Although water polo at McCallum is still a new program, it has already reached a major milestone. Senior Amir Habib-Weymouth will become the first McCallum athlete to commit to play water polo in college, just two years after the program’s start.

For a program that once struggled to recruit players and gain recognition on campus, the commitment represents something larger than a signing. It represents growth.

Habib-Weymouth, a goalie, joined the team during its inaugural season in their junior year. At the time, water polo was unfamiliar to many students and still struggling to get players. Practices were small, and the team was still figuring out its identity.

“The program had just started, and I was like, okay, I’ll do this,” Habib-Weymouth said. “It wasn’t really a big deal at first.”

What began as something casual quickly became something much more meaningful.

Sports, however, was nothing new to them. Habib-Weymouth has participated in athletics their entire life, including 12 years of basketball, along with soccer and other sports. Being part of a team and competing at a high level was already second nature. That experience translated quickly once they got in the pool.

Originally placed as a goalie because of their basketball background, Habib-Weymouth immediately stood out, although starting a new program came with challenges. According to them, one of the biggest challenges was earning respect.

“It was hard to get people to take it seriously,” Habib-Weymouth said. “Not just our team, but people seeing it as a real sport.”

With few established traditions and no past legacy to lean on, the team had to build credibility from the ground up. Despite that, the team continued to grow and Habib-Weymouth shone through as a leader. Head coach Catherine O’Neal said Habib-Weymouth’s leadership was critical to the team’s development.

“Amir’s story is really exceptional, I’ve seen so much growth, and the biggest thing with Amir is that they turned into this really powerful leader,” O’Neal said. “Amir really brought this caring and passion to the team.I know without their leadership, our water polo team would not have been as strong and developed.”

As the program is so new, O’Neal decided she wanted to help develop it and get the girls involved alongside her in the process. 

“Im here to build something,” O’Neal said. “I think that people just knowing that they have a responsibility in laying that foundation for the team helped and Amir really leaned into taking that responsibility and helping build it.”

Although this was O’Neal’s first year coaching Water Polo, this was not her first year coaching at McCallum, previously coaching Habib-Weymouth on the freshman basketball team.

“I’ve seen so much growth from Amir as an athlete from freshman year, up until their senior year, they were team captain this year, and got the whole team to really care about the sport, they were this thread that really inspired the entire team,” O’Neal said. “Freshman year, those things weren’t in place yet, so just to see Amir lean into their own leadership, and have communication and passion, and just have so much confidence, because there wasn’t as much confidence there as a freshman, so seeing that was actually quite magical.” 

That leadership paid off this season. Habib-Weymouth earned All-District honors and Best Goalie in the District, achievements that made them realize college water polo was within reach.

“My senior year, I was like, ‘I’m really good at this,’” Habib-Weymouth said. “I thought I could go somewhere with it.”

The recruiting process, however, required initiative. Without a long-standing pipeline or established college connections through the program, Habib-Weymouth had to advocate for themselves. They compiled highlight reels, gathered film, and reached out to multiple college programs in California, a state they had long hoped to move to.

After considering several options, they chose the University of Redlands, where they plan to commit in mid-February, as it was their top choice academically, in addition to their strong water polo program.

Senior Amara Raab, who has known Habib-Weymouth since kindergarten and also played on the same basketball team, has seen them progress as an athlete. 

“Our senior year, I joined water polo, they were my captain and led us to the playoffs for the first time. I was so proud of them,” Raab said. “I think their determination and persistence is part of what has allowed them to continue to play beyond high school, they are one of the hardest working people I know.”

The playoff appearance marked another turning point for the program. In just two years, the team had gone from an uncertain beginning to postseason competition, another sign of how far they had come.

Looking ahead, Habib-Weymouth knows the transition to college athletics will be demanding, but they are ready to compete and contribute in any way possible.

“I want to come in and work as hard as everyone else,” Habib-Weymouth said. “Whether that’s in the water or bringing energy from the bench.”

As McCallum water polo continues to build its foundation, Habib-Weymouth’s commitment represents more than an individual achievement. It sets a precedent for future McCallum athletes and shows what’s possible, even in a new program.

“It shows this program can build something real,” Habib-Weymouth said.