In the heart of every fierce water polo match, there is one player that stands out in particular, not just for her skill, but for her unwavering leadership. With an eager, strategic mind and an incredible ability to inspire her team, Bridget Sullivan, a senior at Pennridge High School and captain of the women’s water polo team, continues to navigate her role as a leader each day.
Sullivan led the team in shots this year, something that is crucial in the sport of water polo. Each game, she took several shots and was not afraid to miss. One of her most impressive games this season was against Souderton on Sept. 12. She shot 11 times and made six of them. In that same game, she had two steals, an assist, and a block. Jenna Anselmo, Bridget’s lifelong inspiration and swim and water polo coach, talked a little bit about Sullivan as a player. “Bridget can see plays before they happen. She sees a shot and takes it,” Jenna said. She also described her work ethic and attitude as a water polo player. “Bridget knows what she wants out of a season,” Anselmo remarked. “She never misses a practice- always on time and always prepared.”
It is no secret that water polo is an extremely demanding sport to play. The team holds water polo practices every day after school, early morning swim practices before school, and dry land conditioning. This amount of dedication to a sport can sometimes take a toll on mental health. Especially as someone who plays almost the entire game, Sullivan shared that she often feels “burnt out”. However, this does not stop her from giving 110%. She understands her obligation to the team, and as a team captain, she knows that she can not give up when times are hard.
The main reason Sullivan can sustain her ability to play is because of her leadership role as captain. She takes her label as a “Team Captain” very seriously, and channels her devotion into her actions. She is always the first one to make an effort to talk to the underclassmen, offer them rides, give them advice, and cheer them on. These small efforts go a long way, and it is one of the reasons why Sullivan was voted one of the captains. “She just has a way of bringing everyone together,” Anselmo remarked. “They all circle around her.”
Laney Sayre, one of Sullivan’s best friends and teammates for over ten years, also commented on her personality. “Bridget is just an approachable and relatable person. The underclassmen go to her because they feel comfortable and accepted.” Other teammates say that Sullivan has been the biggest “hype person” for the team over the last four years. She gets everyone excited and pumped for games by listening to and singing along to her famous pre-game playlist, participating in team spirit days at school, and laughing with her teammates. She has a unique way of balancing her fun side with her serious side, which is what makes Sullivan so special.
Sullivan’s family are her biggest supporters. Her parents, Mary Kate and Dave attended almost every single home game to cheer her on, no matter what the outcome of the game was. Her siblings also are a huge part of her life. Her sister Maggie and her two brothers Joe and Jack show intense care and love for Bridget. She is especially close with Maggie and continues to look up to her. Maggie was on the Pennridge water polo team when she was in high school, and ultimately was the one to convince her to give it a chance. Sullivan takes pride in her sister’s water polo legacy at Pennridge and is proud to carry it on.
As captain, Sullivan made it a goal of hers to get water polo more recognition. It is a sport that is often pushed to the side by other, bigger sports. She believes the hard work of her and her teammates deserves to be recognized as much as other sports. This season, she made a great effort to encourage people to come out and “pack the nat”, which means “pack the natatorium”.
As a person, Bridget is always looking to help people. In the summertime, she works as a lifeguard and swim lessons instructor at Menlo Pool. During the winter, she works as a lifeguard at the high school. She has a passion for teaching kids and always surrounds herself with the Pennridge aquatic community. Her future goals embody this idea of contributing to her community. Bridget plans on attending college to study nursing and is excited to spend her life helping those in need. She will not be playing water polo at the division level as she wants to focus on her studies. However, she hopes to play club water polo and continue her athletic career on that path.
Anselmo’s final statement about Bridget was, “You can tell that she loves everyone on this team and that she wants everyone to love this sport as much as she does.” Bridget Sullivan is a remarkable athlete, friend, captain, and student. Her passion and pure love for the Pennridge water polo community will not be forgotten, as she has transformed the program in so many ways.
