Leave the sport of waterpolo

General
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As I contemplate this topic’s title, it saddens me that I am even considering it. Waterpolo helped me through tough times when I was young back in the 90’s. I was a multiport athlete and I quit multiple sports to focus on waterpolo. My home wasn’t a safe place, and my coach gave me that in the pool and helped me focus my energy on waterpolo. I came to early workouts and stayed late, mostly because I didn’t want to go home as it wasn’t a safe place. There were no playoffs for girls; North Coast Section for women in Northern CA didn’t exist at the time. We didn’t win league ever because the Catholic high school recruited everyone and always won, but I stayed at my local high school because I didn’t have transportation to leave.

My first Junior Olympics was 7 girls made up from multiple local schools…I couldn’t even see the goal my third game on the first day because of my chlorine eyes, but a small team made us super close. We had to fundraise for every penny spent, especially me because my family couldn’t afford anything at the time, let alone a trip to SoCal.

I didn’t know I was playing a sport that I couldn’t play in college because there weren’t many opportunities back then for women. So I played flag football instead in college and got 4th in the nation. Now I’ve been coaching waterpolo for over a decade, volunteering many hours to this sport that I’ve always loved. Happy there are so many opportunities for women now to play. My older daughter is now playing D1 and is a sophomore, got to experience a conference title and NCAA’s as a freshman. Our family had to sacrifice to get her to where she is, I’m a single mom with two girls, one a freshman in high school.

It’s become so unaffordable to play the sport now though. We live in NorCal, and now JOs in 2026 are in SoCal. Our local club always looked forward to NorCal JOs every other year. ODP’s evaluation tournament is now in San Diego. It’s hard to get recruited if you don’t spend money on top clubs and go to the big tournaments. Many parents even go to Europe now to get training. With NIL and more out of country players taking spots at colleges, why am I spending the time to develop kids in this sport when they can’t afford it? Or there’s no spot for them in college? That’s what I’ve been asking myself. Why don’t I just make the switch to girls flag football which I also played?

I’m not oblivious to what our sport costs. I run tournaments and know the cost of pool space, coaches, etc. However, I also think things are swinging to the side of unaffordability for our sport, and it’s making me question why I still give back to this sport so much. Especially when I have athletes that have the talent, but don’t have the money to play in travel tournaments year round, attend ODP and spend money on travel yet again.

I haven’t given up on this sport yet. I love watching tournaments, learning more about the sport and cheering on our athletes successes. However, USAWP hasn’t shown that it really wants to grow the sport as much as it could, or add to the diversity of the athletes in the sport. ODP is a perfect example of this.

Please convince me otherwise as I really want to keep coaching high school waterpolo and developing athletes in club. It’s a great sport, but it’s only for the rich now it seems.

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I think the cost for other top level club sports is also very high. Not sure wapo is over the top.

I do think coaches could offer lower cost options (recreational league) as opposed to top level. The problem there is maybe getting enough participants. Perhaps allow floatation devices or shallow pool playing options to lower the difficulty level. 12 players would thus allow you to set up recreational 5 on 5 competition. Make it fun and maybe it can grow outside the established high level play options that are expensive. (Think local, increase participation #’s, get pool time donation, use networking with clubs and community)

There are probably a million reasons why my thought process is flawed or sucks, take it for what it is. :slight_smile:

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It’s a problem in youth sports that so many people are getting into them thinking that their kids will be college athletes and if not, it’s a waste of time and money. I don’t subscribe to that perspective. You can be involved in water polo and not have to travel to any tournament. Not everyone has to play JOs to enjoy playing water polo. Polo doesn’t have to be more expensive than soccer or basketball or baseball or volleyball or any other great sports kids can play.

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It’s a country club sport built on favoritism. Always has been, always will be. Favors kids who’s daddy played and has money and connections.

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There is an undeniable reality to everything you’ve written. Girl’s flag football is a great sport with growing opportunity stemming from a strong push by the NFL. I don’t blame anyone, coach, parent, or athlete for wondering if the grass is greener over there, but the rising cost of participation in youth sports is tide lifting all boats and that includes participation in girl’s flag football at the level equivalent to what we have in club water polo.

Northern California seems to be the hardest hit area with regards to rising costs, and we see that in the ODP participation numbers, especially at the younger levels. The numbers below are distinct camp participants, meaning if a single athlete attends two or three camps in a given season, they still count as one.

These at the numbers for high school aged girls in PAC zone over the past five years:

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…and here is PAC zone Cadet girls:

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…and the troublesome looking chart for PAC zone Development girls:

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The number of Development-aged girls attending ODP camps has been nearly cut in half over the course of the past three years. This is a Bay Area phenomenon as below are the nationwide ODP numbers for Development-aged girls attending ODP camps:

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All of that said, if you are looking for something water polo can give that girl’s flag football or nearly any other sport does not, it is a sense of how small this community is. There are Olympians, and NCAA national championship winners, and some of the best athletes just walking the decks at these tournaments. It is a small group where everyone knows everyone. We aren’t just numbers. That feeling of closeness, of almost family, of belonging, is not a thing that is everywhere.

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I think you’re thinking of squash.

This is in danger of turning into a Reddit style bash-fest.

In CIF - SS, there were 248 boys HS teams ranked in the final poll. What ’s a realistic percent of those boys who play club, 20%? Not everything has to be top 10 platinum JOs .

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No - I’m thinking wealthy Orange County beach communities and wealthy Northern California counties that make up the majority of participants.

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Um, did you see my post about 248 schools? A majority? Not even close.

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Um - and where is it popular on the East Coast - Greenwich :grinning_face: :squinting_face_with_tongue: . It’s an expensive and inaccessible sport for the majority of Americans.

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This is interesting. I think there’s something to the 2010 birth year and number of participants

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Yawn. Again, take these fact-dodging, unsubstantiated rants to reddit. Just because water polo is played in affluent neighborhoods doesn’t mean it’s not played elsewhere. It certainly is. It’s played in Greenwich so it’s for rich whites only? Hogwash! Tell that to the hundreds of LA-City boys and girls players who are living near the poverty line. There are more kids playing in these neighborhoods than in Greenwich.

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Sorry H20rosy, I don’t think these posts are helping much in trying to convince you to keep coaching the sport

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Rosy,

If the goal is for a kid to play in college then yes, the sport is becoming less affordable with proliferation of travel tournaments, odp events, and such. But then, practically every sport is inching in the same direction, sadly.

However, if the goal is for the kids to have a decent hs team and have tons of fun and camaraderie, then one probably still can do quite a few things even when the hs season is over, provided pool time is available.

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Also niches in NJ/PA, DC/Baltimore, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Hawaii. I helped start a team at this urban Catholic school–with opponents that were all tony private private and prep school. They are still going strong–with alumnus Cullen Jones (who came long after my short tenure) going on to Olympic medals in sprint freestyle. No need for anyone to feel guilty about moving on to a different sport that’s a better fit for them or their kid, but I think if someone really likes the sport they can find a way to stay involved. For me, that means refereeing college club teams in New England and an occasional prep school game. It’s not world class water polo, but it keeps dozens of college kids playing a sport I still love. There is also a semi-regular group that plays pick up and a few tournaments at a pool not that far from me–but I left that demographic after a car accident with multiple injuries. Varsity Water Polo - Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School

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Just to add, I had a recent conversation with my sister about this. She was captain of her D3 college swim team; I was a varsity swimmer at mine. Neither of us was good enough to be recruited–we were walk-ons who joined the team and stayed, along with about half of our teammates. We had high school and youth club teammates who swam as walk-ons at D1, D2 and D3 colleges, Even at D3 schools, that’s really no longer something that happens. College sports have become much more serious at every level. And that’s in swimming–which has way more college programs than water polo.

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:yawning_face::yawning_face::wink: Oh gibby gibby gibby

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While there are obvious cost challenges to playing the sport at a high level and garnering recruiting attention, I can’t help but feel that you walking away from the sport, while understandable, would be a disservice to the players you have an opportunity to help grow into healthy human beings.

As you so eloquently shared, the sport offered comfort, escape and community during your youth.

Potentially offering only that - not to mention joy, comraderie, fellowship - seems invaluable to all involved and especially to those who may not be looking for a roster spot at a four year college or university. Helping kids grow seems, in and of itself, a worthy process, if not end, to maintaining your involvement in the sport. The benefit from playing doesn’t need to be coupled with recruitment to a higher level. So much can be gained by the participation alone.

But I wish you the best and appreciate you sharing your thoughts here.

I imagine every kid who has the opportunity to be coached by you is both lucky and blessed.

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Rosy, some similar sentiments from many people I talk to and read on this website. Sometimes the sky is falling and there is nothing positive about the sport (limited pool time, ODP decisions, coaches, costs, travel, limited college opportunities, etc). But other times the sport is doing great and it’s fun to be involved (seeing kids have a blast with their team at a young age, making some travel level teams, qualifying for higher level JOs, good high school programs, getting better, colleges adding programs, good games at the NCAA tournament etc.).

I think it comes down to your current perspective and what you want to achieve or see others achieve and if you can help make that happen, then stay involved. If there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, and your burnt out and it’s not feasible to continue, then people can’t blame you for looking into other options.

The sport does need more good coaches though.

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So well said.

H2Orosy, the sport and the coach you had in your youth was a lifeline at a time when you needed it most. Thank you for your transparency and your heart. Do not ever underestimate your impact on those that you are coaching and interacting with. You have a full experience of that from your youth. We as a family had to make some tough financial decisions. In its early years, we passed on ODP for one of mine and decided to use a smaller fund amount towards one on one trainings with her coach who played at a high level and was a positive influence. She eventually played for a “Big 4” and didn’t need ODP for that. It reads to me that water polo is a safe place for you, the sport you’ve always loved. If it’s your happy place, don’t leave it while also considering what fits you and your family’s needs. Does not have to be an all or nothing resolution.

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As expensive and inaccessible as it is, water polo isn’t nearly so much compared to mainstream sports. My niece played soccer for an elite club (two time runner up for Presidents Cup and NPL), and my sister spent a small fortune playing all over the country. If the furthest you have to travel for elite competitions is an 8 hour drive, or 90 minute flight, it’s not so bad. The problem with Water Polo is that it will never be more than a regional sport.

What’s funny to me is that despite all the over emphasis on “playing in college”, there’s been absolutely no change at the NCAA level. The women’s side is even worse because there are more programs, but even fewer contenders.

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