Amr’s impact is far-reaching

Steve Virgen

If Omar Amr’s wingspan was relative to his height he would probably

be dunking basketballs rather than playing water polo.

Amr, a UC Irvine product, stands 5 feet, 11 inches, but when he

spreads his arms out something weird happens.

“If you measure my wingspan, from hand to hand, that is 6-11,”

said Amr, who is one of five UCI products on the U.S. men’s water

polo team that will be in the Olympics in Athens, Greece, Aug. 15-29.

“I think I should have been taller. My feet are too big, too. I don’t

know what the heck happened.”

Amr’s unique body frame typifies his persona. He is a modern-day

renaissance man, refined, yet blue-collar when it comes to his

progress shown when making the Olympic team.

Amr, a student of Harvard Medical School, nearly made the Olympic

team four years ago. Yes, 2000 was a pivotal year for Amr, who was

not even recruited out of Sunny Hills High and was a walk-on at UCI

in 1992.

Amr had a breakout year of sorts in 2000, raising eyebrows with

his heady play and aggressive defense, said UCI’s legendary coach Ted

Newland, who also worked with Amr while competing for the Newport

Harbor Water Polo Foundation.

While Amr’s confidence had a great deal to do with his success, it

was his extraordinary work ethic that caused him to eventually earn a

spot on the 2004 U.S. Olympic men’s water polo team.

“You don’t find many guys like him anymore,” Newland said. “He

just puts in more time and works harder than other people. He is very

self-disciplined. He came to Irvine as a swimmer and he came out for

water polo. I just liked him. He wasn’t afraid of the bigger people.

He just really worked hard.”

While at UCI, Amr was an All-American in 1994, ’95 and ’96. Amr’s

underdog story at UCI will always have a special place in Newland’s

heart.

“Over the years, we have become really close,” Newland said. “We

get along great. I really admire the guy. He’s done an outstanding

job. He’s my kind of human being.”

Amr also has a great deal of respect for Newland, affectionately

known by his players as, “the old man.”

“The thing about Newland is that he gives everyone a chance,” Amr

said. “He’s great. I walked on the team and I was a nobody. I was

5-8, 154 pounds. But the way it was, was if you put work into it,

Newland will put work into you. He’ll die for his players. The Irvine

guys all have that mentality. We all look out for each other. And,

you always know what you get with the Irvine players. They’re always

tough. That has a lot to do with the old man.”

Because of Amr’s special relationship with Newland, Amr was able

to acquire confidence because of the admiration Newland had for him.

When it came time to tryout for the Olympics in 2000, Amr was ready

to play.

“In 2000, I made a huge jump,” Amr said of his game. “Had I been

playing the four years going into 2000 like I was that year, I would

have made the team. It took me awhile to get that confidence. But I

also just didn’t care anymore. I was always worried about making the

team. It’s hard to play with the worry. I just let it all go and gave

everything I could.”

Out of the pool, Amr applies his hard work to his career, which

also continues to develop in medical school. Amr will continue his

rotations when he comes back from the Olympics, and will work at two

hospitals in Boston.

“I’m going to do surgery, pediatrics, so many things,” Amr said

with excitement. “I get to choose what internships I want. I will

decide what I want to do as a career. But I love so many things.”