CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The 2022 Senior Perspectives is the 17th in a series of annual collections by Harvard University. Senior captains and representatives of teams at Harvard have been invited to contribute viewpoints based on personal experience from both their senior seasons and full varsity careers at Harvard.
Inde Halligan
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
Concentration: Government
House Affiliation: Mather
When I began my journey with Harvard women’s water polo in 2018, I would never have guessed where the sport would take me. Through incredible highs and lows, there has always been the same team, coaches and staff standing beside me. The sense of community or “family” that makes up Harvard water polo is incredibly unique and, equally, incredibly difficult to articulate. To those who have made up Harvard water polo, I am beyond grateful.
One of my favorite memories was in spring 2019 when our team traveled to Sydney, Australia to train for preseason. Not only did I get to show the team my “stomping-grounds”, but they were able to experience the style of water polo that I had grown up playing. I remember playing my old club team and my teammates talking about how aggressive and physical the team was after the game. ~ Tensions were riled ~. On the other hand, I was smiling ear-to-ear thinking ‘gosh that was a great fast-paced game’. I distinctly remember a teammate saying “Well, now I know why you play like you do!”. It was a funny comment that was made, but it was also a learning experience. The team had to adapt to a new style of game and new refs. It was refreshing, new and, above all, exciting to watch your team transform in a matter of weeks. It was an invaluable experience for our team as we moved forward into our seasons showcasing adaptability and flexibility.
Unfortunately, there were some interruptions of my seasons along the way. Combining the impact of the pandemic on our sport and medically red-shirting my first-year meant spring 2022 (my senior year) was the first, and only, season I managed to complete in full. Boy, was it a season to remember.
In my senior year, the team gelled in a way that I have yet to find consistently in any other teams or sport. Some will say it was the angst of missing seasons due to the pandemic. Some will say it’s because the team has an incredible work ethic. This team was more than that. It was magnetic. It was impossible not to be drawn in by the love in this team. My captain, Grace Thawley, said it best when she said, “These have been the easiest 6 a.m. practices I’ve ever had to wake up for”. The girls didn’t just buy into our sport; we bought into each other which created a type of in-water dynamic that can’t be taught. For much of my water polo career, including playing for Australian Youth Teams, I knew I liked water polo, but I had never related to the feeling when people described the sport as their life. This changed in spring 2022- the team showed me the type of untapped joy I was missing. I can’t count the moments where I thought “This is it; this is why I love sports”. Moments that were nothing short of electric; moments that others will never be able to take away from you. The unique connection of our team didn’t just pay off socially and emotionally, but also in terms of results. 2022 was the first year Harvard women’s water polo competed in our conference championship game. We made Harvard water polo history. We did that! I have no doubt the team will continue to do so after I’m gone.
I have so much gratitude for Harvard Athletics, for the community that has supported me, for my fellow athletes that are always pushing the boundaries of excellence, for the rock-solid coaching staff that stood by me in every way and for my team that helped me re-discover the joy of water polo. These are experiences that will stay with me long after my time at Harvard.
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