Michael Randazzo is a contract contributor at Water Polo Planet. He covers polo everywhere in the United States for WPP and different publications, together with the Collegiate Water Polo Affiliation, Skip Shot, The New York Occasions, Swimming World, Whole Water Polo and others. He lives in Brooklyn along with his spouse and two youngsters and roots for St. Francis Brooklyn polo.
Point out of the identify “Steffens” brings to thoughts Maggie Steffens, who—with two Olympic golds and three NCAA titles—is arguably one of many biggest Individuals to ever play water polo. Or Jessica, a two-time Group USA Olympian who in 2012 claimed gold along with her sister in London.
However the patriarch of the Steffens clan is father Carlos; in 1976 he arrived in america for a collegiate profession at Cal-Berkeley beneath legendary coach Pete Cutino. An NCAA champion in 1977, the elder Steffens was a three-time All-American—and such a drive for Cal that he earned grudging respect from Dante Dettamanti. The eight-time NCAA-winning coach with Stanford, together with the 1978 title over Steffens and the Golden Bears in triple additional time, threw a uncommon bouquet of reward.
“That man was so powerful, boy I inform you,” Dettamanti stated lately to Steve Carrera in a podcast. “He was powerful in each side of the sport—protection, offense. He may play any place.”
Earlier than he was a star in Berkeley, Steffens was a legend in his homeland of Puerto Rico, beginning in 1970 with the On line casino de Puerto Rico membership in San Juan.
Recognized affectionately as “Kaki,” Steffens is a member of the best technology of polo gamers within the island’s historical past. In a current interview with Water Polo Planet, he spoke about his journey to the mainland for polo, the ups and downs of the game in his Puerto Rico, his youngsters’s success, and the way a sequence of likelihood encounters with influential Individuals assist launch a polo dynasty.
– When did you start enjoying water polo?
I used to be 10 years and a swimmer for a small membership. There was a match in Puerto Rico in 1969 when the New York Athletic Membership got here throughout Christmas. I noticed that and favored it.
Water polo in Puerto Rico for little youngsters was simply starting. We didn’t have cages or targets. We might put out wooden chairs with a bit of wooden, and shoot in between the chairs. I used to be a tall lanky man, so I used to be a goalie. However I didn’t like folks capturing the ball at me! I’d moderately shoot the ball at [someone else].
We began at 10 however we actually didn’t begin enjoying in a league till 11. Our first league sport, there was an enormous storm in San Juan and our mother and father informed us we couldn’t play. There was a workforce from the opposite aspect of the island from two and a half hours away and so they confirmed up.
We misplaced our first sport by forfeit as a result of we didn’t present. So our coach determined [that] we had been going to cancel the entire yr of the league. It was the suitable transfer as a result of he knew we weren’t prepared. We had one other yr, and this membership we performed for, we received each championship— apart from one yr—from 12 to 18 years previous.
– What was the identify of the membership workforce?
On line casino de Puerto Rico. It was an previous, improbable membership which had basketball, volleyball—you performed pool, you performed chess or ping pong. You confirmed up within the morning and also you wouldn’t depart till night time. And it additionally had a bit of swimming pool.
That membership that was proper subsequent to the seashore, it taught youngsters learn how to play all kinds of sports activities.
– Who was your coach at the moment?
Fernando Salabarría. He by no means performed water polo—he realized it himself.
The kings of water polo had been from a membership referred to as Condado. A whole lot of the groups in Puerto Rico again then had been from the lodges. There weren’t that many swimming pools. There was a Caribe Hilton membership. And Navy and Military golf equipment. It was a special world from immediately.
The coach who was successful loads was Harry Hauck. He was from Michigan and had a bit of extra expertise. My coach was additionally my swimming coach. [Salabarría] grabbed a gaggle of men—on that workforce there was Jorge Machicote—like a brother of mine—Mike Meres, and a variety of others. These two ended up in Pittsburgh.
In a while, at age 15, Butch Silva and Luis Toro joined our workforce. The roots of this workforce had been Jorge, Mike, myself and some others that began at 10, 11 years previous.
– Is that this the core of what turned the Puerto Rican nationwide workforce?
There was once the Central American Video games for the age group for water polo—12 and beneath, 13, 15, 17. I feel [it still exists], however not as large. If you wish to name that the nationwide workforce, sure, numerous our workforce members had been a part of the age group nationwide workforce from 1970, once we participated in Havana.
That was unimaginable and opened my eyes up— that’s the fantastic thing about water polo.
We misplaced, not by a lot, when there was a stadium filled with propaganda. I’m not too positive the [Cuban] goalie was 12 years previous as a result of he may contact each side of a smaller cage.
That core group, and some others a few years older, was actually good. This occurs in all sports activities; there’s a cycle of fine expertise or teammates, one which occurs each 5 years. And that core was a part of what later turned the nationwide workforce.
Machicote, he was a part of the nationwide workforce—he was a superb participant from a child all the best way to the upper ranges. Meres was on the age group nationwide workforce however didn’t make the senior nationwide workforce.
Papo Ruiz, was an excellent water polo participant, however I don’t assume he ever made the age group nationwide workforce. Silva was superb—sadly he’s handed away. He was a powerful bull! An incredible swimmer who switched to water polo. Sure, he made the nationwide workforce. Toro was a left-hander—he’s a dentist immediately. He was an excellent swimmer and have become a part of the nationwide age-group workforce and may need made a number of open nationwide groups.
– What was instrumental in you and your teammates’ growth?
There’s all the time somebody on this sport that units the instance. They assist—and that’s why our group developed. I used to be trying up Miguel Rivera immediately. He’s older than me—I’m 61 quickly to be 62, he have to be 70. I used to be 10 and he was 20. From that group—a gaggle that Harry Hauck introduced in—there was a man by the identify of Carlos Gonzales. He’s in all probability 66 immediately—5 years older than me. His father actually helped. In some way, San Jose State got here to compete in a Christmas Invitational towards New York Athletic Membership and there was one other junior school—Orange Coast School. We discovered a approach to recruit the San Jose State coach, Lee Walton, who simply handed away. Walton coached one of many biggest goalies from the nationwide workforce, and a variety of nice coaches who cherished the game, like Bruce Watson, Eddie Samuels, and others. He fell in love with Puerto Rico and got here to seek the advice of on the island. To me, [it was] Lee Walton who raised the standard of water polo in Puerto Rico. Hauck was a improbable coach and a pioneer. Walton got here in ’72, ’73. He seen a particular group and determined—thankfully for me and some of the youthful gamers—to sacrifice the older gamers and produce a brand new period of water polo. He gave a gaggle of 5 to 6 of us that had been 14 to 16 a possibility to play for the senior, or open 1974 Central American Video games, which had been within the Dominican Republic.
– Who else was on that workforce?
Miguel Rivera and some others had been our leaders. This was his final competitors. Jorge Machicote. Carlos Gonzalez. Rafael Gonzalez, his youthful brother. Manfredo Lespier. I feel these had been the 4 youthful gamers who got here into the group that stored constructing over time.
[Miguel Rivera and the Fantastic, Unbelievable and True Story of Pitt Water Polo and Puerto Rico]
In 1974 we misplaced to Cuba 15-0. Cuba was already at a really excessive stage—they had been within the high six or eight on this planet—and we had been rebooting this system. From there begins a revolution of Carlos Gonzalez—a pioneer who went to San Jose State. It’s 1974 that he went. He comes again and doing issues I’ve by no means seen in Puerto Rico, reminiscent of skipping the ball. Oh my God, that was such a revolutionary factor. He had misplaced a bunch of weight and was in form. From there, some folks begin going to Pittsburgh. Raffi, Carlos Gonzalez’s brother, goes to highschool in California—and performs water polo at Fremont Excessive.
– You acquired an opportunity to go to California…
The summer time of 1975, in preparation for the Pan American Video games in Mexico Metropolis, Walton, and the coach for Stanford, Artwork Lambert—who additionally had gone to Puerto Rico—invited us to Stanford to coach for six or eight weeks. After we landed in San Francisco, our coach stated: Right now we now have a scrimmage towards Stanford. We come to the pool, get modified, and begin enjoying a scrimmage towards the workforce that invited us to spend an entire summer time there. The sport lasted perhaps quarter-hour—with warm-ups. A brawl began between Stanford and the Puerto Rican workforce—with the coaches screaming: Cease! Cease! Cease! That was the start of a really enjoyable, hard-working water polo expertise in California. We had been coaching thrice a day in numerous elements of California. Then and there our eyes had been opening that this place—america—may very well be enjoyable.
The expertise, it was improbable. I’ll always remember the final match of the yr in Newport Seaside. It was the Olympic tryouts—the previous nationals. The Nationals in america had been—and I hope we return [to this] sooner or later—the place all the very best groups would present up. They had been the very best of the very best. No person was enjoying in Europe. Again then, each coach from school had a program. Should you went to UCLA, you performed for UCLA in the summertime and also you had been mainly a UCLA participant for the remainder of your life—age group and school. And there was UCLA “A,” “B,” “C” and so forth. Identical in the event you went to Stanford or Cal. That’s misplaced. Too many gamers are abroad or they play with the nationwide workforce or don’t present up.
We had been capable of watch the perfect, water polo we had ever seen. One of many final video games we acquired to play Stanford “B.” They’d crushed us all summer time lengthy. And we in some way beat them!
We got here in fifth place, which is an enormous accomplishment, after which went to the Pan American Video games. It was October of my senior yr. After one of many video games, Pete Cutino involves me and stated: I’m Pete Cutino, right here’s my card. We want to give you a full-ride [to Cal-Berkeley]. It sounded attention-grabbing [but] I had no cash to even assume [about going] to California. I stated: Thanks very a lot. He requested me a number of questions—my English was okay, however I used to be not fluent. He talked to different gamers. I feel [Ted] Newland did the identical factor with Manfredo Lespier. I feel we had been the 2 guys they actually [spoke with].
[Passages: Ted Newland, Coach Emeritus of UC Irvine Men’s Water Polo, Passes Away at 91]
I got here again to my college in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My English instructor was from Fresno. And I say look, I’ve been supplied a scholarship from UC-Berkeley in California. I actually didn’t understand how particular this was—and the way lucky I had been. She stated: You understand, this can be a five-star college. I don’t assume you could have the grades to go there. [I replied]: That is what they’re saying. Assist me out! How do I write a letter? I ended up at Cal. Manfredo Lespier ended up at UC Irvine. He made an excellent profession for himself in Irvine. I made an excellent profession at Cal.
– You bought on a airplane and went to Berkeley for polo?
It was very powerful for me. My financial scenario was laborious. Sure, it was a full journey, however there have been numerous bills to cowl. I did numerous work on the aspect, on high of the scholarship. My first yr was extraordinarily complicated. However, I had nice teammates. It occurs that certainly one of my brothers-in-law immediately, was recruiting me on the Pan American Video games in 1975—his identify is Mike Loughlin. He turned the chief monetary threat officer for Wells Fargo. He sat subsequent to me on a bus journey from the Pan American pool to the dorms and talked to me about Cal.
He helped me a bit, however I used to be alone. I used to be the one Puerto Rican there. Again then, foreigners weren’t that frequent coming to play at universities. There was a Brazilian man at UCLA and a Hungarian man at Cal. Nevertheless it’s not what you see immediately. 
It was a special world. Individuals had been going out to dinner and I used to be: How am I gonna try this?! However I used to be lucky to be round an excellent group of individuals. My social abilities helped me undergo college. UC Berkeley had received three NCAAs in a row [1973-75], however we didn’t try this nicely [when I first got there]. We didn’t even qualify for the 1976 NCAAs. That was fairly miserable. Truly, Pitt went in 1976—a bunch of my previous buddies! Subsequent yr that very same Cal workforce, with one essential participant, Kevin Robertson, received NCAAs. And had been contenders the following two years.
Robertson had been beneath the wings of this system of NIMA [Newport-Irvine-Mesa Association]—bear in mind, all schools had their very own packages and also you had to stick with that group. And this child, who at one level was the very best participant on this planet, he went to Cal—not Irvine. Coach Newland was very expressive of his discomfort of his child coming to play for Cal—an amazing opponent of Irvine. Kevin is available in 1977. We come play at Brown College and win the nationwide championship. Whenever you get that taste of successful and being the very best—that’s one thing very particular for the remainder of your life.
– Like with Carlos Gonzalez at San Jose State, different Puerto Ricans adopted you to California.
One other Puerto man—Raffi Gonzalez, Carlos Gonzalez’s brother who had performed for D’Anza Junior School, and had gone to Fremont Excessive Faculty—he joins me at Cal. Then, a sequence of different gamers from Puerto Rico begin coming to California. They see me come again—as I noticed Carlos—new, improved. As a result of, like every part in life, competitors is what makes you higher. I graduate from Cal. I performed within the 1979 Pan American Video games that was in Puerto Rico, whereas I used to be at Cal. That was an amazing expertise. It was our yr for Puerto Rico to do nicely. Sadly, we had no finances. All of us stayed in a small home in San Jose—we went out and acquired some foam mattresses and educated collectively for six weeks previous to the ’79 Video games.
Just about the entire workforce was both enjoying in school or had been older gamers who had performed in school. We had an amazing goalie—he was about 6-7. I don’t even wish to point out his identify as a result of I don’t assume he deserves it! 10 days previous to flying again to Puerto Rico—we had achieved very well in scrimmages towards the USA in Lengthy Seaside—he requested to receives a commission or he wouldn’t go. That was loopy. Wanting again, it was not a lot nevertheless it was big for us. We couldn’t pay for it. He determined to not come. This was a miserable scenario for the workforce. We participated with a “B” goalie; he was a a lot decrease stage. We tied Brazil, we tied Mexico. We tied to Canada. We misplaced towards Cuba by loads, and due to that we ended up tied in third place with Canada. Which is a a lot larger nation than Puerto Rico. Due to goals-against common we didn’t win a bronze—which might have been a improbable consequence.
– You then return to the mainland.
I am going again to Cal for my senior yr and began going out with Peggy Schnugg—my spouse—which was a miracle! There have been the Russian Olympics, and the U.S. can’t go, however the U.S. Olympic workforce approaches me and says: Carlos, we’d such as you to come back to play for america. We’ve seen you play; you don’t have to undergo the system, you’ll make the workforce. I educated with that USA workforce for a few yr and a half. It was a time once I was attempting to determine life—was I going again to Puerto Rico, was I going to remain in america? I bear in mind strolling up in Kevin Robertson’s father or mother’s home and [asking myself]: What am I doing? I noticed I needed to make a dwelling. I used to be sending cash to my mom… I have to get a job. One of many water polo gamers supplied me a possibility to work within the import/export enterprise. I began working with him and had numerous enjoyable—and I retired from water polo.
– Then The Olympic Membership requested you to hitch their workforce.
I used to be working in San Francisco. The Olympic Membership was beginning water polo once more. Within the early eighties, the masters had not began. We might play towards school youngsters—it was the Indoor [National Tournament] nevertheless it was not all the time indoors. I used to be a part of a gaggle from The Olympic Membership that constructed what we referred to as: “The Nickle”—5 nationwide championships in a row. Consider me, the New York Athletic Membership and some different golf equipment tried no matter they might to beat us. They recruited from anyplace and in all places! We had been lucky that we had a nucleus of gamers, most of whom had performed on the U.S. nationwide workforce. They had been all nice water polo gamers—from Stanford or UCLA or Cal—principally Cal.
It was a improbable time! I had numerous enjoyable with The Olympic Membership from ‘82 to ‘87. Enjoyable story: we went to a Latin America cup in Cuba. I went with the U.S. nationwide workforce. We had been enjoying towards Cuba, Italy, and a few different groups and we win the match! However, our U.S. coach—Monte [Nitzkowski]—[said] we may have achieved higher, this and that. And I began dancing! By this time, I noticed I’m not going to be a part of this. He stated: Carlos! What are you doing?! I stated: Coach, I’ve misplaced towards Cuba since I used to be 12 years previous. A part of the rationale I needed to play with the U.S. was to beat Cuba. We simply beat Cuba! In Cuba!
I’m dancing.
The assembly was over. He was pissed. And the opposite gamers cherished it. I acquired married in ’83, guys had been having youngsters, we’re touring to completely different locations. And we had been good at it. Monte requested me to come back again however no, I used to be having an excessive amount of enjoyable. And that’s the factor about water polo. I wanted to generate income. In ’87, the Puerto Rican workforce calls. Jessica was born in 1987, and so they begin calling me. They name me “Kaki.” That’s my nickname in Puerto Rico. “Kaki, it is advisable come to play”—with a bunch of youthful guys who had performed within the U.S. in school. I say: Guys, I’m a father. I’m touring internationally for the import/export enterprise. No!
However the telephone calls stored coming, together with Carlos Gonzalez. He’s not enjoying—it’s straightforward for him to make me come play! So, in fact, after a number of telephone calls, I talked to Peggy… I educated on my own whereas the workforce was coaching in Puerto Rico after which the workforce got here to California to coach for 4 weeks. The Pan Am Video games had been in Indianapolis and I performed as a workforce coach and captain. I felt myself to be fairly previous— 29. I used to be the Miguel Rivera again then. 1987, Pan American Video games, I’m the player-coach and I give an enormous speech to the youngsters. I’ve by no means gone to a Pan American Video games and misplaced each sport. By no means! We have to beat Mexico! I didn’t consider we may beat Mexico however I used to be doing my greatest. Right here comes the sport, and we do fairly nicely. With lower than 5 seconds, the sport is tied, and a penalty shot will get referred to as towards Mexico. Everybody turns to me: You’re gonna take this. If I make this, I’ll stop the game. Typical negotiation with the man upstairs, proper? We’ve all achieved this in enjoying and in life, no matter.
I am going there and I’ve developed a penalty shot that I might shoot across the ears—these had been my earlier penalties. The coach from Mexico, I had performed towards him for years. I knew they had been going to cowl the ears—they’d studied me. When the whistle blew I via the balls beneath the ears—I used to name it “Proper Guard.” Finish of the story; we didn’t win any medals however we positive screwed up the entire thing. Mexico was out of the medal spherical and was tied with Cuba. The U.S. wrote me a letter to play for the [Seoul Games] in 1988. I feel they had been being good; I had already developed a life. However that’s the top of my profession. I’ve performed a number of tournaments right here and there with The Olympic Membership, [but] that’s the top, in 1987.
– Your son performed at Cal beneath Kirk Everist.
Charlie—our youngsters owe loads to him. When you could have a household of 4 you’re lucky when the older youngsters assist by instance. Charlie was the primary to play water polo in our household. Jim Purcell, certainly one of my previous water polo buddies from Cal, got here to our space and so they had a program referred to as Diablo Water Polo. We weren’t that good, however he was the coach, and he helped Charlie loads, and he’s an excellent buddy of mine. Then Jim began courting Maureen O’Toole, who he’s now married to. She got here and helped—these two deserve numerous credit score serving to our youngsters. From a bit of summer time membership, [Charlie] began enjoying, then went to highschool and performed. All of them knew I had performed—each Puerto Rican who confirmed up at my home would say how nice I used to be—and as we grow old we get higher and higher. The extra beer you drink, you didn’t rating two targets you scored 20. Yearly we might go to Puerto Rico and I’d take my youngsters. I taught them learn how to “tough up”—particularly Maggie. By the point that Maggie got here I had constructed a pool in my again yard and acquired a aim. Charlie would play with Maggie, and you’ll think about what occurred with that.
Charlie was a co-captain of the age group nationwide workforce. He traveled loads and did very well on the age group stage He was MVP of the senior—17 and beneath—Junior Olympics. That provides you with an thought of how good he was. Charlie ended up at Cal, and so they had been so near a nationwide championship. I feel they misplaced in triple additional time sudden depth [12-10 loss to USC in 2010]. He was a co-captain of the workforce for a few years.
– The place do you see Puerto Rican water polo proper now?
As soon as Maggie graduated—about three years in the past—I made a decision to promote my enterprise and every part out of California and go to Puerto Rico. Sadly, there have been a sequence of pure occasions since I moved there which has made life complicated. That was with the hurricane. Swimming pools had been shut down for lengthy durations of time. We acquired earthquakes and now this… The primary six months I used to be there I went to the Central American Video games because the workforce delegate. And maybe I acquired too concerned. A number of the coaches [said]: “You’re going to take my job!” I don’t care in your job, I simply wish to assist.
[2019 Pan American Round-Up: Krikorian + Steffens on Water Polo in the Southern Hemisphere]
What I discovered is there may be numerous completely different pulling. You may’t try this on an island. This man has a program, that man has a program…they haven’t been capable of work collectively for a very long time. I acquired concerned and helped [at] the Central American Video games, the place each groups received medals, which has by no means been achieved. There are two golf equipment and I don’t assume there was a league within the final two years. The Puerto Rican workforce goes to this match in Florida [the South Florida International Tournament] and yearly they do fairly nicely in that age group. This yr, the coach referred to as me and stated they performed the 7 am sport on Sunday. This implies they had been the shit. We had been prepared to do that clinic—the Tropic Video games with Maggie and Tony—via me, are attempting to develop a standard match [in San Juan] the week of Thanksgiving. We have to create particular events the place a child may very well be the MVP of the Junior Olympics. The Tropic Video games, the Maggie and Tony Trophy—no matter you wish to name it.
For a very long time—three years attempting!—I acquired the federal government to agree, and we had every part arrange. It was speculated to occur the weekend earlier than Thanksgiving, and the thought is you go Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Tuesday—and households may keep for Thanksgiving or go dwelling.
– Has the coronavirus pandemic ended this dream?
That’s what I feel must occur. There’s a few golf equipment there proper now. The extent may be very low and the game is deteriorating. They’ve misplaced numerous pool time. There’s not a lot [talent] behind. There was in all probability the final good group which is 20-something years previous. Hopefully, I will assist. Nevertheless it must be from scratch. I can’t take a tree that’s already sideways and make it straight.
