La Jolla Athlete of the Week: Bishop’s water polo star Aileen Shin impresses with 29-goal month

Aileen Shin wasn’t keeping track of how many goals she scored in December, but her statistics immediately jump off the page — 29 goals, 11 assists, 11 steals. All in just nine games.

“I didn’t even know what my stats were,” the Bishop’s School water polo star said. “That’s not really what I focus on at the end of the day, but it’s a big shout-out to my team. I think we’ve grown to work really well together and they put me in positions to be able to get those stats. So it’s not just me, it’s to everyone on my team. It’s a credit to all of them.”

Shin, a senior, is a fourth-year varsity athlete. Her co-head coach Doug Peabody had high praise for her performance.

“She’s one of the best players in the country for her age group,” Peabody said. “If you’re playing us and you don’t guard her, you’re in trouble. And … even when you do guard her, you’re not keeping her from her three to four goals a game average. She’s phenomenal.”

Peabody also credited the team’s depth and her willingness to be a part of it.

“She’s the kind of kid that pushes us over the top,” Peabody said. “She’s the kind of kid that stays steady the whole time. She definitely never plays for herself — she plays within our system and within the framework of what we’re doing to make our team better.”

Few teams have been as successful as The Bishop’s School in girls water polo, as the program is aiming for its eighth consecutive CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship.

With the regular season entering its final weeks, Shin described her status as a senior as bittersweet.

Shin started playing water polo when she was 8 after a family friend recommended she try it. Years later, as a freshman at Bishop’s, she wound up in the starting lineup for nearly a month in then-senior Julia Bonaguidi’s absence.

Bonaguidi, whom Shin looked up to, is a 2023 graduate and currently a third-year student-athlete at UC Berkeley.

Shin progressed to being named last season’s CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year in girls water polo.

One of her biggest hurdles came last year when an injury during club season took her out of the water for a month and a half. To be able to return at the beginning of this school season, she had to regain her form on the fly.

With help from her coaching staff, including co-head coach Ian Davidson, Shin emerged from the setback and grew into a better player and better person, she said.

“The water polo team has always been stable for me, and this is going to sound really cliche, but home,” she said. “We have a team room and we joke and call it our apartment. Any time I’m not in class, I’m on the pool deck or in the team room.

“I’ve made so many great friends, and they’re more than just my friends — they’re my sisters. And coaches are more than coaches [and] more than mentors.”

When asked about her out-of-the-pool hobbies, Shin paused.

“To be honest, I don’t have many because water polo takes up my whole life,” she said. “Other than water polo, I like going to the beach, just hanging out with my friends [and] going to the movies.”

Shin’s water polo journey will continue, as she has committed to playing in NCAA Division I at UC Irvine after her graduation from Bishop’s.

La Jolla Athlete of the Week features athletes from all sports in high school (La Jolla High, The Bishop’s School, La Jolla Country Day School) and other local youth sports. We’re looking not only for the stars of competition but also for student-athletes who set an example for teamwork, academic achievement and/or community involvement. Please email your nominations, and a way to reach your nominees, to Editor Rob Vardon at robert.vardon@lajollalight.com.