BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Driver Jada Keen (Jr., Kealakekua, Hawaii/Kealakehe) checked in with the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) office regarding the final days of Connecticut College women’s water polo team’s training and sightseeing trip along the northern Italian coastline.
The voyage marked the fourth international trip for Connecticut College water polo programs under the watch of head coach Matt Anderson. The CC men previously went to Italy in 2017 and Germany in 2024, while the women traveled to Spain in 2019.
After 40 hours of air time for the furthest athletes on the team, Connecticut College women’s water polo completed a trip overseas to Recco, Italy. Recco is home to the nation’s most successful water polo team. One morning, after a difficult training session with Italian coaches in a gorgeous outdoor pool, athletes, including myself, walked five minutes from the pool to the beach. My teammates and I were allotted time to window shop as well as explore the rocky shoreline. My teammate Carly Schneider and I enjoyed a seafood spaghetti including clams, scallops, and squid that had to have been caught that very same day. There was a notable difference in temperature between the shade of the ristorante (restaurant) and direct sunlight. Who knew the team would be visiting Italy during a heatwave! After resting on the beach, the team gathered for a light dinner consisting of pasta with red sauce and shredded cheese before our pool match against players we had just played with hours before.
One of my favorite recreational activities from the trip consisted of a 20-mile bike ride along the Italian coastline. Our main guide, Luca, rocked dyed purple hair and a helmet with his own special purple paint he called his “crown.” Although the bike route was comprised of very steep hills, our guides were full of spunk and gave us the energy and encouragement to keep up with them as we biked busy roads in a single-file line. I started in the middle of the pack and made my way to the front. I was able to ask him about his customized helmet. Apparently, he had painted the helmet exactly to match his hair after he had won it in a competitive road race. The post-bike meal consisted of focaccia, a flatbread originating from Genova, Italy.
On one of our last days, the team took a ferry to San Fruttuoso, a small town home to Christ of the Abyss. This statue is over 50 feet underwater and is of Christ looking up towards you from the depths below, his arms outstretched. Our guide Serena, swam us from the beach to an area of the water that was much deeper. She told us to find the statue. I swam ahead and noticed a lighter color in the deep water. I recognized it as the top of Christ’s head. After finding the courage, my teammates attempted to touch the statue. Despite the water pressure, I was able to give Christ a kiss on the head. Later on, a handful of us found a cliff to jump off of and clambered up the rocks and showed the Italians how it’s done.
After another day of exploring the stone streets and back alleys, a sea match, a water polo game played in the open ocean, ensued. We marched down to the water and split into teams. The beachgoers could not help but feel the competitive tension in the air as a small crowd gathered to observe the game. The salinity of the sea made it easier to move in the water; however, it didn’t seem to make the game any easier, as oncoming waves and kelp splashed us. The crowd was tough, as the voices of two Italian boys around the ages of 8 chanted “Boo-S-A! Boo-S-A! I-tal-ia! I-tal-ia!” Despite the difficult playing conditions, the team showed grit against our very experienced rivals and finished the games with strength. Afterward, everyone celebrated the matches with a sunset picnic as we bid farewell to our new Italian friends.
This trip to Italy has been one where I have learned a great deal. Although the USA doesn’t have the same focaccia or salty sea, this adventure will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ve bonded with the team in a way I know will show in our upcoming season! Roll humps!
