LAURA COMSTOCK INTERVIEW

HAYWARD, Calif. — There was a time when the thought of a women's water polo team on campus was unimaginable.

It's since developed into a national champion and resides among the best in the nation.

The team and idea originally stemmed from the women's swimming program in the mid-early 1970s.

But at that time, it wasn't a program filled with big aspirations in the eyes of Laura Comstock, who arrived on campus as a freshman for the 1972-73 season.

"There weren't many stars, but we had a lot of determination," Comstock recalled. "A lot of us wanted to be taken more seriously and given more workout time."
 


Things changed drastically when Jim DeLacy took over as swimming coach for both the men's and women's programs in 1974, as he initially came to Cal State Hayward as an assistant men's water polo coach under Dr. Calvin Caplan in 1972.

DeLacy went on to transform the women's team from a lunchtime recreational program to a full-NCAA sport on the same level with the men's team.

There was still more progress to be made, however, as the men had both swimming and water polo teams during this time. 

Several of the women's swimmers played water polo in class and enjoyed it. They wanted a team of their own.

"I enjoyed swimming, but water polo is so much more dynamic and fluid," said Comstock, who played goalkeeper. "I liked the physicality (of water polo), and blocking a shot is an incredible feeling."

With the help of DeLacy, the Pioneers wrote proposals to other schools to start their own programs so they would have opponents to play against.

Some of the Pioneers' first opponents included Cal Berkeley, UC Davis and Los Gatos High School.

According to Comstock, having mirroring men's and women's swimming and water polo programs developed a better relationship between all aquatic student-athletes.

"Once we started to do this, the men's teams were really supportive," she said. "It was a positive experience and very empowering.

"It was a really strong unit, the men and women. There was a mutual respect, which wasn't there when I started, but was there when I left. Aquatics were pretty tight."
 

 
There were several hurdles in getting the program off the ground, including the lack of pool time and below-average equipment.

There were also conflicting views early on whether women should be allowed to play such a fierce contact sport, which wasn't very common at the time.

"The argument against it was it's not safe for women," Comstock said. "But mostly it was all pretty positive from the administration. We just kind of had to prove ourselves."

Comstock acknowledged she wasn't sure how the program would fare after she graduated, but is ecstatic how much the program and game as a whole has grown.

She believes the strides made by the program during the 2000s under current coach Lisa Cooper, including a 2008 national championship, helped put the program and sport in the spotlight in Hayward.

"When I graduated I was wondering if the women's team would survive," Comstock said. "It wasn't a common sport for women worldwide yet at that time. To see women's water polo become an Olympic sport and successful is gratifying. 

"No one knows they're making history until they look back."