Read this blog’s related story.
Sometimes a reporter has to step outside his or her comfort zone or “elementâ€Â and be exposed to new things they aren’t familiar with or lack interest in.

Athletic games and events have never particularly interested me. I̢۪m the type of girl who went to a Super Bowl party last weekend and continually asked the guy next to me what each down meant and why a point is called a touchdown rather than a goal.

Basically, sports have never interested me and when I go to a Grizzlies game it̢۪s to scope out the hotties on the baseball field and eat nachos until I get violently ill.

So when I was assigned a story on the women̢۪s water polo team, I rolled my eyes and reluctantly agreed to pursue the topic.

What I learned was surprising.

Being the stuck-up academically thriving individual that I am, I thought sports were just a way to get into college without having to work for the grades that everyone else is required to get. This skewed view was completely wrong.

On the contrary, the girls on this season̢۪s water polo team have committed not only their time to the sport they love, but a good chunk of their wallet as well.

You see, women̢۪s water polo is a club sport, and unlike funded sports teams, no one receives scholarships or grants for being a top notch player; in fact they actually have to pay dues to be on the team, pay for their uniforms, a coach, renting the space to play if one isn̢۪t available on campus and all travel expenses to go to tournaments.

The dues for the women̢۪s water polo team are $400 a person. Plus, if they go to nationals like they did last year, the cost of travel would be equal or more than that amount.

This is astounding to me, that someone would pay so much just to play a game. In reality this is much more than a game to the players, it̢۪s a way of life.

Just huddling around the other night in the cold by the pool listening to these girls talk and laugh about how much they love the game and all the unique experiences they̢۪ve had playing, traveling and bonding with one another really opened my eyes to what playing a sport really means to athletes.

Their passion for water polo equals, if not surpasses, my love of writing or singing, two things which I can̢۪t see myself living without.

It just amazes me to think that I was once so naive that I belittled someone else̢۪s passions in comparison to my own when all are valid because every person has a unique view and desires something different.

These girls desire the sport because of its competitive edge and exercise value, not because they think it will get them special favors. They actually love the sport and I respect them, and anyone else who plays for the love of the game.