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The Academy covers all the basic elements of the game, and introduces players to the right way of doing things. Given that we are not preparing teams for games, and managing plenty players with limited pool time, we have the capacity to really drill down on the finer points of the game. We aim to produce players that are technically sound, so that they have the best chance possible to maximize their own potential – wherever that may take them!
The game of water polo is hugely technical, and great play doesn’t just “happen naturally”! By using the same vocabulary throughout the divisions, employing the best drills and technical training, and keeping our attention to detail across all of our coaches, we are able to greatly impact our player’s knowledge and ability!
New Training Segments
We are shuffling our age groups a bit to make sure every age group is getting the correct inputs, and it starts with segmenting things correctly:
Wee Warriors U6-U9 – entry level water polo – players new to the game. All players must be water safe & able to swim unaided. Wee Warriors is open to all players turning 6, 7, 8 or 9 in 2024 *Juniors U10-U11* – water polo training – focused on basics & rules ; generally players are relatively new to the game. Players must swim and tread unaided – open to players turning 10 or 11 in 2024
Intermediates U12-U13 – water polo training focused on basics & a start toward position-specific training; open to players who have played the game or brand new. Players turning 12 or 13 in 2024
Seniors U14-U15 – water polo training focused on position specific training & game strategy. Players turning 14 or 15 in 2024. Open to all for signup
Elite U15+ – water polo training focused on position-specific training & game strategy – open to players turning 15+ in 2024 *who have completed Senior Programme 2023*
Junior Olympic Squad U16+ Invitational – Invitation-only training for Provincial players graduating from Elite Programme. The Junior Olympic Squad has access to Academy programme training, Senior Club training, WP ladies league teams and additional morning conditioning training sessions. All changes are in place to ensure continuity from Wee Warriors through to SA Senior eligibility. We’ve developed our divisions over the years and feel that with the additon of the JO squad, our path the the majors is complete. The JO squad is brand new and we’ve developed the programme to bridge the gap between our Elite Programme and the Ladies Senior divisions, who compete on a senior national level.
Term 1 2024 Academy Dates:
Dean Rimmer and Alex Hawkins lead the Academy Programme with an incredible group of coaches that lead and assist various sessions.
Dean leads the Senior, Elite & Junior Olympic divisions within the Academy. Like Alex, he has had success at various junior and senior levels within the schools and interprovincial setups, and has played and coached at various SA Age group levels.
Alex brings a wealth of experience coaching at all age groups, having won countless gold medals over years with Westerford, Herschel and Western Province teams. He has experience coaching several SA ladies teams and prides himself on his technical approach to the game.
The Academy, across all divisions, follows a 2 x 4 week programme, with the themes of Weeks 1-4 being repeated in Weeks 5-8, on a more comprehensive level.
Body Position: The start of it all
Shooting, Center-Forward & Center-Back play: Working on skill positions
Game play, team structure & strategy
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