Photo of Azevedo training at US Water Polo HQ courtesy Tony Azevedo
For those of you that followed our Olympic coverage last Summer you already know Long Beach’s role- 15 athletes on 5 teams; 2 golds, 3 silvers- but even before those Olympics, if you’ve followed the Moore League (or Pac-10) long enough you already knew that Long Beach is the home of the best water polo player in the world.
With apologies to Billie Jean King, Willie McGinest, Chase Utley, Tony Gwynn, every Dirtbag, and of course Misty May, of all the famous (and wildly successful) athletes that have passed through Long Beach, Tony Azevedo might just be the best. But while those athletes get to ply their trade here in the States, playing in front of their hometown crowds, Azevedo spends his life living overseas, playing in Italy, Croatia and now Montenegro. And while we get daily updates on most of those athletes (Kerri Walsh’s son is almost 6 months old! Marcedes Lewis caught a touchdown on his mom’s birthday!) Tony Azevedo is stuck a continent away, only coming back into our lives for two weeks every four years.
But for today, at least that will change.
What does the best water polo player in the world like to watch on TV? (America’s Next Top Model.)
Is he still a beach bum, even in Eastern Europe? (Absolutely)
What does a day in the life of Tony Azevedo look like? Let’s let him tell you.
Tony Azevedo: I usually get up around 8:30 or 9 AM, for a 10:30 or 11 AM practice. We normally practice two hours in the morning and one and a half hours at night- 8- 9:30 PM. Right when I wake up, I put on SportsCenter and make myself breakfast, bowl of cereal with banana, and coffee- the Turkish coffee that they make here is really good. Then I either drive to the pool, about 10 minutes away, or ride my bike if the weather’s nice.
I come back home for lunch, and after that I relax at our house—it’s right on the beach—in a little suburb outside of the Old Town of Kotor. Twice a week I take Serbian/Montenegrin classes, and other days I try to study the language on my own as much as possible. During my free time between practices I also read, or play with our dog Amos. If I’m not dead tired, I’ll go get coffee in the Old Town or go grocery shopping or just go for a walk in the neighborhood.
After my late-night practice, I come home to eat dinner and then end the night by watching an episode of Top Chef, America’s Next Top Model, or the Office. On Wednesdays we only have morning practice, so in the afternoon I will usually go to the beach when it’s warm and then try out a new restaurant at night.
RT: What do you do differently on game days?
TA: Game days are different because I do nothing all day except rest and prepare for the game. My fiancée hates these days because I am absolutely useless and use “game day” as an excuse to do nothing and not help around the house at all. After games we will go out to dinner with some of the team, and then usually all meet up to have a night out since we get Sundays off.
RT: In the US, professional soccer players travel just like any other business traveler. Airport security, uncomfortable seats, etc. But in Europe, soccer players travel like NBA players do in the States—chartered jets, the works. Where do you guys fall on that spectrum?
TA: As far as traveling with the team goes, I wish we were soccer players, because we usually just do whatever is easiest and most economical. That means a lot of long bus rides to local destinations, and we just fly coach if it’s out of the country. Occasionally if we need to go somewhere unusual we will charter a flight, but normally our traveling conditions are nothing special. And this has always been the case even when I was in Italy and Croatia. If an individual team has a lot of money, they might step it up a little, but the norm in water polo is just to travel like regular people.
RT: Speaking of playing in Italy, Croatia, and now Montenegro—why did you switch?
TA: The reason I moved to Montenegro is because my old team (JUG) was having some financial problems and this team in Kotor had just acquired some funds and was looking to create a really strong team. They won the European Championships last year and are a very good group. Ultimately they were able to give me a better offer, and at this age, I need to go where I think is best for my game and my life. I am very happy here so far and of course it’s exciting to see new places and meet new people.
RT: Because water polo is a bigger deal in Montenegro, are you recognized everywhere you go? Are you a celebrity there?
TA: Water polo is extremely popular here and yes every time we go somewhere we are recognized. But as far as feeling like I am a celeb I still think that water polo is on such a different level. Soccer still dominates over here and though we are all known and liked, it is more like being in college and everyone is supporting their school.
RT: What are the differences, in terms of actual play between the countries?
TA: As far as in the water, there is a huge difference. Over here they are much bigger, stronger and better. We play around 40 high quality games a year over here compared to 10 in Italy.
RT: I know you’re learning the language now, but is it tough to get along with your teammates? Is the language or culture a barrier? Where are most of the guys from?
TA: I have always gotten along well with my teammates. In Italy we had an exceptionally good camaraderie because the guys were from all over—a lot from Italy, but different regions, so everyone was a “foreigner” in our city. Our coach was a great guy and lots of fun, so the team always went out together, got to know each other’s families and hung out around the pool even after practice was finished. In fact, our goalie there is now one of my groomsmen for my wedding. The town where I played (Cremona) was small and very old-school so not many people spoke English. So I learned Italian right away and now speak it almost fluently.
In Dubrovnik (Croatia), the guys were great but every single one except for two was from Dubrovnik, so they already had their lives and their families. This made it a little more difficult to hang out together outside of the pool, but we still went out and got along well. Most of them spoke English really well too, so communication was not a problem.
Here in Kotor (Montenegro) the team is great. They are mostly Montenegrin, but there are two Hungarian players–one who lives in the condo above mine–and a lot of younger guys who all go out together and get along well. Our coach is young and laid back too, which helps bring the group together. They all speak either English or Italian so I can communicate, although I’m really trying to get better at Serbian/Montenegrin.
RT: Do you see a lot of your National team teammates while playing for your club team?
TA: A lot of the USA National team guys do play overseas–but all over the place. This year we have me in Montenegro, two in Croatia, one in Greece, several in Italy, one in Hungary and one in Spain. Since there is no professional league in the US, our players are really forced to go overseas to train hard at a competitive level all year round.
Come back tomorrow for part two of our Q&A with Azevedo! Tomorrow’s post will feature Tony’s thoughts on celebrity, Long Beach, and whether he was rooting for Chicago or Rio to win the 2016 Olympic bid.