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Thursday, 08 March 2012
Old Boy, Edward Scott, left the School in the summer of
2006. Currently based in Barcelona where he plays in goal for
a Spanish water polo team, he is also part of the
GB team and here he offers his thoughts on the
forthcoming Games.
How is your preparation coming along for the Games?
Preparation for the Games is going very well. Our national
programme is organised so that all players are based in European
clubs playing in professional leagues. Personally I am based at a
club called CE Mediterrani in Barcelona. I train with the team
three times a day and play in the Spanish premier water polo league
on Saturdays. Playing at such a high standard has improved my
own game considerably, and I hope to continue improving up until
London in the summer. The GB water polo team meet up through the
year to play different international fixtures, but we will all be
centralised in Manchester once European leagues finish for the
season in May.
What would you consider to be a success in terms of the
final position of the team?
The teams goals for London are to play competitively with the
best teams in the world. Great Britain is no longer the powerhouse
of water polo it once was in the early 20th century, and
other European countries have begun to lead the way in the sport.
That being said, we are a constantly improving nation, with some
good results in recent times. To play at the Games and achieve good
competitive performances is the primary aim. But if this can be
done, winning matches followed by a better overall ranking will be
achieved.
Another big aim of London is to inspire as many people to start
playing water polo as possible - it is such a great opportunity to
advertise our fantastic sport on the world's greatest stage, and
something I'm looking forward to greatly. I hope very much that the
games can be used as a platform for our sport to grow, so that once
again we can be one of the top countries in the world.
Looking back on your time at Bolton School, how did the
school support and encourage you with your water polo?
I cannot speak highly enough of the support and encouragement
given to me by Bolton School whilst studying there with regards to
my sporting career. The school granted me leave of absences to
compete in international competitions, and even re-arranged dates
of important A Level exams to allow me to play in the Commonwealth
games of 2006. This was a culmination of help by the headmaster at
the time - Mervyn Brooker, and also my subject teachers who gave me
their full support and help if needed.
From a sporting point of view I was privileged to have great
coaching whilst at school in the form of Simon Jones and Mike
Yates. Their combined experience and knowledge of the sport from
their own water polo careers benefitted me greatly as I progressed
through school, and the advice they gave me was invaluable.
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