There was a kid in the pool at JSerra on Thursday morning wearing a No. 17 cap and looking as if he could score any time because of a shot that resembles a Nolan Ryan fastball.
When he left the pool and pulled out his bronze medal from the Paris Olympic Games, it became clear who the water polo celebrity was.
Ryder Dodd, who last season was the No. 1 player in high school water polo, returned for a practice session and to show off the medal he won playing for the U.S. national team in Paris. Players were kidding him about his tanned back from lying at the beach. Everyone realized in their presence was an 18-year-old who could become the face of U.S. water polo in the coming years. They gathered for a photo session.
“By the time Ryder is over with his water polo career, he’s going to be tired of cameras,” an assistant coach said.
Dodd was thrilled with his experiences, being the youngest player on a team that went up against the best in the world and came in third, the first time a U.S. team has won a water polo medal in 16 years. And his brother, Chase, was his teammate. The two will be reuniting in the pool for UCLA in a matter of weeks.
“The games were incredible. They were experiences I’ll cherish for a lifetime,” he said.
Dodd was the youngest U.S. player since 1964. Many of the players figure to return for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
JSerra went 30-0 last season with Dodd leading the way. Now coach Brett Ormsby will be looking to adjust to life without Dodd, who is enjoying having a bronze medal in his possession.
“I still like looking at it,” he said. “It makes me proud.”
