Tucked away in the corner of a public aquatics center, a team of collegiate athletes toils away in preparation for their next big competition. This group of young men and women, in the midst of daunting class, work and personal schedules, have laid it all aside to toil through blood and sweat in an endeavor […]
Tucked away in the corner of a public aquatics center, a team of collegiate athletes toils away in preparation for their next big competition. This group of young men and women, in the midst of daunting class, work and personal schedules, have laid it all aside to toil through blood and sweat in an endeavor to represent their school to the best of their abilities. To do this, the team has secured the 50-meter pool in the back of the facility for these few hours of the day, despite competition from local high school, adult and youth teams. All around them are the splashes, shouts and overall chaos of kids swimming lessons, adults getting in some exercise, the occasional family enjoying an afternoon out and the din of the waterpark on the other side of the park. But for now, off in the corner of this mania, the 50-meter pool at Splash is the Biola Eagles pool, where they play host to their PacWest rivals.
NCAA DIVISION 2 COMPETITION
Biola University is in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 2. To compete at this level, the NCAA has a very high bar in place for its contestants to hold home events, and top of the line facilities are a key part of these expectations. As Biola has only been a part of the NCAA competition for four years, there are no facilities that meet this criteria for Biola to host home games for water polo on campus.
This program has represented Biola greatly and frequently goes up against top-caliber competition, not only in the region, but nationally. When it comes to facilities, Biola water polo athletes are at a shorthand when held up in comparison to this caliber competition.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE?
Biola’s men’s water polo team endured the toils of the 2024 season with sparse crowds attending their games. However, this is not for lack of love for the team or the athletes, but for lack of practicality and access to the games. The Splash Aquatics Center is on the other side of La Mirada Boulevard. Still, the amount of Biola students who do not frequently leave campus greatly impedes the likelihood of student attendance at home games for this team.
Senior history major Luke Franklin cited this as the main issue when it comes to not having a true home aquatics center.
“We get an okay turnout of fans, but they are the sporadic few who don’t have class close to or overlapping with 1 p.m. (the usual game start time),” Franklin said.
Franklin added that students have more free time in the evenings on school days and that if there were a home campus pool for them to play their games in, turnout would be more impressive as more students would be free and could go to more games.
“The schools that have their own facilities can schedule night games that attract way more student body support that in turn helps the morale of the sports team. I think that other schools maybe don’t have to jump through as many hoops as we do when it comes to getting student supporters to our games because we are at the mercy of Splash.” Franklin said regarding the attendance issue.
This team represents Biola with great honor and competitive spirit, having competed in nationals in the 2023 season and competing at a high level again this season. This is a group that puts their bodies to the utmost test day in and day out, pushing themselves and one another past their limits. They certainly deserve the support and love of their peers and their school. Helping them feel that love and support through a way to play games truly at home is what Biola student-athletes of their caliber deserve. It’s time to bring home-field advantage to our Biola water polo athletes.
