Claire Haas has been a talented water polo player for quite some time.
Haas, a utility player who recently completed her junior year at Stevenson, has a long list of individual accolades to her credit, including being named the 2017 Illinois Water Polo girls player of the year.
Haas’ standing in the sport rose even further on May 30, when she was one of 25 girls named to the U.S. women’s youth national team.
The designation puts her into USA Water Polo’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) and cements her status as one of the nation’s top players in her age group.
“I’m really happy with being chosen,” said Haas, a Kildeer resident. “It’s not just for me, though. It has a lot to do with my coaches and teammates who have pushed me and taught me everything I know. But it’s pretty phenomenal.”
And rare.
Haas is only the third player from the Northern Illinois Polo Club to be named to the youth national team, joining Vernon Hills native Terry Bukofzer (2005-06) and current Stevenson boys coach Sean Wimer (2000-01).
The ODP’s main tenet is to identify and develop athletes to represent USA Water Polo in domestic and international competition, including the Olympics.
Haas said being named to the youth national team resulted from a three-step process, including a grueling three-day training camp in late May in Newport Beach, Calif.
The ODP selection camp included 48 girls, but only 25 were selected for the youth national team.
Haas is one of three youth national team members not from California. She was the lone representative from USA Water Polo’s Midwest Zone, and the other two hailed from Connecticut and Florida.
Despite being a Midwesterner in a pool full of Californians, Haas said she had confidence from Stevenson’s run to the state championship.
“Being the only girl from my zone was kind of nerve-wracking, but coming off state, I felt really good about my play,” Haas said. “It took me about two practices to learn the style of play, but once I got used to it, everyone pulled me in and treated me like family.”
That difference in style of play is a contrast between what she’s seen in Illinois and how the game is played on the West Coast.
Haas said Illinois water polo involves more freelancing, as opposed to the fast-paced, scripted style in California. She’s also found that referees allow more aggressiveness on the West Coast, something that works well for Haas.
“Girls sometimes are a little more timid coming from the Midwest or Northeast, but one of the things we liked about Claire is that she’s tough, fearless,” said Ross Sinclair, an assistant coach for the youth national team. “The kind of weekend Claire went through is a normal weekend of tournament play in California.”
Therein lies the main reason, Sinclair said, why non-Californians are often at a disadvantage: They don’t face regular competition against other top-level players.
Haas will undoubtedly get those reps now, starting with the youth team’s next cluster of practices later in June.
Another benefit for Haas is the recruiting attention she’s likely to get as a member of the youth national team. She said she’d like to sign a national letter of intent during the early signing period in November.
But Haas’ goals stretch far beyond college. She wants to be an Olympian.
“That’s the ultimate goal,” Haas said. “This is a stepping stone to getting there, but I’ve got my work cut out for me.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
