Federico Juc Carsalade

While Brazil is a land of immense water polo talent, the path to international recognition is often blocked by a lack of investment and visibility. Freddie had a dream that felt a world away: to play for the UCLA Bruins.

He knew that to bridge the gap between Rio and Westwood, he needed more than talenthe needed a platform. In the spring of 2022, he found it with the 6-8 Academy.

The transition from Brazilian water polo to the American collegiate style is notoriously difficult. "The American style is different in many ways," Freddie notes. Through the Academy, he was immersed in that style daily, mentored by a "Mount Rushmore" of the sport: Tony Azevedo, Maggie Steffens, Rico Chiapparelli, and Sarah Steffens.

What sets the 6-8 Academy apart from any other training environment is the level of intimate mentorship. For Freddie, the "game-changer" wasn't just being in the poolit was the access to the minds of the greats.

"You had Tony's mind available at all times. Having a legend in the water with you every day, teaching fundamentals and then reviewing video outside the pool, that level of access was the biggest differentiator. Even the morning drives to practice with Tony were special. We'd talk about everything: water polo, life, and future plans."

Before the Academy, Freddie's understanding of the game was traditional. 6-8 introduced him to the power of analytics. "Bringing statistics into the sport helped us better understand development and performance. It shifted the mentality from just 'scoring goals' to truly understanding every aspect of the game."

But the most pivotal moment of Freddie's life happened at the 6-8 Showcase. For an international player, getting in front of a UCLA coach is nearly impossible without an intermediary.

"The Showcase was the first time I met the UCLA assistant coach. That's when the conversation started. For players outside of Californiaespecially international playersit's hard to get recognition. Without the Showcase, I might never have met the UCLA coaches, and my path could have been very different."

Today, Frederico is a standout Attacker for the UCLA Bruins, contributing to a program that consistently contends for National Championships. He is a multi-time member of the ACWPC All-Academic Team and the MPSF All-Academic Scholar-Athlete list, proving that the discipline learned at the Academy translates to the classroom of one of the world's most prestigious universities.