The Hidden Gem at Lakes High School
January 20, 2022
The aquatics program at Lakes High School is a buried treasure here at Lakes High School. Athletes have constant fun and develop into hardworking, capable individuals. We have one of the nicest pools in the area, and despite having small turn outs, the coaching staff works hard to construct strong water polo and swim teams. The aquatics program is a welcoming community not only within Lakes, but with other schools as well. I think that a lot of students at Lakes don’t realize how incredible Lakes Aquatics is, and what it could do for them. Half the students don’t even know we have a pool, and it’s right next to the Cafeteria!
Alex Hacker is the head coach for both boys and girls water polo. He originally was an assistant coach from Curtis High School, so he brings a vast amount of water polo knowledge to Lakes. He is a great coach and friend. Coach Hacker would occasionally take the team to food joints which is a great way for athletes to bond and have fun with one another outside of the pool. He would even jump in the pool and show off his collegiate water polo skills. He guided many athletes to participate in a club water polo team called Puget Sound Polo, where many of us became better at water polo and made new friends from other schools.
Madelyn and Mitch Tallon are a married duo that coach the Swim and Dive for both boys and girls. They promote hard work and integrity, which are both great values athletes should learn. The Tallon’s have coached State competitors and a couple of their athletes have broken school records. They allow athletes to volunteer at swim meets to get community service hours which is super convenient. Because they are parents of three, they are used to dealing with immature rug rats which is the entirety of the boy’s swim team.
Coming from personal experience, Water Polo is the most fun I’ve ever had while doing a sport. The competition is fierce but when you have your teammates there along side you it feels like a party. Swim and Dive is also very fun; the training is very demanding but equally fulfilling. I have made many friends within the boy’s and girl’s teams and even people from other schools. That being said, I strongly encourage any students at Lakes to check out the program, it’s a great way to push yourself while also having tons of fun. If you want know more about water polo or swim and dive, go check out our Instagram page @lakes_aquatics.
P.S we even have days called flop Fridays where we’ll purposefully try to out flop one another, so yeah it’s awesome.
