O'Toole, Mendoza pool their talents
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Olympian Maureen O'Toole, left, and daughter Kelly Mendoza are on the Newport Beach team at the Hawaiian Invitational Tournament.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser Hawaiian Invitational Water Polo Tournament Medal matches Today At Punahou Boys 14-under 7:30 p.m.-Third place 8:20-Championship At University of Hawai'i Diving Well Girls 14-under 2:30 p.m.-Third place 3:20-Championship Pool Women's Open 4:10 p.m.-Third place 5-Championship Men's Open 5:50 p.m.-Third place 6:40-Championship Tomorrow At University of Hawai'i Pool Girls 16-under 7:50 a.m.-Third place 8:40-Championship Boys 16-under 9:30 a.m.-Third place 10:20-Championship Girls 18-under 11:10 a.m.-Third place Noon-Championship Boys 18-under 12:50 p.m.-Third place 1:40-Championship |
Newport Beach features Maureen O'Toole, University of Hawai'i graduate and the finest female player in the history of the game, and Kelly Mendoza, her 10-year-old daughter.
"It's cool, something everybody dreams of," says O'Toole, 41. "I wish I was a little younger so we could do it a lot more. It's pretty special."
Mendoza, who goes by "Mini Mo," reacts to those in awe of her mother with a shrug. "Yeah, she is the greatest player ever, but it's not different for me," she says. "She's just a regular mom."
They have returned to O'Toole's "second home" after an extraordinary journey.
O'Toole came to Manoa on a swimming scholarship, long before water polo was an official collegiate or Olympic sport. An avid surfer and wannabe paddler, she was attracted by the water and inspired by then-coach Al Minn's disciplined workouts. She left with her degree in 1985, and a soft spot for Hawai'i in her heart.
By then, she was already recognized as her sport's premier player, winning her first Women's World Player of the Year honor at age 19. Her seventh, and last, came a year after she gave birth to Kelly.
O'Toole retired after the 1994 World Championships, coached California, then made her comeback in 1997 after reading a one-paragraph newspaper story announcing women's water polo as an Olympic sport.
It changed her life, and her daughter's. O'Toole started training with the team — four of whom were born after she started playing — in Southern California. She flew back to Northern California Fridays to spend the weekend with Kelly, by then a talented swimmer.
Mendoza saw the grind wear down her mother, who fell asleep while they did homework together and came home five times with a broken nose. She wanted no part of water polo, the then-8-year-old would tell anyone who asked.
The U.S. qualified for the Games in its last attempt and rode a dramatic run to the gold-medal game against Australia. Team USA lost on a controversial non-call in the final second.
Kelly, brought poolside by NBC, saw her mother's anguish and started to cry as she jumped in her arms. O'Toole, overwhelmed by the moment and already facing microphones, closed her eyes and took a long breath and reality check.
"I learned so much from losing that game," O'Toole says. "It was really about the whole journey — the great friends ... I'd learned so much about life and being part of a team. The icing on the cake was the medal."
Historic night
That it was silver was her only regret, and Kelly helped her swallow that in a matter of seconds. "That was really cool mom," she said. "Maybe someday I can do something like that."
In the teams' post-game press conference, O'Toole called it "a classic, historic night for women's water polo." Twice, the Australian team applauded her. Yvette Higgins, who scored the winning goal, called O'Toole a "living legend."
The next day, O'Toole was elated by the "incredible culmination to her career." She never suffered from "the depression they said you have when it's over."
Mendoza was ready to dive into water polo.
"It hit me when my mom was in the final game and there was 5 million jillion Australians and only like 25 USA people and she won the silver medal," Mendoza said. "What you get at the end of it ... you accomplish something. She got something really important."
Mendoza has been playing ever since, when she's not at swimming, soccer, basketball or volleyball practice. She's the youngest — by seven years — on her team this week, and by far the smallest. But she is quick and tenacious, and makes the most of her few minutes, with a huge assist from her mom. Who better to draw attention away from the short kid?
Mendoza's future in the game, however, might not mirror her mother's. Her favorite sport is volleyball. The rules are simpler and she finds the game more fun. If she can't play that sport professionally, she'd like to be a vet. She has experience in that area as well, with three cats, two dogs, a bird and one "stinky, fat" rat at home.
Her mom is also in the process of planning the rest of her life.
O'Toole started the non-profit Pursuit of Excellence in Youth, which promotes sports for girls as a way to teach them about self-esteem and self-confidence. She just published a workbook on the subject. She also coaches kids, including her daughter, in Northern California and has spent the summer giving private lessons to Allison Stewart, a Chicago 17-year-old headed to USC. O'Toole is also a motivational speaker; she gave the keynote at the 30th anniversary of Rainbow Wahine sports.
Playing water polo is strictly for fun now. There is no chance of a comeback in 2004.
"My hope," O'Toole says with a tired grin, "is to be a commentator for water polo in Athens."
SHORT SPLASHES: The 34th annual Hawaiian Invitational Water Polo Tournament concludes today and tomorrow. ... The tournament started with 87 teams. ... There are five Olympians playing, including Punahou graduate Sean Kern, and a handful of national team members, including Punahou graduate Brandon Brooks. ...ÊMaureen O'Toole is also playing in the Men's Open division this week, for San Francisco's Olympic Club. She played for Olympic Club at the recent Masters World Championships in New Zealand.
