15th annual speedo cup preview -...
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VOLUME 22, NUMBER 2, OCT/NOV 2007
15th Annual Speedo Cup Preview
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Golf pg16 A Preview of the 5th Annual USA Water Polo Golf Tournament and Silent Auction
Letter from the CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Water Polo Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
National Team Updates . . . . . . . . . . 6
In the Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
In the Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Also In This Issue...
Speedo cup Preview . . . . . 8
Speedo top 40 . . . . . . . . . 14
5 meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
hot Shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
college recruiting . . . . . 24
tunnel to tower . . . . . . . . 28
oN the cover . . .A collage from the 2007 FINA Men’s Junior World Championships.Cover photos by: Jean Gould
VOL. 22, NUM. 2, OCT/NOV ‘07
usawaterpolo.org 1
Next Issue> Recaps and photos of the
Speedo Top 40, Speedo Cup, and Holiday Cup
pg10 FINA Men’s Junior World Championships
Nov. 2-4, 2007Women’s Speedo Top 40 Festival Los Alamitos, Calif.
Nov. 9-12, 2007Speedo Cup Columbia, Mo.
Dec. 1-2, 2007Men’s NCAA Championships
Dec. 5-9, 2007Holiday Cup Long Beach, Calif.
Dec. 6-9, 2007PACE International Coaches Conference at Holiday Cup Long Beach, Calif.
Dec. 14, 20075th Annual USA Water Polo Golf Tournament Mission Viejo, Calif.
January 25-27, 2008USAWP Annual Meeting Ventura, Calif.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS2007-08
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Yet, with the 2008 Olympics now less than a year away, USA Water Polo recognizes the need to flow with gravity as well as resist it. Led by the conviction of our men’s and women’s Olympic team coaches, we recently affirmed our orga-nization’s highest priority: development and expansion of water polo for all ages across our nation.
In practical terms, this means a greater com-mitment to introductory water polo programs for children, to high school and collegiate programs, to our Masters program, as well as new initiatives that will encourage exciting and innovative recreational leagues. This com-mitment means we will migrate the collec-tive knowledge our national teams down the pyramid to our zones and local clubs, infusing our sport with the very best in teaching, train-ing and competition.
In this mission, we dedicate ourselves to the Olympic Creed of Baron Pierre de Coubertin:
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
Everyone at USA Water Polo is committed to fighting for more pool time, for more training for our coaches and officials, and for more play-ing opportunities for all of our members. We hope to unveil plans to achieve these goals at our annual meeting in Ventura, California.
The character of the annual meeting has changed with the transformation of our new governance structure, and last year’s meeting received high marks from attendees. The new approach to our annual gathering combines practical workshops with open forums on a vari-ety of issues. In many ways, the annual meeting is becoming a laboratory to offer and test fresh ideas for our sport, as well as an opportunity to talk about areas that are not working and how to improve them. Registration information for the Annual Meeting, January 25-27, is available on
the USA Water Polo web site and in this maga-zine on page 15.
Finally, November brings us two great tourna-ments sponsored by Speedo – the Speedo Top 40 in Los Alamitos and the Speedo Cup in Colum-bia, Missouri. Speedo Top 40 has become one of our hottest tourneys, filling up in record time. The Speedo Cup marks its 15th anniversary this year, and on this auspicious occasion, I would like to acknowledge the work of our eleven zone chairs, who arranged the qualifying tourna-ments to choose this year’s Speedo Cup partici-pants. I would particularly like to single out Stan Sprague, a champion of this event, Rick Marsh, our Midwest Zone chairman and his collegues, who host of this event. Thanks especially to Rick and his team for their splendid work putting to-gether this tournament year after year – they have made it one of USA Water Polo’s crown jewels.
Christopher Ramsey Chief Executive Officer
CHRISTOPHER RAMSEYletter from the CEO
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It is the duty of USA Water Polo, like its fellow National Governing Bodies in American sport, to struggle against gravity – encouraging our athletes to ascend the pyramid of competition. Selection to our Olympic teams and accepting the honor of representing our country in international competition, symbolically tied to scaling Mt. Olympus itself, has always represented the pinnacle of achievement in our sport.
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WA T E R P O L O T I M E SUSA WATER POLO ANNOUNCES TECHNICAL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS
News BriefsUS
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USA Water Polo announced appointments for its newly formed Technical Committee which, as its principal mission, will oversee the consistent interpretation and application of water polo rules at all USA Water Polo sanc-tioned events.
The USAWP Technical Committee will work closely with the National Referee Committee toward the standardization of a comprehensive training, certification and evaluation program while developing a plan for the improved re-cruitment, education and retention of referees. The group will also be charged with providing open and regular communication about these programs to all members of USA Water Polo.
Members of the Technical Committee have been appointed to two-year terms by USA Wa-ter Polo Chief Executive Officer Christopher Ramsey. Certain members, such as USA Water Polo national team coaches, are appointed ex-officio by virtue of their position, and as such are not subject to term limits.
The appointees to the USA Water Polo Tech-nical Committee are:
Guy Baker (Women’s National Team Head Coach) – Guy Baker has been the head coach of the Women’s National Team since 1998. In eight years time, Baker turned the national team pro-gram into one of the most decorated women’s water polo programs in the world. His accom-plishments include two World Championship titles (2007 & 2003), a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Loren Bertocci – Bertocci has been involved with water polo for more than 30 years, having been a player, coach, referee and administrator. At the level of the National Governing Body, he has been a region and zone head referee, a region chair and a zone chair, a member of the Board of Governors and Board of Directors, chair of the Finance Committee and chair of the National Referees Committee, and was the founding chair (in 2005) of the USA Technical Water Polo Committee. Bertocci has whistled more than 150 international matches, including the 2001 World Championships. He created content for the first Referees Manual published by USA Wa-ter Polo in 2000, and is currently the referee and event administrator for the Northeast Zone.
Robert Corb – Corb is a current FINA referee who has been officiating for for more than 30 years. Corb is a former chair of the National Rating and Listing Sub-Committee for USA
Water Polo and he has also served as the sports psychologist for the Women’s National Team.
Jim Cullingham (National Referee Committee Chair) – Cullingham is chairman of the Na-tional Referees Committee. A past FINA referee, Cullingham has been involved with water polo for 30 years as a player, official and administra-tor.
Bill Frady (USA Representative, FINA TWPC, Chair ASUA TWPC) – Frady, a former Olympic and World Championship referee and member of the U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame, is currently involved in the administration of the sport at the international level. He is a member of the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee, where he also serves on the three-person FINA Water Polo Referees School Committee. He is also the Chair of the UANA Technical Water Polo Com-mittee, which is responsible for all international competition in the Americas.
Megan Hernandez (USA Representation, UANA TWPC) – Hernandez currently repre-sents USA Water Polo as a member of the UANA TWPC. A former national team player and past chair of the Women’s International/National Committee, Hernandez has been involved with water polo as a player, coach, official and ad-ministrator for more than 25 years.
Ken Lindgren – Lindgren comes to the TWPC with years of experience as a coach, mentor and administrator with both collegiate and USA Water Polo National Team programs. He has been on the coaching staffs of both the Men’s and Women’s National Teams and most recently was on the staff of the silver medal women’s team in 2000. Lindgren has been invaluable in the education and training of not only numer-ous athletes, but coaches and referees as well.
Ed Reed – Reed has been involved in the sport for 37+ years as a coach and administrator. He has served as president of the American Water Polo Coaches Association and as a member of the NCAA Rules Committee. Reed was on the Men’s National Team staff from 1993 through the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Rachel Ruano – Ruano is the current athlete representative on the USA Water Polo Board of Directors. She is a former national team athlete and assistant coach. Ruano has been involved with water polo for 18 years as a player, coach and administrator.
Terry Schroeder (Men’s National Team Head Coach) – Schroeder, Ph.D. was named Head Coach of the Men’s National Team this past
June. He had previously served as an assistant coach since 2006. Dr. Schroeder is considered one of water polo’s all-time stand-out players. He captained the national team from 1983-1992 and has coached Pepperdine University’s men’s team for 20 years. Schroeder was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 1998 and was recently inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Andy Takata – Takata is a retired FINA Referee who was selected to officiate at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He has been active for more than 30 years not only as a referee, but he has also been instrumental in the training and education of referees. Takata continues to serve as an administrator at the collegiate level.
Ex-officio Position
The Technical Committee’s first order of busi-ness is to establish governance guidelines, elect a chairperson and review current USA Water Polo referee instructional and training materials.
The committee has been charged with pre-senting a detailed plan of action to accomplish its stated goals at the USA Water Polo annual meeting in Ventura, Calif., in January, 2008.
CHRISTINE BIRD HIRED AS DIRECTOR OF MARkETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
USA Water Polo is happy to announce the hiring of Christine Bird as the director market-ing and communications.
Bird has a combination of marketing and project planning expertise in world-class in-ternational sporting events, including most recently the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. Having worked for three Olympic Games (1996, 2004, 2006) and two FIFA World Cup organizations (1999, 2003), she is a supervi-sor skilled at integrating and guiding multiple client groups. As marketing director for the Bay Area’s WUSA team, she developed the inaugural launch of the team’s logo, name, ticketing plan and the league’s most successful merchandise line. Her past sponsor relationships with the U.S. Soccer Federation include working with top in-ternational companies such as Nike, Coca-Cola, and Philips.
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MEN’S & WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAMS
MEN’S SENIOR TEAMThe men’s senior team now begins its focus on the 2008 Olym-
pic Games. While the team will not begin full-time training until January, many players on the training roster are already in the midst of workouts here in the United States or part of professional leagues overseas. Among those playing professionally overseas are Tony Azevedo (Italy), Ryan Bailey (Serbia), Layne Beaubien (France), Peter Hudnut (Spain), Jeff Powers (Italy), Jesse Smith (Croatia), Peter Varellas (Italy) and Adam Wright (Italy).
MEN’S JUNIOR TEAMThe junior team recently wrapped up competition at the Junior
World Championships (see page 10 for more information). After that, every roster member began his own college season. The team-mates won’t have to wait long to meet again, however, as many of the colleges they now compete for will do battle during the regular season and may also meet come early December for the NCAA championships.
Anthony Artukovich (USC) Scott Davidson (UCLA)William Hindle-katel (Stanford) JW krumpholz (USC)Chay Lapin (UCLA) Arjan Ligtenberg (USC)JP MacDonell (Pepperdine) Justin Rappel (USC)Matt Sagehorn (USC) Nico Sardo (USC)Andrew Stevens (Loyola Marymount) Spencer Warden (Cal-
Berkeley)
WOMEN’S SENIOR TEAMThe women’s senior team has begun residential training for
the 2008 Olympics. Team USA is is headquartered out of the Joint Forces Training Base and will train their leading up to the Olympics. In between that time the squad will take part in various matches and tournaments. There are three notable events on the immediate horizon starting with the Speedo Top 40 (see page 14) which will bring together the senior and junior team as well as other invited or selected player.
Following that the team will take part in the Cana-da Four Nations Cup from November 29-December 2. The teams participating are Australia, Russia, Canada and USA.
Upon their return to the United States, Team USA will ready to host the Holiday Cup in Long Beach, California. The teams participating in that will be some of the world’s top ranked including:
#1 United States #2 Australia #3 Russia #5 Italy #6 Canada #9 Netherlands (recently secured Olympic bid via European Olympic Qualification)
An added bonus to the Holiday Cup will be the International P.A.C.E Coaches Conference from December 6-9 in Long Beach, Calif., featuring:
April Heinrichs USA Women’s Soccer Head Coach at the 2000-2004. During her time the team garnered two Olympic medals including gold at the 2004 Olympic Games. April was a player for the first World Cup team in 1991 that won the first of two World Cup gold medals for the USA. A legend as a coach and player.
Adam krikorian: UCLA Women’s and Men’s Head Coach 5 Women’s NCAA titles
Greg McFadden: Australian Women’s Head Coach 2006 World Cup Champion 2007 World Championship silver medalists
Robin van Galen: Netherlands Women’s Head Coach European Olympic Qualification Champion
Guy Baker: USA Women’s Head Coach 2003 and 2007 World Championship Champion 2000 and 2004 Olympic medalists
WOMEN’S JUNIOR TEAMThe summer season was completed for the women’s junior team
with the Junior World Championships in Porto, Portugal. Fol-lowing the summer, the majority of the roster began their college season. kameryn Craig (USC) and Jessica Steffens (Stanford) are red shirting 2007-2008 to participate in training for the women’s senior national team as they prepare for the 2008 Olympics. The rest of group is playing for the following schools:
Amber Oland, Stanford ‘11 Lauren Silver, Stanford ‘09Tanya Gandy, UCLA ‘09 Darby Anderson, Cal ‘10Grace Reynolds, Cal ‘10 Melissa Wheeler, Cal ‘09Stephanie Schnugg, Cal ‘10 kim krueger, Stanford ‘11Forel Davies, USC ‘10 Phoebe Champion, Princeton ‘10Jillian Stapf, Cal State Northridge ‘10
National Team Update
Melissa Wheeler who plays collegiate water polo at Cal participated with the Women’s Junior National Team this past summer.
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Throughout the Speedo Cup’s duration, some of the best on both the girls’ and boys’ sides have competed, including Olympic cap-tains Tony Azevedo and Brenda Villa, who competed in the event’s infancy back in the early 1990s. Over time, it has become an event that has proved to be a showcase
for some of the top up-and-coming water polo talent the United States has to offer.
Joe Linehan, the regional director of sport development for USA Water Polo in the central region, recognizes what a testa-ment it is that this event has run this long.
“Going on 15 years shows the commitment USA Water Polo has for development, as this is the premier 14-and-under event. The level of play has increased every year and it shows the fu-ture of USA Water Polo is headed in the proper direction. Olym-pians and national team players have participated in this event, with two of the most memorable ones – Maureen O’Toole and Jody Campbell – comng back every year to offer awards to the next group of potential athletes,” Linehan noted.
This event was able to accomplish multiple goals outside of simply serving as a water polo tournament. Ideally, it will create interest in the aquatic sports and provide incentive for the devel-opment of new water polo clubs and the creation of age-group
water polo leagues during the fall season. It will also provide education, technical and organizational support for new clubs and leagues through local water polo committees and regional technical directors.
Finally, it will establish a structure that develops local and zone qualification tournaments as a prelude to a national 14-and-under National Championship Tournament. Then, in turn, it will establish a National Championship Tournament.
An additional benefit to this event is the its location: outside the state of California. This provides opportunities to showcase the game in other areas of the country – and the Midwest in particular – when it comes to the Speedo Cup.
“The Midwest is very proud to host this event each year and USA Water Polo is equally proud to hold it in this great part of the country,” USA Water Polo CEO Christopher Ramsey stated.
Linehan, who will serve as the USA Water Polo represen-tative on-site during the Cup, added “The development of the Midwest zone has benefited greatly as the number of teams and USA Water Polo members have increased significantly in the last 15 years.” Linehan continued. “For example, the sport is now a state-sanctioned high school sport in Illinois, with many teams also competing throughout the Missouri area. Columbia, Mo., is in the heartland and has easy access via St. Louis or Kansas City for all teams coming from across the country. The University of Missouri has a world-class indoor facility, which only heightens the experience for all involved,” he concluded.
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Speedo Cup I - 1993The inaugural Speedo Cup was won by the squad from Tustin, Calif. Jordan Hewko, Robbie Arroyo, Matt Flesher and Nick Ellis helped Tustin to a 6-0 record, which included an 8-1 trouncing of a Brenda Villa-led Commerce (Calif.) squad in the championship game. San Diego secured the bronze medal with an 11-7 win over Michigan.
Gold – Tustin, Silver – Commerce, Bronze – San Diego
Speedo Cup II – 1994Three teams from outside of the continental U.S. entered the 1994 installment of the Speedo Cup, including Canada, Mexico City and Puerto Rico. Long Beach, which was led by Tony Azevedo, Jack Hale and Jeff Nesmith, defeated San Diego, 10-6, in the gold-medal game. Commerce defeated Puerto Rico in the bronze-medal game on a goal with 22 seconds remaining.
Gold – Long Beach, Silver – San Diego, Bronze – Commerce
Speedo Cup III – 1995Long Beach and San Diego met again for the gold medal, with Long Beach coming out on top, this time by a score of 15-3. Trevor Wawrzynski, Albert Garcia and Zack Walter proved a strong supporting cast to Tony Azevedo for Long Beach. Tustin, who won the inaugural gold medal in 1993, edged a strong Clovis team in the bronze- medal match.
Gold – Long Beach , Silver – San Diego, Bronze – Tustin
Now in its 15th year, the Speedo Cup returns to the University of Missouri in Columbia, Nov. 9-12, for a gathering of the elite in the 16-year-old age group.The event, one of the premier for the Midwest and the country as a whole, will involve 12 boys’ teams and 12 girls’ teams battling it out for supremacy.
Speedo Cup IV – 1996In what proved to be the most thrilling champion-ship game to date in the Speedo Cup, San Diego and Tustin went into sudden death to decide who’d take home the 1996 title. Tustin’s Blake Seymour touched the net with the winning goal 1:27 into the sudden death frame, giving his squad the gold, its second in Speedo Cup history. Long Beach captured the bronze medal with a decisive 11-3 victory over Mission Viejo.
Gold – Tustin, Silver – San Diego, Bronze – Long Beach
Speedo Cup V – 1997In the same year that women’s water polo was added to the Olympic program, the Speedo Cup created its own girls’ division. On the boys’ side, San Diego won a tight game against Villa Park (Calif.) for the gold medal, while Long Beach knocked off Mission Viejo for the bronze for the second year in a row. Commerce won the first girls’ gold with a 12-8 win over the East Coast. Chicago captured the bronze by defeating Mis-sion Viejo, becoming the first non-California team to medal at the Speedo Cup.
Boys’ Gold – San Diego, Boys’ Silver – Villa Park, Boys’ Bronze – Long Beach
Girls’ Gold – Commerce, Girls’ Silver – East Coast, Girls’ Bronze – Chicago
Speedo Cup VI – 1998For the first time ever, all of USA Water Polo’s zones were represented in the boys’ field. Long Beach won the boys’ gold with a four-goal win over Annapolis, while the bronze was taken by San Diego via a win over Quebec. The bronze continued San Diego’s streak of medal runs at the Speedo Cup. On the girls’ side, Mission Viejo powered past Chicago, while San Diego bumped Tustin for the bronze.
Boys’ Gold – Long Beach, Boys’ Silver – Annapolis, Boys’ Bronze – San Diego
Girls’ Gold – Mission Viejo, Girls’ Silver – Chicago, Girls’ Bronze – San Diego
Speedo Cup VII – 1999The girls from Lincolnshire (Ill.) became the first out-of-California team to win the Speedo Cup, posting a 7-5 win over San Diego in the final. Tustin’s girls took home the bronze, as well as the gold on the boys’ side. Commerce and San Diego finished with silver and bronze, respectively.
Boys’ Gold – Tustin, Boys’ Silver – Commerce, Boys’ Bronze – San Diego
Girls’ Gold – Lincolnshire, Girls’ Silver – San Diego, Girls’ Bronze – Tustin
Speedo Cup Time Capsule
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Speedo Cup VIII – 2000Bill Meripol’s game-winner over Tustin helped Long Beach to its fourth boys’ title at the Speedo Cup. Clovis thumped Carlsbad, 12-12, in a high-octane, bronze-medal game. San Diego took gold on the girls side with a 14-11 win over Long Beach and Annapolis notched the bronze.
Boys’ Gold – Long Beach, Boys’ Silver – Tustin, Boys’ Bronze – Clovis
Girls’ Gold – San Diego, Girls’ Silver – Long Beach, Girls’ Bronze – Annapolis
Speedo Cup IX – 2001It was a Southern California sweep in the gold-medal category, with the boys and girls both winning the first-place hardware. Tustin topped defending champion Long Beach for gold in the boys’ division, while SoCal notched gold on the girls’ side. Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) took home bronze for the boys with a win over San Diego, while the girls’ bronze was won by Palo Alto (Calif.).
Boys’ Gold – Tustin, Boys’ Silver – Long Beach, Boys’ Bronze – Ft. Lauderdale
Girls’ Gold – SOCAL, Girls’ Silver – Commerce, Girls’ Bronze – Palo Alto
Speedo Cup X – 2002Tustin’s boys took home gold for the second straight year, while San Diego and North Hol-lywood won silver and bronze, respectively. Commerce, San Diego and Tustin again dominated the top of the standings in the girls’ division.
Boys’ Gold – Tustin, Boys’ Silver – San Diego, Boys’ Bronze – North Hollywood
Girls’ Gold – Commerce, Girls’ Silver – San Diego, Girls’ Bronze – Tustin
Speedo Cup XI – 2003Tustin came out strong to defeat Palo Alto for the boys’ gold, while Fort Lauderdale slipped past Speedo Cup power San Diego in the bronze medal game. The girls’ gold was taken home by Commerce for a second straight year. Tustin took silver while Coronado finished with bronze.
Boys’ Gold – Tustin, Boys’ Silver – Palo Alto, Boys’ Bronze – Ft. Lauderdale
Girls’ Gold – Commerce, Girls’ Silver – San Diego, Girls’ Bronze – Tustin
Speedo Cup XII – 2004Tustin earned the gold for the third year in a row with a close win over Stanford. Los Alamitos had a strong win over Carlsbad to take home the bronze medal. In the girls’ gold-medal game, Com-merce beat Stanford to take home the gold for a third straight year. In a close bronze-medal game, Mission Viejo beat Riverside, 6-4, to place third.
Boys’ Gold – Tustin, Boys’ Silver – Stanford, Boys’ Bronze – Los Alamitos
Girls’ Gold – Commerce, Girls’ Gold – Stanford, Girls’ Bronze – Mission Viejo
Speedo Cup XIII – 2005Tustin earned the gold for the fourth straight year in the boy’s division, defeating Carlsbad, 13-5. Rancho Palos Verdes had a close match against Stanford to earn the bronze medal, 13-12. In the girls’ gold medal game, Diablo edged out Tustin for the gold, 7-6. In the bronze-medal game, a strong Santa Barbara team beat Miami.
Boys’ Gold – Tustin, Boys’ Silver – Carlsbad, Boys’ Bronze – Rancho Palos Verdes
Girls’ Gold – Diablo, Girls’ Gold – Tustin, Girls’ Bronze – Santa Barbara
Speedo Cup XIV – 2006Aliso Viejo defeated Stanford, 12-9, to claim gold in the boys’ division. Meanwhile, for the bronze medal, San Diego defeated Santa Barbara in a close contest, 8-6. On the girls’ side of the action, Laguna Beach defeated Los Alamitos in a nail-biter, getting by with a 4-3 victory over its Southern California counterparts. As for the bronze medal, Commerce defeated Santa Barbara in a thrilling finish, taking the game in a shootout. The score had been tied at six goals apiece at the end of regulation.
Boys’ Gold – Aliso Viejo, Boys’ Silver – Stanford, Boys’ Bronze – San Diego
Girls’ Gold – Laguna Beach, Girls’ Silver – Los Alamitos, Girls’ Bronze – Commerce
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Twenty-three visiting nations descended upon the Southern California area for the nine-day tournament that featured 104 matches and more than 300 athletes battling tooth and nail for a shot at world supremacy.
When the dust settled, Hungary was victorious over a resilient Italian squad in the championship game. As the Hungarians donned their gold medals, it brought to a close an event that lured some 10,000-plus water polo fans to Long Beach and Los Alamitos, Calif.
Along the way, games unfolded displaying some of the best up-and-coming water polo players the world has to offer. From fantas-tic finishes to overpowering domination, the 24 squads took this opportunity to prove they belong. Granted, not every team that accepted an invitation to the tourney was destined for the medal round, but that didn’t stop them from making great strides.
The usual powers that be continued to assert themselves at yet another world event, but also of note were the proverbial under-dogs. For the teams like Jamaica making their first appearance at the World Championship level to Iran, which had to battle its way through a hellacious qualifying tournament just to gain entry, it was about more than just a gold medal in this tourney.
“It was the first-ever world win for Singapore so it is very good for the sport in Singapore and shows we are coming along,” noted Singapore Coach Paul Oberman after an early win for his group.
Puerto Rico brought mostly a youth age group team to the event, and while struggling in some contests, laid the groundwork for future championships. Meanwhile, Argentina rode the hot hand of Gonzalo Echenique who, at just 17, proved to be one of the tourney’s elite. These were just some of the many success stories at the Championships.
As for Head Coach Doug Peabody and the United States team. things turned out less than expected, as they had to settle for sixth place after entering the tournament with a spotless 5-0 record in round robin play and visions of medaling. Regardless, the team made strides as it improved greatly on an 11th-place finish from the 2005 championships, which included a thrilling victory over bronze medalist Croatia in front of a packed house in Los Alamitos.
As play moved out of the round robin and into cross-over matches, Team USA dispatched a feisty Japanese squad before meeting up with Italy with a shot at the medal round on the line. The red, white and blue rallied from a 3-0 first quarter deficit to tie the score late in the game before an Italian goal in the waning moments proved too much to overcome. Following that was the loss to Australia to close out the tourney and land the Americans in sixth place.
“I give my guys a lot of credit, going 7-2 all at home. I don’t want people to think that because we didn’t play well against Australia that USA Water Polo isn’t turning it around because we are,” Pea-body said.
This tourney signaled the end of a brutal stretch for the junior team that saw them spending some 40-plus days together, includ-ing traveling overseas and playing a bevy of games concluding with the Junior World Championships.
The conclusion of the tourney also meant that the entire roster headed off to their college seasons and into the sunset from the junior team roster. With a recent FINA ruling removing the 20-and-under championships, the junior roster will be turned over to those rising out of the current Youth program at the 17-18 age level.
“It was a great learning experience to go to Europe this summer. Europe did a good job turning us into the team. Once the boys got into the tourney and we beat Croatia, they all really started to be-lieve this could be special.” Peabody continued, “Our goal was to win
While the final day of action witnessed a 14-4 loss to Australia and a sixth-place finish for the United States Men’s Junior National Team, the 2007 FINA Junior World Championships will still go down as a success based on the team’s improved finish and competitive play.
USA vs. Croatia
11usawaterpolo.org
The crowd of more than 1,200 rose rose to its feet at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos and clapped wildly, chant-ing “U-S-A--U-S-A” as the clock wound down to zero on Team USA’s third straight win, an 11-6 victory over Croatia. Now most everyone there knew it represented nothing more than a pool play victory in the early stages of the FINA 2007 Men’s Junior World Championships, but for those in the stands and on the deck, it felt like a whole lot more.
What began as a tense back-and-forth battle with four ties turned into a contest where the United States was able to pull away from a Croatian team it had failed to beat in two recent attempts this summer overseas. With the victory, USA im-proved to 3-0 while Croatia fell to 2-1. More importantly, USA continued to pave the way for a perfect record in group play with two games looming, which can only benefit the squad down the road.
All the elements were there for Team USA, starting with goalten-ding and the play of Chay Lapin. Fittingly, the game ended with the ball in the hands of Lapin, who seemed to control its movements all evening long. He tallied 18 total saves, few of the “cheap” variety and reached his own personal goaltending zen which results in Lapin screaming, “Get Out!” to potentials shots that came hurled at his cage.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better effort from Chay and my team,” remarked USA Head Coach Doug Peabody.
Sure, Lapin was aware he had brought a good game with him on this night, but what interested him more is what the victory ac-complished for this USA team.
“It finally gives us confidence, just because we are USA and we are usually the underdogs.” Lapin continued, “I came off a hard game and (tonight) I felt really focused and my defense helped,” he concluded.
It was more than just Lapin, however, as the offense seemed to get better as the game wore on led by four tallies off the hand of JW Krumpholz (including his own personal hat trick during the third stanza). While Krumpholz had set up shop from 4 meters on in Janson Wigo provided some firepower as well, lighting the prover-bial lamp on two occasions. And then there was the birthday boy, Matthew Sagehorn, who celebrated his 20 years with a score of his own that led to the crowd serenading him with a birthday tune.
There wasn’t much this game didn’t have, including a dose of reality for all Team USA players that while this win is important and memorable, it was just one step in a long road.
“It was great, but we are just one step closer; it’s just a bracket game and we gotta think about that,” Sagehorn said. Lapin echoed those statements in regards to making too much of this victory.
“We talked about that. We just take it game after game. We might meet up with them in the semis; this is just one stepping stone,” Lapin stated.
Granted, it was just a stepping stone, but for Team USA, it was one nice step in the right direction on all fronts.
“I think we did a job tonight being USA Water Polo,” Peabody added.
the whole thing and leading up to that game against Italy going 6-0 was pretty incredible for us.”
A tremendous part of success for the event, which USA Water Polo also hosted, was due to a dedicated team of volunteers who covered everything from game scoring to ball retrieval to team hospitality.
“In my opinion, based on the venues and our games, I thought it was wonderfully run, but being the host country and being able to play seven of our games at 7 p.m. at the premier pool – that was pretty nice,” Peabody concluded.
Now & Then
This year’s Junior Team.Front row, left to right: Tim Reed (assistant coach), JP MacDonell, Scott Davidson, Janson Wigo, Anthony Artukovich, Doug Peabody (head coach, holding ball), Nico Sardo Middle row: Will Hindle-Katel, Justin Rappel, Dan Klatt (assistant coach, in hat), Matt Sagehorn (in beard), JW Krumpholz, Chay LapinBack row: Arjan Ligtenberg, Andy Stevens, Spencer Warden
Cadet Team August 2002 Photo:Front row, left to right: Chay Lapin, Matt AkselMiddle row: Kevin Lorbeer, Charles Wright, Miguel Cidoncha, Steven Weinberg, Joe Sherrin, Nico Sardo, Doug Peabody (head coach)Back row: Boyd LaChance (assistant coach), Drac Wigo, Jay Connelly, Eric Vreeland, Will Hindle-Katel, Anthony Artukovich, Matt Sagehorn (with arms around Will and Ratko), Ratko Rudic (Senior Team head coach at that time), Christian Flores, JW Krumpholz, Bill Smith (assistant coach), Mark Stemler, Janson Wigo.
The players that were on both teams:Anthony Artukovich, Will Hindle-Katel, JW Krumpholz, Chay Lapin, Matt Sagehorn, Nico Sardo, Janson Wigo.
Photos by Marilyn Sagehorn
Action photos courtesy of Michael Machik and Joan Gould
Our training trip started July 13th
as we met in Long Beach to get some
pre training before we left on our “Eu-
ropean Tour.” We left the 16th and
headed over to Barcelona. We were
soon quick to find out that this was one
of Doug Peabody’s favorite cities, as
he showed us around on our off day.
However, it wasn’t just all fun. Every day we were swimming and
scrimmaging with the Italian Junior National team. After our stay in
Spain, we moved on to a tournament in Slovakia. We ended up play-
ing well but still not our best games. We ended up getting second
place. We lost to Croatia in the championship game. The coaches:
Peabody, Klatt and Reed, were pleased with our performance and
they showed us by letting us tour one of the castles. Our team was
getting closer and closer as we were spending more time together.
Most of us knew each other since we were grommets playing wa-
ter polo, which made it much easier for us to grow together as a
team. After our tournament we went to Zagreb, where we once
again took part in a tournament and ended up placing fourth, beat-
ing Italy to get to the semi-final game. After the tournament was
finished in Zagreb, we had a team dinner, which some of the play-
ers’ parents took care of.
The environment in which we were playing was great. Peabody
was able to maintain consistent, great training while keeping it in-
teresting for the players. This is something I have experienced that
only great coaches are able to do: being able to keep everything
fresh and keeping the players interested after being together and
doing the same thing over and over again. By this time in the trip;
most teams would have started to get into little fights with each
other and cliques would have been formed, but for us we were get-
ting along better and getting closer every day. Everything slowly
was starting to fit into place and click with everyone on the team.
After playing and training in three different countries, we headed
back to the U.S. where we awaited two days off where we could
spend time with our families and girlfriends before we got back to
the grind again and then enter the tournament.
On Aug. 9, we were all back in Long Beach ready for practice.
During the next few days we would have two practices a day, with
the majority of our swimming being done in the morning and scrim-
mages against other teams in the afternoons. Peabody and his
assistants were leading and motivating the team to be able to win
the whole tournament. Throughout our scrimmages we could tell
that everything was finally starting to click. The right passes were
thrown, crashes, drops and switches being correctly executed. We
were ready to play. During the time leading up to the Worlds tour-
nament, we occasionally got an afternoon off here and there when
our opponents canceled on us. One of those afternoons we all went
to the movies together and saw Super Bad. The atmosphere of the
team was jubilant and they were eager to start the tournament.
Finally, the long-awaited and anticipated day came when the
tournament started. We opened up with the Jamaica team. Even
though they were not considered to be on our same level of play,
we still prepared for them like any other game. We warmed up at
1 p.m., swam and shot, and went through some of the plays and
counter-attacks we had practiced. Finally, we headed to the pool
roughly at around 5 p.m. because announcements of all the teams
were before our game. This was a moment I’m sure none of us will
ever forget, staring at our flag as the “National Anthem” played and
knowing that we were playing for the best nation in the world. We
ended up with a win over the Jamaicans. The following night we
played Canada. Our defense was not what we expected it to be and
they ended up scoring a considerable amount on us. Luckily, our
offense was clicking and we once again outscored them consider-
ably. However, that night and the next day we heard about how we
needed to step up in our defense to be able to beat Croatia. We
had previously played Croatia twice over the summer already and
we knew that we could hang with them the first half, but it was the
second where they would slowly take the lead. We knew that we
could beat them and that was the attitude we took heading into
the game.
Peabody, Klatt and Reed led us with pump-up speeches in the
locker room and hotel. We could feel that this game was going to
be a war and that if the outcome came our way, everyone would
be baffled. We ended up winning, 9-6 – something that nobody had
expected. That night we did not head directly back to the hotel; it
was one of the player’s birthdays and his parents had arranged a
team dinner. This was just another great chance for everyone to
relax and enjoy each other’s company. Our families were with us,
some girlfriends, and the people who meant the most to us. Every-
thing seemed surreal at that point in time because pretty much
everyone had everything they wanted; a great win over Croatia, and
the people whome they cared about all around them.
The next morning we did not have any training because Peabody
wanted to make sure that we had recovered from the Croatia
game mentally and physically. He told us that even though beating
Croatia was a great victory, we had not achieved what we set out
to do yet, which everyone agreed with. The tournament was not
yet over. We played Puerto Rico that night and won without much
contest. We then played France as our next opponent in Slovaia
and beat them by roughly 10 points. So we knew that we could do
it again. But France did have the potential to knock us off of our
high horse because they did have the talent. Fortunately, we had
our coaches who were reminding us every second that they could
do to us what we did to Croatia. Thus, we went into the game and
crushed their hopes right in the first quarter and didn’t stop until
the game was over. At this point, we had won all of our games and
we were advancing as No. 1 in our bracket. We were matched
up with Japan, which ended up giving us a tough game because
we were expecting them just to roll over. Luckily, we still won and
headed on to play Italy to move into the final four.
For most of the players on the team who had been there for five
or so years, they had never beaten Italy until this summer when we
played them in Zagreb. We knew that this game was going to be
one of the biggest battles we had ever played. During the first quar-
ter, things just weren’t clicking. We were missing our opportunities
and they were making theirs. We ended up being down by three
points, but we found ourselves back in the game as we chipped
their lead down in the second and third quarters. We were not
going to give up the game that fast. All we needed was one more
goal and we would win the game. Unfortunately, the calls didn’t go
our way and Italy ended up scoring to win the game. It was surreal
that we had lost; everyone thought we were going to win. Everyone
knew we were going to win. However, at the end it was the first
quarter that had done us in.
After that game we all went back to the lockerroom with our
heads hanging. It felt as if we had let down our country and our fans.
However, here we found Peabody, Klatt and Reed with their heads
held high. They were proud of us, and they told us that as they
talked to us. We only had a bad first quarter and unfortunately we
were not able to recover from it. That night as we looked around
at each other; we realized that we had truly become a family and
that we would lay down our lives for each other; Peabody had been
preaching this to us all summer, and we finally understood and felt
it. We wanted to win the next two games and show everyone that it
was us that should have been in the top four, not Italy. We wanted
to win the next games for our coaches and teammates, not to let
them down again. We headed into the Spain game with this at-
titude and held a commanding lead from the first quarter until the
end. This was our game, not theirs. The next day we played Aus-
tralia and didn’t perform. It was as if everyone had already checked
out, because the previous night Italy made it to the finals, which
disappointed us even more.
We ended up losing and took sixth place, which was still good,
and even considered good in the U.S. history of Jr. Worlds. But
more importantly, instead of getting sixth, through this experience
we had gained another family. I’m sure that if any of us called each
other and needed help the other would be there right by our sides
almost instantly. Thanks to the leadership and guidance of Peabody,
Klatt and Reed, we got as far as we did. Without them, there would
not have been a Junior National Team.
13usawaterpolo.org
SKIP SHOT DIARYArjan Ligtenberg is a member of the USA Men’s Junior National Team. He kept a
diary for Skip Shot magazine in the time leading up the 2007 FINA Men’s Junior
World Championships and throughout the event.
2007 AwArd And MedAl resultsMost Valuable Player – Denes Varga, HungaryMost Valuable Goalkeeper – David Bisztritsanyi, HungaryLeading Scorer of the Tournament – Denes Varga, Hungary 28 Goals & Petar Muslin, Croatia 28 Goals1st Place - Gold Medal: Hungary (HUN)2nd Place - Silver Medal: Italy (ITA)3rd Place - Bronze Medal: Croatia (CRO)
4th Place: Serbia (SRB)
5th Place: Australia (AUS)
6th Place: USA (USA)
7th Place: Spain (ESP)
8th Place: Germany (GER)
9th Place: Greece (GRE)
10th Place: France (FRA)
11th Place: Japan (JPN)
12th Place: Slovakia (SVK)
13th Place: Canada (CAN)
14th Place: Brazil (BRA)
15th Place: Argentina (ARG)
16th Place: Egypt (EGY)
17th Place: New Zealand (NZL)
18th Place: Mexico (MEX)
19th Place: Iran (IRI)
20th Place: Columbia (COL)
21st Place: Singapore (SIN)
22nd Place: Jamaica (JAM)
23rd Place: Kuwait (KUW)
24th Place: Puerto Rico (PUR)
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Par t i c i p a -tion in each half of the event is equal-ly as coveted. For the open tournament, regis t rat ion modeled the frenzy normal-ly reserved for concert tickets as a v a i l a b l e spots sold out
in just seven minutes. As for the Top 40 selection, this group comes via open tryout, special invitation or prior inclusion into prestigious women’s national team pipeline. Regardless, crack-ing either competition requires some serious talent.
The 16 teams taking part in the open tourney represent a wide array of talent. The top four teams return from 2006, including NYAC (New York, N.Y.), SET (El Toro, Calif.), Commerce (Com-merce, Calif.), and SOCAL (Tustin, Calif.). The final 12 are those that filled up the registration with the speed usually reserved for Justin Timberlake tickets. They are as follows: CBAD (Oceanside, Calif.), Northshore (Solana Beach, Calif.), CBU Lancers (Monro-via, Calif.), HBWPC (Huntington Beach, Calif.), NSD Stars (Vista, Calif.), Golden West Club (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, Calif.), South Irvine (Irvine, Calif.), Irvine WPC (Ir-vine, Calif.), CHAWP (Chino Hills, Calif.), SBWPC (Santa Barbara, Calif.), and Florida Coast (Miami, Fla.).
Last year’s title was claimed by the New York Athletic Club and they return as the No. 1 seed with eyes on a repeat. They will be challenged by some newcomers, as Florida Coast makes its debut in the Top 40. Florida Coast is the first team besides NYAC to participate in the event from outside the state of California.
Golden West Club, a new group to the water polo landscape, will also make its debut in this yearly event.
As for the top 40, fans can be sure to get an up-close view of a majority of the athletes who will make up the roster at the upcoming 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Along with that, on display will be top players at the junior level on down, as well as other up-and-coming athletes.
Once assembled, the 40 athletes will be divided into four even-ly matched teams of 10, where they will compete against each other throughout the weekend. Each squad will be led by an out-standing zone coach from the Olympic Development Program.
Women’s National Team Head Coach Guy Baker relishes the oppor-tunity to spearhead this event, but knows that this year’s festivities hold special meaning, “The Top 40 preceding the Olym-pic Games offers a great opportunity for fans of water polo to come and watch the current Olym-pians compete with and against future Olympians,” he stated.
One other highlight to the weekend will be a final day match-up pitting two 14-and-under female age group squads bound for the Speedo Cup bat-tling it out. These two teams will be getting warmed up for the Speedo Cup, which takes place the following weekend, Nov. 9-12, in Columbia, Mo.
Tickets for the Speedo Top 40 will be available at the door. For more information, visit www.usawaterpolo.org.
14
With the holiday season just around the corner, one of the early gifts to women’s water polo fans in Southern California is the Sixth Annual Speedo Top 40. The Top 40, which combines a 16-team open tournament and a tourney featuring 40 of the elite women’s water polo athletes in the United States, is an event not to miss.
The Top 40 has brought together some of the best female water polo players in the country year after year.
Women’s National Team Head Coach Guy Baker poses with recent Top 40 award winners.
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2008 USA Water Polo Annual Meeting
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MEAL PACKAGES
Our Commitment to secure our Water
The USA Water Polo Annual Meeting is designed to meet your needs as a member of USA Water Polo. The Annual Meeting is an opportunity to communicate with the lead-ers of USA Water Polo, attend informative educational workshops, attend the Awards Banquet, build rapport with fellow water polo enthusiasts, check out what’s new in water polo at the Vendor Show and have some fun. Events to look forward to include an opportunity to meet Olympic hopefuls and past Olympians at the Welcome Reception, a Women’s National Team Exhibition game against Canada, Educational Workshops, Coaches Clin-ics, Committee Meetings and much, much more! To register, print and fax this form to (714) 960-2431We look forward to seeing you there!
M e e t i n g r e g i s t r a t i o n i n c l u d e s : Attendance and Participation in Educational Workshops
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Setting the Gold Standard…..
Commit, Compete, Inspire!
16
The Road to Beijing and the 2008 Olympic Games will be anything but easy as the USA Men’s and Women’s Senior National Teams prepare for one of the most important competitions in their water polo careers. One of the more enjoyable stops along the way will be the 5th Annual USA Water Polo National Teams Golf Tournament and Silent Auction. The event will be held on Friday, Dec. 14, 2007, at the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California.
This tournament and silent auction serve as one of the major fundraisers for both teams and the athletes and coaches are counting on the contin-ued generosity of the water polo community to support the quest for a gold medal.
Terry Schroeder, head coach of the men’s national team and a past Olympian in his own right, knows full well the benefits of the annual golf tourney.
“The USA Water Polo National Teams Golf Tour-nament is a great way to come out and spend the day with old friends and make some new ones while supporting our national teams on our road to Beijing,” Schroeder stated.
Golfers of all skill levels are welcome and upon registration will be treated to a banner day sur-rounded by some of the finest water polo athletes the United States has to offer. The package in-cludes one round of 18 holes (with cart) with national team athletes and coaches. In addition, lunch and dinner will be served, as well as food and beverages on the course. Participation gifts include a golf shirt, hat and balls as well as entry in multiple drawings and contests.
With all that in mind, participants will also tee-off on a course that leaves them believing they have just joined the professional tour. The Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course features an 18-hole champi-onship-length golf course designed by PGA Tour professional Tom Lehman. Set amidst Trabuco Creek and the Ladera Open Space Reserve, the 240-acre Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club provides an unforgettable golf experience with South Orange County’s finest high-end clubs.
Women’s Senior National Team Head Coach Guy Baker has been a participant in the tournament since its inception and marvels at the support this event receives year in and year out.
“We are very proud of the fact that this year will be the fifth year of the event and has become an annual event for our Women’s and Men’s National Teams. Each year the tournament has grown and we are anticipating that this year we will continue in the same direction.” Baker continued, “We are very appreciative of those who have supported the previous golf tournaments and we would encour-age all that can make it to join us this year for a great day of golf and camaraderie.”
For more information or to register for this event, check out the advertisement on page 17 or visit www.usawaterpolo.org. Early-bird registra-tion will come to a close Nov. 14.
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The Experience...
One Round of 18 holes (with cart) Scramble Format
Play & Meet National Team Athletes & Coaches
Continental Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Awards
Silent Auction
Participation Gifts (includes Golf Shirt, Hat & Balls)
Entry in multiple drawings & contests including Wager & Cigar Oasis Hole
Win a Range Rover and/or Cadillac at the “Hole-In-One” holes
Food & Beverages on Course
Fabulous Photo Opportunities Including YOUR Foursome Photo with National Team Athletes
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITES & PRICES
DON’T GOLF? JOIN US FOR DINNER AND CHRISTMAS SHOPPING,THE FUN INCLUDES OUR FABULOUS POST GOLF
BANQUET & SILENT AUCTION , FEATURING UNIQUE WATER POLO MEMORABILIA, EXCITING TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGES...AND MUCH, MUCH
MORE!!
Friday, December 14, 2007 Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Mission Viejo, CA Highlighting Our Athletes “Bound for Beijing”
Schedule 9-10:30am Check-In 9:45am Putting & Chipping Contests 10:45am Rules Explanation 11:00am Shotgun Start 4:30pm Cocktail Hour & Silent Auction 5:30pm Buffet Dinner & Awards Presentation
We’re counting on you to help raise funds for the Men’s & Women’s National Teams. Proceeds from this event are used exclusively to support our nationals teams at all age group levels. So, come catch our athletes and coaches in a relaxed mood outside and away from the pool. Most times, they’re busy putting in the long hours and hard work necessary to proudly represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Become Part of Our Commitment to Secure our Water Polo Legacy!
SUPPORT YOUR NATIONAL TEAMS
Individual Golfer Early Registration $275.00 After November 19th $325.00
Foursome Early Registration $995.00 After November 19th $1195.00
GOLD SPONSOR $3000.00 SILVER SPONSOR $2000.00 BRONZE SPONSOR $1000.00
Tee Signs Exclusive “You Own The Hole” $600.00 Non-Exclusive/Shared Tee $250.00
Many Other Sponsorship Opportunities Are Available See the Full List by visiting our website!!
REGISTER TODAY!! Visit www.usawaterpolo.org for entry forms and additional golf tournament information
The Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club features an 18-hole championship-length course designed by PGA Tour professional Tom Lehman. Set amidst Trabuco Creek and the Ladera Open Space Reserve, the 240-acre Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club provides an unforgettable golf experience on par with South Orange County’s finest high-end clubs. Located at 26772 Avery Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
THE COURSE
18
Profile on DC Water Polo First Two Seasons Fall 2003 – Summer 2005
DC Water Polo was created in 2003 by Cam-eron Hamilton and Nick Grzeda in order to provide swimmers (and a few non-swimmers) a chance to learn the rules of U.S. Water Polo and play water polo. One-hour practices were held at George Mason University’s Patriot Aquatic Center on Saturdays and Sundays – 32 in all from September through June for boys and girls aged 14 and older. The team participated in one tournament – the Annapolis Classic in June of 2004. Summer clinics were held throughout the summer in order to spread interest in the sport of water polo. Practices during the summer were held three days a week at Chantilly Country Club on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday mornings.
In the second year, the situation was the same, although there was enough interest to open a practice for 12-and-unders as well. Again, the team had 27 practices from September to June on the Saturdays and Sundays that were avail-able. The team participated in one tournament
– the Annpolis Classic in June of 2005. Practices for the summer were again held at Chantilly Country Club four days a week (Monday, Tues-day, Thursday and Sunday mornings).
Third and Fourth Seasons Fall 2005 – Summer 2007
The following year, the team was able to get pool time at Oak Marr RECenter in Vienna, Va. on Wednesday evenings from 8:30-9:30 p.m. These practices were in addition to the contin-ued Saturdays and Sundays at GMU. This third year, DC Water Polo held games with Gonzaga High School and participated in its first fall tour-nament – the Annapolis Classic in October. The next tournament would not be until the June 2006 Annapolis Classic, with one exception: the six girls who played on DC Water Polo were invited to the Virginia Tech Women’s Hokie In-vitational in Blacksburg, Va., that March. That Spring 2006, two members – Patrick Fish and Robert Nichols – played on the 2006 Northeast Zone Men’s Cadet Team and coach Nick Grzeda was John Abdou’s assistant coach for the 2006 NEZ Men’s Youth team. Summer practices were held at Oak Marr RECenter on Mondays, Tues-days and Thursdays.
In DC Water Polo’s fourth season, practices continued at both Oak Marr RECenter and GMU’s Patriot Aquatic Center. In October 2006, DC Water Polo hosted the first U.S. Water Polo tournament Northern Virginia had ever seen at GMU’s Patriot Aquatic Center. Participants in-cluded Navy AC, Gonzaga High School, Calvert
Hall High School and NYAC’s Women’s team. Attendance at events around the Northeast Zone continued to grow throughout the year and again Robert Nichols played for the 2007 NEZ Men’s Cadet team and coach Nick Grzeda was the head coach of the NEZ Men’s Cadet team.
Fifth Season Fall 2007
This year, in DC Water Polo’s fifth season, practices will be held at Claude Moore Recre-ation Center in Sterling, Va. four days a week for two hours. The Second Annual Metro Cham-pionship was held at the Claude Moore Recre-ational Center in early September, where a host of teams competed in the action-packed event.
In The CLUB
Part of DC Polo’s growing tradition has been the recent move into the newly opened Claude Moore Recreational Center.
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The facility is located in Sterling, Va. and serves as a beacon of water polo action for the surrounding area.
Photo courtesy of DC Polo
Triangle Aquatic Center Interested in Starting a Water Polo Program
The Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC) in Cary, N.C., had a Grand Opening Ceremony Oct. 28. This brand-new public aquatic facility will house a warm water teaching pool, a 10-lane 25y pool and a 50m competition pool all under one roof. The addition of a water polo club to the compet-itive program selection was always on the table and there is interest in making this a reality as they review coaching candidates. Michael Cur-ran, TAC president, is working with USA Water Polo on the process of building a club team from the pool bottom up. TAC has purchased the water polo cages, the community is showing an interest in developing a new team and USA Water Polo looks forward to the rejuvenation of water polo in North Carolina. A long history of water polo comes from North Carolina, where
in the 1960s and ‘70s, the Asheville YMCA girls won several AAU Junior Olympic Water Polo Championship titles (www.tacnc.org).
Greenwich Aquatics Women’s Team Plays in Croatia and Montenegro
In early July, Greenwich Aquatics brought a women’s team to Croatia and Montenegro led by head coach and USA Water Polo Board Member Bill Smith. The team traveled along the Adriatic coast from the very north of Croatia to the very south, playing games in Rovinj, Zadar, Sveti Filip & Jakov, Sibenik, Split, Dubrovnik, Mlini Zupa, Cavtat in Croatia, and finishing up in Genovic, Montenegro. Many of the games were played in the Adriatic Sea in beautiful coastal towns. This was the first U.S. women’s club team to visit Croatia, where women’s water polo is just developing. The team’s visit was highlighted on
the CroWater Polo web site and TV interviews and news reporters covered games in Sveti Filip & Jakov, Croatia and in Genovic, Montenegro. The Croatian and Montenegro water polo and hospitality was first class. Hvala Croatia and Montenegro!
The Greenwich water polo team ventured overseas for some training this past summer.
usawaterpolo.org 19
1 > Bob Marley – “War”My father knew Bob Marley so I grew up listening to reggae. His lyrics carry such a strong message. My favorite song is “War” which
talks about how ‘Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned - Everywhere is war’.2 > Ziggy Marley – “Free Like We Want 2 B”I think the Marleys are the most musically talented family. Ziggy started singing as a child and continues to carry on his father’s legacy with songs like “Free Like We Want 2 B.”
3 > Damian Marley – Welcome to Jam Rock”I was in Kingston when Damian Marley came out with
“Welcome to Jam Rock.” Most of the Jamaicans love his lyrics because they can relate to what is going on in the
country today. I was so pumped up when I heard it in a club in California.
4> Sean Paul – “The Trinity”I became friends with Sean Paul and his brother, Jason, through water polo. He took me to his studio while finishing “The Trinity” so I have always liked that CD. I gave him a USA Water Polo hat that he said he is going to wear in his next video.
5 > Kanye West – “Stronger”Before games I like to listen to music that pumps me up. It is always changing but most recently I get fired up with Kanye West’s “Stronger.”
You were recently part of the USA Cadet team that participated in the Youth Pan American Games. What was it like to win a gold medal for Team USA and to score one of the key goals in the title game?
Playing for Team USA in the Youth Pan American Games after training in Montenegro was a great experience. The coaches helped us learn different styles of play, so we were ready for the competition. It was awesome to be able to win the gold medal for our country over Canada, after having lost to them in December at the Pan Pacific Games. I was glad to be part of the starting line-up and play with some of the best players in my age group. The game started out a little rough, but we stayed calm, and came together in the fourth quarter.
Coming from the Chicago area, you are the only person on the Cadet team that is not from the state of California. What kind of transition was it for you to join this group of athletes who are all from the same state?
I have been playing with athletes from California since I was 12 and on the development team. I have made some great friends at the camps, tryouts and traveling with these guys over the years. The parents have been very supportive and I have been lucky enough to stay at many of their homes. A lot of kids try out around here, but I try to help kids out from around here to improve to see if they can make one of the traveling teams.
Your dad, Joe, had a pretty successful playing career in his day at Indiana University and appearing in Sports Illustrated, what kind of influence has he been on your water polo career thus far? When did you find out he was a pretty accomplished player in his own right?
It is great playing with my Dad. Sometimes I play with him; sometimes I get to play against him. He has been my coach since I was little and he always encouraged me to play every chance I had. When I was little, I would watch his games and now that I can play against him I like swimming him 2 to 2. I have always known my dad was into the game because he has pictures all around the basement and some trophies and stuff. I’d watch his team win tournaments; and I realized he was pretty good. He still plays in a lot of master’s leagues all around here.
Along with your dad you have had other relatives who play water polo in college. Is it in your blood to play this sport, and what are your future plans for water polo?
Besides my dad, I have cousins who played in college. Matt Wendt played and was a captain at USC and Dan Wendt played and was a captain for Brown. I have a whole bunch of other relatives who swam and played club polo in college. The whole Wendt family is really into aquatics, and my little sisters are playing too, so I guess it is in our blood. As for me, I’m hoping to play Division I – California, most likely – but really any school that will look at me that would be great. I’m not really sure yet where I want to go.
Finally, living in Chicago, what does everyone make of the all-deep water polo pool in your yard?
It is a little crazy having an all-deep outdoor pool that is open year round in Chicago, but it is fun to play when there is snow on the ground. In the winter we keep the pool really warm, but the only bad thing is getting out to get the balls. It is fun to get in with my dad and friends and shoot around when it is below zero.
Genai Kerr, Goalie – Men’s senior national teaM
Every Month Skip Shot Magazine will find out about five favorite songs on the iPOD of various people in the water polo community and let them explain why those songs made the cut.
with...Chris Wendt
member of the USA Men’s Cadet Team
5 METERS: Quick Shots From USA Water PoloUS
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Genai Kerr and recording artist Sean Paul spend some time on the pool deck.
Sports Illustrated Images are Courtesy of Rise W
endt
The curriculum for designing a practice must be appropriate for each age level. This article will focus on 12-and-under and 14-and-under age groups.
Practice guidelines for 12- and 14-and-under age groups recommended by the USA Women’s Water Polo Senior National Team staff.
1. Create an environment of passion and love for water polo.2. Determine the appropriate length of practice, not too short or long;
1:30-2:00. 3. Plan practices in advance and keep the practice and all activities
short and crisp.4. Plan the amount of time you will spend on an activity and stick to it.
End practices on time. Wear a watch and use it.5. Keep practices fun and interesting by maximizing activity and minimiz-
ing lines.6. Have a ball for every player and try to involve as many players as pos-
sible in practice activities. Again maximize activity and minimize lines. 7. Spend 80-100 percent of the practice time on activities that have a
high ball ratio, water polo movements without the ball and small-sided game-specific situations (1x1, 2x1, 2x2, 3x2 or 3x3). 0-20 percent of the time in activities that involve low ball ratio (for example, scrim-mages with one ball and a lot of players).
8. Build competition into the practice. Competition is fun and prepares players for real water polo games.
9. The game of water polo is played at a minimum 60-70 percent in the vertical to semi-vertical position. Remember this when planning a practice.
10. Make conditioning fun; include ball, partners, groups.
12-and-under: This is the golden age of learning and a very important age for skill
development. Demonstration is very important and the players learn best by doing. This is also an important time to introduce and teach the basic principles of play. It is important to establish discipline from the beginning.
Coach: • An enthusiastic and positive teacher.• Possess a sound knowledge of the basic fundamentals of water polo.• Ability to demonstrate the technical skills (or utilize someone who
can paint a good picture – older player, assistant coach). • Knowledge of defense, counter attack and offense base tactical
principles.
Technical: • Develop a good overall fundamental base with and without the ball.• Emphasize press defense, counter attack and press offense
fundamentals.• Develop the individual skills under the pressure of time, space and
an opponent.• Increase technical speed. • Encourage taking risks.
Tactical: • 1x1 game-specific situations defense, offense and counter attack• Small group: 2x1, 2x2, 3x2 and 3x3 situations (defense, counter-
attack and offense).• Position: Players must play a variety of positions. They must develop
an awareness of the game. Emphasize the complete player and the basic principles of play.
• Defense: Basic principles of press defense.• Offense: Basic principles of press offense.• Counter Attack: Basic principles.• Team: Team tactics do not take a priority at this age. Focus is
placed on body positioning and the skills. Players play a variety of positions and emphasis is placed on player development instead of getting results.
• System: Put players in the water for the love of the game, without spending much time coaching a system. Focus on teaching the fundamentals as opposed to systems.
Physical: • Conditioning with the ball.• Conditioning without the ball emphasizing
water polo movements. • Condition with partners and groups. • Use fun and engaging activities.
Psychological:• Keep it fun. • Encourage decision making.• Imagination/creativity. • Increase demands of training.• Emphasize discipline. • Encourage players to watch high school, college and national team games.
14-and-Under: Development of Individual and Small Group Tactics
The pace of development quickens at this time due to the accelera-tion of physical and mental maturation. The demands of skill training, as well as training loads, should increase, thus provoking improve-ment with mental toughness and concentration. Awareness of tac-tics within the game becomes an important facet of the learning process.
Coach: • Enthusiastic, patient but demanding.• Possess a comprehensive knowledge of the fundamentals of water
polo.• Ability to demonstrate the technical skills (or utilize someone who
can paint a good picture – older player, assistant coach). • Possess a sound knowledge of the tactical principles of water polo.
Technical:• Build on press defense, press offense and counter attack
fundamentals.• Begin zone defense and offense.• Continue to emphasize the development of individual skills under the
pressure of time, space and an opponent.• Continue to increase technical speed.• Begin 6x5 and 5x6 individual skills.
Tactical:• Increase tactical speed (decision making under pressure).• 1x1 game-specific situations.• Small Group: Continue with 2x1 to 3x3; add 4x4.• Position: Players should continue to play a variety of positions with
an emphasis on the complete player. Begin to introduce specific position training for the center and the goalkeeper.
• Team: Start teaching possession of the ball concepts. Goalkeeper becomes involved in the counter attack. Base 6x5 and 5x6 structure.
• System: Base concepts for defense, counter attack, offense 6x5 and 5x6. Keep it simple. Love of the game and the fundamentals are still more important. There should be a great deal of coaching in 2x2, 3x3 and 4x4 situations.
Physical:• Conditioning with and without the ball.• Flexibility: static and dynamic stretching.• Agility: Coordination with and without the ball.• Strength: non-weight bearing and core strength.• Speed and endurance activities.
Psychological:• The game should still be fun and enjoyable.
Players should have a passion for the game. • Imagination and creativity. • Increase demands. • Establish practice goals. • Maintain discipline. • Encourage players to watch high school, college and national team games.
TECHNIQUES
21usawaterpolo.org
Women’s National Team Head Coach Guy Baker will be a regular contributor to Skip Shot in the Techniques section. His first installation focuses on player development.
5 METERS (continued)
REFerendumWith Jim Cullingham
What we hope to achieve with this col-umn is a step toward better communica-tion and understanding of our game and the way it is officiated. It is our intention that this communication will become a two-way street involving input from players, coaches and referees.
As the column evolves over the next few months, we will touch on a variety of issues and concerns in an effort to clarify the play-ing rules, their interpretation and their ap-plication. Please feel free to send your feed-back, questions or ideas for future columns to [email protected].
In our first attempt at this goal we offer the following:
Pardon The Interference!
Just what is considered “legal” defense and what is allowed on the part of the offen-sive player after an ordinary foul has been committed (and called)?
The situation applies not only to free throws awarded anywhere in the field of play, but also to potential direct shots on goal after an ordinary foul and free throw has been awarded outside the 5- meter line.
The Rule: (WP 21.5)
“It shall be an exclusion foul………..
To interfere with the taking of a free throw, goal throw, or corner throw, including:
(a) intentionally to throw away or fail to release the ball to prevent the normal prog-ress of the game;
(b) any attempt to play the ball before it has left the hand of the thrower.
(Note. A player is not to be penalized un-der this Rule if the player does not hear the whistle as a result of being under the water. The referee must determine if the actions of the player are intentional.
Interference with a throw may take place indirectly when the ball is hampered, delayed, or prevented from reaching the player who is to take the throw, or it may occur when the execution of the throw is interfered with by an opponent blocking the direction of the throw or by disturbing the actual movement of the thrower.
The Concept:
The defender may keep his/her ground after the foul and has no obligation to move back or “drop off” the offense, but may not remain in contact with the offensive play-er. They (the defense) may raise an arm straight up or behind their heads, but MAY NOT make any motion into the offensive
player or “track” the motion of the offense before they release the ball. Any infraction of these guidelines should result in the de-fensive player being excluded for interfer-ence. If the defensive player does drop off of the offense, using 1.5 to 2 meters as a guideline, they are free to play a more active defense. “Field blocks” are legal and permissible as long as the previously out-lined guidelines are met.
The offensive player is allowed to move to the ball once the foul has been committed and should be allowed some time to regain his/her position, look at the goal, and get to the ball. Once the offensive player gets to and touches the ball, he/she must take the free pass or direct shot without undue delay.
Any attempt by the offense to purposely move into the defense with the sole intent of drawing an interference call should be ignored by the referee, or even called as a contra foul if the action is such that it prevented the defense from maintaining its position.
Thanks!
We hope that this brief first installment has been of some value and we look forward to this space providing an educational and enlightening open forum between all those involved in this game, be they players, fans, coaches, or officials.
USA W
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POLO
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In order to get into the magazine, we need high-quality digital photos (jpegs of 300 dpi or better) so that your brilliance is brought to life on our glossy pages. So send in your masterpieces. Email all photos to: [email protected]. There is no assurance that your photos will run in USA Skip Shot Magazine. Editorial decisions are made by the maga-zine staff. Once we receive your photos, they become property of USA Water Polo and may be used for print or publication.
Welcome to Skip Shot Magazine’s Hot Shots page, featuring shots from your fingertips. The person who submits each issue’s best HOT SHOT will receive a free Mikasa men’s or women’s water polo ball. For more information on Mikasa visit www.MikasaSports.com.
This issue’s winner is Alex Smith >>>>>>>
Honorable mention to the remaining photo submissions.
Top left & Middle: Alex Smith Bottom left: Jeremy Pollard Bottom right: Mike Atkinson
24
Among the hundreds of athletes and thou-sands of fans and sup-porters who descended upon Northern Califor-nia for the 2007 S & R Sport Junior Olympics, there was a group of people at nearly every pool that weren’t neces-sarily all that concerned with who won and who lost, but more how the game was played. They were the college coaches who flock to this event en masse for a four-day recruiting buffet that can’t be found anywhere else.
With the men’s collegiate season fully underway and off-season workouts having already begun for the collegiate women, you can bet a host of athletes training in both areas came through the Junior Olympic pipeline at some point. What the ABCD Camp and Five Star Invitational have meant to amateur basketball in recent years is similarly translated to water polo. Missing, of course, are the massive sneaker endorsements and sports agents.
But the college coaches sure are in attendance. A quick scan of the deck at any of the pools during this year’s girls’ Junior Olympics will find folks in the crowd wearing gear from UCLA to Siena and everywhere in between. They come in droves and mark the event on their calendars like a yearly holiday because not only do coach-es get a closer view at some of the best water polo talent going, they also get to serve as a walking billboard for their colleges and universities.
Like any good buffet, this concoction of talent has a little bit of something for everybody, from the powerhouse programs like Stanford and California to those battling for contention in the top 20 like Pomona-Pitzer and Villanova.
That said, all coaches are using this opportunity to improve their squad, sell their school, and find the best available talent possible to join their program. Todd Clapper, head coach of the Arizona State women’s squad, as well as the USA national team coach for the women’s youth division, is one of the many coaches who finds great value at JOs. “We are looking at people we’ve seen a good bit of, and we are also looking at people we need to see more of, to see if they have improved,” Clapper stated.
While some may think JOs is an opportunity just to fill immediate needs, coaches can also put younger athletes on their radar and watch them progress over the coming years. “You have kids with a lot of physical ability, and you want to keep an eye on them,” Clapper added. Salyer, the head coach at the University of Maryland, had similar sentiments. “We try to strike the balance, trying to identify girls for the current recruiting cycle and the future,” Salyer said.
Regardless of it being talent for the present or talent for the future, coaches are just looking to make a name for their school and find the best players available. Barry King, embarking on his 11th season as head coach at Indiana University, follows that ex-act formula. “It’s two-fold, the first thing is you’re making sure the program gets exposure, parents and players see you poolside, and they keep the institution fresh in their minds. The second is player evaluation, trying to find that one diamond in the rough. A coming
out party, that is what happens at a tourney like this and t’s a great situation.”
For coaches like King, Salyer and Buck-nell’s John Abdou, another part of the recruiting challenge is finding players who
will leave California to venture to places like Bloomington, College Park, and Lewisburg, Pa. “Coming from a school like Bucknell in the East, I’m representing a different option for student athletes in the area of a liberal arts college that offers water polo,” Abdou stated. He then added, “I come out here as much to recruit kids looking for a different school water polo experience, as much as I’m looking to promote Bucknell itself.”
Salyer was along the same wavelength despite being at a school much larger than that of Bucknell. “You are trying to get girls willing to go East for a different experience. We don’t have (water polo) tradition, but we are in the process of building our own, and they can help build a tradition,” Salyer concludes.
Of course the needs for every coach differ from year to year, but one constant remains the same – they come to Junior Olympics to see the best and that is not likely to change anytime soon.
College RecruitingIndiana Head Coach Barry King is one of the many college coaches to attend the 2007 S & R Sport Junior Olympics.
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Central California ZoneChair – Brent Bohlender www.centralcalwaterpolo.com
The Central California zone is heavily in-volved in the high school season. In some areas of the zone, pre high school programs are being conducted and they will gather on Sundays for scrimmages. In regards to zone administra-tion, a deadline of Nov. 1 has been established for applicants for the position of zone youth or cadet coaches. This involves both boys’ and girls’ programs.
Johansen High’s and Central California Zone Chair Brent Bohlender, the godfather of water polo coaches in the Stanislaus District, cel-
ebrated his 1,200th varsity win – and his 57th birthday – when his boys’ and girls’ teams swept Beyer on Tuesday, Oct. 2, to stay unbeaten in the Modesto Metro Conference.
Pacific Northwest and Hawaii ZoneChair – Mike Claus www.pnwhzone.com
A P.A.C.E. clinic was recently held in Ta-coma, Wash. Members of both the men’s and women’s senior national teams were on hand to give instruction. Led by the women’s national team head coach, the day-long clinic covered all the basics of water polo and provided all who attended with a great day of fun.
Pacific Southwest ZoneChair – Al Frowiss www.psw-wp.org
Dave Alberstein - was inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions
On Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007, the San Diego Hall of Champions inducted its second class into the Hall’s new Officials Wing.
Dave Alberstein was honored with his induc-tion into the San Diego Hall of Champions as the first aquatics official.
As past president and a founding member of the San Diego Water Polo Officials Association and Past USA Water Polo Pacific Southwest Zone chair, Alberstein played a leading role in the growth and development of water polo in San Diego throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. As a FINA referee representing the United States, Alberstein was the first American to whistle as a neutral referee in a European tournament and traveled
frequently with the USA men’s and women’s teams for inter-national events. As a volunteer, Al-berstein actively led organization development and delivered referee training through-out the country, and was instru-mental in bring-ing the women’s program to inter-national status and eventual rec-ognition as an Olympic sport.
Alberstein currently residesin Los Ala-mos, N.M., and continues in his 40th year as an active referee for United States of America Water Polo, Collegiate Water Polo Association, and other high school and collegiate competition.
Southern Pacific ZoneChair – George Ratkovic www.sopacwp.com
The 1st Annual North Irvine Girls’ Clas-sic will take place Oct. 14 at Northwood High School and surrounding pools. There will be three age brackets in the tourney, 14U, 16U, and 18U. For more information contact [email protected].
Southwest ZoneChair – Jimmy Linehan www.southwestwaterpolo.com
The Greater Houston Junior Water Polo Fall League is in the middle of its season with 10
teams in two divisions: sixth grade & younger and eighth grade & younger. Each division has five teams coming from six clubs: Dirty Bay, Cy Fair WPC, Lone Star WPF, Jesuit WPC, Wood-lands WPC, and HWP South. This is the third edition of the league and it has grown each and every year. The athletes will compete in the championships at Clear Lake High School on Sunday, Oct. 28.
In addition to the previously listed eighth grade & younger teams, athletes are playing throughout the state of Texas. Teams in Austin, San Antonio, and two teams from the Dallas area are competing and developing the middle school athlete. Along with the Houston teams, these teams will be getting together on Sunday, Nov. 4, in Austin, Texas, at the University of Texas Swim Center for the First Annual Texas Age Group State Championships. This is the beginning of future success in and around the Lone Star State. In addition to the young kids, the high school boys and girls will be complet-ing their seasons at the University of Texas in Austin at the Texas State High School Champi-onships, Oct. 19-20.
The “Texas Open Cup Series” will be decided this November at the Dallas Fall Tournament, to be held Nov. 10-11, in Southlake, Texas. This is the final of five tournaments throughout the year which award points based on placing and participation. Dallas WPC and the Houston WPC are tied atop the standings with HOPS and Texas A&M close behind the leaders. For complete information on the Texas Cup, please visit www.southwestwaterpolo.com.
Southeast ZoneChair – Norm Havercroft www.southeastwaterpolo.com
South Florida Aquatics held a 14-and-under developmental clinic and game day on Sun-day, Sept. 16, 2007. The day included in-water instruction from coaches and referees (includ-ing Leo Gonzalez, Ziggy Bogdan, and Michael Goldenberg), followed by coed games for the young players in our zone. Thanks to coach Heather Patchen and Ann Plitnick for providing such a great opportunity.
Riptides hosted their winter Developmental Clinic and Fun Day in September. The event provided an opportunity for kids to learn about the sport while enjoying a day of fun in the pool!
In The ZONE
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The women’s national team conducted a P.A.C.E. clinic in Tacoma Wash., where all those that attended the clinic enjoyed a full day of water polo instruction.
Seahawks Honor Heroes In Tunnel To Tower Run
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New York, N.Y. - The Wagner Col-lege Women’s Water Polo team par-ticipated in the sixth annual Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K Run on Sunday, Sept. 30, joining thousands of others who paid homage to Siller, a member of the New York City Fire Department, and all the others who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
On that tragic morning, Siller was on his way home after working the night shift when he heard on his scanner that there had been an explosion at the World Trade Center. He turned his truck around and headed directly to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. After his truck was denied access into the tunnel, he made his way, on foot and in full gear, into what would be his final hour. The Tunnel to Towers Run was estab-lished in 2002 to honor not only his legacy, but also to honor to all of the other service men and women who gave their lives that day so that others may live.
“Participating in the Tunnel to Towers Run summons conflicting and equally powerful emotions,” said head coach Pat Beemer, whose team has taken part in every run since it’s inception in 2002.
“On the one hand, it recognizes a dastard-ly attack against America that took place directly in Wagner’s backyard,” Beemer continued. “While the run evokes solemn, tangible feelings of remorse, on the other side of the spectrum, it also serves as a cel-ebration of not just the heroism of people like Stephen Siller and others who lost their lives, but of the power of this country to persevere and unite as one.”
Since water polo is a sport that competes in the spring season, the run also served as a meaningful and important team-bonding experience.
“I feel that this experience brings us closer together,” said freshman Laura Vanderbent.
“We graduated half of our team from last year, so the six freshmen are really going to be an important part of our family.”
Running in this event as a team not only serves to unify the new and veteran players, but it also exposes them to an environment that features thousands of people cheering and supporting each other’s efforts.
“You are not just cheering your team on, it’s the whole city,” commented senior cap-tain Billy Hoelck. “We’re representing the unity of the country.”
This run is not an easy one. The tunnel, which encompasses more than half the run, is poorly ventilated and not designed to have 18,000 people traveling through by foot. In addition, things often become quite congested as faster runners weave their way past slower walkers.
The run began at the entrance to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and snaked its way through Battery Park to Ground Zero. As the team followed in Stephen Siller’s very footsteps, they made their way to the mid-
point of the tunnel and were greeted by the image of what seemed like an endless line of men and women from the NYPD and FDNY. Many of these real-life heroes joy-fully waived American flags while banners hung from their shoulders emblazoned with pictures of fellow service men and women who perished on that tragic day.
“It’s a long run, it’s hot and you have to get up early and sweat,” Hoelck remarked.
“But seeing the faces of everyone lined up in the tunnel and through the streets, and knowing whose footsteps you are following, makes it all worth it.”
As the defending 2007 MAAC champions emerged from the tunnel, they were greet-ed with raucous applause from the Wagner Seahawk Cheerleading Squad, which was also on hand to support its own team as well as the thousands of other runners. The
race then concluded through Battery Park and back out onto the streets of Manhat-tan to the finish line.
The journey back to campus was a reflec-tive one for the Seahawks because while the collection of Wagner players and staff that participated are far from being con-sidered native New Yorkers, they were able to come together to honor a worthy cause just the same.
“This was my third straight year in the run and I think this it was important on many levels,” stated senior Camille Karimzad, a northern California resident. “it brought us closer together as a team and we were able to honor the memory of those that were lost on 9/11, along with celebrating the great patriotic spirit of America.”
Visit www.tunneltotowersrun.org for more information or to become a part of the 2008 Tunnel to Tower Run.
The Wagner College women’s water polo team took part in the Sixth Annual Tunnel to Towers Run this past September.
Photo by Mike M
iller
“Participating in the Tunnel to Towers Run summons conflicting and equally powerful
emotions.”– Pat Beemer, Head Coach
ShotMakerThe ShotMaker is the ultimate tool to develop your shooting and receiving skills. It can be used on the deck or the angle can be adjusted and players can throw against the ShotMaker while in the pool. Get more repetitions in 15 minutes than in an entire practice.
Hungarian Heavyweight BallMikasa’s newest water polo training tool is a 1-kilo ball used for shoulder, arm, and wrist training. Similar heavyweight balls have been used for years by Hungarian water polo players and has contributed to their overwhelming success.
MikasaSports.com
Tony Azevedo2-Time Olympian
Watch the training video featuring these products starring Rick and Tony Azevedo on the Media section of our web site!
Mikasa Tony WP ad FINAL.indd 1 8/27/07 9:39:04 AM