Growing up in the central Netherlands, Renske and Lotte Boxsem gravitated toward water sports. The two sisters, who are first-year students at Cal State Fullerton, participated in synchronized swimming and competitive swimming. But they found their true passion in water polo.
When Renske began playing the sport at 9 years old as a member of a 13-and-under co-ed team, she was the only girl. “I started as a field player, but I always wanted to be a goalie. My coaches and parents said, ‘You’re a 9-year-old girl with 13-year-old guys — that’s not happening.” By age 11, however, she was playing in the net. She continued as a goalie in the 15-and-under girls competition and never looked back.
Lotte valued the team aspect of water polo. “I was a pretty fast sprinter on an advanced swimming team, but I felt lonely. I really liked the notion of having teammates around.”
Water polo is undeniably embedded in the DNA of 19-year-old Renske and 17-year-old Lotte, who hail from Lelystad, a city of 80,000 about 25 miles northeast of Amsterdam.
Renske and Lotte’s father, Jeroen, has participated in the sport most of his life as a player, coach and referee. “He’s 45 years old, and he’s still playing in master’s competition,” said Lotte, whose younger sister, Lidewij, also competes in water polo along with an aunt and an uncle. The Boxsems’ mother, Natascha, has never played the sport but has become an expert on evaluating player skills and game strategy.
Renske won a Dutch Under-17 national championship playing goalie for the ZPC het Ravijn club, which is in the elite Eredivisie division. She participated in two European Youth Championships and two World Youth Championships as a member of the Dutch Youth National Team.
Lotte also played for ZPC het Ravijn and has played on Under-15 and Under-17 national training/practice groups. She competed last summer for the San Jose Express at the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics, which was held across California. The Junior Olympics is the nation’s largest age-group tournament and allows international players on a limited basis.
The Dutch duo are now making their mark for the Titans. They have helped Fullerton (17-12 overall, 1-4 in Big West play) secure its first winning season in the program’s four-year existence.
Read more on the Titans Athletics website.