A new sport usually brings a feeling of fear to someone; to junior Matthew Osorio, however, it brought excitement. Starting water polo and swimming his freshman year due to his friends recruiting him, the first time he jumped in the pool was when he knew this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his high school career. He has been nominated as Jaguar of the week from April 6 to the 10.
Joining the waterpolo and swim team due to the fact that it is a walk on, Osorio decided to put himself out there and see what the sport could bring him. To him, his favorite sport is water polo, as he believes that he “shines the most” in that sport. Currently, he is ranked #49 in the nation for goals scored, with a total of 57 goals this season and a career record of 71 goals.
Furthermore, he has been labeled player of the game three out of the 11 games that he has played this season. Outside of scoring, he also goaltends, accounting for 12 saves.
“I feel honored to be nominated as Jaguar of the week. It shows that anything is possible, as I have only been playing this sport for three years and am nationally ranked,” Osorio notes.
During the fall, he competes in varsity swimming, and the spring is when he plays for the water polo team.
Shining out of the pool, Osorio balances honors classes at school, which consumes a majority of his time outside of athletics. As well as planning for his future, he takes part in the Miami-Dade Fire Cadet program to become a future first responder.
In the program, he understudies current first responders, including medical rescue units and fire fighters. To join, he needed to complete a four to six week training program for recruits. Once this was done, he was able to participate in the actual program. This includes attending events and doing community service, ultimately earning about 200 volunteer hours.
“Being a Jaguar means a lot to me. I make sure to try my hardest every game, leaving it all out in the pool. I lead my team and sometimes lead the Jaguars chant, which I express my school spirit through,” Osorio mentions.
Even though the Jaguars season is approaching the end, he is ready to step up as a senior next year and hopes to be labeled the water polo captain.
