Hayley
Wade
Water
polo is in her blood...
Hayley
Wade is such a poolside fixture that it would be easy for a
casual observer to mistake the young Port Moody secondary
student for a veteran coach -- for water polo, swimming and
diving.
Still
just 16 years old, this veteran Coquitlam Shark and Pacific
Storm player has a long-term plan to become a primary school
teacher -- and she'll get a head-start on those plans when she
graduates from Grade 12 this June.
Along
the way she has gathered heaps of experience working with
kids, in addition to excelling as a determined competitor in
the pool, where water polo teammates describe her as
determined, supportive and vivacious.
"In
the summer, I coach [water polo] for Coquitlam Sharks. Usually
I would coach a winter club as well, however this year I have
decided to focus on school," she says. "In the past
I have volunteered with swimming, diving, and water polo for
three years. I also coached for Simon Fraser Aquatics' diving
program for a year. I was my school representative in the
district for a group called the Student Leadership
Committee."
Of
course, with a track record like that, Hayley couldn't stay
away entirely from her favorite sport -- this winter she was
back poolside as an assistant coach with Storm's powerful
bantam development program.
Nor
has water polo been her only sport -- she's also played
basketball and volleyball, and trained as a gymnast.
A
one-time resident of Whitehorse and Yellowknife, Hayley has
been playing water polo for six years, beginning with the
Sharks.
Already
a long-time member of the Sharks, she took up the game because
"I wanted to try something new. I had been diving and
swimming for the Coquitlam Sharks for around five years, and
the club also had water polo, so I decided to try water polo
as well. After one practice, I was hooked and kept coming
back."
"I
don't remember specifically my first game, however I do
remember loving games, and having tonnes of fun at tournaments
and games with my teammates and coaches."
This is her fifth year with Storm, and her third at the elite
level.
She's
already a veteran of national competition, beginning with a
stint three years ago at the Cadet nationals on a 'B' team
comprised of bantams getting their first task of truly elite
competition.
"May
first nationals was in Edmonton, and we went as a bantam team
(to Cadet Nationals) and had a blast, gained lots of amazing,
irreplaceable experience, and got to cheer for and watch the
older girls win nationals," she recalls.
"My
first time winning nationals was this past year in Montreal.
We had had a heartbreaking year at nationals the year before,
which made our team want to win so badly.
I will never forget that game, and the last 30 seconds of the
game. Having our "Killer B`s" team there, and Fraser
Valley there to cheer for us made it even more
memorable."
She
is looking to earn a water polo scholarship to a U.S.
university and despite her young age, win a spot and play on
Canada's national team.
The
sport is in her blood. She loves the "games, tournaments,
winning, spending time with the team, being in such good
physical shape, all the people you meet from all over, all the
amazing experiences we go through together as a team."
Finally,
she believes anybody who tries the game will quickly come to
share her enthusiasm for it.
Contact:
Cheryl Wilson-Stewart
BC Water Polo-PR
Telephone: 604.737.3148
Email: pr@bcwaterpolo.com
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