Next Up: Princeton – Helena Van Brande graduates from Newbury Park to bigger games on Princeton University’s women’s water polo team.
It’s not every day a high schooler, from a small town like Newbury Park, competes in the FINA World Women’s Youth Water Polo Championships in Spain, and gets accepted to Princeton University to be part of one of the United States’ best sports teams. For Helena Van Brande, however, that day did come.
After graduating in 2014, Helena Van Brande has been preparing herself to enter the whole new world that is college. However, she won’t be an average student at Princeton. In the summer of 2013, the water polo goalie competed in the Junior Olympics, which later helped lead to her acceptance into one of the most well esteemed Collegiate Water Polo Association (NCAA) teams in the United States.
Van Brande has moved to the dorms in Princeton and is looking forward to playing on the NCAA Division 1 Women’s team. When asked if she had always aspired to be a professional water polo player, Van Brande’s answer was an immediate no. “My older sister played before I did and I always hated going to her games. I was doing swim at the time, actually, and in eighth grade we decided to switch to water polo and then I finally got to try out. When I did, I ended up actually really liking it so I stuck with it and I’m still sticking with it … obviously” she jokes.
Once Van Brande set her mind on the sport, nothing could stop her. Her water polo coach, David Gleisberg, describes Van Brande to be “determined and extremely self-motivated, but at the same time skillful, gifted, talented and smart.” When asked how he thinks Van Brande will do at Princeton, Gleisberg was confident to say that “she’ll do as well as she wants to. Knowing Helena, that’ll be the best.”
Although preparing for college made Van Brande slightly nervous, she is excited to start a new chapter in her life. While she may be one of the best at hitting the ball away from the net, the goalie is also familiar with hitting the books. Before arriving at orientation, she didn’t know what classes she would be taking in the fall. However, Van Brande thought the suspense was “cool.” “I’m looking forward to the academics. I’m thinking of going the English route … English, creative literature, and Journalism. I’m just going to feel it out. I would love to study environmental science as a ‘minor’” Van Brande says.
As for being accepted to Princeton, Van Brande says she lucked out. One of her USA water polo teammates as well as a teammate from her club team will be joining her at the university. Although she has a few friends by her side, “meeting people and playing with teammates” is what she’s looking forward to most. “The sport, it’s not all about an individual. I like the team aspect.”
Finally, Van Brande gushes about her love for the sport and hopes that others who play feel the same passion. “Do the sport you love because you love it, not because that’s what everyone else expects of you. You kind of get out what you put in it. So, if you want to play in college, you’re going to have to put yourself out there. There are so many people out there who want to play (sports in college). You have to make it clear that you’re willing to give it your all. It’s not easy to put yourself out there but do your best and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”
