Ali Ott: Devoted Villanova Fan (And Bus Driver Deluxe)
BROOKLYN, NY. It is a fact of American athletic life that someone needs to move players from point to point—or in some cases, competition to competition. In the 90s, the phenomenon of the “soccer moms” was noted and capitalized on—in particular by politicians and auto manufacturers.
But what of those same athletes as they grow in age and proficiency, so much so that they qualify for NCAA or NAIA competition? Mom and dad are (typically) not bringing the Honda Odyssey brimming with healthy snacks and electrolyte drinks along from college to college.
Enter, Ali Ott.
At 9 a.m. on a beautiful Saturday morning Ott, a driver for Academy Bus Lines—which bills itself as America’s largest privately owned and operated transportation company—was not sipping a latte at one of Downtown Brooklyn’s numerous cafes. Clad neatly in his Academy uniform, his trusty steed—a Van Hool Coach—parked in front of Long Island University’s Steinberg Wellness Center, Ott was intently watching a women’s water polo match between the host Sharks and the visiting Wildcats of Villanova.
NOT the Villanova bus… but you get the picture! Photo: M. Randazzo
With the Wildcats scheduled for two matches in Brooklyn—one against LIU and another ten blocks away at St. Francis College— Ott had driven from Villanova on Friday. Right the St. Francis match he would drive to Poughkeepsie for matches Sunday against host Marist and Siena, all Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rivals.
It's challenging for most sports fans to follow polo; the whistles, the physical play, the movement of the ball. To expect the person who drives athletes to competition all over the Northeast to follow this esoteric sport is perhaps to expect a wedding photographer to know the bride’s mother’s first cousin’s name.
But not Ott. A native of Bulgaria—like many Eastern European countries a place where water polo is well known—he is following the match carefully and is adamant that the Wildcats will win. That they don’t is no reflection on the authenticity of their driver’s passion for what can politely be called and esoteric sport.
Long Island University pool, configured for water polo. Photo: M. Randazzo
Man w/a Hat: - Do your drive athletes to a lot of sporting events?
Ott: Yes, for Villanova primarily. Very good basketball, swimming, tennis…
- And water polo. Have you ever watched this sport before?
Yes I did—in Europe! I’m from Bulgaria.
- What do you think of watching polo indoors at LIU?
It’s hot in here and there’s not too much room to watch [the matches].
- This is the fourth time LIU has played a match in their pool—and only the second time they’ve had fans…
I like [Villanova] but it looks like Long Island University has a pretty good team, too.
- It’s a tough sport; these athletes are really physical. Would your kids play polo?
I have two sons and they don’t play water polo. They play soccer. [Laughs] There’s a lot of pushing here but it’s good fun for the girls.
Water polo is a more hard thing like swimming. It involves swimming, positioning and a lot of tactical things… it’s like basketball or soccer in the water. That’s what it is.
Alas, the Wildcats could not overcome an LIU 10-goal blitz between the second and third quarters, falling to the Sharks 16-11. At a match later in the day at St. Francis, Ali was again in the stands, pulling for his charges. He pointed out they needed to win as the trip that night would be hard enough after a long day of competition.
And win Villanova did, beating the host Terriers 16-15. Falling behind by three goals midway through the third, the Wildcats rallied, as Stella Byles scored with 21 seconds remaining to allow her team—and their driver—to escape Brooklyn with a victory.