Sea Kings’ Pearson a dominant force in pool

Chris Yemma

When most high school seniors go on senior trips abroad, they usually

go to soak in the culture, sightsee and to see what life is like in

other parts of the world.

Thomas Pearson went to soak in the pool for eight hours a day. But

not the lounge pool -- the polo pool.

Pearson, a senior and team captain water polo player at Corona del

Mar High, traveled to France and Italy this past summer to sharpen

his polo skills for the 2004 season, his last high school season.

He ended up playing eight hours a day along the French and Italian

Riveras, and then going out to sightsee after the games and workouts

were done. He traveled with the Long Beach Shore team, which he got

to know through practicing with them earlier in the summer.

What the trip did for him, aside from providing a tan, was pivotal

in opening his eyes to the professional opportunities of water polo.

“I saw the professional light in Italy,” Pearson said. “The sport

is way more popular over there than it is here.”

Corona del Mar water polo coach Sam Bailey thinks Pearson is the

type of person and player who will succeed in post-college water

polo. But it’s up to how badly he wants it, Bailey said.

Currently, Pearson is the go-to man for the Sea Kings. He is the

team scoring leader, with 44 goals this season. He averages at least

three goals per game, but has scored up to seven -- an 11-10 loss to

Servite on Sept. 23.

And with the Sea Kings being 3-0 in league (13-7 overall), he has

the chance to lead the team to a Pacific Coast League title and maybe

more.

“I’m doing whatever [Bailey] wants me to do,” Pearson said. “I’ve

been helping the team win. My role is to score and I have been doing

well at it.”

Pearson has other roles on the team, as well. Being team captain,

he has a leadership role. He said he provides the team with the

motivation it needs before each game.

“I joke around with [the players], but when it comes time for a

game, I get serious,” he said. “I bring attitude to the team and I

tell them we have to be strong, we have to overcome fear and go out

and kick some [tail]. I get them pumped.”

Pearson is currently being recruited by numerous Division I

colleges. He said he plans to attend a “highly esteemed” four-year

university and play water polo. The most likely candidate, he said,

would be UC Berkeley.

Bailey said the college game is unique in the sense that it is a

pyramid -- only the top high school players go on to play in college,

with every sport. But he also said, some players with less ability in

high school go out and work hard and do well in college.

But Pearson is not one to lack the ability, Bailey said.

“Thomas’ skills will definitely give him advantages,” he said.

“He’s a dominant force in the pool who combines his size, shooting

ability and knowledge with his speed.”