Davis, Calif. —  The ability to travel across the world is an unbelievably intimate experience. For the UC Davis Men's Water Polo Team, the opportunity to grow and bond together as a team this summer in Greece and Spain for 17 days is setting up to be a huge building block for the Aggies in the inaugural season of Big West Men's Water Polo. 
 
Being a part of an international trip of this length was unlike anything the players had experienced. While immersing in South Athens and Spain's surroundings, the days away from home in an unfamiliar environment can result in unforeseen adversity.
 
Even with the known effect that "home-sickness" can have on extended periods of stay, Child and Meisel Families Director of Men's Water Polo Daniel Leyson has seen the positive impact a trip like this can have on a team firsthand from his time assisting the USA National Team. Deep down, he knew his guys would remember this for the rest of their lives.
 
A trip that happens every four years for the Aggies Men's Water Polo Team, tons of preparation and planning were put into making this trip a reality. With Leyson noting that the Aggies always want to "play the best teams as much as we can," the added challenge of playing against top-level international water polo clubs added to the already enriching experience of traveling abroad.





Kicking off the trip with eight days in Greece, the Aggies spent most of their time in Glyfada, an area nestled in the South Athens region, right on the seafront. From Glyfada, the Aggies would take their journey to Spain, where they stayed in Barcelona for six days, before high speeding it to Madrid for three more days. 
 
During the first half of the trip in Greece, the Aggies played teams from different parts of the Athens region, which included: Glyfada, Apollon, Nikios, and Peristeri. In Barcelona, the Aggies trained against Sabadell, Barcelona, Mataro and Barceloneta. After training in Barcelona, the Aggies rounded out their trip in Madrid, where they trained with Canoe. 



 
While there was a big emphasis on training and improving as a team, the itinerary allowed the Aggies plenty of time to take in all the sites and scenes each location had to offer. Throughout their stay, the Aggies bonded as a team, partaking in plenty of team-oriented activities, and experiencing a mental and cultural expansion, all while training in preparation for the 2023 season.
 
During their time in Greece, the Aggies were able to visit the Parthenon, Sounio Temple, and the island of Aegina. 
 
In Barcelona, the Aggies were lucky enough to have their hotel in the center of the Gothic Quarter near the Ramblas. Leyson added, "our players had fun exploring the city on their own. We took public transit to training sites, so we spent a lot of time using the Metro, buses, and the funicular that runs up Motjuic to the Municipal Pool, where we trained most of the time." 
 
As they rounded out their trip in Madrid, the Aggies were limited on time but were still able to explore the Prado Museum, Puerta del Sol, and other areas of the city. 
 
With the team going through multiple training sessions each day and playing water polo constantly, Coach Leyson acknowledged the difficulties one might not attribute to a trip that is focused on taking in all the beautiful sites and scenes.
 
"Our guys had to dig deep to work through the created adversity that comes from being on the road that long," said Leyson. "We trained a lot, had double-days for most of the days, and had to adjust to different styles of play. On long trips such as these, the fatigue adds up - it was hard for the guys to maintain a consistent level of play."
 
That isn't to say the team didn't grow together or get better. Leyson further added that, "we got better in ways that can't always be measured immediately."