Aru Venugopalan ’24 | Jack Riley ’24
Co-captain of the water polo team, Alec Tsaturyan ‘23 supports his teammates and coaches through his passion, leadership, skill, and ability to light up the team atmosphere at any given moment. As a water polo player, Tsaturyan has thrived, playing on Varsity since his freshman year. He was also given a chance to go to Montenegro for a water polo training trip prior to his freshman year. He earned a spot on the all Inter-AC team his junior year and has been an academic all-American since his sophomore year.
Tsaturyan’s teammates and coaches alike distinguish his selfless leadership and attitude as a player. Harrison Shaud ‘23, another co-captain of the team, notes Tsaturyan’s keen ability to cohere the team around his leadership, explaining that “Alec is a great leader and brings the team together on and off the pool deck, he always keeps the mood up during the challenging times of the season. He also always gives his feedback to the younger teammates, and he always pushes us to be the best version of ourselves.”
Photo courtesy of Katherine Azar Photograph
Praising Tsaturyan’s energy and leadership, Shawn Wang ‘23, the third co-captain of the water polo team, says, “Alec is someone who I think everyone should aspire to be. His energy is infectious both in and out of the pool. Whether it’s in the classroom or in the pool, Alec pushes those around him to be better.”
Head Coach of the Boys’ Water Polo Team, Max Kelly agrees, adding, “Alec is one of the hardest workers in the pool, especially when getting everyone fired up. He is incredibly strong in his position as a center and driver. He is a great leader to get everyone involved and fired up. Alec is committed to the sport and moreover his team. It speaks volumes about his character. He wants to make sure that everyone is doing what they are supposed to, and that they are doing it properly.”
Tsaturyan’s teammates characterize him as an essential part of the team. Shaud says, “In the pool he is our best and most experienced player, and he always puts in maximum effort during practice and games. He leads by example and is a crucial part of our success in both offense and defense.” Wang also notes, “Alec’s impact in the pool is beyond scoring goals or playing lockdown defense. He makes his teammates work harder and give it their all. I’m glad I have someone like Alec as a co-captain.”
Shaud’s favorite memory with Tsaturyan is during one of their wins against Loyola Blakefield in the annual Philmore Cup Tournament. He remembers, “Loyola was a tough team, and they quickly went up by 4 goals. Alec went on a run and brought us back in the game. He scored the go-ahead goal with less than a minute left and we ended up winning by 2. Alec scored a total of nine goals and was undoubtedly the best player in the pool that day. But, when we got out he made sure to let his teammates know how well they all played. That act really represents how Alec is as both a teammate and a person.”
Wang’s favorite memory of Tsaturyan demonstrates Tsaturyan’s ability to light up the team’s mood, even if accidental. He says, “In freshman year, when Coach Kelly was trying to explain our offense, Alec confidently shouted to the team that we were running a ‘M4 Offensive’ system. Unbeknownst to him, M4 was actually a defense tactic, and to this day, we have a running joke about Alec’s favorite play.”
Some of Tsaturyan’s favorite memories from his time playing on the upper school water polo team are the long bus rides back from tournaments as well as the victory over Haverford at home during senior day, his junior year, securing the Inter-AC title. According to Tsaturyan, “the highlight of the game was at the very end, watching happy tears roll down Mr. Kelly’s face. It was the first time in five years that the EA team beat Haverford, so the whole team was overjoyed to finally overcome them in the pool.”
Tsaturyan hopes to continue his water polo career at the collegiate level. Coach Kelly is optimistic for Tsaturyan’s future, “He certainly can play in college. He is for sure an outstanding prospect as a water polo player. He is strong, and he is young. He can help any team through a defensive point of view, as that is his strong suit. As he gets older, his offensive skills will progress even further, and that will make Alec an even bigger threat than he already is.”