Three members of the Estevan Sharks Water Polo team also happen to be on the U19 Team Sask Water Polo Team, who traveled out to Croatia for the training opportunity of a lifetime. Alex Andrist, Mikayla Hack, and Josie Andrist just returned from their trip out east, and the experience couldn't have been more valuable.

"I found it just so exciting getting to go all the way to Europe to play for Team Sask," says Alex Andrist. "I never expected to get this far in my water polo career."

Alex, along with her sister Josie and teammate Mikayla Hack, plays for the U16 Estevan Sharks as well as for the province, and has been given the opportunity as one of the starters for the provinces' team. Their coach was once a member of the French national team and has made a trip to Europe with the team for the last three years to France, Italy, and now Croatia.

"It was a little overwhelming at first but by the end of it we got used to all the flying and all the driving and all the sitting and waiting."

The girls got a chance to travel to a few different spots in Croatia, training with and playing with different local teams around the country, before making a stop in the capital city of Zagreb, where the girls actually got a chance to compete with the Croatian National Team. While the Croatians were a class above, it was still an experience that Alex says she can use to build upon her own game.

"It was really tough at first, they were really tough, really grabby, and you had to be really fast to stay away from them and they were really fast as well, and you really had to sprint down the pool. It was really tough at first. But, then we all got used to playing like that, we all adapted and it turned out pretty well in the end."

"The biggest thing I pulled away from this trip was my relationship with my team and Team Sask. We've all gotten so close over this trip it's like they're a new family."