Catching Up With Harvard Water Polo Head Coach Ted Minnis and Freshman Standout Inde Halligan

Photo Courtesy: Jeanie Wahl

By Taylor Covington, Swimming World College Intern.

When most people think of Harvard University, they imagine the stony pathways of Cambridge and quiet campus walks, where students shuffle through the quad with books in hand or spill out of the libraries where so many of our country’s “greats” have studied. Harvard is the center of academic rigor: where the brightest faculty and students across the country meet to wrestle intellectually, and subsequently make the world we live in a better place.

Yet, another world exists just within the boundaries of Harvard’s campus – the more underrated athletic world, where these same brilliant and ambitious students push their bodies to meet their minds. Harvard sports possess some of the nation’s most serious athletes, gifting them a place where they can truly accomplish it all.

Photo Courtesy: Twitter, @HarvardH2OPolo

That’s precisely what attracted Harvard women’s water polo player, Inde Halligan.

Halligan grew up in Sydney, Australia, where she played on the Australian Junior Water Polo team from 2016-18. Her sister, Bronte Halligan, plays for UCLA and represents Australia on the country’s national team. Her father, Daryl Halligan, was an immensely successful professional rugby player, representing New Zealand in the Rugby League and Union.

Despite coming from an established athletic family, Inde Halligan sought to break the mold in her unique pursuit of college athletics. While the most natural decision seemed to be joining her sister on the West Coast to play for a polo powerhouse, Halligan had a different plan in mind. Possessing a blossoming passion for government, Halligan was intent on choosing an institution that fit her unique needs both in the pool and the classroom. She found that balance in Head Coach Ted Minnis’ program at Harvard University.

Since joining the squad, Halligan has helped push Harvard Women’s water polo team to an impressive 12-2 start to the season. As one of the program’s top defenders, Halligan is key in helping the team realize some of their loftiest goals as they eye the conference championship with hopes of establishing an even greater presence on the national stage.

Swimming World sat down with Halligan and Coach Minnis to learn a bit more about Halligan’s journey as one of the sport’s top recruits as well as the ins-and-outs of one special Harvard program.

Photo Courtesy: Sean Fornelli

Swimming World: How did you become involved in water polo?

Halligan: I watched my sister for a couple years before I finally started playing. My parents always had us involved in sports, and even though I started water polo fairly late, I had been swimming and playing water sports for as long as I could remember. It was natural. I got involved around twelve years old, and after I was exposed to the water and fall land sports, I realized that it sort of mixed the two together. I really fell in love and decided to pursue water polo seriously; I’ve never stopped since.

SW: Did you father’s experience as a professional athlete color your own experience in sports?

Halligan: Once I got into water polo, things were nonstop. I was practicing at least four hours a day, and he was always very understanding and supportive, because he understood the demands of athletics. It’s funny because he played rugby and really doesn’t know anything about water polo, but he became so invested and really tried to learn and make us better. Sometimes I’d laugh and say: “Dad, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” But he has been so supportive from the start.

SW: Once you knew that this was something you meant to pursue seriously, how did you go about choosing Harvard? What went into that decision?

Halligan: My older sister went to UCLA, but being the youngest of four kids, I’ve always tried to be different. I guess that’s part of what landed me on the East Coast; I wanted to be unique. As for Harvard, I was really attracted to the academics the school offered. It allowed me to pursue my interests outside the pool. I really like to push myself in the classroom, and an opportunity at Harvard really gave me the chance to do something extraordinary.

Photo Courtesy: Twitter, @SUWomensWPC

SW: Coach – what made Inde an attractive recruit, and what led you to believe she would be an asset to your program?

Minnis: When you have the opportunity to bring in a player of Inde’s caliber, you certainly worry about things such as her sister being on the West Coast, and with [Inde] being extremely strong academically, you have concerns that she’ll end up at at one of the prestigious West Coast universities. As we started going through the process, however, I realized that Harvard was going to be the best fit for her because she has so many interests outside the pool. Here, she’s able to do everything she wants in the classroom while also playing water polo at a high level. Once I figured that out, it was all about convincing her. I put pressure on her early on, because I was worried that she would end up elsewhere, and I eventually moved on. I didn’t believe it until I got that phone call, and Inde told me she wanted to go to Harvard. I told her immediately, “That’s great, because I have a spot for you.” She had to go through the process and learn that this is a special place where we talk about the next 40 years of our players’ lives, not just the next four years.

SW: Inde – you not only moved to a different country to continue your sport at a high level but also did so at one of America’s most rigorous and esteemed universities. What was that transition like for you?

Halligan: It was definitely a new experience, but I’ve always been able to come into my own, even around new people. I’m my loudest and most confident in new and different scenarios, and I don’t shy away from a new challenge. I remember my parents wanting to fly me over for my move, and I demanded they drop me off at the airport gate without taking another step! I flew myself over, and I moved myself in. The academic side of things was certainly difficult to get used to, but – like anything – if you’re efficient and apply yourself, you can manage it all.

Minnis: The academic side of things is something we really worked on and talked about. The academic structure is so different in Australia, where most of students’ time is spent preparing for a final exam. That’s something we talked about the most, having to compete all the time in the process.

Photo Courtesy: flickr, Joseph Williams

SW: The team has had a pretty successful start to the season. What would you ascribe that to, and what makes this year stand out?

Halligan: I think we have a great class coming through now, and the team has really gelled. We have great players in all the different facets of the game, and we’ve gotten to know each other really well. It’s almost something you can’t describe – when something great happens and you can’t pin it down on individual players or a group of players, but it’s the glue that sticks everyone together.

Minnis: We are a really well-balanced team. Our freshman class is probably one of the best in the country. Four of the five are starting for us, and we always have capable people coming off the bench. They have bought into what we’re doing here, and they’re putting in the extra work, be it video study or a few extra minutes in the pool. They want to be great. This is a year of “firsts.” We are hoping we are going to stretch our winning streak and beat teams we have never beaten before.

SW: Coach – in what ways do you plan on continuing this level of success, and how do you plan on making Harvard stand out to up-and-coming collegiate players?

Minnis: The university sells itself; it’s a really special place. We have the largest athletic department in the country with 42 varsity sports, and one in six students is a student-athlete. Once you come out here and see that the Harvard stereotype isn’t true, and that there are a lot really intelligent people here who care a lot about their sports, then you see that this is a viable option. I try to be a “player’s coach” and show the kids that I care more about them outside the pool than inside the pool. We try to create a family atmosphere where we care about one another as people, and I think people want to be a part of that.

Photo Courtesy: Instagram, @harvardwopo

SW: Inde – going off of Coach Minnis – how would you describe the team dynamic at Harvard, and how is collegiate water polo different from what you grew up doing in Australia?

Halligan: Collegiate water polo possesses a new and different intensity. Playing on the Australian team, I wasn’t able to see my fellow athletes every day who were sometimes across the country. There’s something about seeing your teammates each and every day – eating dinner together and training together – that significantly boosts morale, and you learn the in and outs of people. It makes us all better players; we push one another.

SW: What are some major take-aways from your water polo career that have shaped your perspective on life outside the pool?

Halligan: I think water polo, along with all sports, builds resilience. It teaches you how to win, but most importantly, how to lose and still keep your head held high. Sports play a role in how you go about your day; they teach you how to work well under pressure and get the job done. Water polo makes you headstrong.

SW: Coach – water sports can sometimes be underrepresented in the media and on college campuses. How are you garnering such engagement in your program?

Minnis: We’ve had a lot of success on the men’s side; we had a run at the Final Four. When you start seeing that kind of success and begin hosting conference championships and you see the kind of buzz and support the women have created, people are attracted. When I first got [to Harvard], the stands didn’t have a lot of people, and now we’re seeing recreation swimmers and all the other teams on campus coming to watch us play. I’m a big personality; there aren’t a lot of 6’5″ African American water polo coaches out there, and I always have a smile on my face. People become intrigued about what it is we do. We’ve done a very good job of putting polo at the forefront and trying to be a team that the community can be proud of.

Photo Courtesy: Instagram, @harvardwopo

SW: Inde – how did coming to America prepare you for wherever your future takes you? What are your plans after water polo?

Halligan: I want to end up working as a diplomat or in United Nations. I’m passionate about government, and [the move] has definitely prepared me for working abroad. Harvard itself is rigorous, so I’ve definitely developed the work ethic to transfer to my future occupation.

SW: What is special about Harvard water polo in particular?

Inde: Ted is a great guy, and he has made the transition so much easier. He is constantly checking up on us, and that constant support is really important to me.

Minnis: We are like a family here. The majority of my kids are at least 3,000 miles from home, and I was 1,000 miles from my family, so we try to build that family here. It’s also special to see the progression of the team. When I came here nine years ago, just having a winning season was huge. Now, we are winning championships, and we aren’t satisfied with just being the best team on the East Coast. I feel like we can be competitive nationally, and these kids work really hard. I want my kids to achieve all their goals inside and outside the pool. That’s why they come here – they can do it all.

-All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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Jennifer Hustead

5 years ago

Jennifer Jacobsen