“Besides all the talent, you have to be coachable” – Alex Bowen on development & playing in Europe (Part 1)

In this episode of the Waterpolo Expert Talk, two-time Olympian and
World Championship top scorer Alex Bowen shares deep insights into
player development, mental skills, coachability and what it truly
takes to succeed at the highest level of international water polo.
Alex begins by introducing his personal journey. Growing up in San
Diego, water polo was part of everyday life. With his father
working as a high school coach, the pool became a second home from
an early age. Homework on the pool deck, swimming during team
practice and constant exposure to the sport shaped not only his
technical skills but also his understanding of team culture and
responsibility. A central theme of the episode is the American
water polo system. Alex explains the close connection between
school and sport in the United States, with clearly separated high
school and club seasons. While this structure keeps many kids
engaged, it also creates a major gap after college. Once NCAA
eligibility ends, players must either move abroad or step away from
elite competition. Alex highlights recent positive developments,
such as the introduction of water polo as an official high school
sport in Texas, which instantly created hundreds of new teams and
thousands of new players. Access to school funding and
infrastructure, he explains, is a game changer for the long-term
growth of the sport in the US. One of the most important messages
of the episode comes directly from Alex’s upbringing and
experiences with many different coaches: besides all the talent,
you have to be coachable. For Alex, coachability means being able
to listen, accept criticism, adapt to different philosophies and
constantly learn. Every coach, he says, offers at least one
valuable lesson – and elite players are those who can absorb and
combine these lessons instead of resisting them. The conversation
then turns to playing in Europe, something Alex considers
indispensable for American players. After graduating from Stanford,
he played professionally in Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Greece,
Serbia and France. Competing against older, stronger and more
experienced professionals accelerated his development far beyond
what would have been possible at home. Playing for contracts,
bonuses and careers creates a level of pressure that fundamentally
changes how players approach the game. Alex explains the tactical
and stylistic differences between countries. Greek teams emphasize
positioning and quick release shots, Serbian teams rely heavily on
physicality and verticality, while other nations bring their own
unique focus depending on coaching philosophy and tradition. Over
time, Alex learned to combine these influences, gradually building
his own “puzzle” as a player. A particularly insightful part of the
episode focuses on mental preparation. Alex openly discusses
nervousness before major tournaments such as the Olympic Games and
World Championships. Working with a mental skills coach helped him
understand that nervousness and excitement are closely related. By
reframing nerves as excitement, he learned to channel emotions
instead of fighting them. His personal pre-game rituals reflect
this mindset. Instead of loud music or hype, Alex prefers calm
preparation, often listening to comedy podcasts before matches to
stay relaxed and focused. Finding the right balance on the arousal
scale, he explains, is highly individual – and one of the most
important skills elite athletes must develop. The episode concludes
with reflections on team dynamics. Successful teams, Alex says, are
built from very different personalities – quiet leaders, emotional
motivators, jokers and fighters. The key is that individual
behaviors always serve the team, never undermine it. This episode
is a deep, honest and highly practical conversation about
coachability, mental strength and why long-term development in
water polo – and in sport in general – depends far more on mindset
than raw talent. More about the podcast: https