FLOWER MOUND, Texas — Just two months after winning — their girls team won their second state championship in a row — Flower Mound High School’s water polo players went back into the pool this week to start pre-season warm-ups. Their off season was cut short as they transition from a spring to fall sport, and as they make another move, they’ve waited years to make.

Next month, high school water polo officially joins the University Interscholastic League (UIL) as a sanctioned sport. That means teams like Flower Mound’s boys and girls that have operated as clubs, only affiliated with their schools, will soon be officially flying their school colors.

Flower Mound girls captain Kaylee Pfister and her teammates were extra awake for the 7:30 a.m. summer practice, with that long awaited change only weeks away.

“Yeah, it’s super exciting,” said Pfister. “We’ve had the school support, but now we’re going to have like the official district and school support.”

Pfister and her teammates have known the UIL sanctioning was coming for some time, but she said the pandemic and other external factors had slowed progress. The senior wasn’t sure if she’d actually see the move happen in her high school career, but said they got the final word early in this year.

“Instantly our brains went to, ‘What’s going to change? What do we need to change?’” said Pfister.

For one, that switch from a spring season to a fall one will be one of the more significant changes. With UIL varsity status comes several benefits for water polo players and teams across the state, though.

The pride in the change is a major one. Players at the Flower Mound practice said operating as a club team certainly feels disconnected from their school since they aren’t "official." Pfister said it was often a struggle to get friends to come cheer on the team at games.

With that backing though, those water polo teams really enter the fold in their districts. One big benefit to that is a day Pfister and many other Flower Mound seniors are already eyeing, National Signing Day. Unlike in the past, where water polo players signed college intent in smaller club ceremonies, she said they now should be right at the front and center with other school sports.

“We get a bigger deal. Everyone’s gonna earn the recognition they deserve,” said Pfister.

Pride is good, but UIL sanctioning also brings a serious money benefit for the young players.

“Now, with it being an official UIL sport, they actually get some financial backing from the district and from the UIL,” said Flower Mound Coach Tony Arbogast.

Arbogast said the team’s always been on the hook for pretty much all of their costs: paying dues and fundraising to afford gear, uniforms, referees and anything else that would come up. Players would even have to convoy and pay the gas bills, to get to and from away games and tournaments.

Now, though, Arbogast said they’ll get buses from the district, just like any other school team, and get the financial support to make the sport much more affordable to a wider range of students.

Of course, too, team members said they’d certainly feel the pressure from playing in that official capacity now, especially as the girls team aims for its third championship in a row. As they get in the pool for a new season — their first official season — Pfister and her teammates said they’re ready for that challenge, that spotlight.