Water Polo Camps

Water polo is a team-centralized sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to play. There are six players on each team in water polo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. There are a maximum of six substitutes per game and the winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals on the opposing player’s side. Water polo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team and into the net. Waterpolo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey but the certain rules are changed in order to accommodate the different environment it is played in. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

What is the Purpose of Water Polo Camp?
Water polo is a sport that requires a great deal of athleticism and physical skill to play. It involves a great deal of swimming and water treading techniques not normally used. It is widely known throughout the world and is popular in many countries. Water polo, despite being played throughout the world and in the Olympics, is overlooked for the most part in the United States. Water polo camps are set up all through the United States in order to attract more talented athletes to the sport. They offer a friendly environment where a young athlete can develop their skills and love for a healthy and positive sport. An example of a water polo camp is one that is sponsored and run by NIKE:

NIKE Water Polo Camps:
NIKE sports camps offers an extensive water polo camp program and is one of the leading water polo camps in the nation. Their goal is to give young athletes, ages 10-18 an important experience to enhance the quality of their abilities and in turn, improve the quality of other aspects of life. Not only does water polo camp give a better appreciation for the sport, but also provides self-confidence for young people. NIKE Water Polo Camp has a dedicated staff of directors who are motivated to help young athletes develop their skills and improve their every day abilities in life.

Water polo camps generally assess a participants ability in the sport prior to starting out in the camp. Further evaluation is then placed on each young athlete before they are placed in a group with players close to their skill level.

Many camps provide 24 hour supervision as the staffers live on the camp site as well. The staff consists of experienced water polo coaches whom are hired for their exceptional knowledge and skills in the sport. An effective water polo camp coach provides friendly and enthusiastic training with enough commitment to help athletes achieve their goals all the way through.

Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University is a university known for its wide range of athletic programs in such sports as women’s basketball, cheerleading, cross country, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, and volleyball; and men’s baseball, basketball, cheerleading, crew, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, and track. Loyola Marymount also has an extensive water polo program for men and women which competes in the division 1 level.

What is Water Polo?
Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim. It is an extremely competitive game, requiring exceptional skills, especially on the college level. Water polo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. Water polo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

Accomplishments of the Loyola Marymount Women’s Water Polo Team:
Loyola Marymount has had a lot of success with its women’s water polo program. The women’s water polo team was the WWPA Champion for five years in a row from 2001 to 2005, and again champions in 2007. The 2004 season saw the biggest success for the team. The Loyola Marymount women’s water polo team made it to the finals of the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Championship. Unfortunately for them, they lost to Southern California (USC) with the final score being 10-8. This was an exciting run for the team and showed that they can compete with the best teams in water polo.

Loyola Marymount University has a long history of receiving high accolades in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) for women’s water polo. The team has three All-American players and has recently been selected for the second year in a row as the favorites by the 2010 WWPA Preseason Coaches. They received a total of 80 points and eight first place votes to be selected as the favorite. If they do indeed win, it will be their eighth WWPA Championship title in ten years. The 2010 Western Water Polo Women’s Championship will be held from April 30 to May 2 at Cal State Bakersfield. Cal State Bakersfield is the second favorite going into the 2010 competition.

The Loyola Marymount Men’s Water Polo Team:
In the 2009 National Collegiate Men’s Water Polo Championship, the Loyola Marymount men’s water polo team lost to UCLA in overtime 9-8, a heartbreaking loss for such a promising season. With 37 seconds left in the second overtime, UCLA scored on a 6-on-5 situation from three meters out. This was during the semifinals of the competition, the round that the men’s water polo team has had bad luck in for years. UCLA was responsible for the last four goals in the game, coming back from behind to take the victory from Loyola Marymount.

Kids Water Polo

Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to play. There are six players on each team in waterpolo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. Waterpolo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. Waterpolo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics. Despite what most people think, girls water polo and boys water polo at a young age is also popular and helps develop a child’s swimming, coordination and overall health.

Practicing Kids’ Water Polo is Easier Than You Think:
Girls water polo and boys water polo is an easy sport for children to get into. Many families of backyard swimming pools in which they can practice the basic skills required to play it. Although water polo is still widely regarded as an obscure sport in the United States, with few people actually knowing the rules of play, it is a sport that has a very devoted and competitive following. The rules of girls water polo and boys water polo can be found by doing a simple search on the internet, allowing for parents to coach young children on the game’s fundamentals. Children can also practice the sport if they cannot keep themselves afloat by themselves by wearing tubes to keep them above the surface of the water. The goals in water polo can be quite expensive, but with enough creativity, they can be substituted using the right materials or finding the right discount sports store.

Modifications of Kids’ Water Polo:
Since water polo is a sport that requires the players to grasp the ball using only one hand, balls in girls water polo and boys water polo need to be significantly smaller so that they can grasp it with their smaller hands. The ball also needs to be more lightweight and flexible for easier shooting, passing, and gripping. The size of the swimming pool does not need to be regulation either, a smaller pool can do just find to get the basic idea of girls water polo and boys water polo.

Benefits of Kids’ Water Polo:
There are many benefits to learn water polo at an early age. It is an intense sport that gives a complete full-body workout and will help develop a child’s strength and coordination. Even the strongest swimmers will find the sport challenging and will improve their swimming power and endurance with continuous water polo play. Since water polo is a team sport, children will learn the importance of working with others to achieve goals and success. They will also be able to play with all of their friends in serious or friendly competition.

College Water Polo

Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to compete. There are six players on each team in water polo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. There are a maximum of six substitutes per game and the winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals on the opposing player’s side. Water polo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. Water polo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. The sport is very popular around the world and is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

Water polo is played on many different levels of competition. It is not only a popular sport for children, but it is also played on a high school level, a professional level, an Olympic level, and of course, college water polo is a very popular sports medium. College water polo is a very competitive sport, and although it does not get a great deal of media attention, many schools have competitive college water polo teams and an extensive recruiting processes for college water polo scholarships.

College water polo scholarships do not have to be handed out as a full ride to just a small amount of players. Instead, team officials, for example, may have six scholarships to hand out. Instead of giving six “full-ride” scholarships to six people to join the college water polo teams, it may be divided into partial scholarships and handed out to ten or more students. Only players who are exceptionally skillful may be given a full scholarship to play college water polo. The National Collegiate Association of Athletes (NCAA) allows for 4.5 scholarships for men in each school and 8 for women for division 1 (division 1 meaning the highest level of skilled athletes). The same number of scholarships are available for division 2 college water polo athletes as well.

For any high school water polo player, he or she must understand that college water polo teams are highly competitive. They should know that only the top players across the country will make it to this level of play. He or she should train hard if he or she thinks they have what it takes, and also attend some college water polo games to observe the level of competition that takes place.

Attending a smaller college with division 1 and division 2 college water polo teams is not a bad thing. Just getting on a team is very competitive, so a skilled water polo player should take what they are offered. But, they should also remember that the education is important as well.

Water Polo Skills

Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to play. There are six players on each team in waterpolo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. There are a maximum of six substitutes per game and the winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals on the opposing player’s side. Waterpolo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. Waterpolo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

The Basic Skills of a Water Polo Player:
There are a number of skills that a water polo player must possess to effectively play the game. A lot of these skills are useful and overlap with other sports and activities, while many of them are specific to just water polo.

Swimming:
A water polo player must have the ability to swim to play the sport. During a game of water polo, players are required to be able to swim from end to end in a pool measuring 30 meters in length many times during the course of a game, and they are not allowed to touch the sides or bottom of the pool. As a result, the players must also have exceptional swimming skills and enough stamina to play an entire game.

Players in waterpolo use specific swimming techniques in order to play the game, called the front crawl stroke. This swimming technique allows for players to peak their head above the surface of the water so that they are able to see the playing field and maintain awareness during the course of a game. The arm stroke used by water polo players is also a lot quicker than usual, a technique done to help keep the ball defended. Also, a backstroke is used mostly by defending players so that they are able to move up into position as they are tracking the ball. This backstroke is different from a traditional backstroke because the player sits upright in the water and rely almost entirely on the motion of their legs to propel them.

Ball Handling:
Players of water polo are only able to use one hand at a time when clutching the ball. Skilled players are able to catch the ball and fire a pass and shot all in one quick motion. Clutching the ball can be quite hard for a younger player, which makes waterpolo a sport for older people or children.

Treading Water:
Treading water generally involves a motion from the legs called an “eggbeater motion”. This is done to keep players in an active position so that they can adjust easily and because they are not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool. The eggbeater motion also requires less energy than other forms of treading water and allows players to keep a steady position.

Water Polo Equipment

Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to play. Water polo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. There are six players on each team in waterpolo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. There are a maximum of six substitutes per game and the winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals on the opposing player’s side. Waterpolo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

Water Polo Equipment and Water Polo Gear:
Water polo is a sport that requires very little equipment. Aside from the actual pool and goals on either side of the pool, the only water polo equipment required are the ball, swim cap, swimwear, and mouth guard.

Water Polo Ball:
The most essential piece of water polo gear, the ball is made out of waterproof material and is designed to float on top of water. The surface of the ball is equipped with a special texture to allow it to be easily gripped by players, which is especially important because of the fact that water polo is played in a pool.

Balls are generally yellow so that they are easily seen and it weights about 14-16 ounces while being under 5-7 PSI of pressure. The size of the ball can also differ between men’s, women’s and junior water polo leagues. Men’s water polo equipment standards require it to be 28 inches in circumference and women’s 26.5 inches in circumference.

A water polo gear rule changed the coloration of the ball in official games. The ball now has a blue, green, red, or black stripe to accompany the standard yellow color. The colored balls then began to be used in NCAA and NFHS sanctioned games. Currently, water polo gear rules state that the additional color is required to be black. This new color benefits players because it makes it easier to keep track of the ball that is in play. It also helps players learn proper rotation techniques to put on the ball during play.

Caps:
Another piece of water polo equipment is the swimming cap which are designed to protect players’ heads and ears. It is also a way for players and spectators to identify each swimmer on the team. The cap on goals is a different color then a normal position player.

Swimwear:
Male water polo players generally water polo equipment wear in the form of Speedos. Female players are required to wear a one-piece swimsuit without straps that are on normal swimsuits. Most female one-piece swimwear have zipper-backs.

Mouth guard:
An important piece of water polo equipment is the mouth guard, which is designed to protect a player’s teeth from the great deal of contact involved in the sport.

Water Polo Suits

Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to play. Waterpolo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. There are six players on each team in waterpolo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. There are a maximum of six substitutes per game and the winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals on the opposing player’s side. Waterpolo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

Equipment in Water Polo:
Water polo, by nature, is a sport that requires a very little amount of equipment to be used by players. Essentially, water polo requires a large and deep enough pool to accommodate a game and goals on either side. Equipment players use consists of a water polo ball, a swim cap to protect players heads and ears and as a means of identifying players, a mouth guard to protect players’ teeth in close contact situations, and water polo suits that meet water polo standards and guidelines.

Men’s Water Polo Suits:
Men in water polo wear swim briefs, or better known as Speedo’s. This type of swimwear has a V-shape in the front and a solid back that provide a form-fitting coverage. They briefs are worn usually below the waist and are secured by a thin band at the upper thighs and the waist is secured by an elastic band. Men’s water polo suits are generally made out of a combination of nylon and spandex composite. Water polo suits generally last longer if they are made of polyester. The reason why swim briefs are used for men’s water polo suits is because they minimize water’s drag on players.

Women’s Water Polo Suits:
Women in water polo wear a one-piece swimsuit as water polo suits. These special water polo suits usually do not have straps as normal swimsuits have, but rather they have a zipper back for added security. The suits are skintight and cover the torso of a woman. The water polo suits used in competitive games are generally designed to minimize friction and drag when female water polo players are swimming up and down the playing area.

Water Polo Caps:
In addition to the water polo suits worn by players, they also wear water caps, also designed to minimize drag in the water and to protect the head and ears of the players. Finally, they are also worn and designed so that players and spectator can easily identify players as belonging to a certain team.

Water Polo Rules

Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to play. There are six players on each team in water polo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. There are a maximum of six substitutes per game and the winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals on the opposing player’s side. Water polo is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team. Water polo has similar characteristics of sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

Water Polo Rules:
The following explanation of rules is based on the latest FINA Water Polo Rules 2005-2009.

Basic Water Polo Rules:
Water polo rules limit the total number of players on each team during a water polo match to seven. Six positional players and one goalkeeper are active in the field of play at once. In most instances, the visiting team wears a white cap and the home team wears a darker colored cap; usually blue in color. Goaltenders on both teams wear quartered red caps and are always the number ‘1′. According to official water polo rules, teams are allowed to substitute players, even during game play, but they must only enter and exit at the corner of the pool. During stoppage of play, substitutes can also be made.

Clock and Time Rules:
Depending on the level of play, each period is about 5 to 8 minutes in length and a total number of five periods is played. The game clock is stopped when the ball is considered out of play. This means that the ball leaves the pool or a foul is committed. It is also stopped when a goal is scored by one of the teams. In real time, each period takes about 12 minutes to complete.

When a team has possession of the ball, they have 30 seconds of possession time to shoot the ball at the goal, unless a player on the opposing team commits a foul. If 30 seconds passes, the ball is automatically turned over to the opposing team. The shot clock is reset to 30 seconds if the team takes a shot on net and regains control of the ball after the rebound.

Water Polo Goals:
Water polo goals occur when the ball is thrown past the opposing team’s goalie and into the net. Different shots are taken which are unique to the sport that are used to score water polo goals. A shot may be bounced off the water to trick an opposing goal and catch him or her off guard. A “lob” may be thrown to catch a goalie off guard as well, when a balls can be gently thrown at an angle over the goalie to score water polo goals.

Water Polo Team

Water polo is a team-based sport that is played in a pool and requires the ability to swim to play. There are six players on each team in waterpolo, and one goal keeper per team, making a total of seven players in play at a given time. There are a maximum of six substitutes per game and the winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals on the opposing player’s side. Waterpolo is a sport that is played by swimming, passing of the game ball, and scoring goals by sending the ball past the goalie of the opposing team in order to score a goal. Waterpolo has similar characteristics of other sports that are played on land, such as soccer and hockey. It is currently the oldest team sport still played in the Olympics.

Structure of Water Polo Teams:
A water polo team consists of seven players. Six of them are free to move about the pool playing area and are tasked with scoring goals and blocking shots. A goalie, the seventh player on a water polo team, has a primary goal of defending his or her team’s goal and prevent the ball from going into it. Unlike most sports involving teams, water polo is less focused on positional play. Rather, players rely on contingency efforts, and making moves depending on the situation that is unfolding. A player may temporarily substitute one position if needed, such as when another player is caught out of position.

Water polo teams generally have “utility” players, which are players that are both skilled in offense and defense. They usually come off the bench when a team needs fresh swimmers to give them an advantage. Also, like most sports, certain body shapes and types are more suitable for either offense or defense. An offensive player is usually quick and agile to launch quick offensive plays, while a defensive player is bigger and tougher to defend and block shots.

Water Polo Team Positions:

Offensive:
Offensive positions on water polo teams include one center (also known as the hole man), two wings, two drivers (also known as flats) and one point man, who is a player that is positioned furthest from the goal. The player that is positioned as the center is responsible for directing an attack on the other team’s goal, while the wings and drivers and point are often referred to as ‘perimeter players’.

Defensive:
Defense in water polo teams are generally set up in a similar fashion as offense, except that they play with defensive mechanisms. The center is known as the “hole D” and his or her job is to guard the opposing team’s center. There are two main types of defensive strategy, commonly referred to as man-to-man or zone.

Goalie:
The goalie or goaltender is a challenging position because he or she is tasked with blocking shots from the opposing team. The position requires a great deal of swimming skill and strength to keep above the surface of the water and block the ball. He or she is also useful in pointing out weaknesses in the defense and make other observations that could be helpful in preventing the opposing water polo team from scoring.