In his first three years, Brett Ormsby’s performances were
defined by one standard: that of Stanford’s three-time NCAA
player of the year Tony Azevedo.
But that is not the case anymore.
Ormsby, who won the NCAA player of the year award, not only rose
out of the shadow of Azevedo, but helped his Bruins defeat the No.
1 Cardinal to win the NCAA Championship.
Azevedo, a two-time Olympian who is often considered one of the
best athletes in the country as well as one of the greatest water
polo players ever, was Ormsby’s main competition during his
entire college career.
In the end, it was Ormsby who walked away with the national
title and the NCAA men’s player of the year award this past
year. Both accolades validated Ormsby’s four years of
dedication to turning himself into a player of Azevedo’s
caliber.
“He made me a better player,” Ormsby said. “I
had to push myself to get to his level. If I’m totally
outplayed by Tony, maybe we lose. I needed to play well against him
for us to have a shot at winning.”
Ormsby’s inspirational performance was not only key in
helping the men’s water polo team capture the national
championship, but his style of play fit in well with the rest of
his teammates throughout the season. His development into a
complete player has not gone unnoticed.
“We could not have won without him,” said coach Adam
Krikorian. “It wasn’t just the goals; it was his
defense and his leadership as well. It would just not have been
possible to win anything without him.”
This leadership quality is one of the things Krikorian stresses
the most when he talks about Ormsby. Ormsby not only scored goals
and played good defense, but he also made his teammates excel and
reach greater heights simply through his presence.
“What made Brett really special is what separates the good
and the great players,” Krikorian said, “And that is
the ability to make your teammates better. He was just a dynamic
player. He made everyone on the team better and did all the little
things that great players do.”
When Ormsby first entered UCLA, it seemed unlikely that he would
ever become the player that would take away Azevedo’s crown.
Though Ormsby led the team in scoring in his freshman year, he
hadn’t yet reached the potential Krikorian saw in him.
“When he came here, he was a scrawny little kid,”
said Krikorian. “He could always score but he had decent
speed, not great speed.”
Ormsby spent hours in the weight room and the training room to
make sure he was fit enough and healthy enough to help his team
excel in all aspects of the game.
“A majority of his improvement was due to his drive and
willingness to improve,” said Krikorian. “I
didn’t have to tell him to do extra. He did more on his own
to get stronger. He spent a lot more time studying the game itself,
watching and observing.”
And thanks to his ability, he got the opportunity to play with
the best players in the world at the 2004 Olympics.
Observing the world’s elite was a definitive moment for
Ormsby. From the end of the 2003 season to the beginning of the
National Championship 2004 season, Ormsby slowly matured into one
of the premier players in water polo, on par with fellow Olympian
Azevedo.
“They are very similar players,” said Krikorian.
“They play the same type of position, they are both good
leaders. Brett just made more strides than Tony did [in college].
Tony had a lot more influence and teaching when he was younger, so
he might have peaked earlier.”
And it is questionable as to whether Azevedo felt the same need
to excel that Ormsby did. Azevedo won three straight NCAA
men’s player of the year awards before 2004, while Ormsby had
to settle for first team All-American selections. Ormsby had the
drive to work and excel, which propelled his team to a national
title.
UCLA had not won a National Championship during Ormsby’s
time at school, so the desire to win was strong.
“Going into the year, we were expecting to win,”
said Ormsby. “For the six seniors, it was our goal the entire
season. We just tried to keep concentrated and have fun. I
couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out.”
Through Ormsby has no more eligibility for water polo, he is not
done yet. Before continuing to play with the national team, he will
rejoin UCLA as an undergraduate assistant, which Krikorian feels
will suit Ormsby just fine.
“I’m not sure what he wants to do after he’s
done with the national team,” Krikorian said. “But
I’m sure he’d be an excellent coach.”
The best water polo player in the country might one day be one
of the best water polo coaches in the country. And if that ends up
the case, it’ll be because of the kind of leadership and
team-first attitude he shows when asked about his title as best
player in the country.
Rather than boasting about all his individual accomplishments,
Ormsby chooses to emphasize his teammates’ performances and
the award given to the entire team: the National Championship.
“It’s pretty cool, and I’m as excited as I can
get. We were able to pull it off. All of my teammates contributed
and it was a team effort to win it all.”