You never have to look too far to figure out what sport people play. Whether it is the clothes they wear, the rituals they partake in, or the scars and tans they hold as a result of their physical poison of choice, all athletes carry with them an intangible badge of pride. University of California Los Angeles basketball coach John Wooden once said that “Sports do not build character, they reveal it.” When Haley Conner (‘11), the starting driver of the Palo Alto High School water polo team, first leapt into a pool just under four years ago, she could not have known that the world of water polo would reveal her athletic excellence, determination, and abilities to both lead and succeed. From these humble beginnings, her aquatic home would unlock her talent and take her to the top level of high school athletics. Even without the crazy game-day outfits, and the trademark water polo walk that never seems compatible with dry land, the aura that radiates from Conner hits you like a blast of chlorinated water or one of her own powerful shots. It is a testament to the fact that, with a person so innately adapted to her sport, Paly’s rivals better watch out this coming fall.

As a co-captain of the varsity team along with Anna Glaves (‘11), Conner leads the cannonball of spirit and determination that defines Paly girls water polo. Together, Glaves and Conner captain a team of eight seniors and a wealth of junior talent that looks set to take a serious shot at the Central Coast Section (CCS) title.

“The team has worked very hard over the last year: playing winter polo, swim team, double practices over the summer and playing summer club polo,” varsity coach Cory Olcott said. “They certainly have put in the work it takes to go far.”

This season, Conner looks set to lead the team both in spirit and attacking power. But this status has an impressive, and remarkably short-term history behind it.

An unusual phenomenon in a school where many athletes hit their respective fields at early ages, Conner’s jump from land mammal to amphibious water polo star took less than two years. In the winter of her eighth grade, due to external pressure from her water polo playing brother, Will Conner (‘14), she hopped in the pool for the first time as a driver for Stanford Water Polo Club, who she plays for to this day.

“Haley started playing water polo because she couldn’t let me be better at a sport,” Will said. “We’ve been competing since that day.”

Previous to this transition, Haley played a number of other sports including basketball and soccer, all of which she says helped her with water polo due to the athletic discipline and skills she learned.

But her union with water polo was not love at first sight – or rather, whatever love she held was not returned.

“It was scary at first,” Conner said. “I was smaller than the other players, slower than the other players, and I didn’t know anybody.”

During freshmen year, the junior varsity underling of a senior dominated powerhouse varsity team, she struggled to make a name for herself, and spent most of the season on the junior varsity bench. At one point, she was even told that due to her small size and lack of speed in the pool, she would never achieve varsity status.

“This [size disadvantage] made me determined and I worked really hard over the summer,” Conner explained. “I think that summer of work shaped the water polo player I am today. Im definitely driven by peoples’ doubts.”

Through summer training on the Stanford team, she achieved her goal. Conner was one of three sophomores pulled up to a team that had lost its dominant seniors, and helped in a difficult process of rebuilding their name.

“All three sophomores [Conner, Rachel Harrus (‘11) and Sabrina Lee (‘11)] demonstrated a good understanding of the game when they got pulled up,” Olcott said. “They were also not afraid to shoot, even as underclassmen.”

Over the next two years, Conner emerged as a leader for a young team that finally, beginning this year, has re-established itself as a team of veteran and highly trained players.

Haley Conner is a powerful weapon for the team, but as a captain, she is far more than just a person to pass to.

“She’s a great captain,” teammate Sam Banks (‘11) said. “She really helps motivate people in and out of the water.”

The respect she has earned from her fellow players proved itself when they elected her and Glaves as captains last water polo season.

“Haley’s greatest asset is probably her attitude,” Olcott remarked. “Even as as sophomore she approached the sport in such a positive and mature manner.”

He also commends her ability to stay calm in the face of adversity, a key characteristic in any leader and in any sport.

“In tough games, Haley maintains her poise and keeps the team’s spirits up.” Olcott said. Through the leadership of her and Glaves, the girls’ water polo team has become a symbol of team unity and spirit.
“We’re all friends in and out of the pool,” Conner said. “This gives us great team chemistry.”

The numerous dress up days, team activities, and exclusive “wopo” activities all reflect the nature of their team.

“They genuinely love being together,” Olcott said. “In 10 years we may not remember the score of the Gatos game, but we will never forget Paige Devine (‘11) doing the waka-waka dance.”

Conner’s natural leadership and her incredible dedication to the sport throughout her high school career have taken her to the height of her game and this past summer brought her into the big leagues.

“Haley’s attitude has really enabled her to maximize her potential,” Olcott, who also coaches her Stanford club team, said. “These last two years her game has continued to develop, and she now plays at the highest level.”

Playing under her Paly coach, Haley stepped up to the Stanford 18A’s team, joining some of the best players in the country.

“By the end of the summer she was really asserting herself in games, dictating the play rather than merely acting as a role player.”

Her presence in the pool was even noticed by Stanford-bound national team player Kaitlyn Lo, who told Olcott how lucky he was to have a player like Haley on his team, one that never backs down and strives to make her teammates better.

But the water polo life Conner leads goes beyond the Paly and Stanford campus. It invades her social life, her style and her family. With two water polo players, four teams and a never-ending stream of team events and games, it is not surprising the Conner’s are used to the scent of chlorine and the feel of soaked bleachers. In general, the Conner family household thrives on water polo.

“We never compete over water polo because everyone knows I’m better,” Will, who now plays for the boys varsity team, said. “Just kidding, yeah there is competition. But Haley is definitely somebody I look up to.”

The Conner elders may have some cross-country water polo viewing to do when Conner continues on to college next fall.

“I definitely want to keep playing in college,” Conner says. “[Water polo] is my life.”

Eight of the nine schools that Conner is visiting and plans to apply to have water polo teams, and despite a lack of recruiting activity for college water polo, we can expect to see her in the pool next year.

Haley Conner has played basketball and soccer. She swims and studies, and hangs out with her friends. But when you look at her, you don’t see any of these things. You see a ball hitting the back of the cage. You see a four year, waterlogged success story that embodies athletic determination and spirit. You see a 16 year old girl dressed as a cat burglar on a regular school day. Haley Conner is a water polo player, and that’s one thing you can figure out pretty quickly.