Water Polo (Girls)

In just its second year, the Deerfield girls’ water polo team won the New England Championship. They have returned to the finals three times since 1998, finishing second in 2003, 2010, and 2012. Their success, regardless of the place finish in the New England tournament, is the result of the dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship that characterize all Deerfield teams.

Intrigued by the challenge of mastering a physically and mentally challenging sport, a majority of Deerfield players come to the game as beginners and take great pride in learning new skills, teaching younger players, and vying for a spot in the New England Final Four. The regular season blends single games and tri-meets, where team depth makes a difference in the back-to-back contests. To develop that necessary depth, we rely on bench players and assure that our youngest players compete in every game.

Deerfield players have competed on NCAA Division I, Division III, and club teams on both coasts. Over the last ten years, the girls have enjoyed summer training sessions with Bruce Wigo, the former executive director of US Water Polo, Kyle Utsumi, an assistant coach with the women’s national team and former coach at Menlo School in Atherton, CA, and Sean Nolan, a former Olympic team goalie and now assistant coach at the University of California-Berkeley.

Mark Scandling coaches girls’ water polo. For more information, please contact him at mscandling@deerfield.edu.

Varsity

Varsity

Managers:  Oscar Miao '13 and Sloan Damon '13

* denotes captain

Mark Scandling (Head Coach)

A former journalist, Mark came to Deerfield in 1987 after starting his teaching career at The Charlotte Country Day School. He has taught English at each grade level, directed plays, and worked at the KIPP STEP summer sessions. He also taught for two summers in New York for Prep for Prep.  Mark has led the girls’ polo team since 1997, their inaugural season. The girls captured the New England Prep School Championship just one year later. In 2003, 2010, and 2012, they finished second. Several of Mark's players have competed at the college level, including a four-time All American on Princeton's women's team. He also coaches the boys' team, which won the 2007 2008, 2010 and 2011 New England titles. Three former players are currently competing in Division I polo programs.  As a wrestling coach for twenty-five years, Mark, a four-year Division I wrestler at Davidson College, has enjoyed working with New England champions and beginners.

Send email to Mark Scandling (mscandling@deerfield.edu)