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Princeton Senior Spotlight: Men's Water Polo Co-Captain Drew Hoffenberg
September 30, 2014 | Men's Water Polo
Senior co-captain Drew Hoffenberg of the Princeton University men's water polo team grew up wanting to join the junior lifeguard program in Newport Beach, Calif.
The problem? He didn't know how to swim. His parents' solution? Getting him involved in water polo.
“I thought I was drowning – a lot,” says Hoffenberg recalling his first memories in the water. “I couldn't swim at all so I actually had to play goalie. I'd try to float by the cage because I couldn't make it up and down the pool like everyone else.”
Introduced to the game when he was nine, Hoffenberg spent his first few years on the Newport Beach club team. When he was 11, he'd finally become comfortable enough in the pool to begin playing in the field. By the summer after sixth grade he completed his transition out of goal, kick-starting a transformation that would one day see him blossom into one of Princeton's most prolific scorers.
He was involved with several other sports during his youth, but it wasn't until his family's move to San Diego that Hoffenberg turned his focus to water polo. With no clear club basketball or soccer team to latch on to, he joined a water polo squad his former coach recommended. Spending the next seven years with the San Diego Shores, Hoffenberg helped lead the team to a Junior Olympic bronze medal in 2010.
When it came to deciding on a college, Hoffenberg, who was also a USA Water Polo Outstanding Academic All-America honoree in high school, knew he wanted a rigorous academic environment and a competitive water polo program. In Princeton, he found both.
“One of the main reasons why I chose Princeton was that while we have a really good water polo team, it doesn't dominate your life,” Hoffenberg says. “At some schools you have to play all summer or train 16 hours a day. That doesn't leave a lot of time to do internships or get involved [outside of the sport]. Here, you can play at a high level, but still have time to focus on classes and academics.”
Estimating that he'd only spent four days on the East Coast prior to college, Hoffenberg made the cross country move and quickly acclimated to the campus that he'd call home for the next four years.
“It really helped being a fall sport,” says Hoffenberg. “I was on campus earlier than everyone else for preseason, giving me a chance to meet all my teammates before school started. They showed me around, helped guide me to my classes and taught me about the residential college system.”
In the pool, it was just as smooth of a transition. Throughout his youth, Hoffenberg competed against players who would go on to further their careers in college. While the level of play was a step up from what he'd been used to, it wasn't overwhelming. There was however, one caveat.
“The humidity,” recalls Hoffenberg. “It was the biggest difference. I was used to playing in outdoor pools [in California]. All of a sudden, playing indoors, the humidity became something you had to cope with. Luckily, DeNunzio [pool] has an amazing air filtration system.”
Hoffenberg didn't waste any time impacting this team, and his numbers have grown every year. Last season, Hoffenberg found the back of the net a career-best 66 times, while also nabbing 40 steals and dishing out 32 assists. He now ranks second on the program's career assists chart (112) and fifth in goals (202). Not bad for a former goalie who barely knew how to swim.
Naturally, the awards poured in. An honorable mention All-America selection as a freshman, he earned a spot on the CWPA first-team All-Eastern squad. Repeating as an All-America honorable mention performer in his subsequent two seasons, he twice garnered praise on the CWPA All-Southern first team.
“I'm smaller than the average water polo player,” says Hoffenberg. “I'm not that fast; in fact, I'm one of the slowest guys on the team. But I try to focus on the little things that most people don't even consider. A lot of guys are bigger, faster and stronger, but if you can out smart or out think them, then you have the advantage.”
A student of the game, Hoffenberg makes the most of his 5-foot, 8-inch frame. Positioning, body balance, reaction time and what he describes as his “over-the-hips quickness” all play a role in his success. Before a game, Hoffenberg keeps to himself. Preferring the quiet, he spends time visualizing every detail.
Where do I need to have my hips positioned? Where am I going to be playing on defense? Where am I going to shoot?
Having always been a vocal leader, as game time approaches, he'll offer teammates words of encouragement.
“I try to hit every single person,” says Hoffenberg. “I give them a little advice like, 'I really need you to shut down No. 3.' Or, 'watch out, the goalie is really heavy. You might want to try to shoot cross cage high instead of low and near side.' By doing so, hopefully I can contribute in some way, even if it's not in the pool.”
Hoffenberg's advice hasn't fallen on deaf ears. Since his arrival in 2011, Princeton has pieced together a 71-29 overall record. In the midst of his senior season, the two-year captain has helped guide the Tigers to a 10-1 start. On Sept. 17, the Orange and Black earned a No. 8 ranking in the CWPA top-20 poll. Achieving the highest ranking ever by an East Coast team in the poll's modern era (post 2006), the Tigers stand poised to make another run at a CWPA Eastern Championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
With the end of his remarkable collegiate career eventually looming on the horizon, Hoffenberg hopes there will be more days spent in the pool. The Operations, Research and Financial Engineering major aspires to one day work in investment or asset management, but he hasn't ruled out spending a couple of years playing professionally.
“Some of my friends deferred their jobs for a year and played in Australia, Spain and Germany,” says Hoffenberg. “I would be really interested in continuing to play [if the right opportunity came along].”
If all else fails, Hoffenberg could still try to find his way back to the Newport Beach lifeguard tower and his boyhood dream, even if he never did pass his junior swim test.
“I actually never passed that first junior lifeguard test,” says Hoffenberg with a smile. “I ended up taking it like 23 times or something, but kept missing it by one second. Eventually, I took it so many times, they let me in the program anyway.”
This story originally appeared in the Sept. 27 issue of Princeton Athletic News