Are the girls done too?
The club Iām watching is Poway Valley. Their 16u and 18u teams practice out of Westviewās 30M pool located about 3 1/2 minutes away from Cathedral. I was told back on Monday night that a bunch of Del Mar kids had already joined the team.
COVID destroyed Poway Valley when their pools were shut down while Cathedral Catholicās pool was kept open. Many forget that many of Del Marās superstars, including Aden Shin, were suiting up for Poway Valley prior to COVID. This week could mark a return to strength for Poway Valley.
These events are also likely to be beneficial for Carlsbad as north county coastal kids may be less drawn southward.
SD Shores will see a temporary boost but in the longer term Shores has to fix the issues in their own club that have made them so reliant on luring players from Del Mar and LJU.
La Jolla is going to continue to be a monster, a stronger monster.
Lastly, donāt discount the strength of the new SD Dons. Cathedral Catholic was plenty strong using only CCHS players this past season. They also have a 10u coach who hasnāt lost a 10u game in 2 1/2 years, and a 12u coach who has won multiple national championships including the 12u division at the most recent JOs. ā¦and yes they have a girls program headed by Jacob Pril.
This is not the end of water polo in San Diego even if it has been traumatic.
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This creates a major void for water polo in North County San Diego. The region already struggles with limited pool space, and now even more children will be left without a place to continue playing. DMWP played an essential, often overlooked role in giving kids in its immediate community a chance to develop on its B and C teams. With that option gone, opportunities for young athletes to play water polo in North County are shrinking even further.
It didnāt have to happen this way. Itās deeply disappointing that the adults responsible for this decision can move on without acknowledging the impact on the kids who are left behind. Thereās been no accountability, and the consequences fall entirely on the athletes who pay the price for their actions.
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Makes sense. Vastly improves team chemistry and overtime Iām sure they will add back 10-14u. The economics donāt make sense when you have a non performing partner/founder getting paid for nothingā¦
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An option for north county female athletes is Seaside WPC. The 18 team took 6th in platinum JOs last summer. Training is in Oceanside and Carlsbad.
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You hit the nail on the head. Itās all about control for the person who is actually there. Canāt blame him for that. If heās good the new club will transition pretty easily. Vanguard was formed in a similar manner
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Agree that it ultimately may have been the right move to make. There are valid arguments for and against both the takeover and for and against closing the high school age groups to Dons, only. But dropping this bomb with zero notice, apparently no headās up to the majority of the Del Mar coaches, and after collecting full fees and running tryouts for both Dons and non-Dons 16u and 18u kids is honestly beyond the pale. There was a way to do this and this wasnāt it.
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Lots of unhappy people on this thread, but at the end of the day club youth sports are also a business, even if parents wish they werenāt.
Itās really just the fact that they closed it for 16U and 18U no? Wonāt just every Coach and every kid and team just go to the new club? Same coaches, same teams, same location? Just might lose some olders and a few that donāt like the closed 16U-18U. Mission does the same for 16U-18U as well.
Seaside has been getting better and stronger every year. That older gentlemen that coaches them is a good coach. (sorry sir, I donāt know your name)
Taking 6th at this past JOs was awesome for them, and they beat out a lot of older well established clubs in the process
Looking at the Del Mar website looks like the girls are going to be at UCSD.
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I hear DM is running with their 12u girls for now. No boys and I donāt think any other girl age groups. I canāt imagine this plan can work for long. Pool space is pricey.
The Donās went from an exclusive 16/18 CCHS club to offering a 10/12/14u boys club open to all kids. Iām trying to figure out how a 14u, not going to CCHS, would choose this route. Do you plan to switch clubs at a pivotal point of your polo career (the 14u to 16u jump) and be at a disadvantage when you join a new clubās culture/staff/athletes? Either a great sales pitch or short sighted family thinking. Am I missing something?
itās same decision many kids make when they play 14U for mission and the expectation is they go to Jserra but quite a few players went to different schools last fall from what i have heard. I would think those kids are at an advantage from playing with mission before they go to a different school/club and the other schools/clubs will be happy to have them.
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Agree. I would not want to be a virtual unknown in a sea of 60-75 16u and 18u kids trying out at SD Shores or La Jolla next year, but I also understand that a lot of people (for a variety of valid reasons) are going to stick with what they know for 14u even if itās been made clear to them that there is no pathway for them beyond that.
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12u and 14u are key development years for this sport. Coaching staff matters to ensure solid fundamental development. If a family feels they are getting the best coaching, the short sighted choice to go to a closed club and get best possible opportunity for the child athlete might be a bigger factor than being at a low rate club. Even if they have to switch later, getting the chance to be playing with the best at their age group is perhaps a good choice providing they make the most of the opportunity.
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One tangential thought on the trend toward closed clubs: there will likely be a meaningful impact on nonāhigh school national tournaments such as JOs and Futures. Specifically, an increasing number of seniors will be unable to play with their high school or closed-club teams during their senior year. This will likely lead to a rise in 18U āsuper teamsā (e.g., SoCal and North Irvine in 2025 and 2026), as the number of āorphanedā 18U senior players increases.
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That seems like a sweet niche opportunity for the regular clubs to provide a coach and pool for these super teams. I would think that these young adults still trying to stay up to speed for college would appreciate such an opportunity, plus one last JO experience.
What happened to all the older girls? Will they be a part of a new Dons club?
They didnāt have an 18u girls program and I was told several 16s left to SD Shores and a few to La Jolla so Iām not sure how much of a HS girls program they have left.
Donās Water Polo will field a Girls 14U and 16U team. No 18U.