Water polo in high school?

Question

My daughter is in 8th grade and will be going to high school this year. She swims but not competitively. She enjoys it and can swim. She isn't on a swim team or water polo team but she wants to take water polo in high school. She wants to know what it is like. These are some questions she has.

-Do I need to tread water for very long periods of tie?

-How deep is the pool?

-Is it hard?

-Is it competitive?

-How many people are on each team?

-How long are each games?

-What else should I know about water polo?

Any answer will be appreciated, thanks so much.

Answer 1

I would say have your daughter go for it. As polo grows as a sport, starting your career at the high school level is not done as often as before, but many still do, especially girls. As she gets more into the sport and the game, all the "little" things like swimming and treading water will follow. As a coach of girls your daughters age, they learn quickly and have tons of fun with polo.

One suggestion I will make is that you may want to consider joining a club polo team in your area. Being as though it is almost summer, joining a club team will not only get her into shape for the high school season, it will also help her gauge whether or not she actually wants to play polo. I am not sure where you are located, but with a little research I am sure you can find a club in your area. Go to www.usawaterpolo.com and you can search for clubs in your area.

Answer 2

First off, water polo is one of the greatest team sports out there, especially if it is a small team.  I went into high shcool with just about the same swimming experience as your daughter it sounds like and I had a blast and still play today in college.  It's a great sport to get involved in.  As for her questions:

1.  Treading water is the foundation of playing water polo.  It sounds hard and uncomfortable, and it is at first,  but after a few weeks, it becomes second nature to you and just do it without thinking.  I find myself jumping into pools, even with just my friends, and starting to tread just out of habit.  

2.   The depth of the pool is unique to the pool she is going to play in herself.  At my high school, we had to play in a community pool so we had a deep and shallow end.  the depth went from 3 1/2 feet to 10 feet.  Many pools have only deep ends and that is usually about 10-15 feet deep depending on the pool.  The main thing about depth is whether or not you can stand on the bottom at one point in the game.  Also, standing on the bottom is technically illegal but that will be explained to her later.

3.  Yes, the sport is hard.  The balance between swimming and treading is something that has to be acknowledged.  At one point you could be treading water and immediatly after you may have to be swimming the other direction due to a change in possesion.  The rules of the game aren't hard to pick up and after playing one or two games they come very natural to you.  The hardest part about the game is the swimming and being able to stay above water the whole time.  

4.  It is a very competitive game.  Some people I know say that women's water polo is more violent than men's polo also.  There is a lot of pulling, grabbing, and anything you could imagine under the water.  A lot of the things underwater cannot be see by the referees so therefore the fouls are not called.  Now, when the refs do see something they call it and it results in a penalty.  The game usually tends to be a low scoring affair so the games can often become intense match ups.

5.  Each team consists of 7 players: 6 field players and one goalie.  Of course, due to the rigorous and exhausting gameplay, there are usually 10-15 players on a team so substitues are readily available.  

6.  The length of each game is determined by the level at which the game is played.  Some schools that are big on water polo have a novice team.  This team is for those who have never played before and they play mostly to gain experience and a knowledge of the game.  They play 4 quarters that are 5 minutes long a piece.  The JV teams play 4 quarters of 6 minutes and Varsity of 7 minutes.  There are 3 timeouts allowed and they are about 1 minute a piece with a 2 minute break at half-time and a 1 minute between quarters.  

7.  The main thing about water polo is don't give up.  It is a tough sport but a rewarding sport.  It's one that not many people can say they actually play and because the teams is usually not that big, great friends come out of it.  It's a great sport to play and I recommend it to anyone of any skill level because of the great things I have experienced from it.  Good luck and I hope she still chooses to play polo!  Also, you can contact me if you have further questions.

Answer 3

Waterpolo is a great sport for various reasons:

1. it's a team sport (so more social than individual sports)

2. swimming is not a very injury-prone activity, but you do use almost every muscle in your body when you swim, so it's good for your body (of course you do get the occasional bruise, black eye or scratches but that depends on the level at which you play and your own style of play)

3. it's a ball sport (more fun and more play and you get to score goals :) )

As for your daughters questions, yes, it's quite hard when you start, but within a few weeks you'll notice that lots of things (like the treading) become automatisms. As for the more specific questions, that depends on the league the team plays in and what goals the team has set for itself. Just drop by the pool, have a look and chat with the trainer. Best way to find out is to try !

Answer 4

Hi, I'm a high school water polo player, and I thought I'd answer your question:

1. Yes, you do need to tread for long periods of time, but after a while it is not that hard. Also, for the younger/newer players, provided there are people to switch with, coaches will make sure they don't exhaust themselves too much during a game, as well as let them get plenty of rest.

2. It depends on the pool, but ultimately, since you are not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool unless you're the goalie, it doesn't matter.

3. Yes it is a hard sport, but it is also really fun.

4. I can't speak for girls water polo, but at least for boys, yes it is very competitive, but not as competitve on the JV level as one the Varsity level.

5. There are 6 people in the field, 1 goalie, and as many other people on the bench.

6. High School Games generally have 6-7minute quarters, with 2 min breaks inbetween.

7. Just that it is really fun, not to mention there are not very many people playing it, so the more people that do, the better. Like polodan said though, the best way to find out is to try!