My nephew is turning 7 and we’re looking into getting him started in water polo around the Costa Mesa area. We like driving too if it means better fit and more friendly especially for a young one moving to the area from a different county. There are a few different clubs we’re considering, and I’d really appreciate hearing from parents/coaches/players who know the local scene.
For someone this young who’s just getting started, what are the main differences between the clubs?
Are there certain clubs that are better for beginners vs. more competitive pathways, or is it mostly about finding the right coaching/environment?
Also, I’ve heard people refer to clubs as “open” vs. “closed” clubs. Could someone explain what that actually means and why it matters when choosing a club? Like only certain zip codes? It’s been a while since I myself played (when dinos walked the Earth!)
And how much does the club you choose matter down the road in terms of which high school program your kid ends up playing for? Do certain clubs have established relationships/pipelines with specific high schools, or can kids generally attend/play for whichever high school they eventually go to?
One thing we are concerned about is how he would be treated coming from a non polo background and just a swimming background.
Basically, I’m trying to understand the local club landscape and what choosing one club over another actually means long-term, especially for a 7-year-old.
Any insight on the Costa Mesa/Newport/Irvine area would be greatly appreciated!
I don’t have any specific recommendations but in general I’d say right coaching/environment is priority number 1. An enthusiastic coach who makes it fun to learn is huge. And being in an environment where players, parents, and coaches are all welcoming helps kids thrive.
As for the technical wording of one of your questions, closed clubs really only apply to 16u and 18u. 14u and below are pretty much open to everyone from my understanding, even at “closed clubs.” Closed clubs have only (some closed clubs make a rare exception) players from the associated high schools. Newport Harbor/Newport Beach, JSerra/Mission, Mater Dei/Regency are notable examples. Open clubs welcome and sometimes invite kids from multiple high schools. Socal, SD Shores, Lamorinda, and many more come to mind. If your kid plays 14u for Newport or Mission and then goes to Foothill HS they can no longer play for Newport Beach or Mission, as an example.
To add: Which of the clubs are known as the ‘friendlier’ clubs? Does it really matter? We might enroll first in splashball then maybe he’ll tryout further if he likes it. Does club matter then?
Also - between those open and closed clubs - what’s the allure? I know some of those are attached to private schools - does that mean the affiliated club costs more?
I would not worry about any of the club stuff. Just try a couple clubs near you and pick the one that promotes having a healthy fun environment. Dont worry about any of the other stuff until it makes sense to worry about it. There is no punishment for trying different clubs later if it seems like the right thing for the kid.
Some clubs have awesome splashball. I dont know your area but those clubs around us dont have highly competitive age group programs. My son has gone to 3 clubs. All were great but we had to move to get what he wanted (generally a higher level of competitive play)
There is no allure to closed clubs for age group though they do tend to have the highest level of competition/coaching. The important thing is to get what the kid needs to thrive and enjoy the sport.
Club around your area, you have Cmac, Vanguard, Newport, north Irvine, SoCal patriot, back bay. Check their websites see who offer splash ball right now, I think also few team have 8u teams, and honestly have fun!!! Look around
Will do. Yes splash ball is where we’re gonna put him. Is there a difference in coaching splashball too?
Also, is there a stigma behind joining multiple clubs? Is it bad? Or frowned upon? Could it be like learning different tactics then disseminating them?
Wow okay!! So lots of options - going back to a previous comment - do closed clubs stop letting us attend at a certain age? Like with Mission, by the time he’s 16 - no more being in that club?
Also, what were your experiences with your clubs listed? We’re fortunately smack in Costa Mesa so we’re not far from any of these
7 is too early to worry about “open” vs “closed” It will start to matter ~14 when your promise (and ability) to go to a particular high schools becomes pivotal factor in if your kid gets to play on A team.
At this point just pick club where kid (a) has enough fun, driven team mates to learn from and learn with and (b) has enough of critical mass (enough of pipeline) to sustain various years of club “popularity” rides (sad example Vanguard). Most importantly kid will learn the more play and cross team exposure he/she gets so fighting for the place under the sun on a team = not learning sometimes. So, going to huge club may actually be counter-productive at first if kid is stuck at back of the bus all the time. For Costa Mesa area Back Bay would be “at home” with So Cal Pats as closest “open” club and Newport as option if you are in Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
Thanks for the insight. All great points and we would also like to optimize around that too. When you say Newport is an option if you’re in Newport-Mesa Unified, could you explain a little more about what makes it different from an “open” club like SoCal Pats? We do fall in this zip code.
Also, when you say “pipeline,” are you mainly referring to the club having teams/coaches at every age group, or does it also mean there is a meaningful connection between the club and specific high school programs?
For a kid who’s only turning 7, would you personally prioritize getting him into the club where he’ll get the most playing time and development, even if it’s not necessarily the club he’d eventually play for in high school? And how does this manifest through for certain clubs via promise?
What happens if, in an example, he stays with one club up until he’s 14 and then figures out he doesn’t want to stay with this club - which just so happens to be attached to a school. Or if it’s decided by the family to put him in a private school (which is what he’s currently in).
Out of those clubs I would SoCal Patriot probably has the best quality of coaching for that age group. Thijmen Egberts does a phenomenal job and has done an exceptional job ranking top 3 every year. I’ve seen him coach first hand and he is a wizard with the young ones. On the other hand if you are looking for a more “friendly” environment Back Bay and Cmac are great options.
Nothing happen, only parents would be sad because you leave and also his friends. His development will continue in a new club. You will see thru the years a lot people move even mid season!! That’s why look around.
Closed clubs allows the school/coach/kids a year round consistent environment. Generally a closed club is only for kids that attend and play for that school. Cathedral Catholic / SD Dons has supposedly opened their club back up. My own personal take is that open clubs are better for the sport in general.
Since you keep including Mission, they do not have a 10U program. Their club starts at 12U. As such they rely on other clubs in the area that have splashball and 10U programs for kids that have been introduced or trained in fundamentals. They only offer 2 teams for 12U and 2 teams for 14U. (For the 2024-2025 season they only had one 12U team.) Considering Mission as an option would be a few years away for a 7 year old.
There are great clubs that serve to meet the needs of 7 year olds. Socal patriot, North Irvine, and Back Bay are a few that i feel have great history. If you are in the Newport school district they (Newport) have one of the best overall programs around.
Late edit: I think it is also cool that the kids can do clinics with Olympic athletes and my son has enjoyed doing clinics with Max Irving who he is a big fan of.
and as he grows if a club isn’t what you want and you are torn about moving away from friendships you’ve built, don’t worry. Water polo is a small community and you will see all the previous friends again. My kids have switched clubs and they have maintained all the connections, it’s actually cute to see them go at each other and be aggressive but then smile at the whistle
If you are looking for the single best coach in that area for that age group, then the board has not steered you wrong in pointing to Tijmen Egtberts at SOCAL Patriot. If I were in that area with a 7-year old, that would be the best fit for my family, but it is not necessarily the best fit for every family.
All clubs are going to be nice. If your nephew has a swimming background then all are going to think he is the best kid ever. Water polo background or no, the learning curve for the young athlete is the same. A water polo background shortens the time it takes to turn parents into good water polo parents. Open versus closed clubs also shouldn’t weigh into this decision of where to go.
What matters for a 7-year old is frequency of practice, traffic to get to the pool, and how early you can get the kid in bed afterwards. SOCAL-Patriot has two Splashball secessions that are 90 minutes and over by 6:30. Newport’s are 60 minutes and over by 6PM. Where it diverges is at 10u. SOCAL-Patriots 10u practices run 2 hours per day, 6PM to 8PM, Monday through Friday at El Modena High School. You will be on the 55 at rush hour every day and you’ll be lucky to get the kid down by 9PM. Being that SOCAL-Patriot runs a heavy competition schedule, many weeks will be 7-days of water polo.
Newport 10u runs 3 days during the week and one weekend day at 90 minutes per practice. The 10u practices are over by 7PM. The snarl around Triangle Square at 5PM isn’t fun, but it is the lesser of two evils. The coaches at Newport are excellent and there isn’t a lot of turnover meaning the friends you kid makes now will be his friends for a long, long time.
Great guy, Costa Mesa local from way back in the day. Player at Estancia HS, college, old guys league. Certified Referee. In for the long haul.
Two pools, both in Costa Mesa; Costa Mesa High and Estancia High. At some point, a long commute wears on family. You’re too early in the process to make it hard on yourselves.
They have a Splashball program.
Look for a swim program, maybe?
You have to be able to swim well to play polo well.
Polo practice doesn’t spend a lot of time on stroke mechanics.
Maybe wait until 10 years old to start polo and work on swim until then.
I agree that key aspects of a strong foundation for water polo success would include:
being close to home, because no 7 year old wants to grind away in traffic for an hour just to play
finding coaches who prioritize skill development at the youngest age (Patriot does that, and Del Mar/SD Dons did as well-- with strong coaches at 10u and 12u that made their programs powerhouses later on)
combining polo/splashball with a swim program so that the young athlete gets really comfortable in the water. Vanguard had that for years and produced a nearly unstoppable group of athletes that graduated in 2021-2022 (sadly for my son’s club, who were never quite able to find a solution).
more different sports = less burnout. Baseball, tennis, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, heck try to find team handball!
great list @cmbreeze. I think no. 4 is by far the most important at 7 years old, and i would add flag football to your list. Jack Hammett Park in Costs Mesa has great youth flag football league all year round.
This is awesome advice - something I would not have known. Yes, I agree, the 55 is brutal. We’d be about ~25 minutes away from that school since we’re nestled in the heart of CM going to Newps - especially on school days..
Regarding Newport, I’ve only heard good things (all the clubs from everyone sounds good too, and I still watch D1 water polo and know how well they’re coached). What is it about promises to go to this school? What does that mean? Would Newport be optimal for a family who kind of wants to ‘set it and forget it’ kind of thing? As in, we trust the development from A-Z? Including HS?
Thanks for having me! I go back to water polo world days (forum before this) but now with an interested young nephew - I’m on the other side!
I agree with all your points - especially traffic. The more insight I’m being told, the more I’m considering just how much ‘better’ it’d be to be closer (while all finding programs that best fit).
Yes, he’s doing swim privately along with tee ball and occasional kick ball, a good blend so far to stay active.