Water polo demands all kinds of skills from players. Each
athlete must excel in strength, speed and stamina and also have
courage.Â
Height is a tremendous factor too, and in the pool an average
player is over six feet tall. Yet, a sophomore less than 5 feet, 7
inches is taking the UCLA team by way of his heart.
Driver Josh Hewko arrived at UCLA a year ago, one foot too small
but one step ahead of the whole team. His desire to win and play
hard has taken him to the highest level, as a starter.
“Josh provides a spark and brings a lot of energy to the
playing table,” head coach Adam Krikorian said. “His
play has so much intensity and emotion that he demands his
teammates to play at his level.”
Hewko is not exactly collegiate water polo material. For UCLA
standards, his length and build push him down the team line, and
his appearance does not intimidate opponents. But looks can
deceive, especially in Hewko’s case.
“I’m proud of the little guy and he’s earned
the respect of the whole team,” senior goalkeeper Brandon
Brooks said. “He will have a major impact on the team
this year because he plays mistake-free water polo.”
It has taken Hewko years of extreme training, from simple but
important sprints, to reading and learning additional knowledge to
help perfect his game.
Hewko not only starts games, but he helps his team in all
situations. After appearing in 18 matches his freshman year,
he has platooned himself at the driver position.
And he has impressed many with his solid play. Hewko has already
recorded five goals, three assists, as well as a steal since the
season began. In his first career start against Irvine this season,
he let no one down with his hard attack, in a 10-7 loss.
“The great thing about Josh is that we can always count on
him,” Krikorian said.
“He will battle for us until the end, whether it is in a
game or even at practice, and the rest of the team has confidence
in him.”
Despite the loss, Hewko keeps playing with his head high and his
heart larger. His determination has lead him down this new path of
success. The team knows it is not one or two things Hewko does to
make himself shine, but rather a consistent effort in attempting to
win while always giving his best effort.
He is considered the ultimate competitor and teammate involved
in the sport.
“It’s all about how hard I work in the pool,”
he said. “College was a whole new level for me because
everyone was huge. But some guys are lazy, so I worked harder and
got better than them.”
Hewko was an average high school player, but stronger in respect
to others.Â
And now, his opponents as well as teammates have a major edge on
a lot of his game. But while he may never become physically better
or taller than a lot of those players, he knows he can get to a
different level than them in the pool.
“Everyone has their own strength and my category is
speed,” he said. “As I get quicker and smarter, and do
everything I can to counter my height, I will stand out.”
And his weakness stand out. But his strengths are stronger,
making it easier for Hewko to take a joke when his teammates make
fun of him. In fact, the team consistently ridicules him
because of his height disadvantage.
During a practice Krikorian called Hewko a “chump,”
because of a dumb play he committed. Yet, the whole team thought
the coach said “chimp” because he was the
smallest. Since then, his nickname has been
“chimp.” But he does not let it take him away from
his positive attitude.
“I am the butt of most jokes, but it makes me
better,” he said.
And Hewko continues to shape into his prime. His routine may
include hundreds of consecutive push-ups, as well as endless hours
of sit-ups. He even sprints in the pool more than his team. He
is considered to be a workaholic, but in the end he is one of the
best.
“I’ve played with him since I was 11 years
old,” sophomore center Ted Peck said. “He was quicker
and smarter than us then. And now he’s probably become
the best driver on the team.”