I spent the day at my daughter's waterpolo tournament, and want to
acknowledge and appreciate all those who make high school athletics
possible, from the coach to the volunteers to the parents and others.

Here, my daughter (in the dark cap) mixes it up with a couple of girls
from another team. She is learning so much about playing with heart,
the meaning and lessons of competition, and yes, as the cliche goes,
the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Today she had the privilege of playing in the first ever water polo
game at a new facility at Coronado High School, a stunningly beautiful
facility that makes hers look almost shabby (and it ain't!). Here, for
the first time, she faced opponents who've been playing club polo for
years, and who are already quite accomplished by the time they reach
the novice and junior varsity levels. There's a lot of life lessons
to be learned when playing against adversaries who are so much
more skilled, trained, talented, or, for that matter, simply lucky to
live where they live!