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February 21, 2017
The
'Preseason Awards' Selection Process
By Aaron
Brown
There were a lot of tough decisions to
make heading into the 2017 season. Determining the rankings and
attempting to recognize high school water polo players (All-Illpolo Teams,
Impact Players, etc.) is a difficult process,
especially when you consider that the last official high school game was
played in May 2017, more than nine months ago.
I've spent the past six months trying to determine
which players graduated, which players return, and which players are more
than likely expected to produce for their respective teams. And even with
that, it always feels like there are additional deserving players who will
feel that they too should have earned some preseason recognition before the
first official games begin on March 6.
Here are some important things to consider as to how
the preseason awards were determined:
1) The All-Illpolo Teams are strongly based on the
individual impact a player makes combined with their team's overall
performance. The
lists are not an evaluation of a player's individual talents, which is much
different than something a college recruiter or a national team coach
would compile.
2) The majority of the decisions are based on
recorded performances during the 2016 season.
3) While every effort is made to consider work done in
the offseason and the impact freshmen players will make on their respective
teams, this information can be difficult to determine and may not be
reflected in the preseason lists.
4) A great deal of the lists is based on exposure,
especially during the previous season. I am well aware that there are
likely a handful of players who may feel their performances have been
overlooked to this point.
5) Every effort will be made over the course of the
season to recognize as many players as possible.
6) In some instances, information may have gotten
crossed up and a returning player may have been mistaken as having
graduated. If you believe this
to be true, send corrections to
illpolostaff@gmail.com.
7) In other instances, a graduated player may appear on
the lists because of incorrect information. The same may be true about a player that has moved,
transferred or is not playing for a specific reason. In these cases,
send all corrections to
illpolostaff@gmail.com as soon as possible.
7) As always, the opinions of this site are simply
opinions. They are meant to be a starting point to the upcoming season. I
fully expect a wave of e-mails regarding the lists and the rankings, but
the general answer I will always give is that they are MY opinions, which
I base solely on the information I have at my disposal.
Best of luck in 2017,
Aaron Brown
illpolo.com
