By Pete Borello

courtesy of Mark Bailey Alex Bailey, front, earned All-America honors over the summer.

When Alex Bailey looked around the pool at the other 14-and-under boys chosen to represent the Stanford Water Polo Club at the Junior Olympics, he realized his most important role would be as a leader.

“It was a young team - four of the starters were eighth-graders and the rest were seventh-graders,” said the Los Altos resident, among the oldest members of the squad. “Me and Conner Still put the team on our shoulders and showed them the game, and they stepped up for us.”

With Bailey and teammate Still leading the way, Stanford placed sixth out of 36 teams in the July tournament held in Ventura. Not bad for a team that didn’t have much time to prepare for the national tourney after weeks of rigorous tryouts.

“We did really well,” said Bailey, embarking on his freshman year at St. Francis High. “Our team was just put together and had no chemistry or anything at first, but after four of five weeks we formed that chemistry. We played as a team and were fundamentally sound.”

Bailey started all eight games for Stanford, scoring several goals and playing pestering defense as a utility player. His performance and leadership did not go unnoticed. Bailey was selected as an All-American, along with Stanford goalie Ben Dearborn, now attending Sacred Heart Prep with Still.

“That was a great honor,” Bailey said.

While most proud of what the team accomplished, Bailey said his personal highlight of the tournament came in the fifth-place game.

“Even though we lost, it had to be against Commerce,” he said. “I neutralized (the opponent’s best player) as much as I could; I limited him to one or two goals.”

Bailey scored most of goals in the early-round games against “the pushover teams,” he said. “I helped us get up early so we could rest.”

There was no resting against USC-based Trojan, a team that ended Stanford’s four-game winning streak.

“That was our toughest game,” Bailey said. We weren’t ready for them and they crushed us 10-1.”

Undeterred, Stanford rebounded in the next round.

“We didn’t let (the loss) get us down,” Bailey said. “We came back to beat San Diego Shores in an exciting game by scoring two goals in the end.”

That’s as good as it would get for Stanford, however. The team dropped its final two games, starting with a close loss to OC Split.

Falling to Commerce in the finale was disappointing, but Bailey took comfort in knowing the Stanford 14 gave it their all.

“It was a good game,” he said. “They threw everything they had at us and we stayed composed and did what we were taught. Unfortunately, we lost, but I couldn’t be more proud of my team - I couldn’t ask for more.”

With the club season behind him, Bailey now turns his attention toward high school water polo. The former basketball player, who stands 6-foot-2, was contending for a spot on the St. Francis varsity team as of last week.

Bailey has been playing the sport for three years and can’t seem to get enough of it. He practiced up to three times a day during the summer.

“I love getting in the water and swimming around,” he said. “It’s a great game.”