Co-Captain Oliver Stabach ’26 started playing Water Polo his Junior fall, when he joined the team to stay in shape for the swim season. After joining the team, he found a love for the sport and decided to continue it all four years, becoming captain of the team for his Senior year.
Victor Hillier ’28 emphasized that Stabach leads with calm and confidence. He stressed that the effects of his leadership are felt from all around the team, especially due to his approachability.
“He’s calm and confident. It’s easy to talk to him, if you need anything or have questions,” said Hillier.
Jeffrey Lim ’27 added onto Stabach’s leadership skills, pointing out his ability as a knowledgeable captain to provide specific feedback and help everyone improve, even if he isn’t the loudest voice on the team.
“Oliver leads a lot by example, and is always there to support the team. He isn’t always the loudest voice, but he provides good specific feedback for everyone. He’s a great leader, one of the best leaders I have had in my life. He is very knowledgeable and always helps people when they need it, but isn’t overbearing or micromanaging anyone. When everyone is tired at the end of games or practices, he always pushes everyone to keep working and shows them they have a little bit more left to give,” said Lim.
Stabach explained that his favorite roles of being a captain include running practices, talking to the team after practices and helping other players grow and develop everyday.
“Running practices is really fun. Talking to the team after practice, and giving everyone a pep talk before a game. I let a lot of people do their own thing, and if I see that [someone] could be [doing something] better I butt in and help them,” said Stabach.
Despite having a specific leadership role, Stabach keeps himself level with the rest of the team, while providing knowledgeable support. Hillier compared Stabach to his other experiences with captains and describes Stabach as a humble and helpful captain.
“I have had many captains in my life and they all seem to have much more power [than the team]. But Oliver is modest, and he doesn’t think he’s better than us simply because he’s captain. If he has advice, we know that it’s because he thinks that we could get better, not that he’s better than us,” said Hillier.
Not only does he provide good feedback, but Stabach is the backbone of the team, bringing everyone together and championing positive energy during practice. Brandon Xu ’26 described how Stabach affects the team’s culture with his positivity.
“He’s a very uplifting leader. He’s really good at giving constructive criticism. Without him, water polo practice is a little less happy. That goes for everyone on the team, but it’s always nice to have him, especially during warmups and stuff. He just brings everyone together,” said Xu.
Adding on, Lim commented on how Stabach aims to motivate his teammates, pushing them to perform as their best selves and inspire collective improvement.
“Oliver is a great leader in that when the team needs him most, he is always there for them. Like, for example, say we are losing by three. Oliver is there to lead the team and to push everyone to keep working and get back into the game. He’s a great captain and leader and also one of my good friends,” said Lim.
Stabach is committed to Georgetown University for their Division I Swimming program.
