Sports

Boys Water Polo Co-Captain Marek Deveau ’23: Andover’s “Silent Weapon”

Following the footsteps of former Andover Boys Water Polo player and older brother, Gregor Deveau ’21, Co-Captain Marek Deveau ’23 fell in love with the sport after eight years of swimming. As a leader, he strives to “never take any shortcuts.” 

Ryan Chandor ’23 highlighted the calmness that Deveau exudes while still being a powerful influence on the team. Though not the most vocal, Deveau is always willing to provide insight for the team, according to Chandor. 

“Marek is sort of like a silent weapon. It’s not like he doesn’t like to coach people, but he’s a little bit more laid back, but he’s also very knowledgeable. He’s always there to help people, but he’s not always as vocal as [Co-Captain] Marcel [Montemayor Fontes ’23]. It’s sort of good to have two sides of that… He’s always willing to help people out, and there’s a friendly competition within practices and stuff. It really makes everybody better, and Marek is big on that,” said Chandor. 

Because of water polo’s physical nature, especially underwater, Deveau values good sportsmanship. Thus, he encourages the team to stay in control of their emotions while facing extreme frustration or excitement.

“It’s really easy to let your emotions shine through, so just staying humble [is important]. After scoring a goal, not cheering in the other team’s face, but celebrating small wins by yourself and with the team, and always showing respect for the referee and our opponents,” said Deveau. 

Zach Godsey ’25 emphasized Deveau’s direct approach to instruction. Through his extensive knowledge of the sport, Deveau is never afraid to provide constructive criticism for the team, constantly forcing a high level of play, according to Godsey.

“I think he’s pretty direct. He’ll tell you if you are doing something wrong, and he’ll tell you how to fix it, and he’ll tell you how to get around [it]. If you are doing something wrong, he’ll tell you to stop. He’s pretty direct and that is kind of his leadership style,” said Godsey.

Though he sets high standards for others on the team, Deveau believes it is equally important to personally uphold those standards. Completing every action with a sense of purpose, Deveau hopes his teammates adopt the same level of effort. 

Deveau said, “I motivate the team by leading by example. I feel like that is one of the best ways to get people to listen because you can’t say one thing and do the opposite. If I’m trying to get everyone to get in the water early and do a good warmup, I always make sure I do the warmup to its full completion and I never take any shortcuts.”

Godsey believes Deveau is reflective of his aims to lead by example. During games, Deveau models versatility and persistence, according to Godsey. 

“He’s a very technically skilled player, and I think he uses his ability and his high level of skill to show developing players on the team what to do. Showing not telling… I think there are times when Marek steps up throughout the game, and whether it’s a really good shot or a really good play defensively, he motivates the team on some of his plays,” said Godsey.