Mr. Oberman gives his insights from his time in the Olympics

When did you attend the Olympics and what sport?

Water Polo - 1992 Barcelona Olympics – Athlete, 2012 London Olympics – Assistant Coach Men’s Team, 2016 Rio – Assistant Coach Men’s Team.

What was your best memory?

My best memory was winning and contributing two goals in our last game in Barcelona to come 5^th placing (the best result by an Australian Men’s team). The last game was against Hungary and Australia had never beaten them at the Olympics.

What was your most memorable moment?

I could answer the same as above but - Getting our accreditation at the same time as the USA Basketball Dream Team in 1992. They were massively tall and really accommodating with photos and talking to us.

How did you prepare mentally and physically for the Olympics?

Mentally we had been working with a psychologist for the previous 3 years and we had done many sessions around crowd noise, communications, mindfulness, controlling the controllables, and specific situations around performing under time and pressure challenges.

Physically we had been training solidly for more than four years at the AIS in Canberra. We toured overseas for 2-4 months overseas per year and training/playing against the best teams in the world. We averaged around 40 International games per year, at least 5 swim sessions per week, 5 specific water polo skills and game play situations per week, 3 specific shooting sessions per week and 3 gym/weightlifting sessions per week. All of this was usually 36-38 weeks of the year.

On top of all that we also completed sessions and activities in nutrition, wrestling/grappling, physiotherapy, massage, physiology testing and biomechanical analysis of throwing and leg jumps.

Finally, on a monthly basis we would study the video footage of other nations of the world and discuss tactics and practice game play (as if we were playing them)

What inspired you to become a teacher after your athletic career?

As a part time job during high school I was teaching learn to swim and I really enjoyed educating and teaching. This followed into coaching some junior grades and women’s teams and again I fell in love with seeing people successfully achieving a skill, gain knowledge.

How has your experience as an Olympic athlete influenced your teaching style?

You be You! I want the students to challenge themselves to be the best version of themselves each day.

What skills or lessons from your water polo career do you find most valuable in the classroom?

Try and try and then try again. Success rarely comes at the first attempt; it's your persistence, patience, resilience, and determination that reveal your true character.

How do you motivate and inspire your students, drawing from your sports background?

Communicating regularly and getting to know what makes the students tick.

Letting them know that with a positive mindset and outlook - anything is possible!

What advice would you give to students who aspire to excel in both academics and sports?

To excel in both, you will need to have a good plan that is communicated well to those people supporting and understanding what your goals are. Secondly, excellent time management skills and a balanced life that doesn’t just mean committing to one over another.