Sophomore Kosta Radoman is enrolled at Whitfield High School, a private institution that does not offer water polo as a sport. Fortunately for Radoman, who has been playing water polo since he was five years old, the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) offers a cooperative school program which allows Whitfield students to play sports that are not available at their school.
“The process started freshman year, and I was trying to at least practice with a high school team,” Radoman said. “Then I talked to my athletic director and he said that MSHSAA does this co-op opportunity and I had to take it. So now this will last till I graduate, and I am so grateful that I get to play for Parkway West.”
Coming off of a 13-4 win April 7 against the no. 1 ranked Kirkwood High School in which Radoman scored four goals, the varsity team remains undefeated and is starting to have conversations about going to State.
“There’s some pretty good stuff going on for our team,” junior point guard Raymond Yoon said. “We are pretty confident and have very high hopes for this season.”
Radoman, who is new to the team, has already contributed. He has the best goal percentage on the team, scoring 11 of his 15 goals.
“He is bold, which is something that we need,” senior two meter Alexander Seyer said. “He is willing to take a shot when some others may not. He has been a fun guy with a lot of talent and knowledge about the game, and he’s been sharing it with us every day.”
Radoman, a first generation Serbian, has close ties to the sport. Water polo is very popular in Serbia and their players are known for being some of the best in the world. The Serbian national team has been no. 1 in FINA since 2014.
“I first realized that I wanted to play water polo because of my dad’s friends that used to play for the Yugoslavian Olympic team. They told my dad that it was a great sport and I knew I had to try it. That’s when I fell in love with the sport,” Radoman said. “I’ve been playing for five years now. I strive to practice five days a week in the off-season.”
Radoman also travels all over the world for practice during the off-season on top of practicing the majority of the week.
“In the off-season, I play club and I swim. In the summer, I go to California, Serbia and Montenegro to do water polo camps and try to get better,” Radoman said.
Not only has Radoman been scoring goals at a high rate, but the sophomore also has accounted for three assists and 25 total points this season.
“Kosta’s very presence has been appreciated by the team. He really helps our team come together with plays, chemistry and is just an overall boost to team morale,” Yoon said. “He helps around the team by giving advice and bringing his skillset to the table so that we can all learn from him. We all appreciate everything that he brings to the team.”
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![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
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