By Aaron Soliz and Dominic J Larsen, Clarion Staff

John F. Kennedy houses a pool and several aquatic sports teams. One of those teams is water polo. The coach, Mr. Derek Perkins, is in his second year of coaching Kennedy’s men’s and women’s teams. His athletes often praise him, swimmer Joseph Samosa states “Our coach is very good at his job and is always trying to make us the best we can be.”

However, this is the first year of the team’s return after a break last year. Samosa is incredibly ecstatic about joining the water polo team. He is surprised that the team performs as well as it does because many of the members are first time players. Jazmin Flemmer, Clarion photographer and water polo player, enjoys playing on the team and uses it as a way to get used to a new school. Michelle Garcia loves the family dynamic of the team, “[Coach Perkins] loves what he does and that’s why we are such a close team, we are like family.”