Senior Arthur Ter-Matevosyan is this year’s varsity water polo captain for Glendale High School, and he was born in California. He joined the team in his freshman year, and it’s his first year being a captain.
Arthur has a sister that was also on the water polo team during her high school years, and that inspired him to pursue the sport as well.
“My older sister was a big influence on me,” Arthur said. “When she came to high school, she was on the team, and I would always go to her games. And I knew everyone on the team, and it seemed like a really fun, strong and physical sport.”
Other than water polo, Arthur also played lacrosse when he was in the seventh grade until he was a sophomore. Eventually, he quit lacrosse so that he could join the water polo team, and he is also a swimmer.
In his free time Arthur loves going out with friends and spending time outside. He enjoys spending time with his brother and playing video games. Arthur has a job as a lifeguard, which kills most of his free time. He is also a member of the year’s ASB, where is currently serving as Senior Class Publicist, so he has a pretty busy school schedule, but he happily manages everything.
The boys water polo practices start with a quick stretch, and after that, they do a freestyle exercise. Then their coach, Mr. Vardanyan, comes and gives them a swim set. Arthur and his teammates have practices every day after school until around 6pm.
A common mistake that Arthur makes when playing water polo is that he gets locked in when he plays, so he does not pay attention to whatever is going on outside of water. “I get zoomed in on the game so much, that when my teammates yell for me to pass the ball, I don’t pay attention to it,” he said. “That is my number one mistake.”
Arthur was really inspired by his captains when he first joined the team. His coaches also noticed how hard-working Arthur was, and that is how they made him a captain.
“You look up to your seniors, and when you are a freshman, it’s hard,” he said. “My coaches saw that I was stepping up, and I was leading stretches without anyone telling me, and they noticed it and made me a captain.”
This year’s boys varsity water polo team had another successful season. They finished with a record of 6-3 in the Pacific League, and they made it into the second round of the CIF Playoffs, ultimately falling to Yucaipa, 11 to 9.
Arthur is currently applying to colleges, and he is interested in possibly studying out of state, as he was recently accepted to Arizona State University. Arthur is not sure if he will continue playing water polo when he graduates from GHS. “Maybe I will continue,” he admitted. “I hope so. It’s my dream.”
Artur’s ultimate goal is to become a psychologist, because he wants to help kids with childhood depression and veterans with PTSD. He wants to help the people that need the most help mentally.
Arthur really enjoys being a captain on the team, and his team is like a family to him. “I consider all of my teammates like my brothers,” he claimed. “I will fight for them and [do] everything for them, and they will do the same for me.”
Water polo has had a huge influence on Arthur, and he suggests that everyone tries it out. “Water polo changed my life for the better,” he said. “I went… from a troubled kid that had no plans, to hanging out with way cooler seniors and juniors. They have always looked after me.”
If you are interested in joining next year’s boys water polo team, please contact Coach Vardanian at [email protected].
