Happy Friday the 13th! 🖤

Do not worry. We are not superstitious around here. We are just a little stitious. (If you know, you know.)

But seriously, if you are looking for bad luck today, you will not find it in PSD athletics. Our spring sports are rolling, our athletes are competing, and we have nothing but good vibes heading into the weekend.

This week, we are spotlighting Girls Water Polo, one of the most physically demanding sports we offer. If you have never watched a water polo match, you are missing out. It is intense, it is fast-paced, and it requires toughness you cannot train for on dry land.

We are also talking about something every athlete (and parent) needs to understand: nutrition and fueling performance. What you eat matters. How you fuel your body before, during, and after competition can make or break your performance. Here is what student-athletes need to know to compete at their best.

Time to get into it!

Water polo deserves more attention.

If you have never watched a water polo game, here is what you need to know: it is one of the most physically demanding sports in existence.

You are treading water for the entire game. No breaks, no touching the bottom. You are constantly moving, defending, attacking, and battling for position. And you are doing all of this while passing, shooting, and trying not to get elbowed in the face.

Water polo requires endurance, strength, strategy, and mental toughness. It is not for everyone. But the athletes who play it? They are built different. Both Peninsula and Gig Harbor have girls water polo programs this spring, and these athletes are ready to compete.

The Peninsula Seahawks are back in the pool this spring with a veteran squad ready to compete. With six seniors leading the way, this team brings experience, leadership, and a deep understanding of the game.

Senior leadership matters in water polo. These athletes have spent years mastering the fundamentals, learning defensive positioning, building conditioning, and developing the mental toughness required to compete at a high level. They know what it takes to win in the pool, and they are setting the standard for the rest of the team.

The Seahawks also have three juniors and two sophomores rounding out the roster, bringing energy, skill, and a hunger to prove themselves. This mix of veteran leadership and emerging talent creates a competitive environment where athletes push each other to get better every single day.

Water polo is not a sport you can fake your way through. It requires commitment, conditioning, and the willingness to do hard things. The Peninsula girls water polo team is putting in the work, and they are ready to represent the Seahawks in the pool this spring.

Good luck this season, Seahawks!

The Tides Girls Water Polo program has deep roots. The program dates back to the late 1990s, and in 2002, PSD began to fully support Girls Water Polo at both Peninsula and Gig Harbor.

Currently, Girls Water Polo is not recognized as an official WIAA sport. The Tides participate in the Puget Sound Water Polo League (both Boys and Girls), which follows all WIAA rules. This season, GHHS competes in Division 1, which consists of the top 6 teams from last year's State Championship. The Tides placed 5th at State last season.

Historically, the Tides have had great success with their Girls Water Polo program. From 2008 to 2019, the Tides reached the State Championship game 12 years in a row, winning 7 State titles during that stretch. That is dominance. That is a program built on tradition, hard work, and a culture of winning. Since the COVID pandemic, the Tides have faced challenges filling their roster. Before COVID, it was common for the team to average over 20 athletes. Since 2021, numbers have hovered around 12 or less. This lack of participation presents challenges, but the athletes on this year's team are stepping up to carry on the Tides tradition.

This season, the Tides have 12 athletes on the roster. The team is a mix of about 6 veterans and 6 athletes new to the sport. Since the beginning of the season, the team has been working on conditioning, game strategy, learning rules, and getting to know each other better.

Returning players from last season include seniors Lauren Elliott and Jenna Nelson, who are providing veteran leadership. Juniors Eva Dahlin and Alex Ensminger are also bolstering the Tides lineup. Sophomore Naomi Crosby will be another helpful addition to the team's success this season. An exciting new addition to the Tides is freshman goalie Annika Shearer, who has been involved with the Narrows Water Polo Club for four years. Having a goalie with that level of experience is huge for a program.

The Tides will play 15+ regular season games and will participate in the State Championship tournament over Memorial Day weekend. The team is highly motivated and enthusiastic about the upcoming season, which began on Saturday with the Curtis Jamboree.

Coach Kelly shared the team's goal: "Play hard, have fun, and learn more about the sport, as well as ourselves."

Good luck this season, Tides. You are carrying on a legacy, and we are proud of you!

Nutrition does not get enough attention in high school athletics.

What you eat matters. How you fuel your body before, during, and after competition can be the difference between performing at your best and hitting a wall halfway through the game.

You would not put cheap gas in a high-performance car and expect it to run at its best, right? Same concept. Your body is the engine. Food is the fuel. If you want to perform like an athlete, you need to eat like one.

Here is what every student-athlete (and parent) needs to know about nutrition and fueling performance.

Your body needs energy to perform. That energy comes from the food you eat.

When you eat the right foods at the right times, you:

✅ Have more energy during practice and games

✅ Recover faster after workouts

✅ Build and maintain muscle

✅ Stay focused and mentally sharp

✅ Reduce your risk of injury and illness

When you eat poorly or skip meals altogether, you:

❌ Run out of energy quickly

❌ Feel sluggish and unfocused

❌ Take longer to recover

❌ Increase your risk of getting injured or sick

Nutrition is not just about looking a certain way or hitting a specific weight. It is about giving your body what it needs to perform at its best.

Here is the basic breakdown:

What you eat before a game matters. Here is the goal: give your body enough energy to perform without feeling heavy or sluggish.

2-3 hours before competition: Eat a balanced meal with carbs, protein, and a little healthy fat.

Examples:

30-60 minutes before competition: If you need a quick snack, go for something light and easy to digest.

Examples:

For most sports, water is all you need during competition.

For longer events (over 60-90 minutes), sports drinks with electrolytes can help replace what you are losing through sweat.

Take small sips throughout the game. Do not wait until you are dying of thirst.

What you eat after a game or practice is just as important as what you eat before.

Your body needs:

Examples:

The sooner you refuel, the faster you will recover and be ready for the next practice or game!

❌ Skipping breakfast: You just went 8+ hours without food. Your body needs fuel. Eat something.

❌ Not eating enough: If you are training hard, you need more calories than someone who is sedentary. Do not under-fuel.

❌ Eating junk all the time: It is okay to have treats sometimes, but if your diet is mostly fast food and candy, your performance will suffer.

❌ Not drinking enough water: Hydration affects everything: energy, focus, recovery. Drink water all day long.

❌ Trying fad diets: Cutting out entire food groups or drastically restricting calories is a bad idea for athletes. You need fuel to perform.

You cannot out-train a bad diet.

You can work hard in practice. You can lift weights. You can run sprints. But if you are not fueling your body properly, you will never reach your full potential.

Food is fuel. Treat it that way, and watch your performance improve!

🥎 PHS Girls Softball Varsity

🥎 GHHS Girls Softball Varsity

TUESDAY, MARCH 17 🍀 Happy St. Patrick's Day!

⛳ GHHS Boys Golf Varsity

⛳ PHS Girls Golf Varsity

⛳ PHS Boys Golf Varsity

⚾ PHS Boys Baseball Varsity

⚾ GHHS Boys Baseball Varsity

⚽ GHHS Boys Soccer Varsity

⚽ PHS Boys Soccer Varsity

🥎 PHS/GHHS Girls Softball Varsity

⚾ GHHS Boys Baseball Varsity

⚾ PHS Boys Baseball Varsity

⛳ PHS Boys Golf Varsity

🎾 PHS Girls Tennis Varsity

⛳ PHS Girls Golf Varsity

🎾 GHHS Girls Tennis Varsity

⚽ GHHS/PHS Boys Soccer Varsity

🥎 PHS Girls Softball Varsity

⚾ PHS Boys Baseball Varsity

🥎 GHHS Girls Softball Varsity

🤽 GHHS Girls Water Polo

Schedules are subject to change due to weather, facility availability, or other unforeseen circumstances. Check with your coaches, athletic director, or school for updates!

We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about the Playbook or PSD athletics, please reach out to us at athletics@psd401.net

Your input helps us make our programs and communications even better!