USA Pipeline Readies Johnston for College Water Polo
10/13/2017 4:48:00 PM | Water Polo, Features
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan water polo freshman Maddy Johnston has only been on campus for six weeks, but the Hillsborough, California, native is already playing like a veteran.
Her experience in the USA Water Polo pipeline that includes the 2016 Youth World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, and the 2015 Pan American Games in Kingston, Jamaica, has a lot to do with it.
As a member of the USA Youth National Team for two years, Johnston had a chance to play under Michigan head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi, who was also the head coach of the Youth National Team for two cycles.
"I've had the opportunity to work with her the last three years," said Leonardi. "So coming into Michigan, we already had a great foundation with a strong relationship and communication. Freshmen generally struggle at first with language and terminology, but she understands my coaching style and expectations, and I think that's awesome."
Leonardi also mentioned that some of the attributes that stood out for Johnston were her approach to the game, attention to detail, physicality and intelligence. Her role with the U.S. team was primarily as a center defender with so many talented scorers on the roster, but Leonardi says she is one of the best at both ends of the pool.
"I think she's one of the best two-way players in the country in her age group," said Leonardi. "She can defend the two-meter position, she can be a perimeter defender, but I think one aspect of her game that's underrated is her ability to score."
Junior Kim Johnson, who played on the same club team as Johnston, agreed with Leonardi that she is excellent on both defense and offense.
"She came in able to play at the same level as our returners because she already knew the system," said Johnson. "She is good at getting open and reading situations to take advantage of opportunities. She is considered a lockdown defender but she also has a gnarly shot from the outside."
The familiarity Johnston had with Leonardi and his system of play has been a benefit for Johnston since coming to Michigan, but truth be told Johnston never saw herself leaving California.
"My parents told me to give every school a chance," said Johnston. "I decided to come here for my junior day and I was introduced to so many great things that other schools didn't have. The academic support, focus on nutrition and team culture was something I was inspired by. I really wanted to be a part of this team."
Johnston knew leaving her junior day that she wanted to leave California after all.
It helped that the Wolverines program wasn't completely foreign to her. She had known Kim and Danielle Johnson from her club days, while senior Caroline Anderson was also from the Bay Area and the two had played against each other in high school. After national signing day, she got a chance to play with U-M freshman Heidi Ritner at the FINA Youth World Championships.
"They made leaving California much easier and gave me a lot of insight into what the team was really about," said Johnston.
Now that she is a part of the team, Johnston is taking advantage of all that Michigan has to offer. The resources that stood out on her visit are now available to her as she can utilize anything from tutors at the academic center to the nutrition stations in the training facility. As a student, she is thinking about majoring in movement science, specifically the INOM program which is intraoperative neuromonitoring.
"I'm really intrigued to see the way the brain works and how our behaviors and environment can condition us to be who we are," Johnston said.
By playing for Leonardi in the Team USA pipeline, Johnston is conditioned to get off to a fast start to her college career at the University of Michigan.
