Shouting echoes through the otherwise silent Harker Aquatic Center, water splashing onto the ground from the pool. The intense game livens the atmosphere, and members of the audience yell support for their teams. Suddenly, a high-pitched whistle blows. Immediately, Lachlan Rossi (12) and all the surrounding players swim across the pool. Water sprays across Lachlan’s calm and focused face as he treads the water towards the goal, throwing the ball into it.

Lachlan started swimming in kindergarten. However in sixth grade, Lachlan switched to water polo at the Parkland Middle School club, preferring its competitive yet team-oriented environment to the individual nature of swimming. Now, he builds connections with the other members on his team, hanging out with them outside of water polo as well. He branched out through water polo and fostered new friendships.

“Water polo helps make friends,” Lachlan said. “All my closest friends play water polo for my club’s team and for Harker’s team. It also helped me come out of my shell a little bit. It’s made so many close friendships that I thought I wouldn’t have, especially because I’m more of an introverted person.”

Although the pandemic prevented him from practicing, Lachlan earned his spot as a hole set after returning to in-person school. The hole set, the position closest to the goal, plays the central role in the team. Lachlan now practices six days a week for two and a half hours each day, improving through drills targeting a variety of skills. Persisting through practice and games, Lachlan now plays water polo both competitively and for enjoyment with his school team, finding the friendships he makes worth the dedication.

“It’s a way for me to relax,” Lachlan said. “It’s a way for me to have fun with my friends. But also I want to win. I want to play in college, and I want to improve. So it’s a way for me to do both.”

To close friend Brandon Zau (12), the results of Lachlan’s water polo games are proof of his strong work ethic. He observes how Lachlan puts his all into his interests and admires Lachlan’s willingness to learn from his mistakes.

“He really does work hard at the things that he enjoys,” Brandon said. “He takes [water polo] to his heart and learns from all his mistakes, and it really shows for that because he’s really so good at it. That really just leads into his personality as a whole, and his work ethic really shows.”

Lachlan thrives on the camaraderie he developed with his teammates in water polo, bringing the same spirit to his social circles. Considering himself the comedian of his friend group, he lifts the spirits of those around him with. An important part of him, Lachlan’s humor enhances his friendships and creates a buoyant atmosphere. 

“I’m good at changing the subject of conversation and just lightening the mood,” Lachlan said. “If I see most people are down about something, I feel like I’m the one to bring them back up by making jokes.”

Lachlan’s friends agree that he always brings humor into the conversation, sometimes in unique ways. Jack Ledford (12), a close friend since second grade, appreciates his funny and engaging personality and his ability to turn the most stressful of situations into lighthearted ones with his jokes. 

“He’s unpredictable, but in a good way,” Jack said. “He’ll bring up things that you haven’t thought about in years or make jokes about really obscure things that you both happen to know about. So you really never know what you’re going to get with him. But he always turns [situations] into a positive light or makes some humor out of it.”

Aside from Lachlan’s humor, his determination to improve shines through to others. Although upper school Calculus teacher Caren Furtado saw him as quiet in the beginning of the year, she started to learn more about him throughout the year. She commends his ability to set goals for himself and achieve them.

“I really think that his level of confidence is pretty unique,” Furtado said. “To just understand your strengths, to know what you can and cannot do, and then pursue things in that realm. A lot of students are always chasing ideas where they feel like, ‘If I do more of this, I’ll get better at it.’ Lachlan is somebody who says, ‘I’m going to play to my strengths’, and that is a very mature choice.”

Lachlan balances discipline and serious dedication to water polo with his more humorous side, his enthusiasm extending toward his social and academic life. He uses water polo to become a better listener and to stay in shape, determined to improve himself by setting and achieving goals.

“Water polo helped me shape who I am today because at first it helped me open up socially,” Lachlan said. “I’m a little bit more introverted, so it helped me make friends really easily. Also, water polo helped me with several things outside of that as well. It helped me become a better listener, helped me stay in shape, helped me set and achieve goals.”