STARTING A NEW PROGRAM
By Aaron Brown
The following article will appear in the February edition
of
The NISCA Journal:
What are the basics needed in order to
start a water polo program? This is a great question that I hear from
time-to-time, as it typically means someone might be thinking about
helping the sport grow by providing a water polo program where one
does not currently exist.
Here is a general list of the considerations
needed in order to start a water polo program:
1) Balls
2) Caps
3) Coaches
4) Equipment
5) Goals
6) Membership Fees
7) Officials
8) Pool Time
9) League/Tournament Fees
10) Transportation
There are major differences between starting a
local, community-based (club) program versus starting an official high
school team. Regulation equipment, coaching stipends, league fees, and
transportation are a few of the items a school district might handle for a
high school program that might be better explained in a separate article.
So, maybe the better question is: how do you
start a water polo program on a shoestring budget? Here are some
suggestions:
1) Ask for equipment donations. Established
teams or programs may have balls, caps, and other equipment to either lend
or donate in order to help a new program get started.
2) Seek out current players or parents who can
lend a hand as volunteers.
3) Make homemade goals using PVC pipes.
4) Take a community-based approach and see if
the local park district or a community college might help run the program
to save on pool rental fees and other costs.
5) Stay local and host scrimmages to avoid
transportation costs or tournament fees.
6) Be creative. Starting a new water polo
program can be a daunting task, but there are ways to keep costs low with
a little bit of creativity, especially in the early stages.
Can you think of any other advice for anyone
interested in starting a water polo program? Please send an e-mail to illpolostaff@gmail.com if
you would like to comment and possibly be included in a future article.
