Amphibian of UCLA sports

Published: Thursday, May 11, 1995

Molly Barnes has competed in both soccer, water polo

By Emmanuelle Ejercito

One if by land, two if by sea.

No, the British aren't coming. But when Paul Revere was riding through Boston, maybe he was announcing which sport Molly Barnes was playing soccer or water polo.

Barnes, a sophomore from Cupertino, Calif., is a two-sport letter winner for UCLA. Although the UCLA women's water polo team has several players that participate in two sports Megan Oesting and Jill Buckley both compete for the women's swimming and water polo team Barnes is the only player who plays on both land and in water.

Athletics has played a major role throughout Barnes' life. At Monta Vista High School, Barnes played five sports: field hockey, swimming, basketball and of course soccer and water polo. She received the Most Valuable Player award in swimming three years in a row and was named her soccer team's defensive MVP her senior year.

"I was your typical tomboy," Barnes said.

After high school, Barnes went on to play soccer for California. However, during her senior year in high school, Barnes suffered from a near-fatal ruptured spleen. Because of her injury, she decided to redshirt her freshman year at Cal to the dismay of her coaches.

"I had an attitude where I needed to redshirt," Barnes said. "I was released to play, but I wasn't mentally with it to play. The coach got on me for wanting to redshirt. He didn't think that that was a good attitude. He thought that I should just want to play right away. He kept the injury hanging over my head and I didn't think he was ever going to give me a chance to play."

Knowing that UCLA was starting a new soccer program, Barnes decided to transfer.

"Coming here I knew that it would be a perfect opportunity for me to step up and play," Barnes said. "I figured that I had nothing to lose and I wasn't ready to give up soccer. I had to prove to myself that I could play at this level."

Although her injuries she has tendonitis in her knees hindered Barnes this season, she played a pivotal defensive role during last year's season. In 1993, Barnes started in all 17 of the women's soccer games, and finished the season with the most minutes played on the team by clocking in 1,553 minutes.

"Soccer has always been my first love. It has always been what I've done, and I have always identified myself as a soccer player," Barnes said. "But I'm having a great time playing water polo. It's been a good change of scenery for me."

Barnes did not begin playing water polo until she reached high school. With a strong swimming background, and a brother, Tony, playing on the U.S. National water polo team, water polo was a natural transition for her.

Hoping that playing a water sport would be therapeutic for her knees, and with the urging of her brother and parents, Barnes decided to play water polo at the college level. As a member of UCLA women's water polo team, she has proven to be a valuable part of the team.

"She is one of our best defensive players in water polo," UCLA head coach Guy Baker said. "She has a real good feel for the game. She does a great job stealing the ball, and she swims real well too. She's an excellent defensive player."

Although the two sports are quite different, one is played on land using one's feet and the other is played in water using one's hands, Barnes the soccer player has helped Barnes the water polo player.

"It helps me a lot that I have the game sense from soccer and can bring it to water polo," Barnes said. "I'm really inexperienced, but I can swim, and I've seen so much of water polo that I know what's going on."

However, playing two sports can be physically draining. Barnes does not have an off-season to rest. When soccer finishes its season, water polo is just beginning. However, with the tough competition to make the soccer team, Barnes felt the need to continue to train for soccer as well as compete for water polo.

"I knew that I had to play and prove myself during spring soccer if I wanted a chance to play next year," Barnes said. "I tried to do both and I was practicing five hours a day and I couldn't do it. I was miserable doing it."

After talking with the water polo and soccer coaches, Barnes decided to stay with water polo.

"It may come to haunt me next fall, but right now I'm happy," Barnes said. "I made a commitment to water polo and I'm happy with that choice. I'm going with it and I'm not going to look back and dwell on it."

"It would be a big loss if we lost her," Baker said. "She is a good quality athlete."

As for her future, Barnes hopes to continue her athletic tradition.

"When college is over, as long as I can still play at the recreational level, as long as I can go out there and kick a soccer ball, or swim, I'll be happy with that," Barnes said. "There will be a time to move on. As long as they don't take away the sport from me, I'm happy with it."