The famous quote "when one door closes another door opens" applies to Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Timofey Beloborodov '16.
Growing up, Tim didn't like sports that involved running. That, of course, ruled out most athletic activities. He eventually tried a non-running sport, and he liked it so much and became so good at it that he plans to play it in college.
"Water polo is a game I've played for many years," Tim explained. "I started playing because I didn't have to run and sweat. When I was playing soccer I had to run a lot, which I didn't like. So I joined water polo and I really liked it."
He doesn't just like it – he loves it. In just two seasons at the Academy, Tim scored 97 goals. He narrowly missed becoming just the fourth player in school history to graduate with 100 or more goals. Tim earned his second WMA Water Polo MVP Award at the Athletic Awards Ceremony Nov. 17.
"Personally, my season went better than last year," said Tim, who finished 2015 with 44 goals and 22 assists. "I wanted to score 100 goals in two seasons. If we would have played the invitational (which was canceled) at the end of the season, I think I would have reached 100 goals because I had 97."
Tim was a rare water polo player, featuring not only speed but also strength. He was the only returning starter to this year's inexperienced squad.
"Tim truly meets the requirements for the MVP Award," Coach Steve Gray '70 said. "He was the one member we could not afford to be without. He performed extraordinarily on offense. He was our sprinter who rarely lost getting the ball at the start of each period. Defensively, he was just as adept at creating fouls, stealing the ball and blocking shots."
Tim plans to play water polo in college at the Division III level.