”
Miravet also had words of praise for Bates.
“He’s taught me discipline, maturity,” Miravet said of Bates. “He definitely pushes me every day and gets me to work my hardest.”
And, interestingly enough, Miravet said he credits much of his success to Monrovia goalie Joshua Ocampo.
“I have one of the best goalies in the league,” Miravet said. “He’s my rock. I know when the other team has a fast break that he’ll block it. I’ll swim down with him, but I know my goalie has it. He’s my foundation.”
(Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews.com. Follow him via Twitter @segallanded.)

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