The success of a sports program is not always defined by wins and losses. Although the La Jolla High boys water polo program has been a winner in the pool, they’ve recently shown that they’re even more than that. When the team learned that head coach Tom Atwell’s wife Utahna had breast cancer, they decided to do something about it. Utahna was losing so much hair one weekend that she decided to shave it off and go bald. To show support for her, Tom shaved his hair. But that is not where the story ends. The members of the team decided to show their support for the couple by shaving their heads, and presented Coach Atwell with a box of their shorn hair as they removed their beanies to reveal their newly shaved heads. “It really showed me what an incredible group of guys this is,” Tom Atwell said. “To have 14 teenage boys put vanity aside and do something like that is a true testament to the depth of character each of these team members has. I don’t think I have ever witnessed such a selfless act. These boys have shown me that what I do here as a coach goes way beyond any win-loss record. “The boys will always have a special bond with Utahna and I. My wife has lamented to me that she is still at a loss. She says there is no amount of cookies she can bake or Krispy Kreme donuts she can bring them that will ever repay this selfless act.” Although the program was close to begin with, Atwell said a gesture like this brought them closer together. “I think their banding together to do something as amazing as this really brought all of us closer together,” Atwell continued. “They may not remember every win from this fall in 20 years, but they will surely always remember what they did as a group to show their support for my wife. They will always have a special place in our heart.” Joe Laird, a senior and team captain for the Vikings, said the news about Utahna came as a surprise to nearly everyone on the team. “We had just finished practice one day and he pulled us all aside and told us about his wife,” Laird said. “We were all genuinely shocked to hear that Utahna was ill and felt that all we could do was support the Atwell family in any way they needed.” Laird said that team mom Ann Woods originally came up with the idea and told her son Tyler Woods, a member of the team. Tyler relayed the message on to the squad, where it was immediately met with enthusiasm. “We met one day after a game and shaved our heads, making sure to save all of the hair in a cardboard box,” Laird said. “We presented Coach Atwell with a box at a 5:30 a.m. practice containing all of our hair. Coach Atwell was totally surprised and seemed to be touched by the gesture. He kept telling us how happy this would make Utahna and that he couldn’t believe we had all shaved our heads.” Laird also noted that La Jolla water polo is more than just a sports team, it’s a family. “Utahna is at all of our games and knows each of us by our names, both as players and as people,” Laird said. “With an individual as close and as special to us as Utahna, we couldn’t help but be inspired. The situation gives us something and someone to play for outside of the pool.”n