Water polo on the rise in deep South
Water polo is almost a perfect sport – it’s a team sport and encourages water safety.
So when it comes to summer, children who have played the sport are not only more confident around others from that team environment, they also enjoy and can handle themselves in the water.
Numbers are strong across the grades at school level in Southland, while the representative teams are improving.
Southland Water polo president Julie Welsh said the game was in good shape in Invercargill.
“School competition is incredibly strong and representative. We have only just started, but there’s promise. At representative level the numbers come in drips and drabs, so this year our under16s will be our strong grade, while our under-18s not so much.
“It’s just the way it happens. It has always been a tough age group to fill as they finish school and head off to university. The under-14s and 12s are later in the season.”
Welsh said on a Friday, Splash Palace was packed with water polo players.
“We have players right from year 1 all the way through to year 13, and it’s packed in here from 3.30pm on a Friday until about 9pm, when our last games are on.
“It’s really nice seeing the pool so packed. We can’t take any more teams, the school grades are all at capacity.
“It’s great knowing that while some are leaving and heading off to do other things, they’re being replaced by players at the other end of the spectrum.”
One thing she said she would love to see more of was schools from outside Invercargill playing, but that was hard with a lack of pools for them to train in.
“Unfortunately they are predominately Invercargill schools. We’d love to see more out of town schools but travel time makes it difficult.”
She said it was a sport children seemed to enjoy playing right through their schooling years.
“I started coaching my daughter’s team when she was five and now she is year 10, and plenty of them have played right through.”
Welsh said the representative water polo teams were improving each season.
“Two years ago the girls finished 14th and then last year eighth, while the boys’ were 12th and then sixth last year. It shows great improvements have been made.”
While water polo required different skills to swimming, they still came in handy for water safety, Welsh said.
“Water polo and competitive swimming involve different skill sets but the fundamentals are the same.
“A really strong technique in water polo is egg beating and once kids learn how to do it, it’s something they will do for the rest of their lives. It will save lives.
“You can do it for hours on end and don’t get tired.”
Welsh said many of the children playing water polo made friends for life.
“It’s a great sport. Anyone wanting to play can play.
“The kids are enjoying it and seem to be coming back.”