The Matt Hahn Interview
News-Press Male Athlete of the Year

Speaking candidly
Glendale High boys' water polo player and swimmer Matt Hahn will rarely talk about himself when it comes to his many athletic achievements. But the Pepperdine University-bound talent loves sharing his
 
 
NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Julie Hahn, the mother of Glendale High's out-of-this-world talent in the water, Matt Hahn, takes great pride in being her son's so-called public relations agent.
"Because if I don't do it," she says after handing this reporter a page-long list of just some of Matt's athletic accomplishments, "you'll never hear it from him."
True indeed. Because Hahn, who is Glendale's 6-foot-5, 210-pound phenom in water polo and swimming, just doesn't like talking about himself.
He didn't like it back when he was named the News-Press All-Area Boys' Water Polo Player of the Year this past season, or when he garnered All-CIF Southern Section Division III first-team and Pacific League co-Most Valuable Player honors.
And he didn't like it during the swim season either, when he took fourth place in the CIF Division II final in the 200-yard freestyle (1 minute 44.51 seconds) and fifth in the 100 freestyle (47.9).
So, when the News-Press presented him with his latest honor, the James H. Jenkins Male Athlete of the Year award, not much changed.
Hahn remained humble and to the point. Not because he's shy -- because he loves talking about everything else, especially his pride and joy at the moment, his 12-song CD that he recorded for his senior project at Clark Magnet High called "Quest Zion" -- but because that's just the way he is.
And you can bet that when he goes to play water polo for national-power Pepperdine University, he won't spend much time talking about himself there either.
Which is exactly why he's such and interesting character to talk to, something News-Press Sports Editor Hamlet Nalbandyan had the privilege of doing Friday.
Our interview is as follows:
Hamlet Nalbandyan: So, you just came back from Pepperdine from you orientation. How was that like?
Matt Hahn: That was a lot of fun. I met a whole bunch of new people, and it was just awesome. I'm just sad that I have to wait two months to get a chance to go back.
HN: How many days were you gone?
MH: Two days, two nights. We met most of the water polo people on the team, and I'm going to see a lot of those people again because it's not going to be very hard to bump into them, because we've got a class of only like 900, which is actually more than they're used to.
HN: How many students do they have over there?
MH: I think a little over 3,000.
HN: Is that something you were looking for in a school, because you were also considering USC, which is pretty different?
MH: Yeah, definitely. Pepperdine is a small school, and I already love it there. I think I made the right decision from all the people that I've met.
HN: What are you majoring in?
MH: Advertising.
HN: That's cool. Have you had a chance to talk to Terry Schroeder, the [water polo] coach there. From what Pat Lancaster has been telling me, he says this guy was once the best player in the world.
MH: Yeah, in the 1980s, he was in the Olympics. He's an awesome coach. He's not the type of coach that will yell at you. He'll tell you what you need to know, and you'll do it. Like the coach at USC, he's kind of more vocal. But [Schroeder] is not like that. And he's cool, you know. Like one day, we didn't have enough guys for goalie, and he hopped in and he was playing goalie with us.
HN: Have you had a chance to talk to him about how he plans to use you?
MH: We haven't really talked about that. I think we're gonna wait until toward the end of the summer after he's seen me play a lot more.
HN: What was the difference between USC and Pepperdine? What made you choose Pepperdine?
MH: It's the location. Kind of like the atmosphere. The atmosphere at Pepperdine is a lot more brighter, and one thing I noticed a lot was that they're Christian. A lot of the kids that go to Pepperdine are Christian, and I just love that. It was awesome, to see a lot of kids that feel the same way about their faith as I do.
HN: So, is faith a really big thing for you?
MH: Yeah, very much so.
HN: So, do they have swimming there?
MH: Girls' swimming, not guys.
HN: Do you like that?
MH: Oh, that's fine, because I'd really rather be doing water polo.
HN: Do you like swimming?
MH: Well, the swimming part is fun, but the practices, you know, you just go back and forth and back and forth.
HN: How old were you when you started swimming?
MH: I was in like seventh grade, so like 13 or 12. That's when I started to really learn how to do the correct techniques.
HN: And from what I remember, you didn't get into water polo until ninth grade, right?
MH: Yeah, I didn't even know how to play it.
HN: How was your sports experience at Glendale High.
MH: It was awesome. Because by going to Clark Magnet, I had those friends, and then doing sports, I had a whole new set of friends. That was really cool.
HN: How did your senior project come out. You know, the CD you were making?
MH: Oh, that came out really good. I can play it for you, if you like.
HN: Oh, definitely. I've been waiting to hear it. How many tracks were on it?
MH: 12. Some of them are like old ones that I did a long time ago, and then it goes to all the way until now.
HN: What did you use to record it?
MH: It was all done on my computer. I just plugged in my guitar into the computer, and went from there.
HN: So what grade did you get on it?
MH: Well, it was for my English class, and since I was in AP, she didn't want it to take up that much of the grade, so it was like a little part of the grade. I still got an A, though.
HN: What was you're GPA?
MH: 4.22.
HN: How about overall?
MH: That was my overall.
HN: How many honors classes did you take?
MH: Three. They were physics, calculus and English.
HN: Which one was you're favorite?
MH: I like English a lot. I became a really good writer.
HN: So is that your favorite class.
MH: I'd probably say so.
HN: Who was your teacher?
MH: Mrs. Sajjadieh, she used to be at Glendale High.
HN: Oh, no way. I know who she is. I used to have her [for English] when I went to school. She was awesome. What was you're favorite book she had you read?
MH: I don't know. Like, her favorite is "Pride and Prejudice" but that's like more of a girl novel. I liked "To Kill a Mockingbird" a lot. I like a lot more of fantasy type books.
HN: You said you're major is advertising. But have you ever considered pursuing athletics as a career?
MH: Not really. I just do it for fun to keep me in shape. I don't want to become a pro [athlete]. I want to have a family and everything. I want to have a regular job. I'm looking forward to going into advertising.
HN: I started to really cover you during your junior year, and your water polo team accomplished a lot of great things that year? Was that one of your memorable moments from high school?
MH: Yeah, that definitely was. Because that was like the best team that Glendale has ever had. We had the best winning season and we went far in the playoffs.
HN: How about beating La Canada -- who was the No. 1 seed -- in the playoffs.
MH: That was nice. That was really memorable, because that was in CIF and that was the game that put us among the top.
HN: What was your most heartbreaking athletic moment that you've had?
MH: I wasn't too happy with my CIF swimming this year. I wanted to break [the school] records, but I didn't quite get there. But that kind of makes me more happy that I'm doing water polo.
HN: Compare [swimming coach] Steve Garberson to [water polo coach] Pat Lancaster?
MH: Well, Lancaster is more open, and Garberson is more serious. Like, you better do what he says.
HN: Who'd you like more?
MH: Oh, I loved them both. Because they're both different.
HN: Garberson made this comment that you're the type of person that he'd want to introduce to his daughters. What do you say to that?
MH: Laughs.
HN: That's a pretty flattering remark...
MH: Especially from him.
HN: Have you met his daughters?
MH: No. I think they're at like at a boarding school or something. I don't even know. He never talks about them.
HN: Talk about some of the memories you'll take from high school:
MH: I had a lot of fun going to the pasta parties that we had the night before swim meets. All the guys and girls would get together and I'd bring my guitar and play for them. We had a blast.
HN: What's your favorite music record.
MH: Oh, I got this new Dishwalla record that I like a lot.
HN: What's it called.
MH: "Opaline." I haven't heard it on the radio, but I love it. Like, every song is good.
HN: What's your favorite all-time record.
MH: I don't know. There's a lot of good stuff by Metallica. I never get sick of that stuff.
HN: OK, I'm getting to the end of the interview, so I'll name you a couple of things, and you pick one.
MH: OK.
HN: Water polo or swimming?
MH: Water polo.
HN: Water polo or art?
MH: Water polo. Well, sometimes, I kind of like art, because I like showing my creative side.
HN: Water polo or music?
MH: Music.
HN: Showing your creative side [with art] or music?
MH: Music.
HN: College sports or pro sports.
MH: College, because it's more real. You're not getting paid to play. They play more for the love of the sport.
HN: Do you like playing offense or defense.
MH: Both. I'm probably more comfortable playing defense, but I like offense too.
HN: You gotta pick one?
MH: OK, offense.
HN: Doughnuts with cream or without?
MH: I like regular doughnuts with the glaze on it, so without.
HN: New Metallica or old Metallica.
MH: Old Metallica.
HN: But you said you like more pop rock.
MH: Yeah I know, but for Metallica, the old stuff is better.
HN: What's your favorite Metallica record.
MH: "Master of Puppets."
HN: Pledge of Allegiance, with or without the "under God," part?
MH: With it.
HN: Republican or Democrat?
MH: Republican.
HN: McDonald's or Burger King?
MH: Burger King. But McDonald's gives more fries, so I sometimes eat there. But Burger King has the whopper.
HN: Alright, final question. Tell me about some of these honors you've gotten through sports. They're pretty big stuff.
MH: Well, yeah. When I do these sports, I'm not just gonna ... I always give my 110%. I always try my hardest to be the best.
HN: What's you're favorite honor.
MH: Oh, I don't know. Can I look at that list.
Hahn reaches over to look at the list that his mother, Julie, has made of all his athletic accomplishments in high school.
MH: Oh, probably the San Gabriel Valley Scott Massey Sportsmanship Award.
HN: Really, but you've gotten bigger awards.
MH: Yeah, but that was in an All-Star game and I just showed up and I played really well. They had just seen me play in that one game, and after seeing me play, they gave me that award. It just came out of the blue, and I wasn't expecting it at all. I was just playing and I was cheering on my teammates, and all of a sudden, I just get this award. You know, everybody in Glendale knows me, but these people had no idea.