Matthew sharp '18 Recruiting Profile

I have reached regional, state and national levels for various sports (swimming, basketball, shot putt, and water polo) so far during my school career, I am a natural leader, excelling at public speaking - something which many people are scared of, even though I also love computer gaming- so part geek. My parents and all of my extended family are athletic, including my Aunt who was a world class Australian gymnast and my Uncle who still does 70km cycling races at 49 years old. All are tertiary academic graduates. My sister plays Futsal at National League level, went to the Maccabiah Games for soccer in 2013, and is at university in Sydney. 

I started water polo in late 2012 by accident. My school sports teacher thought that, because I was a good swimmer and basketballer, I might be good at water polo. My very first game I scored a goal............ with my head ............. backwards! 

I made 14s TAP camp (State Talented Athlete Program) after only 3 months of playing in club competition in early 2013, the only player from a 'B' team to do so, and the following year was named in the 'Tournament 7' at the State tournament. I made the top state team for my age group, which was the winning team at the East Coast Challenge 2014 ( a national competition involving 5 of the 6 states/territories who are active in water polo in Australia), for which I was also top goal scorer. I have since made the top state team for my age group each year. I have been applauded for being very coachable and a team player, with great offensive and defensive strategies. I was awarded the coveted Lanesman Award in grade 6 (2012) - the highest leadership in sports award in our Primary school and the Junior Sportsman of the Year in middle school (year 9, 2015). 

I was voted House captain and prefect for our middle school in 2015 (year 9) and lettered in 2 sports. That year I had to choose between these 2 favourite sports: basketball and water polo: and decided that I would be more competitive at water polo. This was after I was selected for the Australian team (born- 2000) for water polo, and had the awesome privilege of traveling to Croatia and Serbia for the internationally acclaimed IX Darko Cukic Memorial Water Polo Tournament in August 2015. Selection to the Australian team also meant access to the highest water polo training program in the state (NSWIS Talent Squad). For this and other achievements I received the 'Honours blazer' at school, the highest overall award you can attain at Reddam House, junior and senior. 

2016 was a good year for my waterpolo development; I moved schools mid school-year to balance my sport and academics, and was again selected for the Australian team to play in multiple Trans- Tasman tournaments as well as the 17s School Sports Australia AllSchools State Representative Team for the Australian AllSchools Tournament. I was highest goal scorer in the NSW 16s State Club tournament for the whole competition, was awarded MVP at the Canberra Cup tournament ( an U18s, national- eastern states club, competition), and named in the Tournament 7 at the schoolboys Trans-Tasman Championships. 

2017 is also shaping up well, being undefeated in all school competitions for which I was named MVP for my team. I have been selected to represent Australia at the All Schools tri-nation tournament (with Sth Africa and New Zealand), following initial selection into the State Representative AllSchools water polo Team, and earning 'Colours' ("letters") at school. I was also awarded the GPS badge ("letters") for being a member of the School Senior Swim team, which won the GPS AllSchools competition. At club representative level my teams won 18s and 20s State club competitions, as well as the 18s metropolitan competition and so were ranked the top club in our state for 18s Club Nationals, eventually winning the bronze medal at National level. I was then honoured by Maccabi NSW and named Junior (Jewish) Sportsman of the year (an honour which has in the past been awarded to then-future Olympians such as Steve Solomon and Jessica Fox). I won a bronze medal in Israel in July with the USA junior Maccabiah water polo team for the Maccabiah games and I am on my way to achieving the first of my future goals, with selection again into the Australian born- 2000 team for a European tour in August 2017.

My father was born in the USA, so I am eligible for residency/citizenship. I love sport and would love to make a career out of it in some way.To do this I need balance in my life and a career path.