Player Profile – Liam Hansen (Selborne College)
Individual brilliance in team sports is almost guaranteed, with each team usually armed with one or two players that stick out from the rest of the pack.
That brilliance is often spotted from a young age, then groomed and nurtured into a powerful force.
However, the true value of a player with individual brilliance is his or her ability to contribute those skills to a team, through a willingness to be a team player at all times, thus helping to make each of the other team members better players.
One player who has excelled in this department is Selborne’s College rising water polo star, Liam Hansen.
He provides a vital cog in the Selborne first team, with his skills and leadership delivering important attributes to the unit. His knack for goalscoring, linking up with teammates, and fighting for his side to the final whistle, sets him apart.
Hansen has represented Buffalo City at the annual Inter-Provincial Water Polo Tournament since he was u14 and during the past two campaigns he has led the provincial side.
This coming weekend, he and his team will seek to capture Selborne’s first Vides Trophy since 2017, when they host the tournament.
In an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools, he spoke about where his love for water polo began, his achievements in the pool, and his team’s objectives for the 2024 season.
The beginning
Selborne College is renowned for its rich sporting history, having produced many household names across the sporting codes the school offers.
However, the school’s swimming pools and corridors were not always familiar territory for Hansen, who began his schooling almost 30 minutes away at Hudson Park. That’s where he met a teacher who encouraged him to take up the sport.
“I attended Hudson Park Primary School from grade R to grade 7, before moving across to Selborne College in my grade 9 year,” Hansen said.
“I am extremely thankful to Mr Le Roux Loock, who is now teaching at Grey Bloem, who persuaded me to try out for water polo in grade 7.
“I tried the sport out and immediately fell in love with it. I had been a provincial swimmer but gave up swimming at that time as I preferred the idea of playing a team sport in the pool.”
That nudge from Mr Loock received further fuel when Hansen, in grade 7, joined East London’s Eagles Water Polo Club.
There, he met two young but very influential coaches, who both spotted something special about the way he played the game.
Hansen said their guidance in the water and out of it contributed to the player he is today.
“I joined Eagles Polo Club during my grade 7 year and grew from strength to strength under the coaching wings of Ms. Hannah Muller and Mr Khanyisa Mpumlwana,” he reckoned.
“They kept encouraging me to pursue water polo and build on my natural talents.
“After making the Border IPT u14 team in grade 8, under the coaching of Mr Storm Siebert, he constantly encouraged me, guided me, and supported me in working hard to improve my skills.
“The coaches I have mentioned contributed to my dream of becoming an SA player one day.”
Finding the balance:
Despite being only 17 years old, with little experience in the first team, what he has achieved in the pool is impressive.
In the past two years, Hansen has scooped up four awards, which speak to his impact in the water. Firstly, he shared the award for the Most Promising Junior Water Polo Player at Selborne in 2022. Then, he went on to claim the “Most Valuable Player” award at the Ian Mellier Tournament in Cape Town.
Last year, he laid claim to the same award at the 2023 Nick Rey DHS U16 Water Polo Tournament in Durban, steering Selborne to the title, before leading the Buffalo City u16 side to a bronze medal at last year’s IPT in Gqeberha.
He does admit, though, that a busy schedule in the pool and classroom can get tiring, but knowing his priorities and receiving the support of his family keeps him focussed on the main goal.
“It isn’t always easy, especially when fatigue kicks in,” he admitted. “However, my mom helps me stay focussed and I try to work consistently as much as possible.
“Paying good attention in class is also important, as well as finding a balance between sport, academics, and private time.”
Teamwork makes the dream work:
As the first part of this year’s season draws closer to its conclusion, Selborne has a shot at adding to the silverware they’ve already won this term.
Coach Storm Siebert’s side finished in sixth place at the SAC Shield in Makhanda last month against an elite field. A week later, they successfully defended their ITEC Grey College Water Polo Tournament title in Bloemfontein.
This term, they will participate in two more tournaments, the Vides and the KES Water Polo Tournament, early next month.
Hansen says Selborne has big goals and ambitions for those events, and teamwork will be critical if they are to succeed.
“Our team dynamic is very special, as we are all good friends, and we work very well together, focussing on team performance and continual improvement, rather than individual success,” he said.
“We have quite a young team, but we are going from strength to strength, and I am confident that we have earned our spot in the big tournaments as we strive to play a very competitive game of water polo.
“We are aiming to do very well at our very own Vides Tournament, and also hoping to make the quarterfinals at both the annual KES Festival in Johannesburg and the SACS Festival in Cape Town, towards the end of the year.”
Selborne has been drawn in Pool C for the Vides this weekend, where they’ll face Woodridge College, Reddam House Constantia, and Wynberg Boys’ High.
They open their campaign against Wynberg on Thursday at 17:40 in the final match of day one.
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