Summer Water Polo

I highly encourage everyone who wants to play water polo next year for Chaminade to play for a club this summer. There are a handful of clubs in the area and all have different advantages and disadvantages, but all are doing a good job at developing their players. The clubs that participate in the Strike Zone summer league are the ones I would recommend, and they are Daisy, Jungle Cats, Mad Dog and SLAP. Flyers is a good club as well, but I believe they don't have a club this summer because Lindbergh pool is under repair.

As for me, this summer will be my 5th summer coaching for Jungle Cat Water Polo. Jungle Cats was started when I was in high school by SLUH's varsity coach Paul Baudendistel and we just celebrated our tenth season. The last few years have been very successful as we have won the Strike Zone league three times straight and have gone out to California twice to participate in Junior Olympics. This summer, we will again be travelling to play in the Junior Olympics in Irvine, CA.

I would very much like everyone to play for a club, any club, as playing for a team and being coached year round exponentially increases a high school player's experience and ability. As I've said many times before, water polo in this city is not like soccer where everyone has been playing since they were 6 years old and by the time you reach high school you only get incrementally better each year. Since most kids START playing in high school, water polo is a sport in which you can increase your experience EXPONENTIALLY by playing during the offseason.

So again, PLAY this summer, for any club. There are different clubs with different practice times at different locations, so pick the one that is right for you. I will not play favorites to those who play for me at Jungle Cats.

FYI: Jungle Cats will be practicing at Chaminade this summer. Sign-ups have begun and more information can be found at http://junglecatpolo.com/