Chatson was named team MVP last season.
After coming to Andover for swimming, Girls Water Polo Co-Captain Emma Chatson ’18 was encouraged to try water polo and immediately fell in love with the sport. She used her foundation as a swimmer to make the transition to water polo.
As a four-year member of both the swimming and water polo teams at Andover, Chatson makes sure to help girls who are unfamiliar with the sport to become comfortable and develop a true passion for the team.
“A lot of the girls on the team are new to the sport and I hope that they develop a genuine love and passion for both the sport and the team. By the end of the season, I hope to be someone that the team knows they can turn to me if they need any help or a shoulder to lean on,” said Chatson.
Chatson loves leading the team along with Co-Captain Eastlyn Frankel ’18 and praises her kindness and positivity, in and out of the pool. Chatson said, “I absolutely love working with Eastlyn. She is so passionate about the sport and kind to everyone on the team. It is impossible to be around Eastlyn and not smile because her positivity is infectious. I think our personalities balance each other out because we both know when we need to be serious in certain situations and when to be silly and fun.”
Frankel said of Chatson, “Emma has always been an incredible leader and inspiration on the team. Her passion and enthusiasm has made this year the best one yet. She has been a solid presence in my life since I started on the team three years ago and it has been nothing but an honor to be her Co-Captain. We always are thinking of new ways to make practice and our team atmosphere more fun for everyone on the team. She inspires me to work harder everyday.”
According to her teammates, Chatson has a tremendous work ethic while also consistently staying positive and keeping the team in good spirits.
Macey Mannion ’19 said, “Emma is really passionate about the sport. She always keeps us motivated and helps during practice and at games. She is always working hard and encouraging us during practice and cheers for us when we are doing well. She is encouraging whether we are winning or losing and helps to keep the team spirits high.”
“Emma always brings tons of energy and a big smile to practice. She’s the first to get in the pool, and her work ethic sets the tone for the rest of the team. At games she is always cheering us on and she pushes us to persist whenever the morale is low,” added Sveva Rosati ’19.
Chatson emphasizes the team culture and always ensures that everyone, including all new players, are welcome to the team, according to Eliza Sandell ’20.
“Emma leads the team with warmth, kindness, and inclusivity. She stressed from the very beginning of the season that she wanted to create a culture on the team that made everyone feel welcome. She immediately reached out to the new players on the team to make sure we were able to integrate smoothly,” said Sandell.
Before every game, Chatson inspires the team with motivating quotes that get the team pumped up to play.
“Emma created a quote board this year where she puts inspirational quotes up every week in order to find new ways to get the team amped up for our games that week. It’s a wonderful and fun way for all of us to get excited about the week to come,” said Frankel.
