FEATURE ARTICLE

Sectionals 2011

An Important Call For More Information

By Aaron Brown

With the sectional quarterfinals beginning on Wednesday, most teams will spend Monday afternoon getting prepared with a practice session to go over scouting reports about their opponents later in the week. The most important week of the season calls for as much preparation as possible as teams face the realization that a loss means their season is over.

Yet, Monday night also marks some of the most important games of the season for certain teams. Most of the games on the schedule are known as play-in games between the lowest seeds in each sectional. While many of the teams playing in these games have records that are at or below .500, these contests provide plenty of incentive to the participants when they play what could be the final game of their 2011 season.

Last year, I focused on two specific teams that would meet in one of these elimination games, focusing on the several level of importance that the came had. Here is the link if you care to read it: The "Biggest" Game of the Season. The point of the example was simple; to stress the importance of every single game and every single team in the state of Illinois.

As has been stated many times throughout the year, the whole purpose of this site is to promote the sport of water polo and, even more importantly, to recognize the efforts of the boys and girls that participate in this great sport.

There is no reason why every single game and every single performance cannot be recognized with a brief recap that can be included in locations like The Illpolo Blog, The 2011 Sectional Center, The Illpolo Report, or several other places on the site.

So here is my call out to any coach, fan, parent, player, or anyone else involved with the sport of water polo. Take the time to send information to illpolo2011@gmail.com. Make the assumption that no one else will send any information in. Send text messages after each quarter or at halftime to (847) 331-6520 with a quick score report. If you see that there is no information about a game and you have some details that would be helpful in getting some hard-working players recognition...submit it!

This will be mentioned again later in the week, but I am also looking for anyone who is willing to send live game info on either Friday or Saturday during semifinal and final games. With eight different sites hosting games at nearly identical times, I will only be able to get to 3-4 places to see and report on games, so anyone who is willing to send live game information can provide a great service to water polo supporters throughout Illinois. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact me at the e-mail address listed above.

Let's do whatever possible to get all of the athletes the credit they deserve and keep everyone updated on what is happening with this great sport of water polo during the most exciting time of the season!

Good luck to all teams,