KINGSBURG – Had it not been for a little metaphorical shove into the pool waters, Kingsburg goalkeeper Paige Larson might’ve never developed into one of the best players at her position.
Before making it to where she is now, Larson said she hadn’t considered taking that plunge and donning the water cap to play in the rack. But her mind was broadened to the possibility a couple of years ago, when a friendly parental discussion turned into an eventual date with destiny – and the rest, as they say, is history.
“A mom of one of the junior players (during) my freshman year told my parents that I should come play water polo,” said Larson. “And I was like, ‘You know what, I have nothing better to do over the summer, so why not?’ And I just kind of got into it.”
Little did Larson know, big things were waiting for her. The goalkeeper has now emerged as one of the state’s most dominant forces in the rack. She currently ranks 8th in goals against average (8.717), 17th in saves (87) and 7th in assists (30), according to her stats in MaxPreps.
Larson got her feet wet – literally – playing her first two years on the JV squad. She initially thought playing the position would be just another lap in the pool. However, playing in and around the goal exposed her to the speed, skill, and leadership required to excel at the position.
“Goalkeeper, I thought, was the easiest position to play,” said Larson. “So I said, ‘Why not?’”
And then Larson got bumped up to the varsity squad towards the end of last season. At that time, she’d just started to tap into her vast potential, and it’s safe to say that she has exceeded her expectations. Larson’s ascendancy in the goal has allowed her to become one of the unsung leaders of this Vikings team. And as Larson has discovered, playing goalkeeper is a lot more than just treading water.
“My expectations weren’t that high,” said Larson. “I kind of got an insight last season, getting pulled up on varsity at the end, … so I saw how intense the games would be and how I would need to be a team leader in the pool.”
In Kingsburg’s most recent game, a 14-2 victory against Strathmore on Sept. 25, Larson stuffed virtually every shot that came her way. And in the Vikings’ 18-4 win against Golden West on Sept. 4, Larson totaled 7 saves and dished out 4 assists.
Larson also has the luxury of leading a team that can score at will, led by two other utility players, and attackers. Madeline Dix has scored 39 points so far, and Jade Perez has scored 43 points. Getting a chance to lead that kind of production makes Larson’s job a little easier.
“Our team is pretty good; we’re good about taking insight and applying it in games,” said Larson. “I try to take a lot of what I see in the pool, like talk to my team and tell them what could be better.”
Now that Kingsburg has drifted into the league portion of their schedule, Larson’s leadership and mastery of the goal will be needed at the most important time of the season. And as strange as it might sound, Larson feels her best play is waiting to get unleashed. If that’s true, then Larson and her fellow Vikings will be difficult for anyone to strike down.
“I definitely think there’s going to be more that will come out this season,” said Larson. “But I would say I’m halfway there; soon, I will be there. And I can say that, if we apply what we’ve learned this season, and keep working on it, we can win.”
