Indiana University Athletics
Getting To Know...Freshman Hanna Eimstad
10/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
Oct. 22, 2008
Hanna Eimstad, a freshman on the Indiana water polo team, took some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions about water polo and what the transition from high school to college water polo has been like.
What was the determining factor in you deciding to attend IU?
"I would have to say the team atmosphere. When I came on my recruiting trip, I had never been around a team where every single person gets along and wants to be around each other."
Now that you have been here for a couple months, what is your favorite part about being a Hoosier?
"Being part of the team. Workouts and practice are rough, but being around the team makes it so much easier because we all know we are in this together."
What has the adjustment been like going from high school water polo to collegiate water polo?
"The commitment level and the effort you have to put into everything is so much more now than it was in high school. You are playing for a division I school; it's not just a high school sport any more. You are living the dream so you have to put everything you have into it each and every second."
How have the older players helped you through the transition?
"I think the upperclassmen on our team are the most helpful to the younger players on this team. The seniors are not afraid to hang out with the freshmen and they are very welcoming, which then helps us make the transition to collegiate water polo."
What originally drew your interest to the sport of water polo?
"I was a swimmer for a long time and I started to realize that I wanted to play a sport with more contact. I played soccer and softball and I wanted something along those lines. I liked to swim, but I didn't like the back and forth swimming in the pool, and I like the team aspect so water polo was exactly what I was looking for."
What is one thing that people who are not familiar with the sport might not know about water polo?
"(Laughing) There are no horses involved with water polo (like there are with polo)."
Do you have a favorite game or moment from the past playing water polo that sticks out as the best?
"In my last high school season, our team went undefeated. And when we won that last game to complete the perfect season, there is nothing like that feeling."
What are you looking forward to the most heading into the regular season?
"I'm looking forward to being able to play against different teams. I'm very competitive, so knowing how hard we have worked to get to that point so that will be very satisfying."
Who has been the most influential person in your life to this point?
"My dad. He has always been there for me and we have very similar personalities. And everybody says we look identical and he has always been there for me with whatever I did."
If you were not playing water polo, would you be able to compete at the college level in another sport? Or at least try another sport at the collegiate level?
"I can't think of one, I just love to play water polo. I don't do very well with the land sports so I think I should stick to the water sports."
