Katie Childs ‘95 returns to the Larry Hart Pool as the newest Head Coach of the Boys’ Varsity Water Polo program.
Prior to taking over the program, Coach Childs, also a parent to members of the class of 2024 and 2026, previously spent many years volunteering as a coach for Choate Girls’ Water Polo and also volunteer coached at the Greater New Haven Water Polo Club (Hydras) as well.
Coach Childs was a superb student-athlete during her time at Choate Rosemary Hall, where she was a girls’ water polo captain, Coaches Award recipient, and also a United States Junior National Team member. She attended the University of Maryland at College Park where she was a three-time Mid-Atlantic Player of the Year (1997-’99) and led her team to multiple Mid-Atlantic and Eastern Division Championships.
For her successes in the sport, Coach Childs was inducted into the Choate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
"Most students have very little exposure to water polo before coming to Choate,” she reflected. “In fact, I started my water polo career at Choate as a freshman. Witnessing the growth of a player from a novice to having proficiency in the pool is extremely rewarding as a coach. The enthusiasm from the players as they progress is evident and their increased confidence is why I find this role so gratifying. Choate is a special place where everyone has a role – including the coaches – to encourage the growth of our teenagers in a positive and challenging way.”
Since returning to the Larry Hart Pool, the Boys and Girls Water Polo programs have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success and also interest, with full roster sizes which include a JV program on the boys side. The Wild Boars have solidified itself as a top program in the region, with the boys finishing third overall in New England in 2023, and the girls’ team finishing New England Runner-Up in 2024.
