Treve Darby '27 in a home varsity water polo game against McDonogh School on September 24, 2024.
Photo by Mike Spotte P'26, '28.
"Playing Up"
Treve Darby '27 on His Journey to ODP National Water Polo
As many Gilman students prepare for a week of relaxation, recreation, or learning during spring break next week, sophomore Treve Darby '27 is gearing up to compete in one of the most prestigious youth water polo tournaments in the United States.
From March 14–16, Darby will compete in USA Water Polo's (USAWP) 2025 Olympic Development Program (ODP) Boys National Championship Tournament held in northern California as part of the Northeast Zone (NEZ) Youth team. The ODP is a training program for aspiring water polo athletes whose mission is "to cultivate exceptional talent through advanced training, strategic development, and rigorous competition." Drawing from club teams across the country — like Darby's Annapolis-based Navy AC Water Polo club team — the ODP brings together top youth talent with the goal of building competitive rosters for USAWP's various national teams, which then compete internationally in Central and South America and Europe.
The NEZ team comprises players from 13 East Coast states and Washington, D.C., and will face off against 15 teams from 11 other ODP zones over the three-day tournament. Darby will be the only player representing both Baltimore and a Maryland-based club on this year's NEZ team and has trained at ODP showcases and tryouts since fall 2023. Participating in these events does not automatically guarantee selection for a zone team, but they are where zone coaches scout for their selections. Being chosen is a true reflection of the years of work he has poured into the sport since he was introduced to it as a fourth grader in the Lower School.
Treve was able to compete with boys two-plus years older than he was. Playing with better players improves your capabilities at a faster rate than playing with people of your own or lesser caliber, so Treve's trajectory has been very impressive.
– Vaughan Smith, Gilman Aquatics Director and Head Varsity Water Polo Coach
"When Treve came to Gilman, I noticed right away that he loved the water," recalls Gilman Aquatics Director and Head Varsity Water Polo Coach Vaughan Smith, who teaches the sport as part of physical education class in the Lower School. As a rising fifth grader, Smith invited Darby to join JV and varsity players for optional summer camps before the preseason, an invitation he continued to extend throughout Middle School as Darby's skills and potential grew. "Treve was able to compete with boys two-plus years older than he was. Playing with better players improves your capabilities at a faster rate than playing with people of your own or lesser caliber, so Treve's trajectory has been very impressive."
Darby recalls those formative years as motivating both physically and mentally, getting the opportunity to play against and learn from some Gilman greats. "It was the peak of Gilman water polo when I first joined. It was our two best teams of all time. Obviously, as a fifth and sixth grader playing against those guys, I got destroyed; it was quite humbling," remembers Darby. "But that's what started my process of always 'playing up.'"
Darby's ability to hold his own with older, more experienced players impressed his coaches and his older teammates, including Ian Raley '21 — now a senior at Johns Hopkins University with an impressive college water polo career — who told Darby he should consider joining the competitive Navy AC club team that he and several other Gilman students had played with. Darby took Raley's advice, joining the club as an eighth grader in 2022.
Since then, Darby has spent an extra 20–25 hours each week training with the club at the Naval Academy's facilities: three to four days of after-school practices along with weekend scrimmages and practices. It's a big-time commitment, on top of a rigorous, all-honors course load and his time with Gilman's varsity water polo team, which he has played on since freshman year, but it's one he's worked hard to balance successfully. That effort has not gone unnoticed, with USAWP awarding Darby Academic All-American Outstanding Honors for the 2023–2024 academic year this past fall. "I think the biggest thing if you want to play any sport really competitively and you want to be academically successful is definitely discipline," he explains. "Discipline and hard work, I think, overcome talent in a lot of areas and help you overcome the challenges that come with having hard academic classes and then playing and putting in a lot of work outside of school."
Treve Darby '27 in a home varsity water polo game against McDonogh School on September 24, 2024.
Photo by Mike Spotte P'26, '28.
I love the quote 'competition breeds excellence,' and I think a healthy, competitive spirit is good for you. I try to embody that in almost all I do, whether taking all honors classes and trying to make the Cum Laude Society or trying to excel in water polo.
– Treve Darby '27
Treve Darby '27 playing for Navy AC Water Polo's 16U team at the 2024 FUTURES Water Polo League Super Finals held June 28–30 in Orange County, California.
Photo by Lauren Crum for Navy AC Water Polo.
Smith says he is proud to see Darby's growth in balancing such a challenging schedule as much as his growth as a player. "Treve is a very hard worker. He is highly competitive and expects a lot out of himself," says Smith. "With his capabilities and passion for the sport, his teammates look up to and respect him."
When Darby plays at the ODP Nationals this weekend, coaches for the program's National Team Selection Camp (NTSC), which brings the best 100–150 players from all zones together based on their performance at the tournament, will be watching. Darby modestly says he's unsure if he will make it to this next stage as a sophomore, but he hopes to do so by the end of junior year, with a long-term eye toward playing for a Division I team in college.
"Obviously, unhealthy competition or an obsession with competition isn't good, but I love the quote, 'Competition breeds excellence,' and I think a healthy, competitive spirit is good for you. I try to embody that in almost all I do, whether taking all honors classes and trying to make the Cum Laude Society or trying to excel in water polo. Always playing against bigger, stronger guys and trying to find ways to compete and play with them has always been fun and made me better," says Darby. "Next year, I hope to get to the same level and be selected for the NTSC. I'm just going step by step; I've been really happy with my progress. But that's my hope: progression each year."
This article was published in March 2025.