Coach Looks Back on Girls Water Polo Season

After undergoing open heart surgery just three and a half  weeks before the 2011 water polo season started, Enumclaw High School head coach Bob Averill had a choice to make: give up coaching this season or use the daily grind of coaching as inspiration in his rehabilitation process.

Averill chose the latter and rode that decision all the way to receiving the SPSL East Division Coach of the Year award in his first as year the solo head coach of the Enumclaw program.

"It's certainly an honor and nice to be recognized," Averill said.

In helping him through his rehabilitation, Averill credits a good support system that surrounded him when he was making that crucial decision to coach or not. 

"I considered it (not coaching) -- if I was going to be at risk," he said. "It was nice to have the daily interaction with the kids when I was going through rehab."

Averill also added, "Ann Bettencourt helped me out coaching-wise, and she ran things if I needed rest."

The coaching journey for Averill  started with the simplest of intentions -- he wanted his daughter Elise to have the best possible senior season in 2004-05 with the most stable coaching situation possible.

"I was pretty concerned after there had been a lot of coaching turnover," he said. "I went and spoke to the athletic department and then teamed up with Ken Deman  and we got the program rolling."

This spring, Deman decided he wanted to spend more time with his family and now just coaches the boys water polo team with Averill.

The role of coaching can be very challenging and rewarding and Averill has diligently developed a philosophy that has helped him get the most of out of his players.

"I keep kids in if they make a mistake," Averill said. "I try to help them learn from their mistakes and reduce them as the season goes along."

Water polo is not recognized as a WIAA sport, so the Hornets program faces the annual challenge of fundraising to pay for program costs. Averill attributes the success of the program to the support of the Enumclaw community.

"They (the community) have been great," Averill said. "The school is under no obligation to support us, but we get great crowds at matches, and support for paying for the pool use, and officials fees."

The Hornets put together another strong campaign in the pool finishing seventh in the state as part of their sixth consecutive appearance at state in 2011.

Coach Averill talked about the extended run of success, the departing senior class and  the keys to 2012 and beyond for the Enumclaw girls water polo program. "One of the keys to our success is the development of a program with continuity," he said. "We lose a talented  great group of seniors -- four of whom made all-league but every year is new."

On 2012 for the Hornets: "We will look to Hannah Kinniburgh, Annie Birklid along with the Larrea twins, Ali and Katie, for leadership of our younger players."

Enumclaw will also host camps over the summer to get the middle school players and incoming freshmen up to speed on the Hornets water polo way of doing things so the team can hit the ground running in the spring of 2012.

Follow the Enumclaw water polo program here.