February Baller of the Month

Congratulations, Kyle Tepe! 

1.       Name:  Kyle Tepe

2.       Hometown:  Loveland, Ohio -- outside of Cincinnati

3.       Family members?  One older brother and one older sister.

4.       Did any of them play polo?  Not my siblings.  My dad's high school swim team played polo for a season or two in the late 70's and he was the goalie.  I didn't know he played until I was already a goalie myself.      

The man, the myth, the legend... Tepe's Dad circa 1979

5.       Where do you live now?  I rent a place downtown.  

6.       Years playing polo?  14  

7.       Years w/CWPC?  My first CWPC practice was August 20th, 2009 at CSU.  I hitched a ride with fellow Case swimmers Dan Wolak, Kevin Alland, and Peter Cooke.  

8.     Where all have you lived in CLE?  University Circle (the best neighborhood in the world), Lakewood, and downtown.    

9.       Years w/Case? Six years of school, four years of swimming, three-ish years of polo.  

10.   Favorite CWPC Memory - I couldn't possibly choose just one. 

11.   Favorite post polo snack & beverage?  Recently, nothing.  If we go out I stick with budget beer. 

12.   Favorite position to play?  Goalie!  Center defender is fun too.    

13.   Favorite tournament so far:  Big fan of Toronto.  

14.   How many polo suits do you own?  7-8  

15.   What is your favorite part about water polo in general?  This is a tough one.  I definitely think more sports should involve throwing a ball into a goal as hard as you can.  Why are there so few?    

16.   What college team did you play for?  The CWRU club team, when it wasn't swim season.  

17.   Fun fact about yourself:  After water polo, my favorite sports are hockey and disc golf.  

18.   Favorite Kasi or teammate quote?  During a lull in conversation once, Kasi chimed in completely earnestly, "So I've been thinking about getting a salmon V-neck."  That continues to slay me.       

19.  Describe your ideal practice:  Pool-- CSU.  Water-- warm.  Attendance-- 17.  15 minute warm-up, full tank scrimmage for remainder.    

20. If you had to pick between Tony Azevedo and Kevin Zeigler to lead you to victory in the Olympics - who would you pick?  I've seen a video of Tony barring out, but Kevin never misses.     

21. Why do you play polo?  I refuse to pay for a gym membership. 

Here's what Tepe's teammates have to say about him ..

"He looks like Dexter Morgan" 

Young Tepe

Dexter Morgan

"Surprisingly doesn't drink monster energy drinks and avoids shattering drywall."

"Untapped high achiever, foremost team expert on finger wrinkling, punctual to practice - procrastinator to water entry. Net positive asset to the team and friendship."

"I think it's pronounced 'Tey-pey' or 'Teepee' "

"Team 10,000 rats."

"Kyle is the last person I know that owned a Pontiac"

"Solid teammate, solid guy." 

"Who?"

"Even though he's from Cincinnati - he's a Clevelander at heart."

"I like Tepe, he's an okay guy"

"I'm really happy to have Tepe back in CLE, he's always there to help set up, is friends with everyone and just genuinely likes polo." 

"Worst roommate ever" - Bear, probably

Thank you, Kyle Tepe, for all you've done and continue to do for our team. We're thankful you've joined our board and already feel the positive impact you're having upon your return to Cleveland.