Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Basic Training Command (BTC) hosted members of the U.S. Women’s National Water Polo Team Nov. 6.

While Navy SEALs are renowned for their ability to operate in the water (as well as on land and from the air), this was not a competitive match in the pool. Rather, the five-hour visit focused on two elite teams discussing how to build mental and physical resiliency and culminated with the Olympic-caliber athletes testing their grit during a motivational workout lead by BTC’s SEAL and Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman instructors.

“Navy SEALs are the premier maritime special operations force, and we stay that way by fostering a culture of professionalism and diversity," said Cmdr. Keith Marinics, BTC’s commanding officer. Having the U.S. Women’s National Water Polo Team visit allowed for two high-performance teams to sit down, talk and learn from each other, which in the end helps us both continue being the best at what we do."

The visit allowed the team to gain firsthand knowledge on many of the tenets SEALs and combatant-craft crewmen adhere to, such as mental toughness, resiliency and teamwork.

“This was a great opportunity for us to engage with such an amazing group and get some insight into how they approach some of the obstacles we face as well,” said team coach Adam Krikorian. “There are a lot of similarities in our two organizations and seeing how they approach teamwork and how they handle adversity were great educational experiences for us.”

Between discussions, the team was tested by a rigorous physical training session that featured calisthenics with 200-pound logs and small inflatable boats. The 17 players were more than up to the challenge and took away a lot from their time with NSW operators.

“They are really great to be around and learn from,” said Alys Williams, a defender on the team. “They perform at such a high level, and to be able to come here and spend some time with them and get a better understanding of the training they endure was amazing. It was great for us as a team to be able to visit and learn from them.”

BTC falls under NSW Center, which trains the Sailors who make up the Navy’s elite SEAL and Special Boat Teams.

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