Steven Cho: sophomore phenom

Scoring a goal is one of the most rewarding feelings for any athlete. Sophomore Steven Cho experiences that exhilaration more than eight times every game.

As one of the utility players on the team, Cho is best known for his versatility and array of offensive techniques. Cho’s ability to find good scoring opportunities even in tight situations allows him and utilize his accurate shot to the fullest of his abilities.

“I’m the most aggressive at offense and I always try to score,” Cho said. “I just like beating other teams.”

Cho has been playing water polo since about third grade, when his older brother, now 21, picked up the sport as a high school freshman.

“I used to play soccer, but I had asthma so I had to switch to swimming and water polo,” Cho said. “I like it because it’s fast paced and you can do anything you want in the water.”

Cho dedicates 12 to 15 hours during school weeks to water polo. He also plays club water polo at Stanford. Every other week during the high school off season, Cho wakes up at five or six in the morning to drive 65 miles north to Moraga just to compete.

“Water polo is his life,” senior driver Eric Wang, who has been playing with Cho for two years, said. “It’s like his wife, mom, dad and kids put into one.”

While most water polo players complain the most about morning practices, Cho said that the toughest part about being a water polo player was staying in shape aquatically.

“I’m used to waking up early. I think swimming and conditioning are the worst parts, mostly just swim sets,” Cho said. “Being fast in water polo is key.”

His perseverance obviously pays off: As the star scorer of the team, Cho usually makes the vast majority of the goals each game. He averages eight out of the team’s 12 average goals per game.

“He’s a really talented player, has a really accurate shot, and he’s really dedicated to water polo,” junior driver Tyler Tanaka said. “Everyone on the team knows that he loves the sport more than anything, even more than the girls.”

The team is currently 3-2 in leagues, having lost only to Wilcox and Lynbrook. The next big game for the Falcons will be away against Wilcox on Oct. 18. For coverage, see the www.saratogafalcon.org