Heidi Ritner is a former water polo goalie at the University of Michigan. In her four seasons on the Michigan water polo team, Heidi was a team captain, two-time ACWPC All-American honorable mention, 2017 U-M Rookie of the Year, and had 990 career saves. If you have any questions about water polo recruiting, Heidi has the answers for you! You can read and/or watch the interview below:

1. Would you recommend that a high school create a recruiting video or highlight reel?

Being from Southern California, which is where most of the water polo is, I did not create a highlight reel because a lot of the coaches were able to show up at our tournaments or see us in games. I also participated in something called ODP (Olympic Development Program) which was camps from USA Water Polo that we participate in and the college coaches would come and watch some of those practices or camps. I would recommend if you're in the midwest or east coast, or basically anywhere that is not California, I would definitely create a highlight reel…this is something that is always good to set you apart from other recruits.

2. Are there any camps that you think water polo players should attend to get noticed by coaches?

A lot of colleges run camps during the summer with some of their players and the assistant coaches and head coaches run the camps. I did that for a couple of different schools when I was being recruited in high school. Summer is a really good time when the college teams are not in season and are focused on recruiting.

3. How and when should high school water polo players start their recruiting process?

I always think sophomore year is a really good year to start. Freshmen year is too early because coaches can't really talk to you and you still have a lot of developing to do. The season of your sophomore year is a good time to start reaching out to coaches and letting them know when you will be at a tournament or game. You then also have plenty of time to figure out what you want in terms of a school.

4. DI and DII water polo teams only get 4.5 scholarships per team. Do you think players should initiate the conversation about scholarships with the coach or leave it up to the coach to bring it up?

For me, it was usually at the beginning of the conversations when coaches would say that they are seriously considering recruiting you. I would be honest about your financial situation. They have control over the scholarships they give out but they can also point you in the direction that you might be eligible for. Personally, I would wait for the coach to bring up the scholarship conversation. It can be a bit of a turn-off when athletes say that they are expecting a scholarship. If the school is serious about recruiting you, they will figure out a way to get you there.

5. What 3 characteristics do you think a recruit needs to have in order to be a great teammate on a college water polo team?

I think one thing that first comes to mind is being selfless. Water polo is a team sport and you are going to be with your teammates all the time, so it's important to recognize that. The team is not built around you, you are being recruited to fit into the team as a whole.

A willingness to learn is also important. Water polo is a very mental sport. You are going to be running plays and working with other people. There is a science behind that and you have to know that you are going to learn 20 plays and you have to know how to use the plays in a game.

Finally, come in wanting to have fun. You are going to be around these people all the time. Build your friendships because these are the people who you are going to spend most of your time with and will likely be your lifelong friends.

6. What is the most important thing that coaches are looking for?

It's different for each position, but our coach always says that coachability is the most important thing. You could be the fastest person on the team but you if don't want to learn the plays or change your shot, you aren't going to get any better or make your team any better. Come in expecting to be coached and change some things about how you play.

7. Do you need to play in both high school and club?

Across the board on our team, if you were playing in high school you were also playing in club. When you play on two different teams, you get to diversify your playing experience when you play with different people and different coaches.

8. What's the best advice that your coach has given you?

I was supposed to have two more recruiting trips after Michigan. I wanted to cancel the other trips after Michigan, but my coach didn't let me. He doesn't let people commit on the spot because he wants players to go to other schools and see how much better they like Michigan. I think this is a really good piece of advice because if you really fall in love with one place, going to other places will make you realize how much more you like that school. Also, in my opinion, your coach should not be pressuring you to commit on the spot.

Image Credit: Michigan Athletics

* Originally published on August 3, 2023, by Allison Goldblatt