Nicolas Lara '24 Recruiting Profile

I learned to swim when I was two years old.  My parents realized that I was drawn to the water when I would jump into any pool the moment they took their eyes off me.  I swam competitively until 7^th grade and then realized that, as much as I loved swimming, I needed the camaraderie and thrill of a team sport played with a ball.  That is why I switched to water polo and everything immediately felt natural.

I have played water polo in a club since the 7^th grade and in high school since 9^th grade.  I was on the varsity team during my sophomore year.  Towards the end of my sophomore year is when I realized that I wanted water polo to be a part of my life forever.  I set my mind to play the sport in college and then move to Europe to play in a professional league.  When I told my parents, they were supportive, but they wanted me to understand that the goals I was setting for myself were very ambitious and would require a lot of sacrifices.  Being a college athlete is a serious commitment to the school I would represent, the coaches I would train under, and the teammates I would play with.  Being my parents from Spain, we decided that I would move to Barcelona to train at a high-performance water polo academy (BIWPA – Barcelona International Water Polo Academy) for my junior year of high school. 

I am currently finishing my junior year, and it has been extremely hard and challenging.  Four days a week, I get up at 6:40 am to be in the pool at 7:45 am.  I train until 10:35 am, then pack and go to school.  I’m at school from 11:20 am until 6:30 pm where I take five classes, two of which are Advanced Placement.  Then, four days a week, I’m back in the pool in the evening from 8 pm until 10:00 pm.  I also compete with the 18U team of Club Natacio Sant Feliu in the Catalan league, one of the strongest leagues in Europe.  I have to do homework, study, do my laundry… my days are fully packed, with only 6-7 hours of sleep.  I have really had to mature and learn how to be disciplined this year.  After all, I moved to Barcelona when I had just turned 16 years old.  I am a teenager boarding overseas, 6,000 miles away from my parents.  During Easter break, my parents came to visit me.  I had just finished my midterm exams and I was exhausted.  They asked me “Is it worth it?  Is this what you want to do?”  The answer:  I’ve never felt better in my life, I am centered, focused, my body is tired, but this is what I want, this is what I need, I have equilibrium.  I want to go back to the States for the senior year and play in college.

I am returning to California where I will attend Foothill HS in Tustin in the 2023-2024 school year and hope to be an important member of their Varsity team.  The high-performance program has focused a lot on individual technique.  My main skills are shot accuracy, speed, blocking and goal scoring and I can play both sides of the perimeter.

I have a lot to offer.  I want to play college water polo.  I will work HARD to support my teammates, make my team successful, and make my coaches and my college proud.