Waterpolo club members give back
Waterpolo has some 140 nine and 10-year-olds swimming and treading water like they’ve never could.
That they can is thanks to the Mountfort Park Waterpolo Club who introduced the children to the ins and outs of their sport at Manurewa Pool and Leisure Centre at Mountfort Park, Manurewa.
The programme ran over eight Sundays during the third term and involved 14 schools, most of them from South Auckland.
Club president Martin Chadwick says the young learners were courageous and tough and were very competitive once they got the hang of it.
‘‘Each had to be able to swim 50 metres using any stroke providing it was enough for them to stay afloat.
‘‘We then taught them eggbeater technique so they can competently stay afloat and play.
‘‘The action took place in a two metre deep pool so during the games these novices are in continuous motion.
‘‘They can’t touch the bottom of the pool and didn’t get to touch the wall for long periods of time.’’
By the end, players were free swimming for each of the five minute quarters.
Chadwick says the programme was an effort by the club to give children at local schools a taste waterpolo.
The sessions were run by the club’s older members as a way of giving back to the community.
‘‘We are really proud of what they did,’’ he says
Te Kura Akonga o Manurewa, a Ma¯ori Immersion Kura in nearby Porchester Road was one school that took up the offer.
Principal Tira Colvin says his school now approaches water polo as an adventure for its students.
’’We are so proud of our tamariki and how much their skills and confidence have flourished.
‘‘Most started hardly able to stay afloat, and now they are swimming with the ball and shooting goals.’’
Chadwick says the club will provide supervision, coaching support, referees, caps, balls and a fun environment at no extra cost on Thursdays between 6.45pm and 7.30pm for any of the teams who wish to continue playing.
He says thanks to a grant from the Manurewa Local Board the club will send four under-14 teams to the national championships in Wellington (Division 1) and Tauranga (Division 2) starting on October 5