Longan Makes Encore Trip to Olympics

Amanda Longan, Class of 2015, is heading to Paris to represent the USA Women’s National Water Polo team in the Olympics.

The women’s team opens competition on Saturday, July 27 at 6:35am against Greece.

It’s her second time representing the stars and stripes on her sports biggest stage.

Longan’s pathway to the Olympics is unique because she didn’t start playing water polo until she was 14. Although it doesn’t define her journey, it’s part of her story that resonates with younger athletes.

“Now that I’ve been playing for so long, I always forget that I started really late and there’s so many kids that come up to me or message me that I’m inspiring them to keep trying,” Longan said. “I like being able to share hope, and I think it helps to encourage young girls and young boys to keep playing the sport.”

When she first joined Oaks Christian, then coach Larry Felix saw her potential and invited her to train with the boys’ water polo program.

“I wouldn’t have made the strides I made if the men’s team didn’t put up with me training with them,” she said.

An afternoon game on campus at the Sotelo Aquatic Center cemented Longan’s desire to dive in deeper to the sport.

“I had this moment in the pool when my dad was in the stands and we were doing really well against a good team and I kid you not, it felt like God had entered my soul,” Longan explained. “It was the way the sun was reflecting off the water and I’ve never felt perfect peace and joy like that ever since. I remember feeling this is what I was meant to be doing. Not necessarily because I needed to go win gold medals and championships, but there was something to be learned in this journey.”

When Longan was heading into her senior season, Jack Kocur took over the OCS water polo program: he quickly saw an athlete driven to find success.

“It’s the recipe she has that makes her an Olympian,” Kocur said. “So, with her, she’s always lived the lifestyle. It’s a daily lifestyle that she breaths every day and that is why she can start at 14 and become an Olympian.”

After graduating from Oaks Christian, Longan spent her collegiate years playing at the University of Southern California. While at USC, she recorded 580 career saves and was named to the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches All-American First Team.  In 2021 Longan made her first trip to the Olympics where she was part of the team that secured the United States their third consecutive gold medal in women’s water polo.

Despite Longan’s decorated career, including winning the Peter J. Cutino Award in 2022, for the second time she finds herself filling the role of backup to goalie and two-time gold medalist Ashleigh Johnson. Despite her backup role, Longan maintains a voice that will be key to any success her team will have in the Olympics.

“I’m very bold and I’m not scared to say things that need to be said. I’m one of very few that is willing to do that,” Longan said. “If you can’t have hard conversations we’re not going to grow together.”

What makes Longan stand out as a player is her ability to make an impact regardless of the depth chart.

“She’s the ultimate teammate and you have to be when you’re a backup goalie and you know your playing time is going to be scarce,” Kocur said of his former goalie. “You have to be the bedrock of the team as a backup goalie and that’s the person she is.”

Her voice has been necessary for a roster that’s in transition from the 2020 Olympic Games.

“We lost a lot of veterans so we kind of had to rebuild with one less year because of the pandemic,” Longan said. She mentioned the difference in competition at this event will be the presence of high-powered European teams with fans in the stands.

Longan will be joined by fellow Oaks Christian graduate, Adrian Weinberg, Class of 2019. He’ll be representing the USA Water Polo Men’s National Team at the 33rd Olympiad.

“I think it’s so cool that there’s two Olympians coming out of Oaks Christian especially because he and I both know where we come from,” Longan said. "He is a quality human being and I'm proud of him for seeing it through and becoming an Olympian." 

With all her success at the collegiate and international level, Longan points to her time at Oaks Christian as a pivotal time in her personal and athletic development.

“I loved my high school experience like no other,” Longan said. “I think there’s definitely things about me that wouldn’t have turned out if I didn’t go to school there.”

Opening Photo: USA Waterpolo/Catharyn Hayne