Driscoll, Border Selected for U.S. Water Polo Team

Kevin Driscoll of Agoura High and Brian Border of Harvard have been selected for the 32-member U. S. National Youth water polo team for 16- to 18-year-olds.

The honor is only the beginning for Driscoll and Border, both seniors. They will travel to Calgary to participate in the Can-Am series against the Canadian national team in December.

The National Youth team also will scrimmage against the members of the National Junior team, which represents the United States in many international competitions.

In July, Border and Driscoll will compete for positions on the National Junior squad, which already includes Harvard sophomore Jim Toring and former Royal High standout Devon Hurst, who is now at Pepperdine.

There is only one step up from the National Junior team: the 1992 U.S. Olympic squad. All four area players should be in a position to compete for berths on the team.

“It is an awe-inspiring thought,” Border said about his selection. “This is big-time water polo. Just to be a part of U.S. water polo and to be this close to be an Olympian is fantastic.”

National Junior team Coach Rich Azevedo was a member of the selection committee that chose Border and Driscoll. He likes both players’ chances for advancing in water polo, even though they have different strengths.

“Border is smart, well-coached and he doesn’t make mistakes,” Azevedo said. “You will often see him doing the right thing.

“Driscoll is very talented. He has good speed and good size. In his case, it is just a matter of whether the talent will pan out.”

Now that the two players have made the squad, they are thinking about what needs to be done to make the next step.

“I have to keep working to be mentally tough and I have to gain some weight so I can be more physical,” Driscoll said. “When I get the chance to move up, I want to play smart and show that I have acquired some new water polo skills.”