If there is one coach who epitomizes the resilient character of NCAA varsity water polo, it’s Pat Beemer. Now entering his second year with the La Verne women—he’s also the mens’ coach—over a two decade span as both player and coach, the Southern California native has traversed the country in pursuit of polo.
After a college career playing goalie for the Tritons of UC San Diego (1996-97), Beemer’s first collegiate head coaching opportunity came from the other side of the country. Beemer helped to establish Wagner College in New York City as a perennial contender for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) title and with it, automatic entry to the national championship. He guided the Seahawk women to NCAA berths in 2005 and 2007, then moved to Indiana in 2010 as the associate head coach under Barry King. While in Bloomington, Beemer helped to orchestrate another NCAA run, this time in 2011, when the Hoosiers placed sixth at the national championships.
A rewarding stint at Caltech (2013-2015) was coaching the Beaver men, who—winless the previous two years—produced seven wins by his second season in Pasadena. That position was a spring board to Loretto, PA, where he inaugurated a new women’s polo program at Saint Francis University, guiding the Red Flash to their first-ever postseason victory in 2017.
Beemer and his boys. Photo Courtesy: La Verene Athletics
Returning home in 2018 to SoCal to coach the Leopards, in his first year at La Verne, Beemer guided three all-conference athletes including Jassmine Kezman, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Newcomer of the Year. Under his tutelage, Kezman was also named First Team ACWPC All-American, while teammates Jasmine Bustamante and Shelby Garcia garnered All-American honorable mentions.
Prior to his team’s season opener next month against Sonoma State, Beemer spoke with Swimming World about his passion for polo and what’s next in his peripatetic schedule.
– You’ve coached all over the country and now you’ve essentially come back home. How important is that, given all your polo experiences all over America?
Coaching in various parts of the country has exposed me to the variance of our game, both in style of play and how its officiated. My past experiences at different institutions have shaped me into the coach I am today. I wouldn’t change any of them. That said, I’m elated to be home. Snow is awful.
– You’re now entering your second year with the Leopard men and women. How have the teams changed under your leadership?
When I got to La Verne, both teams were full of dedicated and ambitious student-athletes. The only problem was that our roster sizes were too small. Invariably, depth was a challenge in grueling games. Now in year two, my staff and I bolstered both squads with kids who complement the vision of the program.
– The Sage Hens of Pomona-Pitzer have had a virtual lock on the SCIAC title the last two seasons for both the men and the women. What will it take for that to change?
There’s no question Coach Alex Rodriguez and his staff are doing great things at Pomona. In order to unseat the perennial champion, we need a solid combination of recruiting, developing and executing.
– Jassmine Kezman was a force for the Leopards in 2018. What’s reasonable to expect from your super sophomore in her second year at Le Verne and from your women this season?
Jassmine Kezman is an impressive newcomer for the Leopards. Photo Courtesy: La Verne Athletics
The coaching staff at La Verne knew we had something special in Kezman going into the 2018 campaign. She didn’t disappoint. She’s an incredibly hard worker, fiercely competitive and now has a collegiate season under her belt. We think it’s reasonable to expect another strong performance from her in 2019. We also think it’s reasonable that she finds herself on most opponents’ game plans.
– There’s been a push to bring more women’s programs on line. This is obviously important for the present and future of the sport in America but you know first-hand the challenges for these programs to be competitive.
The push to bring more women’s programs online is incredibly exciting for the future of the sport. More and more institutions are recognizing that, if you have a pool, starting a water polo program is cost-efficient and statistically populates your student body with high academic achievers.
Getting a fledging program off the ground is a wonderful challenge, especially when the school doesn’t have a ton of name recognition. Being competitive out of the gate is certainly a challenge, but every win is savored and every loss is learned from.
There are a million growing pains with a new program; facility, scheduling, budget, which conference, etc. Ultimately, however, populating the program with athletes who will represent the institution well and buy into the program is most important. Fill your roster with those kids and competitive results will follow.