@WPpops Circling back to this comment as I’m curious how most clubs and families actually decide which week (or weekend) to take off, and what’s considered “normal” across different programs.
With the volume of games and tournaments these kids are playing this spring (and especially for kids who are eligible for 16 and 18U), and with more games coming up right after ODP this weekend, managing recovery seems just as important as managing reps. Do most clubs build in a planned off-week? Do families just self-select based on fatigue? Or is it more situational, depending on ODP, NL/Futures league play, and upcoming tournaments?
It feels like the bigger question isn’t whether kids should take a weekend off, as they probably should at some point, but how that decision is typically structured so it doesn’t create unnecessary tension. I am thinking mostly about the younger HS kids who are grinding to prove their worth, and not the older HS kids who have proved their value. Curious how others handle it.
That is a great question and I bet it is different by club/player. I think ultimately the player, after talking with their parents who have the ultimate responsibility to look after their child holistically, should be transparent to coach about wear and tear, burnout, school needs, mental health, etc. If you aren’t taking care of those due to being over scheduled, play will be impacted as well and far more. To me it is a personal decision each player needs to come to grips with and not let the grind take over. They will suffer in the mid to long term if they do that. And what that looks like for each kid is different. One kid may be able to play in tournaments 7 out of 8 weekends. Another may start to struggle with 4 out of 8. I would not solely rely on the club to make that decision.
For the proven older kids, it is still there as much or more than 16u that can play up. But for different reasons. They may feel they need to prove themselves to their future coach if they are fortunate enough to play in college, or they are stressing over their future or end of HS and life in general. Or college applications/testing. So 16U and 18U have a lot of their shoulders, and we have to be strong adult advocates. Easier said than done I know. Also, think about all the teams that live outside of SoCal or NorCal and are away from home during all of this. The cost, travel, mental toll, and extra day. Getting home very late Sunday or on a red eye and home Monday morning making these really 4 day events. They also likely feel more pressure due to far less exposure opps.
All this to say let’s support the kids health first and foremost, and parents too. The business of water polo is what is driving the current over scheduling so we have to make some choices that work best for the athletes.
AETOS got conveniently bumped up to the 10 seed with Greenwich not playing (again). They’re now guaranteed D1 SuperFinals which was not a given as Evan Wu and Logan McGann will be away at Pacific Cup next weekend. They already lost to Olympus in week 2 (with Wu and McGann) and CdM in week 3 (ditto).
I don’t understand why Greenwich gets to keep missing weekends. Maybe they should stick to the non-CA Texas qualifier. Really not fair to other teams when their absence alters the brackets.
Strange that only impacts Greenwich. Somehow every other team still sends the next kid up. I bet the nexT Line would like a chance to develop. Missing 40/% of the weekends due to being busy is not good enough. As someone else mentioned, just stick with TX. I know Greenwich has a big enough club or could find some guest players. Maybe the optics of going 0-4 or 1-3 was too much to stomach.
There are several conflicts this weekend. The Youth National Team is playing in the Pacific Cup, and I believe the Cadets (16U) have a mandated Academy session. While the Academy and National Teams are run by USA Water Polo, Futures is a club-based competition. Unfortunately, there is increasing tension between club affiliations and selection for pipeline events. What is even more challenging is that the pressure to prioritize one over the other falls on the athletes, with both sides applying pressure.
Would be nice if the ODP pipeline events could have a calendar so all would be in the know. Having athletes “invited” to the academy training at the last minute screws over teams that have events scheduled. Not every team has key athletes waiting on the bench. Just a little effort for better planning would be appreciated.