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/ Women's Water Polo
UT
/ Women's Water Polo
Photo by: John McGillen
Claire Haas Does It All!
May 10, 2023 | Women's Water Polo
From water polo to community service to building prosthetics, the USC senior makes an impact in all she does — and does it all with a smile!
By Sam Reno
LOS ANGELES – Claire Haas grew up in Kildeer, Ill., playing point guard on the basketball team and the incredibly demanding central midfield spot on the soccer field. As a young athlete, she idolized Mia Hamm and wanted to play the sport "for the rest of her life."
"They also put me at goalie," Haas said. "Because I was the only kid that wasn't afraid to get hit with the ball really hard. I just very much put my body on the line, probably a little too much."
Haas was an Illinois All-State selection in three consecutive years – twice named Illinois Female Player of the Year. She was a two-time high school All-American, leading Stevenson High to a 139-5 record in her career. And after five years at USC, she's a national champion… a water polo national champion.
When Haas was in fifth grade, her sister – a high school senior – forced her to tag along to one of the varsity water polo practices. Haas still couldn't even swim, but she kept showing up anyway.
"I just kind of fell in love," Haas said. "She kind of forced me to come to practice to see if I liked it, and I've been going ever since."
As a middle schooler, the love affair wasn't yet an exclusive one for Haas, who was still juggling the learning curve in the pool with basketball, soccer and horseback riding. Eventually she committed to water polo year round in an attempt to play in college, but the balancing act has persisted.
Assignment notebooks, online course planners, calendar apps… they've all had a phase for Haas. In year five, she has settled on the notes app, filling in her weekly to-dos as they come up. She said keeping it simple helps her feel less overwhelmed, more in control of her responsibilities ranging from teaching assistant to volunteering at a therapeutic riding barn.
During Haas' senior year of high school, her sister was working as an occupational therapist at Horse Feathers – a riding barn roughly 30 minutes northeast in Lake Forest, Ill.
Once again accepting an invite from her sister, Haas volunteered as a side walker that year. Haas grew up riding horses and said she's always been comfortable around them, and she helped out the barn by walking alongside the horses and with the patients.
"I just really enjoy helping people," Haas said. "I don't have a lot of time on my hands, but helping make an impact in the community has always been super big for me."
It's why she chose to study engineering. "I'm not a good writer, and I'm really bad at history and reading," Haas said. But she's always enjoyed science and math, and she wanted to make the most of the opportunities given to her, using them to improve the lives of everyone around her.
What started as a passion for robotics as a kid became making 3D-printed prosthetics for children in need in the Los Angeles area. Haas is a member of the 3D4E, the 3D-printing club on campus at USC she joined during her junior year.
Through 3D4E, Haas found a project called Freehand. The group works with the LA Children's Hospital to provide kids with specific prosthetics on a case-by-case basis. The project serves around two to three kids each month, bringing them in for an individual consultation and measurement before the prosthetics are printed and supplied free of charge.
Haas has found her purpose through engineering, and USC has given her the opportunity to tangibly fulfill it through projects like Freehand. But without water polo, that journey may have never brought her to Southern California.
"To play water polo," Haas said, "you have to come to California to participate and get noticed."
As Haas got to Stevenson High, the days of playing point guard and center mid were traded in for a year-round commitment to playing water polo year round and – eventually – at the next level.
One of those commitments was the USC water polo camp, where she connected with the coaching staff and expressed her interest in someday playing at Uytengsu Aquatic Center. But Haas said proving she could make that jump was a struggle playing in a state like Illinois that could hardly be considered a hotbed for the sport.
In fact, If you type "water polo" into the search bar of the Kildeer's official WordPress website, you're met with a "no results found" message. "Pool" merely nets you the code requirements should you wish to build one yourself.
To get an opportunity at USC, Haas said she had to prove herself as a "hard worker," someone "dedicated" to the process in addition to her results back home in the pool. The coaching staff was convinced, and throughout her Trojan career, her teammates have endorsed that belief in her intangibles.
Since the start of her sophomore year, Haas has served – as elected by her peers – as a member of the Trojan Athletic Senate. Coming out of COVID, she took over as head of community service.
Under her leadership, they've organized a food drive against UCLA and helped put together care packages with socks, underwear and more for women's shelters. Haas even took a parking ticket to ensure boxes of hand sanitizer were delivered on time.
Senior utility Brooklyn Aguilera lives with Haas and serves on TAS alongside her. She said as talented a chef as Haas is – most notably her homemade sushi bake – her capacity to care and nurture is her greatest talent.
When they all get home from practice and sit around the table, Aguilera said Haas always asks about everyone's day. Family member, friend, teammate or otherwise, she said it doesn't matter. Haas is in your corner no matter what.
"She's going to make sure you're cared for," Aguilera said. "She's going to make sure you're not left behind. You're seen."
Haas was one of the best high school water polo players in the state of Illinois, and was routinely recognized accordingly. She actualized her dream of playing Division I college water polo. She's an NCAA national champion. But when asked what Haas is most proud of, she didn't hesitate.
"Figuring out a balance that I was able to do more than just play water polo," Haas said. "Everyone has their downfalls and everyone sometimes screws up and slips up, but just being a good supportive teammate is what I'm most proud of… At the end of the day, I just want to have more of an impact."
LOS ANGELES – Claire Haas grew up in Kildeer, Ill., playing point guard on the basketball team and the incredibly demanding central midfield spot on the soccer field. As a young athlete, she idolized Mia Hamm and wanted to play the sport "for the rest of her life."
"They also put me at goalie," Haas said. "Because I was the only kid that wasn't afraid to get hit with the ball really hard. I just very much put my body on the line, probably a little too much."
Haas was an Illinois All-State selection in three consecutive years – twice named Illinois Female Player of the Year. She was a two-time high school All-American, leading Stevenson High to a 139-5 record in her career. And after five years at USC, she's a national champion… a water polo national champion.
When Haas was in fifth grade, her sister – a high school senior – forced her to tag along to one of the varsity water polo practices. Haas still couldn't even swim, but she kept showing up anyway.
"I just kind of fell in love," Haas said. "She kind of forced me to come to practice to see if I liked it, and I've been going ever since."
As a middle schooler, the love affair wasn't yet an exclusive one for Haas, who was still juggling the learning curve in the pool with basketball, soccer and horseback riding. Eventually she committed to water polo year round in an attempt to play in college, but the balancing act has persisted.
Assignment notebooks, online course planners, calendar apps… they've all had a phase for Haas. In year five, she has settled on the notes app, filling in her weekly to-dos as they come up. She said keeping it simple helps her feel less overwhelmed, more in control of her responsibilities ranging from teaching assistant to volunteering at a therapeutic riding barn.
During Haas' senior year of high school, her sister was working as an occupational therapist at Horse Feathers – a riding barn roughly 30 minutes northeast in Lake Forest, Ill.
Once again accepting an invite from her sister, Haas volunteered as a side walker that year. Haas grew up riding horses and said she's always been comfortable around them, and she helped out the barn by walking alongside the horses and with the patients.
"I just really enjoy helping people," Haas said. "I don't have a lot of time on my hands, but helping make an impact in the community has always been super big for me."
It's why she chose to study engineering. "I'm not a good writer, and I'm really bad at history and reading," Haas said. But she's always enjoyed science and math, and she wanted to make the most of the opportunities given to her, using them to improve the lives of everyone around her.
What started as a passion for robotics as a kid became making 3D-printed prosthetics for children in need in the Los Angeles area. Haas is a member of the 3D4E, the 3D-printing club on campus at USC she joined during her junior year.
Through 3D4E, Haas found a project called Freehand. The group works with the LA Children's Hospital to provide kids with specific prosthetics on a case-by-case basis. The project serves around two to three kids each month, bringing them in for an individual consultation and measurement before the prosthetics are printed and supplied free of charge.
Haas has found her purpose through engineering, and USC has given her the opportunity to tangibly fulfill it through projects like Freehand. But without water polo, that journey may have never brought her to Southern California.
"To play water polo," Haas said, "you have to come to California to participate and get noticed."
As Haas got to Stevenson High, the days of playing point guard and center mid were traded in for a year-round commitment to playing water polo year round and – eventually – at the next level.
One of those commitments was the USC water polo camp, where she connected with the coaching staff and expressed her interest in someday playing at Uytengsu Aquatic Center. But Haas said proving she could make that jump was a struggle playing in a state like Illinois that could hardly be considered a hotbed for the sport.
In fact, If you type "water polo" into the search bar of the Kildeer's official WordPress website, you're met with a "no results found" message. "Pool" merely nets you the code requirements should you wish to build one yourself.
To get an opportunity at USC, Haas said she had to prove herself as a "hard worker," someone "dedicated" to the process in addition to her results back home in the pool. The coaching staff was convinced, and throughout her Trojan career, her teammates have endorsed that belief in her intangibles.
Since the start of her sophomore year, Haas has served – as elected by her peers – as a member of the Trojan Athletic Senate. Coming out of COVID, she took over as head of community service.
Under her leadership, they've organized a food drive against UCLA and helped put together care packages with socks, underwear and more for women's shelters. Haas even took a parking ticket to ensure boxes of hand sanitizer were delivered on time.
Senior utility Brooklyn Aguilera lives with Haas and serves on TAS alongside her. She said as talented a chef as Haas is – most notably her homemade sushi bake – her capacity to care and nurture is her greatest talent.
When they all get home from practice and sit around the table, Aguilera said Haas always asks about everyone's day. Family member, friend, teammate or otherwise, she said it doesn't matter. Haas is in your corner no matter what.
"She's going to make sure you're cared for," Aguilera said. "She's going to make sure you're not left behind. You're seen."
Haas was one of the best high school water polo players in the state of Illinois, and was routinely recognized accordingly. She actualized her dream of playing Division I college water polo. She's an NCAA national champion. But when asked what Haas is most proud of, she didn't hesitate.
"Figuring out a balance that I was able to do more than just play water polo," Haas said. "Everyone has their downfalls and everyone sometimes screws up and slips up, but just being a good supportive teammate is what I'm most proud of… At the end of the day, I just want to have more of an impact."
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