One reason Lamar swimming coach S.R. "Mac" MacDonald introduced water polo when he came to the school two years ago was to spread the mostly suburban sport's base inside the Loop.

Moreover, he wanted the sport to strengthen his swimmers both physically and as team players.

The Redskins have developed a bond with water polo the last two years, so much so that one of the team's recent graduates is starting a club team at her college.

They're quick to defend water polo, too, against anyone who says it's counterproductive for swimmers.

"There are many myths where people say water polo actually slows down your swimming," recent graduate Lorri Marlow said. "But there are plenty of good water polo players who are the best swimmers. Here you swim over the water; it's a totally different way of swimming. You use different muscles. I think it makes you that much better."

Lamar fielded 16-U and 18-U teams Friday for the first day of Jalapeno League competition at its own pool. Other teams were the Bay Area Dorados, Dirty Bay from Baytown, boys teams from Strake Jesuit and girls teams from St. Agnes who played as "Jesuit."

Lamar's 18-U team, whose Jalapeno team is called "HOLA" in reference to the commonly-used statewide abbreviation for Houston Lamar, went 1-1 Friday. The Redskins lost 9-5 to Baytown Sterling and defeated St. Agnes 10-5.

Teams with players ages 14 and younger play Thursdays.

"I've always used water polo with my swimming programs as a means of overcoming that very inherent individual nature of swimming," said MacDonald, who mandates that water polo players must be swimmers. "Even though we have relays and keep team scores, it's still inherently an individual effort. Water polo takes a group of high school kids and allows them to function as a team. That's a very valuable thing in high school athletics. ...

"Plus it makes them more aggressive and gives them an attitude towards things that's very helpful in athletics. Sometimes you have to decide you're gonna be tougher than the next guy."

Water polo turnout was small at first, mostly because of a lack of exposure.

"But once they saw we were serious ... we got a lot more kids out here," MacDonald said. "Out of 80 kids, maybe 50 of them say they want to play water polo."

Marlow plans to help start a team at Swanee College in Tennessee, where she's headed this fall.

"There's not a program there which bothered me but I got in contact with the coach and we're gonna try (to get one started)," Marlow said.

So apparently not everyone buys into stereotypes.

And for as much as the ultimate goal for many teams is improving for UIL swimming competition, the reverse fortunes aren't overlooked.

"Swimming year-round makes you a better water polo player," Lamar senior-to-be Christine Snyder said. "This is about 75 percent swimming; you're going up and back and up and back. You have to be a good swimmer, and I think it's the other way around too. Water polo makes you better for swimming."

Jalapeno League competition continues June 27 at Strake Jesuit and July 11 at Cypress Springs. The tournament is July 14-17 at Strake Jesuit's outdoor pool.

Exactly what is water polo?

A team water game. Teams consist of six field players and one goalkeeper. Water polo was originated in England in the 1870s as an offshoot of rugby and became popular in the United States early in the 20th Century.

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