Freshman Hadlee Galley, ‘27, started playing water polo for the first time this summer and has already climbed her way up from JV to Varsity.
By: Reagan King and Charlotte Brown
Hadlee Galley, ‘27, started practicing water polo during this summer and is a new member of the Water Polo Womens Varsity Team.
Galley says, “I started playing because my mom always wanted one of her kids to play and so I decided to try it out and see if I like it and I ended up loving it.” Being on varsity comes with a lot of extra pressure and responsibilities and Galley says, “I never expected to play on varsity but I am super happy to be on the team and play goalie for them.”
“I really enjoy playing on varsity because all the girls are really sweet.” Galley says, “Varsity is a bigger challenge and it has helped me improve so much.”
Galley says, “I never expected to play for varsity, I thought I would be a field player for JV but I am super proud of myself for making it on varsity as a goalie.”
Galley has put in a lot of hard work to be in the position she is in right now. Galley says, “I went to all the summer practices at 6 a.m., then 2 weeks of hell week, and then started practicing hard with JV.”
With now being on varsity, it comes with a lot of changes. She says, “JV is more laid back and it’s not as intense, whereas varsity you work more as a team and have team discussions daily…”
Coach Howell, the varsity assistant coach for the girls water polo team, says, “Hadlee is built to be a goalie and ever since I saw her I knew I wanted her on my team.” Howell says, “As soon as I saw Hadlee on the pool deck I saw how tall she was and I knew right there she would be my 2nd goalie on the team.”
Howell says, “Hadlee has a drive for being goalie and I am so happy for her because being on varsity is a big step.” “Our starting goalie is the lead in a play, so we new she would busy, so we brought Hadlee up for some backup mostly for practices but she’s gotten better and better and now they both share playing time.”
Howell says, “She is made to be a goalie, and when she showed up and started practicing it was clear she had a knack for that position.”
“This is her first year playing water polo so it’s been a straight upward trajectory, she’s worked hard and just gets better and better in practice, so when game time comes, her hard work shows. “
Since Galley is now on varsity, she has to work harder and take practice more seriously so she can continue to play for varsity as the season goes on.
Reagan King
Reagan King is a first year journalist for the Redwood Gigantea and a junior here at Redwood High School. She's interested in writing sports and watching student athletes thrive and work hard. She's always loved watching and playing sports and is on the Redwood softball team. She hopes that when she writes, she can put a smile on peoples faces and tell their story from another perspective.
Charlotte Brown
Charlotte Brown enjoys taking pictures and catching moments in time to create memories. She likes to be on the side lines for sports unless it is soccer then she will enjoy playing on the field. She hopes to be able to keep everyone updated on the sports team and how they are doing.
Tags: #redwood, #rhs, #sports, #water polo