Water Polo is not for the weak of heart, or body. It requires time and devotion that may be too much for even the more dedicated athletes.

However, Tam junior Tristan Maass is up to the challenge. “We used to have morning practices three times a week, about an hour before school started. Luckily with the season starting we have bumped it down to two,” he said.

While Maass has been swimming for a lot of his life he only really started playing water polo in high school. “I swam before high school though MSL (Marin Swim League) for four years before starting at Tam, so fifth grade to 9th,” Maass said.

To Maass, water polo was not only an afterschool activity, but an escape.

Being forced to swim in the years prior, Mass found that he would be able to leave swimming as long as he found another sport. As Maass started playing for the water polo team it became obvious that his swimming years had paid off.

“[Maass] has very good physical talent, he’s tall, he’s strong, a very strong swimmer, one of our fastest swimmers as a matter of fact,” said varsity water polo coach Bob Kustell.

Tristan has become “one of the most improved players” according to coach  Kustell. With Mass and other excellent players on the varsity team, many believe that they have a shot at the title. Not only are there many good players this year, but they work as a team, “Where we used to have one or two guys shoot at the ball,  it’s now really 12 guys, it’s getting there.” Maass said.

Maass usually plays goalie for the team, but Kustell has moved him into the field because of his speed in the pool. Even after he has switched positions, being goalie will always have a special place in his heart.

His  favorite memory on water polo happened while playing that exact position, “I was on JV. After chipping away at a 7-2 SI lead, in the last quarter, we were about to take the lead. I was goalie at the time and I chucked a pass, and it looked like it was going to be too short to be a full shot, so my friend puts his arm up redirect it to the goal. I passed it and he redirected it and it snapped into the back of the goal.  It was a great moment that still sits with me,” Mass said.

He doesn’t just use his swimming skill in sports though, He works as a part time lifeguard at the Tam Pool. “I wake up around five o’clock, and leave my house at around five twenty to get there at five thirty to start work. I go until seven in the morning Monday through Friday, and then on Saturdays, nine to ten.”

Both his job and sport require a lot of his time, leaving little time for his personal life. However, his hard work is greatly appreciated among his peers. Coach Kustell especially appreciated his hard work and sociability. “He is a team leader, one of the most popular guys on the team and all the other players respect him and want to play with him.”