“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.