[img]1676|exact|Culver City High School sophomore Samantha Coleman (10) scored two goals Thursday for undefeated junior varsity water polo team. Photo: George N. Laase||no_popup[/img]
When I walked over to The Plunge last Thursday afternoon, I may as well have been heading for Mali. I did not have any understanding of the strange new world I was entering.
During my years as a sports writer, baseball, football, basketball and prize fighting formed the outer reaches of my universe.
Until 96 hours ago, I never had seen a water polo match.
Beyond being too spirited to be contested in an area as modest as a bathtub, I didn’t know whether to look left or right, whether to position myself at the 50-yard line, to stand on the east side or sit on the west side of the pool.
Right or Left Side of the Law
Two white pants-and-coat-wearing referees were on my side of the pool. This seemed advantageous.
But what infractions were they whistling?
I only knew it was Culver City High School girls vs. El Segundo.
Both wore blue and white, which did my vision no favors.
Even a novice, however, could discern that the Centaurs were from here to the moon superior to the visiting team.
Coached for the past 32 years by Nestor Dordoni, Culver City girls are undefeated as they reach the nub of their season. So is the junior varsity, coached by Mr. Dordoni’s son Jack.
Unfortunately, a novice could not unilaterally demystify many more mysteries.
I was reminded of an ancient (1950s) novelty record (“What It Was, Was Football”) made by the late Andy Griffith, a hilarious hillbilly-style narrative about the first football game he ever saw.
“Somebody should be telling Culver City how really good these girls are,” said one player’s mother who, helpfully, was perched beside me and just did.
For the first 15 minutes, I appeared to be catatonic, mesmerized or paralyzed, trying to deduce why, in one motion, as a team dropped back on defense to guard against a goal, the girls looked as if they were performing a delicate water ballet.
For those of us who appreciate the artfulness of baseball, water polo provides a lovely analogue, I concluded.
In the next frame, though, after I had finished blinking, water polo resembled a different, rougher sport. A girl on defense curled her right arm around the neck of an opposing player.
Was she indelicately measuring her rival for an expensive necklace?
What did it mean?
Make a note, and I will get back to you.
The Finger Bowl, Please
Patiently, the next-door mother explained to her slow-minded seatmate that the girls’ fingernails are examined before a match. If too long, they must promptly be trimmed or they will not be allowed to compete.
Periods are eight minutes, and they almost whirl by in a finger-snap,
In real time, matches are an hour or less.
Observing Coach Dordoni along the eastern sideline, he reminded me of 10,000 football or basketball coaches I have covered, pacing, calling out instructions.
When I arrived, Culver City’s varsity girls were leading El Segundo 2 to 0.
Later, as my expertise expanded exponentially, the girls got better. So did I.
Culver City won 12 to 1.
My newly won expertise was just as effective in helping the junior varsity remain undefeated, too, 7 to 1.
[In tomorrow’s installment, Coach Dordoni will talk about his perfect team.]