Trent Batten, a senior on the water polo team, has been playing at the varsity level all four years. He has progressively gotten better every year.
Batten started his first season of water polo and scored 16 goals, then sophomore year came with some improvements. He scored 84 goals in his sophomore year, blowing his freshman season out of the water. Then came his junior season with a nice improvement as he scored 107 goals. Now after just 10 games this season, he is on track to beat his junior record.
While Battens’ numbers have improved, so has the team’s numbers. Last year’s team placed sixth in the state. Batten thinks they will finish even better this year.
“The great thing is we only lost one senior, so we’re practically the same team we were last year. We can take everything we learned from last year and apply it to this year and hopefully be a top three team,” Batten.
Currently Batten is a top five scorer in the St. Louis area and has been leading his team with 55 goals, 32 assists and 142 points in just 10 games.
“Well, the way I think about my game has definitely changed. For example, I used to be very tense and very aggressive when I would play. But now I’m more relaxed. I’m more thinking about the next play rather than I guess something like a mistake I just made,” Batten said.
Batten came into high school and was immediately put on the varsity water polo team because he was already very good at the sport.
“He [Batten] is easily the strongest athlete I have ever worked with,” Coach Brett Walters said, “and in my opinion there truly isn’t anyone in Missouri that can stop him defensively when he is matched up one on one, which is why I believe he has a legitimate chance to be player of the year in Missouri this year.”
High School water polo is one thing, but Batten also plays for a club team called SLAP. This club is a team filled with all of the best players from the St. Louis area.
“Club is important because it improves your skills. You can also see how other players play. So when high school season comes, you know what they’re gonna do, you know how they act and how to defend them and how to play against them,” Batten said.
Batten has just a few weeks remaining in his high school career. The team is playing in the Lindbergh Invitational this week. They wrap up the regular season in the John Burroughs Invitational, April 26-27. Then it’s on to districts.
Battens is looking forward to a big finish. He feels his team can compete with any team in the state.
“We’re a part of that top group,” Batten said. “I think there’s no reason why we can’t beat any team that we face.”
