It’s a tough act to follow when your sister is an Olympian.
Chrissy Flynn has grown up in the shadow of elite water polo since she can remember. Leland’s sophomore star is the youngest of four athletic siblings, two of whom played water polo in college.
Oldest sister Shanna swam at Leland under longtime water polo coach Eric Rise, setting the stage for the dawning of the Flynn dynasty. Up next was Nina, who played water polo at Leland and later UC Irvine and Cal.
Then came Jenna, who at 20 has already won an NCAA water polo national championship at Stanford and played with the United States senior national team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Team USA water polo player Jenna Flynn, a San Jose resident and Stanford University star, defends Italy’s Sofia Giustini during the teams’ pool play match at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Wednesday in Paris. (Clive Rose – Getty Images)
Now it’s Chrissy’s turn at Leland. As a freshman last season, the youngest Flynn sister played a big role as the Chargers won the NorCal Division II water polo championship.
She’s ready for another run as Leland gets set to begin the 2024 NorCal Division II competition tonight.
“Being the youngest of two sisters who are super successful. I obviously want to live up to that, but also make my own name, add my own spin to it,” Flynn said. “We have a different team each year. Last year, we graduated six seniors, and so this was a big rebuild year for us. But we ended up doing much better than we expected, which is making us even more excited for NorCal.”
Flynn has no shortage of role models as she charts her own path in the sport. She traveled with her family to watch Jenna play in Paris over the summer and has played for the U.S. youth national team in international tournaments herself.
Leland’s Chrissy Flynn throws during girls water polo practice at Leland High School in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“The Flynns are a special breed, because they live and breathe water polo,” Rise said. “They go and practice on their own at their swim club, and they’ll go over there and they’ll be just throwing the ball against the wall, shooting and throwing the ball against the wall. So I’ve been lucky to have a bunch of players who are very dedicated, good leaders and very talented.”
Flynn has always learned from her sisters, but the COVID shutdown in 2020 gave her a special opportunity to do so. With none of the sisters able to play, they all trained together in the pool instead.
Flynn was exposed to some high-level drills that she had never seen before. She credited that experience with preparing her for what she would face at the international level.
“They set perfect examples for me, and I can learn through their experiences,” Flynn said. “And they kind of counsel me, too. Even during COVID, when there were no practices or tournaments, we would go to the pool together, and we would pass, shoot and run these drills I’d never seen before.
Leland’s Chrissy Flynn treads water while holding a chair during girls water polo practice at Leland High School in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“But we’d do them together. They would definitely be hard sometimes, considering they’re my sisters, my older sisters, you know. But it taught me so much. And then I got put in these higher situations, international tournaments and championship games, and it made me more prepared for it.”
Flynn has multiple years of high school left before a potential college or senior national team future. But her siblings have shown her what’s possible, and she plans to take her love of the sport as far as she can.
“You don’t realize what you’re fully capable of until I watch them,” Flynn said. “I had no expectation for my sister to be an Olympian. Especially growing up, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s just my sister.’ She’s done these amazing things. And being at Stanford and going to Paris is awesome. And then Nina, my other sister at Cal, she is the most influential for me, because she paved the way for us.
“She started this legacy that we have today and that I’m trying to follow with starting water polo, going to a D-I college. Seeing the things they can do that nobody thinks are possible makes things seem more possible for me. I’m a very competitive person naturally. So I see my sisters do these things, and I’m like, ‘OK, I want to do that. I want to do better.’”
Leland head girls water polo coach Eric Rise talks to his team during practice at Leland High School in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Leland has reaped the benefits of the Flynn sisters coming through the program. With Chrissy leading the way this year, the Chargers enter the D-II playoffs with a record of 18-10.
Flynn’s individual brilliance has played a key role in Leland’s success. She has scored 163 goals, dished 25 assists, stolen 85 balls, drawn 74 ejections and blocked 27 shots defensively.
“If we need to lock down somebody at the end of the game, she’s a great set defender,” Rise said. “She’s very flexible when we move her. I remember coaching her in 10 and unders. In order to seal a game, I took her out of the field, put her in goal so she could block.
“Ten years old, made the game-winning save and then shot the ball full court and scored a full-court shot. So literally throughout the years, she’s played every position, whatever we need to win.”
Leland’s Chrissy Flynn smiles during girls water polo practice at Leland High School in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
In its most recent game last Tuesday, Leland lost to Sacred Heart Prep, the No. 1 team in MaxPreps’ national rankings, by a score of 14-7 in the CCS Open Division semifinals.
The Division II tournament offers a shot at redemption. Leland was seeded No. 3 in the D-II bracket and will face No. 6 Clovis, which has battled the Chargers to tight score lines over the years.
The two teams have faced off twice this season. Clovis won 6-5 on Oct. 5 in San Jose and 10-9 on Oct. 25 in Clovis.
“I’m pretty excited about it, because we’ve played Clovis a bunch of times, and we’ve kind of traded games,” Flynn said. “We lost by one the last time we played them, so all of us are excited that we get this rematch.”
Leland’s Chrissy Flynn, left, chats with a teammate during girls water polo practice at Leland High School in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Win or lose, though, Leland will have two more years to build around Flynn. And Rise is thrilled about that prospect.
“Her leadership and humility, she sets the stage for a well-coached team,” he said. “If she makes a mistake, she immediately calls, ‘That’s on me.’ She never blames another teammate. She’s a very creative player, but she’s also very coachable and wants to improve. She’s determined to be herself.
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“It’s going to be tough to follow in the footsteps of two sisters who have done so much, but she’s very confident in who she is. She’s never been like, ‘I want to be them.’ She’s like, ‘I want to be Chrissy.’ And she’s a different player. She’s physical, but she also has a great shot and is very creative. So she is unique from both of her sisters in her skill set.”
Leland’s Chrissy Flynn uses a weighted training ball during girls water polo practice at Leland High School in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Leland’s Chrissy Flynn treads water while holding a chair during girls water polo practice at Leland High School in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Leland head girls water polo coach Eric Rise talks to his team during practice at Leland High School in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)