The after school bell rings, signaling the end of another school day. For many, it means spending time with friends before going home. However, Sahil Gosain (12), wearing a water polo jacket and track pants, quickly makes his way to the Singh Aquatic Center to help set up for the next water polo game. He won’t be playing since the first game is junior varsity, but Sahil helps his teammates and coaches in whatever way possible. 

Sahil remembers playing water polo starting sixth grade, but in high school, he grew more and more focused on excelling in the sport both as a leader and as a player, becoming the captain this year. 

“I was proud that I was named captain and that the coaches had faith in me about my leadership abilities. It sort of gave me a little bit more confidence – that I am actually contributing to the team and leading them,” he said.

Daniel Wu (10), a sophomore on varsity water polo, recalled the focus that Sahil brings with him to water polo. He admitted that it is sometimes hard for the team to focus their energy in the right direction when they are playing in a heated matchup, but Sahil leads calmly and always makes sure to emphasize all parts of the process.

“Sahil actually leads warmups during games, and he also guides set-ups, and he’s kind of the leader in practice and warm-up in general … He just keeps us on track and focused all the time. He gives us reminders, like telling us where to shoot,” Daniel said.

While he is not in the water, Sahil brings his leadership and teamwork skills over to a physics competition called USAYPT (United States Association of Young Physicists’ Tournaments), where he is the team lead. 

In the competition, each team is given four problems to solve over the course of a year, where they have to find the best solution possible to each problem. Sahil regards the competition as different from research, since it focuses the problem solver on a particular issue and then requires them to delve deeper. He credits his freshman physics class for opening up the idea of participating in the competition to him, where he can learn through the investigations of potential solutions

“I think it has sort of opened the door to thinking about physics in a new way and learning in a new way,” Sahil said. “I got to practice in a new way [since] I always knew that I learned through my own discovery.”

For Sahil, USAYPT and water polo have complemented each other, as they both require teamwork and initiative in different ways.

Despite Sahil’s hectic schedule, which ranges from academic classes to water polo, he finds time to relax throughout the day. His friend Vishnu Jaisim (12) highlights his approachable personality and his ability to listen well.

“I’m part of this group, and a lot of people there are my really close friends, I’m really close with them … and whenever I see [Sahil] I really try to go talk to him because he is a person that I really vibe with, and he really listens to me,” Vishnu said.

Sahil’s relaxed personality stays with him throughout the day, and he leads calmly in both USAYPT and water polo. However, he makes sure to point out that he also plays by the moment, as he is fired up whenever his team is playing well.

“If we are playing really well, I’m going to get fired up since I know I’m on a roll and gaining momentum, but besides that, my mindset is determined by how I feel going into things,” Sahil said.