Rogers a Fireball in the Water
11/21/2017 3:05:00 PM | Water Polo, Features
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan water polo head coach Dr. Marcelo Leonardi described the first time he saw freshman Kathy Rogers as watching an explosive fireball in the water.
Leonardi was in The Hague, Netherlands, on a recruiting trip at the European U19 Water Polo Championships in September 2016. However, the player he went to watch was not the one who ended up coming to Michigan. Instead, he found himself watching Rogers play for Great Britain against Greece and Croatia.
"Kathy was up and down, swimming past people, countering out of two meters, just a lot of energy in the water," said Leonardi. "I added her to my list and at the end of the tournament I approached her about coming to Michigan."
Rogers had never been to the United States but had been thinking for a few months prior to that moment about playing collegiately in America. She took one trip to Ann Arbor and that's all it took for her to know Michigan was the place for her.
"In Britain, there isn't loads of opportunity to continue playing water polo," said Rogers. "The collegiate system in the U.S. is unique to the entire world. I came in October and was super excited to come to America. I arrived and the whole place was amazing."
She decided on her visit that she wanted to come to Michigan.
At the end of practices, Leonardi will often have the team line up for a short swim set. First to the wall is Rogers -- that explosive fireball in the water.
"I would say my swim speed and speed endurance are strengths," said Rogers, who won eight of her 11 sprints and scored a pair of goals at the Collegiate Cup Nov. 4-5.
Playing in a utility position for Leonardi, Rogers' speed and athleticism creates matchup problems for opponents on both ends of the pool.Â
"As a water polo player she lives in fifth gear," said Leonardi. "Her explosiveness, athleticism and activity in the water creates a lot of issues for teams."
Rogers comes from a very athletic family. Her mother, Jill, is a British Triathlete, competing in the 55-59 age group, most recently at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Sept. 17. Her two brothers, James and Ali, are also triathletes. James was on the Loughborough triathlon team and is now competing in the 20-24 age group for Great Britain. Ali was the 2013 European champion and is an elite triathlete training at Leeds University. Their father, Ted, played field hockey.
Kathy has played a lot of different sports including triathlon, swimming, netball, field hockey, track & field, skiing, cricket, soccer and rugby. She got into water polo after her brothers started playing at their swim club.
Last summer Rogers led the Great Britain senior national team to the EU Nations Cup championship. It was a big step for the British water polo team, which had its funding withdrawn by UK Sport in 2014. Rogers hopes that continued success by her national team will lead to the program once again receiving funding in the future.
"There are girls and coaches committed to the cause of rebuilding the senior team," said Rogers. "I definitely want to help create more opportunities in Britain for water polo at the grass roots and elite level."
Moving to a new country and trying to grow her sport back home is a lot for a 19-year old but Rogers has the maturity to do so. She gained that maturity over the last two years.
After going to the Ballard School for two years she decided to move to London for her final two years of high school, living on her own while attending the Trinity School of John Whitgift.
"Living semi-independently, I learned a lot of skills," said Rogers. "I had to get myself from place to place and be organized with going to school, making meals and practicing. I was really busy all the time and it taught me to appreciate my parents."
The organization and time management skills she acquired along with the experience of living on her own for two years helped make her move to Ann Arbor a seamless transition. She has also received a lot of support from her coaches, teammates and staff to allow her to go out and be that explosive fireball in the water.Â
