Making Waves…Again
by George Diaz
During his decades-long tenure as the head water polo coach at Seminole High School, Tony Ackerson developed an approach known as “The Seminole Way.”
Tony held players accountable, while at the same time cracking an intermittent joke at practice to add a bit of levity to his disciplined method. That approach – now practiced by Tony’s son, Ryan – has served the program very well. Seminole has the state titles to prove it.
Ryan Ackerson, a 2018 graduate of Seminole High, stepped into the water polo head coaching role after his father retired at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Tony, who enjoyed a 36-year career, now volunteers as Ryan’s coaching assistant for the boys’ and girls’ water polo teams.
Validation for The Seminole Way came in the form of a state title for the girls’ team this past spring – the culmination of a perfect season (31-0). In the championship game, the Seminoles beat West Orange 8-4 in Miami. It was the second state title (and second perfect season) in three years for the girls’ program.
Forces To Be Reckoned With
And although the boys haven’t won a state title in that three-year span, they have nevertheless been a dominant force in high-school competition, advancing to the semifinals for three consecutive years.
With this year’s championship run, Seminole High School became the first program in FHSAA history to have both water polo teams advance to the state Final Four over three consecutive seasons.
Take a bow, Ackersons.
“He coached the old-school way,” Ryan says about his father. “One of his main words was discipline, but he always wanted the kids to enjoy practices and games by letting them be themselves.”
It’s hard to argue with perfect seasons.
“Our success has a lot to do with our faith in the system,” says Vivian Swain, who graduated in May and garnered several player of the year awards this season. “Coach Ryan treats us as people, not just athletes. Balancing seriousness with a joke now and then makes it fun.”
A Stumbling Block
This past season was indeed wonderful, as was the 2024 season (when the team also went 31-0). Yet there was heartbreak in between.
In 2025, the Seminoles were defeated by Gulliver Prep in the state title game, a loss that would sting for months to come.
“It had been a special season, so it was hard processing that,” says Ryan. “But we are blessed to have good kids and family.”
Halle Zimlich, another standout player who graduated in May, says she and her teammates used last year’s loss as motivation.
“We thought about last year when we came up short,” says Halle, who racked up several player of the year awards in 2024 and 2025. “We did not want to feel the way we felt again.”
Back on Track
Halle and Vivian were both instrumental in the team’s offensive success this season. Vivian led with 115 goals, 87 assists, and 40 steals. Halle scored 94 goals, 41 assists, and 64 steals.
Defensively, the Seminoles were led by goalie Julia Pando, who had eight saves in the championship game and finished the season with 198 saves and four assists.
Next season will bring a different set of challenges for the team, with Halle and Vivian off to Florida State University to play on the club water polo team.
Even without the powerhouse combination of Vivian and Halle, Ryan is confident the team can reload – as the program has done consistently in the past. And on the coaching end, it won’t hurt to continue having the experienced voice of his father as an assistant.
“We will always be in a place where we can win,” says Ryan. “Other girls must and will step up during the offseason. We are expecting a big freshman class this next year with girls who will be hungry to keep developing.”