Coronado High School

Trying to make my Senior year special, I continued to play Varsity Waterpolo, but continued to do the minimal amount of academic work possible.  It wasn't that I couldn't do academic work.  It was that I just didn't care about that stuff.  

In the Fall I started early to work out and train in Waterpolo.  The past summer league was rather successful, but didn't account for much anywhere else.  

I was also dating Julie (Jules) Baughman whose father was an admiral, and they lived on North Island Base.  I remember picking her up for the Sade Hawkins Dance in John Spurr's Orange Mazda.  I also remember that it was the first time I learn how to drive a manual transmission.   I know that Michael Martin Murphy was very popular with "Wildfire."  Brian Hults was dating Jules older sister who was also a senior with Brian and myself.  Jules was a Sophomore.

Much more to add at a later date...

Again, my academic work was a serious weakness, but my first year on Varsity Waterpolo was my most successful.  I was team captain, first string Varsity Waterpolo in the fall.  Other accolades in Waterpolo:  First Team All League, League "Player of the Year", Second Team All Conference, All-American Honorable Mention (Goalie).

Mom and Dad had gotten divorced this year, October 1974.

Much more to add at a later date...

I don't remember much about my Sophomore year, academically.  But, I continued to play Waterpolo, preparing for Varsity next year in 1974.

Much more to add at a later date...

Fall of 1972, I was still a little guy, not very big.  I knew I had some capacity for doing well, but my confidence and self-esteem was still very low.  Entering a big new world where the expectations were much higher.  And yet, my family and personal support was nothing.

Because of my lack of self-esteem, I hardly participated in class.  And, would pick and choose what school work I fancied before launching into it.

I also knew that I wanted to make a big change, and stop playing in band.  The Band was nerdy, and needed to get away from this area of my life that lead me to being molested.

Steve McCully and I first thought we would try out for Football.  I think I favored this idea more than Steve.  But, I quickly learned that the position I want to try was already filled by another guy.  I wanted to try being the Kicker.

After we discarded the "Football" idea, we considered Waterpolo.  Another fall sport.  Steve was a surfer, and I was fairly experienced at swimming.  So, we went down to the pool to try out.  Turns out I was starting Goalie and Team Captain for the Junior Varsity Team for 2 years, 1972 to 73, and 1973 to 74.