Correct me if I’m wrong, but with these two clubs merging, the talented players who don’t go to private high schools or HS-club teams will finally have a solid chance to get quality practice and build a competitive team. This is especially true for the 18s who are serious about improving and want to practice alongside teammates who share that same drive. Sometimes for 18s is hard to get a coach to make them improve and teammates that go to practice like what happens in N.I. There is good talented kids that don’t play in a big club and wants to play college who needs something like this.
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Indeed, as opposed to just “merging the two” SoCal Patriots may actually get more talent than the 2 original clubs. But, it will be super super weird because of CIF Southern Section Bylaw 600 “high school athletes cannot compete on an outside club, travel, or recreational team in the same sport during their school’s official season of sport.”
Effectively, Foothill HS CIF player cannot cleanly participate in “scrimmages” or anything resembling full-team-like activities with SoCal Patriots. This is already true today for open clubs that stay effectively dormant during CIF season, Bylaw 600 is a large impediment to having open clubs function like open clubs.
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But I don’t think anyone practices with a club team the day after JO’s ends through a few weeks past the CIF playoffs. They are all with their high school teams.
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I believe that rule is heavily up to interpretation as it falls on the schools AD to make the final decision.
But also the rule prohibits competing, does not prohibit practicing, training or playing intrateam scrimmages within a club’s team. “Outside contest” and games against “opposing clubs” stay away from those and technically you’re within the rules.
I have seen HS coaches use this rule to scare kids into not training with a club or taking opportunities to go to clinics and even ODP.
But also the rule prohibits competing, does not prohibit practicing, training or playing intrateam scrimmages within a club’s team. “Outside contest” and games against “opposing clubs” stay away from those and technically you’re within the rules.
I emailed Palle about this a few years ago as what CIF interprets as “competing” and as long as they are not competitions, practices and scrimmages are ok in the eyes of CIF.
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I ran it up the flagpole aswell, a local organization was running practices and clinics at our HS pool, my kids wanted to stay and train with the youngers after their HS practices. HS coach preferred players play at another club 45 minutes away, when all they wanted was to stay in the pool for swimsets and fundamentals training, something they weren’t getting in HS training or that other club. So the coaches resolution was no outside training, at all. My kids ended up volunteer"coaching" and just helped when needed.
Swimmers train with clubs all during HS seasons. No issues.
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Swimming was specifically excepted in the past. That may have changed a few years ago and other sports were excepted also.
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Swimming they can compete in events but they have to do so as “unattached” which seems like their club coach enters them but they are not tied to the club and are more freelance?
I think the only thing CIF has in place for this in terms of water polo and other sports is if it’s for the national team.
But that’s a discussion for another thread.
The majority of clubs across California do not run 16s or 18s during their respective high school season.
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New program from Invictus aquatic 12u and 14u this will pull some talent
Which pool do they swim in? Interesting to see a new club forming. Hope they are successful.
That said, is this how the closed clubs tied to a HS can practice so much more than CIF allows?
Assume Servite which makes sense considering the program director.
CIF regulations are only during the official season which I believe starts in November and ends with CIF. Maybe some closed clubs are using “club hours”, that I do not know. The schools I’m familiar with do not. Also if a school has a PE period those hours do not count against their total during the season.
CIF has regulations??? Kidding…
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Merging of Socal and Patriot certainly makes Socal Patriots stronger and a good landing spot for those transferring clubs who want access to the coaching and development pipeline. No arguing with that. I wonder who is now going to make the switch for the opportunity especially in its first year
I think it’s very good for the division 1 girls at those high schools for sure. More pool competition ironically by less club competition. Top to bottom, it makes all the teams better there. For those with daughters in the sport, it’s tough to ignore that funnel. Lot of conversations to be had in August.
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CIF ByLaw 600 has more impact on the Girls Water Polo side then the Boys, due to the split season. Boys in California are 100 in alignment, whereas the girls are split (North of Grapevine is Fall, South of Grapevine is Winter Sport).
Well, let’s hand them the trophies now and dispense with the games.
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Where is this coming from? This is simply not true. Is there evidence to this effect?