Friday, July 2, 1999
Precocious
in the pool
Heading to the World University
By Tim Crouse
Games, Sean Kern is making his mark
on two U.S. teams after only
two years of college
Special to the Star-BulletinHALFWAY around the globe this weekend, one of the best collegiate water polo players in the country will put his skills to the test against the best the world has to offer.
UCLA standout Sean Kern, a 1997 Punahou graduate, and his American teammates will compete in the World University Games in Spain in a tournament that starts tomorrow and runs through July 11.
Kern, who just completed his sophomore season at UCLA, has already traveled to Europe twice to compete against international competition, including stops in Greece and France.
Kern described the World University Games as a mini-Olympics for collegiate athletes.
The former Buffanblu star has proved his prowess on the national level, leading UCLA in scoring his freshman and sophomore years, and now he will have a chance to showcase his skills to a wider audience.
Kern's water polo odyssey began in the fifth grade. He had always liked to swim, so water polo seemed like a natural sport to play.
"When I saw that I was good, I stuck with it," Kern said.
At Punahou, Kern played other sports in addition to water polo, such as soccer, baseball and swimming. But water polo was his No. 1 sport.
"It's fast-paced and free-moving like basketball," Kern said. "But there is also a creativity and freedom that other sports don't have."
His coach at Punahou was Ken Smith.
"The initial thing everyone looks at (with Sean) is his physical talent," Smith said. "For me, it was the way he approached training and practice. He's a great practice player all the time.
"He's also a really good listener and takes advice and applies it to his game," Smith added. "He always makes everyone around him better."
'It's fast-paced and free-moving After graduating from Punahou, Kern chose to attend UCLA, where Smith also went to college.
like basketball. But there is also a
creativity and freedom that other
sports don't have.'
Sean Kern
ON HIS LOVE FOR WATER POLO
"I wanted to look at every aspect of college: the campus, academics and water polo," Kern said. "UCLA had the balance of all three."
In the pool, Kern plays the 2M position.
"Its like being a center in basketball," Kern said. On offense, he is in the center in front of the goalie and his teammates form a ring around him on the perimeter. Then they pass the ball around, trying to get it to him so he can score. Putting the ball in the net is up to him -- and he has not disappointed so far in his career.
Another Punahou player, Brandon Brooks, will join Kern this season at UCLA.
Brooks said having his former teammate already playing there was "a definite bonus" in helping him make his decision.
"Sean helped me a lot when I was starting out in water polo," Brooks said of his former and future teammate. "He took time out to show me how to improve. He's the best player I've ever played with."
Kern turned enough heads in the water that he was named to the U.S. national team this past January. He was the only collegian invited. He has made two trips to Europe with the team.
A couple of weeks ago, Kern was selected to the U.S. team for the World University Games in Spain.
The U.S. squad, which has only been together for a few weeks, will face teams in Europe that have been together much longer.
"We haven't played together much. We're pretty untested," said Ryan Flynn, a '99 California graduate who shares time with Kern at the 2M position on the U.S. team. "We have some good talent and hopefully we'll advance to the medal round. Sean will have a big influence on how we do."
"He's vital to the team's success," goalie Chris Aguillera said of Kern.
In order to advance in the tournament, the U.S. must finish first or second in their four-team division. There are four divisions. Teams that advance will then play a single-elimination format.
Kern's future in water polo looks as bright as his past.
Aguillera, who played in goal for Stanford during Kern's freshman year at UCLA, knows first-hand how good Kern is.
"He's one of the top guys in college and he's still so young. He's the best player for UCLA and he's going to own water polo the next couple of years," Aguillera said.
"He has excellent talent, and he's mixed it with his work ethic to make him even better," Brooks added.
"I think he has all the physical tools to be a solid international player," says Smith. "The only thing he lacks is international experience. When he gets that experience, his future is unlimited. It's not a matter of if, it's just a matter of when."
