Change takes place at varying degrees of speed. Sometimes, a small movement begins and an avalanche starts to form.

Within the world of water polo, things have been changing at a rapid rate, in more ways than one.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), it's one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. This is especially true for girls' water polo, which saw an 18 percent increase in participation at the high school level from 2008-09 to 2018-19, as both interest and accessibility of the game have increased.

Former Cal star goalkeeper Fana Fuqua has witnessed much of this change firsthand. Nearly two and a half decades after she first donned the Cal Blue and Gold – and became the first black, varsity student-athlete in NCAA women's water polo history – she continues to put forth efforts both as an advocate and an instrument in the continued growth of the sport.

Just last month, Fuqua – who serves full-time as the Director of Athletics and Outdoor Education for The Hamlin School in San Francisco – partnered with USA Water Polo for a clinic at the Steve Lundquist Aquatic Center in Clayton County, Georgia, sharing her knowledge of the sport with kids ranging from 10-to-18 years old alongside local club coaches.

"The clinic was incredibly successful. The kids were super psyched," Fuqua said. "Staying in the water for three hours, they were just so excited to be there. They were asking where they can play in college, where they can find programs and club teams in Georgia to play, just firing questions at me like nobody's business."

For Fuqua, one thing that makes visits to this particular aquatics center so special is its diversity.

"At that pool, there are so many faces of color. It's incredible," she said. "I remember the first time I walked on the pool deck. All of the lifeguards were people of color. So were the kids doing swimming lessons. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, we have to do some water polo here.'"

Demographically, water polo is not a very diverse sport. African American athletes in particular represent a very small percentage of its collegiate and professional members.

In 2022, Fuqua was joined by current Cal star Isabel Williams not just as the only First Team All-American goalkeepers in the program's history, but also as its only black First Team All-Americans. For Fuqua, the fact that they play the same position is an ironic microcosm of the state of diversity in the sport.

However, with the way the world has continued to evolve these past few years, Fuqua knows things won't stay this way forever.

"I think everything that happened with George Floyd and with all the different things that have happened in our country, people are waking up and saying, 'Hey, I want to give back to programs, I want to give money to help kids learn more about sports,'" Fuqua said. "Visually, you see it on social media. I just see more focus and drive than I saw before, but I think it also takes people who have been a part of water polo, people who have influence, going out into the community and growing it at the grassroots level. That's really important."

In the years after Fuqua cemented a legacy that included an MPSF Goalie of the Year award, a career saves tally which still ranks among the best in Bear history, and time spent playing goalkeeper for Team USA, Isabel Williams was simultaneously becoming one of those young kids in the community that, despite water polo's lack of accessibility, was fortunate enough to happen upon it.

"I just got lucky. I was by a club and a family friend of ours just told us to come try it out," Williams said. "Coming from the east coast, we had a few tiny clubs, so you had to travel to compete in California if you really wanted to do anything with it."

Williams, a Severna Park, Md. native, has leaned on her influence in her efforts to make the sport more accessible and available, no matter how big or small. It's come in the form of little things, like sharing stories of her love for the sport with those around her, hopefully starting a ripple effect of interest. It's also come in grander forms, like working with the nonprofit Alliance for Diversity and Equity in Water Polo (ADEWP) in advocating for inclusion and equity while providing education and opportunity for anyone interested in the sport.

"From my beginnings in water polo, I tried to look for more opportunities to bring people in it, because I just love the sport," she said. "I would do clinics with my club team and I love doing the camp here. That's my main outlet of getting people in the sport, being able to be more hands-on and sharing my story with other people."

Now in her senior year with the Bears, Williams has also been encouraged by the shift she's seen in the different ways water polo is growing around the country.

"From when I started until now, there are so many more growth areas, more programs and instances of things popping up that are specifically for water polo," she said. "Definitely more for African American children, but also of just any representation. More of breaking molds and finding opportunities for people who might not have the same access, especially to pools. Just seeing programs like that coming means hope and it means more good things in the future."

While Fuqua and Williams will keep doing what they can to help build the future of the sport, Fuqua knows it's not just about the diversity of those playing – it's about the diversity of those being represented.

"My hope is that there will be a variety of folks featured in the future, to show people that they don't necessarily have to be national team players or be at the elite, top level in order to play water polo or to have their story told," Fuqua said. "I want people to know that whether it's the D-I, D-II or D-III level, water polo can still be an awesome experience that you can do whatever you want with. I think it's really important that there are broader stories out there showcasing what different people are doing."

Whichever paths the sport of water polo does end up taking in the future, Fuqua and Williams will be there helping to guide it along the way.