I found this bracket cheat help tool for JO’s. Not sure how long it will last as I’m sure many of us have seen these and they usually crash
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Stanford also has the misfortune of starting in Group B with SB A. Stanford will likely win every other game after, but a likely loss to SB A will cripple the trajectory. 
They are indeed a fun team to watch.
Santa Cruz is in the similar boat. Good team for top 8-10 but will likely be thrown off course on day 2.
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Santa Cruz has a couple of really good players. I think they are sisters. One of the them really stands out. My kid played against them this year at SD cup and it was really fun to watch
16 and 18 girls is up for grab this year with several teams competing to get that title. 18 girls is going to be very exciting. The results will kind of give us a preview of what’s going to happen in the southern section coming up in the winter. Super exciting to see all that young talent playing up at 18’s.
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Playing up is always an option and there’s a huge difference between 12 and 14u and the high school age. I would be tempted for sure if I was in the spot of knowing I could play up.
My guess is the top Newport 14s have had plenty of challenge and playing up opportunities this year between training up within their club, scrimmages, playing up at various tournaments, ODP, Academy, etc. It’s not every day you have a chance to win Junior Olympics. I’m not worried that having the girls dominate their own age group one last time for for 4 days at 14u Junior Olympics will hinder their long-term development. Let them enjoy the fruits of their hard work and talent!
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Yes, I agree to an extent I probably lost some context in writing vs how I wanted to say it.
Let me keep it on topic and try again. Newport 14U girls are definitely going to win JO’s for 7th and 8th graders. I don’t think anyone judges the US club championship performance because the bench played and it’s the starters that carry the team as dominant this year. I was a bit surprised because I thought that their depth would show up but it’s just like every team then when you start losing two or three or four players, things are different. I think they absolutely should go out and the starters should go and win JO’s, but I was presenting how some athletes, including myself when I was younger, would think about things.
All Newport 14U girls basically have to do is show up this year and they will get gold and everyone else is playing for second and it’s not even going to be close.
If I am wrong and somebody pulls off an upset , I will apologize and eat my words. But at this age, upsets don’t really happen. That happens when they mature and get older.
This year I really wanna see the 16U and 18U. Unlike the younger developmental 14U kids, there is a lot of X factors and unknowns 
Amazingly tight and it is anyone’s game. What I was trying to say is that if I was dominant at 14, I couldn’t resist reaching up to try and help turn the tide at 16 and a chance to play with high schoolers and my future teammates with all the scouts watching. That would be so epic
I guess what I meant was that as a former athlete, if I had a chance to play with middle schoolers or a chance to play up with highschoolers, I would definitely take the challenge to play up in a year like this, when there’s not enough competition to push me. Call it the Kobe Mamba mentality. I think some people like the tension of reaching versus the sure thing. But I don’t blame anyone for wanting to come back and play. Maybe the US club with a test to see if they could hold their own without them, but obviously that didn’t work.
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While I do agree that playing up is optimal for development, I’m not sure that would be fair to the other players in higher age groups. Logically, how is that any different than plugging in international players that may take away a spot from a player that worked hard all year and earned their position. Keep the players where they are I say. While some may oppose Junior Olympics as not as important as a CIF, many athletes in the 16u-18u will have an opportunity to gain some exposure. One of the unique strengths of Junior Olympics is that it serves as the premier centralized showcase for water polo talent, especially at the higher age levels. College coaches know they can evaluate a large pool of athletes in one place, making it an invaluable opportunity for players who have earned their spot.
When younger athletes are routinely moved up into older divisions, it can dilute that purpose. The focus should remain on allowing athletes who have earned a roster spot at that age group to compete, develop, and enjoy the experience they worked all year to earn
I have a good friend who’s daughter players for the Newport 14u girls and I would love to see her on that podium. Imagine the pride for those athletes and their parents getting a chance to hear their child’s name played over the loud speaker when they score or make a great play. Life is short and nothing is guaranteed. Those Newport 14s are an amazing team. They deserve it. Let em have it.
It’s like when a freshman takes over a varsity spot because they are better
Meritocracy. It’s way different than international because it’s the same club.
I don’t think Newport has to imagine the pride because they won that age group too last year right?
But yes, I definitely think it’s splitting hairs and we agree and disagree a bit here.
I can see a case to be made to go out and win even if it’s not competitive this year. I can definitely see an argument that I would have a hard time being held back from wanting to play with the highschoolers instead of the equivalent of the little league age. When I played baseball, I was done playing Little League in my mind when I realized the toughness of the high school that awaited me, but I guess it would be hard to ignore Williamsport too. So I see your point and that makes a lot of sense. Fair for sure. My nephew played for Newport and he fondly remembers his high school varsity teams more than anything and playing up was where he learned. Sometimes; it’s about more than exposure
At the end of the day, I think it’s fair for an athlete to want to be challenged at the highest level and go out and play up at JO’s to get the most challenge and exposure. Some don’t want to play with the younger 12-14U ages when they can do well at 16U with their future high school. Some are built that way. It’s a good choice for those that love that.
Someone want to finish what they started and that’s a good choice too.
I think at the end of the day it’s good whenever someone chooses. I know at their age which way I would go.
They absolutely deserve it, and they are going to get that gold 
Well deserved
Regarding your college coaches point, way more show up at 16U. That’s actually an argument for playing up.
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I agree with you and I don’t. This is club not highschool. Tell that to the mom and dad forking over what ever amount of money a month to see their kid play. I get it though. It’s a touchy matter. I’ve ran clubs and I don’t like being on the receiving end of that, especially when the difference in skill is not that measurable between adding a 14u athlete over an 16u or 16u over an 18u. My kid played up this year in 14s to help the 16s and I would be a lier if my child didn’t play a major part in securing their spot in the platinum level at JO quals. Do I feel bad (not really)? My kid deserved it. Did it hurt the chemistry of the other team and provide a false sense of security going in to JO’s for the 16s. Absolutely. Playing within their age group is part of their development too.
Yeah, I think both decisions would be correct here. There’s no wrong choice.
I just remember getting bored around 8th grade in sports of playing with the younger kids and if I was as good as them, I would want my shot to play in high school teams early. A challenge.
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They are coming later today.
I don’t follow the women nearly closely enough to add any value.
14U girls JO Predictions.
Tier 1: Newport stands alone 
Newport: Yes they lost one player to Cadet worlds in Greece and yes, the bench depth I thought they had turns out was not really there as they did not do well at US club championships, where the bench only won two games and finished bottom of the pack. Shows you that even the top programs are a few players away from parity.
So we need to be clear that Newport is going to win JO’s in my opinion based on their starters who are a collection of talent a tick above the rest this year.
Undefeated. The last year of this class at 14U before they move to high school.
Anything except gold would be shocking. Their only test is whether they beat themselves due to the boredom of not having a foil this year. Won’t even sniff a loss imho. On Day 4, the only time you’re going to get a few goals of them in either semifinal or final is when the subs come in for a few minutes of rest for the starters.
Projected JO Finish: 1st
Major Tourney Podium Finishes
SD Cup Gold, Futures League Play Undefeated
Did not appear at Superfinals or US Club Championships
Literally any team after Newport’s starters has enough to finish 2nd especially on an even numbered year which will allow the Cinderella story narrative to appear as it has before. I expect at least one Tier 1A/B level to fall back, maybe two since those are the teams that lost their attacker and haven’t had time to gel. Hard to replace a goalie though (Lamo).
Please don’t get caught up in the rankings below as I do believe 2nd through 8th are all close!! if I put a team of someone you care about, it’s not personal. I think they are awesome.
Tier 1A Excellent
Tied is Patriot and 908 for this spot who have nice battles the two of them more interesting water polo. Patriot currently has the upper hand having eliminated them in two major tourneys and looking like their loss of a player isn’t as impactful as 908 who looked completely different without her. 
Patriot WPC: Gold at US Championships despite losing their #1 to Cadet worlds. Plus, 2-1 in major tourneys vs 908 and a recent 5 goal win at US Club Championships over them.
Good team chemistry scoring from anywhere, works the ball around and seems to find ways to confuse opponents. Why so low a possible finish? Brackets. Bad SPA seed at JO means they face Newport early and will make for a far tougher road than 908. Probably the best all around “team challenger” with talent at every position and unlike 908, they are not reliant on one player controlling things. Some holes in defense at times. Short bench means switching is important. Great sprinters. Bracket Seeding #13 is a funny issue going to affect their final placement feast or famine. I believe they will need to play two top 10 teams on day 2 including #4 seed Diablo. Could become a cool story.
Major Tourney Results:
2nd at San Diego Cup
2nd at Superfinals
1st at US Club Championships
Projected JO Finish: 2nd-7th.
1A: Another good story. 908 WPC is winning and scoring! Probably have the second best center at this age group, maybe third, but def in the conversation. They need to stay consistent and feed the ball to their dominant center from day one through day four. This is the most important weapon and the only times that they have been stopped this year is when they try to stop feeding her. It’s simple and it’s effective and even the best teams can’t stop it with the notable exception of Newport who dominated them at Futures and held her to 1 goal.
Got Superfinals gold (Newport abroad), and a surprising 5th place a week later has me a little, unsure if they are the same team without their world beater who was critical on defense and offense.
After a disappointing US Club champs finish right before JO’s, they looked like a different team. Still, don’t count them out. I see them in the final 4. Anything less would be a dropoff at this point with expectations high and a #3 seed to not get upset. They are only worried about two matchups and prob can avoid both until the end. Seems destined for a deep run medal game on the back of one player who can take over a game. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Who is going to stop her? A good example of how one player can carry a team to the end if they can get her the ball and trust her. Normally, I say don’t be selfish, but in their case, she should be self selfish and get the W.
I think they coast to top 3 and play for a medal.
As long as they don’t get away from that in a big game, should be facing Newport in the gold medal game. The mission: don’t get upset on day 2 or 3!
Major Tourney Results:
3rd at San Diego Cup
1st at Superfinals
5th at US Club Championships. Projected JO Finish: 2nd-4th
Diablo: Due to them not playing many of the big tourneys, we haven’t seen much, but maybe some can chime in. Deep bench. They seem to hold down the top Northern California spot beating Lamo and Stanford usually, but a recent loss to Stanford at US Club championships shows certain matchups are bad for them and are no longer kings of the Bay Area always like years past.
They won pretty much every Bay Area tournament, even though those aren’t considered majors because the SoCal teams don’t join, when you win all of your home tourneys, it’s easy to infer that they are a fantastic team despite their recent loss to Stanford
Goalie is strong and can outlet pass fast to the breakaway counter before you see it coming. Fast teams and defensive teams can keep them in check from these easy goals but most will struggle to contain them or their 6-5. They will need to beat Patriot on Day 2.
Major Tourney Results
US Club Championships
Did not play Superfinals, San Diego Cup
Projected: 3rd-6th
Tier 2A teams, very good
Stanford: Defense defense defense. Get them a lead and look out. Wins the close games. Defensive minded approach. Doesn’t have the attack needed at times. Good all around team. Struggles with fast teams. Struggles with offense at times against good D. Aggressive teams and strong teams give them fits.
Major Tourney Podium Finishes
2nd at US Club Championships
Projected JO Finish: 3rd-8th
San Clemente: Possible to be a sleeper pick as a #2 seed? Yes, I think so. What has happened here? Struggles at all the major tourneys, and the opposite of peaking at the right time, fading in the summer. Most teams on this list have improved the last few months, but this is the only one whose results have regressed as a team. No podiums this year outside JO qualifiers. Having some problems in the big games and in the big moments in those close games and that doesn’t usually bode well for big tourneys like this. They have been giving up a lot of late goals and giving games away in the third and fourth quarter. They are a team that plays better with a lead. But when they are on, they are still as solid as anyone with two quality attackers and they will have a chance to final 4 if they can figure it out fast. A sleeper to make a run. The #2 seed is going to help a lot. Good chance to get to day 3 unbeaten and if they can do that and solve 908, they might get a shot. Only top team not losing any players to Cadet worlds so that will also help. Chawp and Santa Cruz could upset earlier of course. One to watch!
Major Podium Finishes: None, 2nd place SPA JO Qual
Projected JO Finish: 3rd-8th.
Tier 2B Talented and could surprise
(One of these teams makes final 4)
This next group of teams are all pretty close and can beat each other and emerge barely over the other.
Shores Black: Another fun team if you like water polo with movement/team play. I actually think this is my dark horse pick to breakthrough. I think their ceiling is 3rd. Have consistently been in tight games and can score from anywhere. Projected Finish: 4th-8th
Major Tournament Podiums: None
Santa Barbara: Another mystery. I can’t figure this one out. Not as strong as in previous years, but definitely in the mix when they have their team together. Projected Finish: 6th-10th
Chawp: Like SD Shores Black, will be a sleeper pick but I think most have seen enough this last month to not overlook. Will compete in top 10 and with matchup luck, get to top 5. This doesn’t look like the team that has shown up all season and could sneak into the top with a few close wins and coin flips. They really need to upset San Clemente and 908. This is a team that really could’ve benefited by playing in the futures league. Iron sharpens iron in Spa! You don’t want your first full look at 908 or Newport etc. to be here. They need a lead because they have struggled late in games. Two quality attackers but they both got tired in the Diablo game. I think their ceiling is 3rd-4th but could drop to as low as 8th. No podium finishes this season at the majors. If those two girls are in their first year of 14U, they have a good shot next year. If not, it’s the same struggle that most teams face needing to reload. They should enter more stuff and get sharper earlier next year.
Major Tournament Podiums: None
Projected Finish: 4th-8th
Santa Cruz: Have not seen a lot, so not a great opinion other than feisty attackers when I did see them. Had a good tourney at Superfinals.
Major Tournament Podiums: None
Projected Finish: 4th-8th
Lamorinda: Would be higher, but losing your #1 goalie to Cadet worlds this late is really impactful. Really needs close games to go their way and they are good at them. Balanced offense and defensively. Losing your top goalie for JO is going to impact their final placement likely. Could surprise!
Major Tourney Results:
Finished 3rd at Superfinals over Santa Cruz.
Projected JO Finish: 5th-10th
Honorable Mention to SD Dons who play tough and can compete. They are close and will play with heart. Hope they can sneak in and make a run. I think they have a good chance to beat Lamo to win their day one bracket and create a pathway for themselves, shaking up the top 10.
I could be way wrong about any of these at this level and I just hope they all have fun and I’m really proud to watch them play when I can, both my daughter and niece who cover two zones hence why I see so much on stream and in person. The parents of the girls are way more supportive and well-behaved compared to the boys side when I watch my sons.
That is why they play the games! Don’t shoot the messenger, anything can (and will) happen at this age level
Woe this is an awesome analysis. I don’t have a 14u girl, but this makes me want to go watch some of their games
I have the benefit of having a daughter and a niece at 14U on competing teams. Luckily, they aren’t likely to encounter each other in this tournament. 
but it has resulted in me watching more than my fair share of games this year.
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It’s early any upsets or wins that have changed the course of ranking?
In 16uG, #22 SHAQ Blue knocked off #3 Daygo.
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Wasn’t Daygo one of the teams that had key players at Worlds?