This month we talk to Bridget Layburn from Westlake Girls, NH U16 player and coach.

Date of Birth 27.6.2001
Goalie/Coach

Westlake Girls High
North Harbour U16 A

Click here to view player profile video.

How long have you been playing water polo?
I’ve been playing since I was in year seven so about five and a half years.

What made you take up the sport?
I was a good swimmer at primary school plus my sisters had played water polo.

What’s the highlight so far of your playing career.
Last year when my U16 girls B team beat the A team in the Auckland league.

What’s the hardest thing about playing water polo?
The hardest thing is finding the motivation to wake up early every morning.  When you have 5 5.30 starts every week it gets really tiring.

What’s your advice to the younger players just starting out?
My advice would be to be to put in the really hard work now because I wish I had pushed myself harder when I was a younger age - maybe I could be even better now.

What do you enjoy most about the sport?
Having a really great community and friendships that you make - most of my best friends are from my water polo team and that’s really great.

Where do you see yourself in five years time in terms of water polo?
I’d like to be at a US college hopefully on a full scholarship.

You’re coaching now - what do you enjoy about that?
I love seeing the players getting to develop from their start, then I see them in a year or two and see them getting better - it makes me really happy, like I have made a difference and improved their water polo career.
In this photo is the U12 team that I coached with Clodagh, they won bronze at the Olympic Hopefuls Tournament.