It's tough to find a sport that's more physically strenuous than water polo. Consider the dynamics. To play good college polo, you need to be able to swim a hundred-yard freestyle in under 48 seconds; you are likely over 200 pounds and have an arm that flirted once with being a baseball pitcher or quarterback. You have little fat to protect yourself and you exist in a perpetually bruised and damaged state. You're in the pool 4.5 hours a day and in the gym ninety minutes. Then, when you play tournaments, you play three to four games a day for three to four days in a row. Three coaches, thousands of fans, and a few video cameras watch every move you make and you know the coach and his minions will dissect every error you've committed in copious detail.

Sound fun?

And like any NCAA sport, it's a massive time commitment. As much as they like to tell you that you're a student-athlete, you really are expected to prioritize athletics, especially at a Division-I program. At that level, it's basically a full-time job.

It can be a challenge to stay afloat, both inside and outside the pool. But mostly inside. Treading water for over ninety minutes is really hard and your opponents will be tough as nails. Work on your lung capacity. Oh, and don't panic when you go under.