Water polo questions?

Question

I am going to start high school soon and I am seriously considering joining the water polo team. I have been on a swim team for three years and I have nine years of soccer

1. how aggressive is it? like soccer? like football?

2. when trying out, what do coaches look for? (difference between jv and v)

3. What can I expect from a typical practice or game

4. Any other information appreciated from experienced players or coaches

Thank you!

Answer 1

1. Water polo is a very aggressive sport in my experience.  There is a lot of grabbing, kicking, and holding underwater because the refs aren't able to see it.  In girls' water polo, there's a lot of suit grabbing because girls have way more suit space to grab than boys.  When I play in games, I usually wear a two-piece top underneath my water polo suit just in case we're playing a grabby team.  But the majority of players in my experience don't resort to suit grabbing.

2. It varies from coach to coach and also it depends on what type of players the varsity team needs.  Good ball handling skills, understanding of the game, and endurance are helpful skills to have.  Also, swimming plays a big role in water polo, so your experience on the swim team will help you.

3. In practice, there'll probably be a brief swim set and a lot of drill work.  There also might be scrimmages if your team has enough people.  During games, there's usually a lot of countering (transitioning from defense to offense  or vice versa) so it'll be exhausting.  But if your team has 3 or more subs, you'll get some rest when you sit out.  Also, expect the games to vary from ref to ref.  Different refs will make slightly different calls, so you have to adjust your playing to what the ref is calling or not calling.

4. Pay a lot of attention to the coaches when they explain drills or plays and also talk to the older players for tips or hints.  Also, if you don't understand something, ask!  Playing a new sport is hard, so do all that you can to learn the sport and become a better player.

Answer 2

1)depending on where you play at, it can be very aggressive, or very very aggressive.  It can be compared to soccer, as long as the soccer players are also wrestling at the same time.

2) When you are trying out, the coaches are going to look for your level of effort.  your background in swimming will definitley help.  The difference between jv and v will be how fast you swim, how well you can tread water and how you grasp the game.  expect to be jv, but try hard and you will move up.

3) expect to be tired.

4) always try your hardest.  listen to your coaches and absorb as much information as you can get.  work on your leg strength.  the best players have the strongest legs.  work your whole legs, not just one muscle.  and most important have fun! its the best sport in the world, but only if you enjoy doing it.