WOMEN'S WATER POLO

A veteran among college aquatics coaches, Clint Dodd is in his 29th season on the Caltech campus. Upon arriving in Pasadena in December, 1979, Dodd took the helm of the men's and women's swimming programs. The following fall, he assumed head coaching duties for the men's water polo team and remains in that capacity as well. In addition to his coaching duties, Dodd teaches swimming, diving, and scuba classes at Caltech.

Dodd attended Humboldt State University where he earned his BS in biology and physical education in 1977. He also received his MS from Cal State University Los Angeles.

Dodd and his wife, Suzy, have two children, Hanna and Emma.

What is important to you as a coach and what do you like about the job?
At Caltech, it isn't the win or lose thing--it's the experience. We really do try to give the very best to our athletes whether it's my giving time, or helping them hone their abilities, or helping them to go as far they want to go. We've had some Caltech guys with no athletic experience go on to be All-Conference and All-American; we've had six All-Americans in water polo, and only two had any high-school experience before they came here. Those are the kinds of experiences we shoot for. At Caltech, it's about the challenge.

What is your philosophy on winning and losing?
I try not to let it bother me too much. I've had some winning seasons, but we're always the underdogs. I coached at Whittier College before coming to Caltech. I knew about Caltech and how focused it was in science and engineering and how intelligent these students were. I also knew that they tried very hard. Now that I'm here, I see that we really try very hard to win, and occasionally we'll beat UC Riverside, Cal State L.A.--in our conference, we've beaten everyone at one time or another. There are ebbs and flows, and we learn from our mistakes and move on. And what you learn can last a lifetime.

What do you like about being at Caltech?
That every day is a challenge. After Ed Lewis won his Nobel Prize, he came up to me one day and thanked me for what I do, and said that without the pool and my program, his research wouldn't have been as good. Experiences like that put it way over the top. Students I've had over the years still contact me, and 44 guys usually come back for the alumni game--they come from all over the country, and some just fly in for the day.

What sports did / do you play?
I played every sport until junior high school, and then in high school I focused on water polo, which I still play. I was an All-American in high school and college and have been on some international trips to Australia, New Zealand, and Venezuela; I still have friends from those trips. I was just learning at 13 years old, when the older guys told me I was going with them to the Coliseum pool where we played the UCLA varsity team. They asked how old I was and laughed when I told them I was 13. I just kept my head down and did what I had to do.

Who's your favorite athlete?
There are so many, but Bruce Jenner comes to mind. He was in the decathlon; he ran, though some were his worst events; he always worked for his lifetime best; and always tried to raise his standards. Another is John Nabor, a young man who understood and had a plan of attack for what he did on the athletic field and in his life, too. He set a record in the 100 backstroke that lasted nine years--which is unheard of. The rules changed which is why his record was finally broken. Both of them looked at the big goal, in a series of smaller steps.

What are your hobbies and interests? What do you do in your spare time?
We're doing a lot of camping and traveling. My kids are 15 and 13, and we're staying busy with their athletics. I volunteer my coaching to boys' teams, ages 12 and under, and help out at the Rose Bowl. I stay busy. And I also serve as a consultant with a company in Palau, Micronesia, working on specimen collection for the U.S. Department of Health in an effort to help find a cure for cancer and AIDS.

What is your hometown? Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Downey, California, and Downey High School was where I started playing water polo and swimming.

If you won the lottery, what would you do with the rest of your life?
I'd make sure all my relatives were well taken care of. I wouldn't quit my job or do anything radical. I'm a very contented person.