SEEDS OF SUCCESS : Newland Sows Hard-Work Philosophy, UCI’s Water Polo Players Reap Wins

Welcome to Newland’s Animal Farm, where the motto is not “E-I-E-I-O” but “Pain, Agony and Torture.” Where young men willingly arise before 6 a.m., not to milk the cows but to jump into a pool of water. Where the farmer--Ted Newland--is a 59-year-old man who may not be able to drive a tractor but who can crank out 2,400 sit-ups in one hour.

And where another good crop is expected this year.

Newland’s is not a real place, though at UC Irvine, one can spot yellow T-shirts, advertising the farm, emblazoned with the “Pain, Agony and Torture” slogan. But the farm exists in the minds of UCI water polo players, who have been exposed to the demanding, fanatical, winning ways of their coach, Newland.

“It’s a hard program,” said goalie Mark Maizel, a 1985 All-American and a member of the U.S. national team. “Newland is obsessed with physical fitness. He’s a fanatic about working out year-round. It’s not for everyone. Not everyone stays on the team.”

But those who do stay usually end up winning. In the last two decades, under Newland’s direction, UCI water polo has a record of 425-137-5. During that time, the Anteaters have been in the NCAA championship game eight times and have won the title twice. They have won the Pacific Coast Athletic Association championship five times and have missed the NCAA tournament in only three of the last 18 years.

Last year was one of the off-years. The team finished 17-11.

But Newland, like any good farmer, tends his crops carefully and lets some fields lie fallow, replenishing the soil for a more bountiful harvest the next season. Last year, he redshirted Maizel and three other U.S. national team members--Mark Doting (also a 1985 All-American), Tony Bell and Greg Wilson.

“They get more mature, and they’re better players,” Newland said. “Being an old man myself, I know that the older you get, the smarter you get. It’s like putting a brick on a kid’s head to keep him from growing.”

This year, the bricks are off, all four players are back, and UCI was ranked No. 2 in the country going into last weekend’s 21st annual Irvine tournament. During the tournament, the Anteaters lost to top-ranked California, but they advanced to the tournament’s final four, where they lost to two-time defending NCAA champion Stanford, 10-9, in overtime.

Newland has redshirted players throughout his career. The practice is common among coaches, said Cal’s successful coach, Pete Cutino, a friend of Newland’s who has coached with him on the national team.

“The average student takes more than four years to graduate anyway,” Cutino said, adding that the best water polo players are usually between 26 and 30. “Some years, you don’t quite have the combination to complement each other in order to be competitive.”

This year, according to both Cutino and Newland, the competition level is higher than ever and seven schools have a good shot at the NCAA championship: UCI, Cal, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Long Beach and Pepperdine.

“We’re ranked No. 3 right now,” Newland said after the Irvine tournament. “But no one will go through the season undefeated. Everyone will be beaten at least once.”

Although Newland doesn’t deny that he has held back his big guns in order to have a better shot at this year’s championship, he says he really redshirts players for more personal reasons.

“I get attached to players,” he said. “I’d rather keep them around for five years so I have someone to talk to in the weight room. I like them when they’re more mature. Freshmen are so squirrelly.”

It’s not surprising that freshmen are “squirrelly” coming into Newland’s program. His reputation as a man obsessed with physical fitness, who demands that his players maintain the same level of dedication, is legendary.

“I have to admit, at first I was intimidated by him,” Maizel said. “You hear so many stories. But once you play for him and you do everything that is expected, you reach a mutual respect level.”

Newland isn’t the stereotypical drill-sergeant coach. He doesn’t keep track of his players’ goals, saying he doesn’t believe in statistics. And, though he yells at team members, he also writes them personal notes, takes suggestions from them and concedes he’s not the greatest tactician in the world.

“I’m the psychiatrist type,” he said. “I’m a motivator.”

Jeff Campbell, a three-time All-American when he played for Newland, a member of the 1988 Olympic team and currently an assistant coach at UCI, has another word to describe his former coach.

“Eccentric,” Campbell said. “He marches to the beat of his own drummer. Some people think he’s strange.”

Newland is a man obsessed. He is at UCI by 5:15 each morning. The team works out from 6 to 8 a.m. and again for a few hours in the evening. In between team workouts, Newland teaches a physical fitness class and does his own daily workout: performing 3,000 stomach exercises, riding his bike, lifting weights, running and working on a cross-country ski machine.

“I believe you have to do what you say in this world,” he said. “They (his players) only learn by what they see, not by what they hear.”

Newland also sets an example by living a life of total commitment to his profession, and expects the same from his players. He doesn’t worry much about the so-called “burn-out” factor.

“I don’t really believe in staleness,” he said. “I can coach all year round and never need a vacation, so why do my players need one? I have guys who come and work out with me on Christmas morning.”

There is another side to the man who concedes that he has a giant ego, who says he is a fierce competitor who dares anyone to challenge his claims of athletic prowess. He has strong opinions on world affairs, and an obviously deep love for his children and true concern for his players.

“He’s a pussycat, a super guy,” Cutino said. “He’s very well-read and an intellectual, which a lot of people don’t know. Just don’t talk to him before or after a game. He’s a little intense.”

Said Campbell: “I think he’s like Al Davis is with the other NFL owners. The other coaches may not get along with him, but they respect him.”

Newland believes that his demanding demeanor makes his players successful in the world beyond college.

“The smart can take away from the strong and the strong can take away from the smart,” Newland said “But those who are smart and strong can take away from everybody.”

If this year’s smart and strong UCI team goes on to win another NCAA championship, Newland won’t be entirely satisfied.

“I want to coach my grandson,” he said. Grandson Ty is just 4, but considering the shape Newland is in, don’t bet against him.