Random Thoughts on Why a student would Play Water Polo

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Students play and engage in water polo for many reasons.

Water Polo is a great activity for you because:

Water polo is an international sport. Schools with an international focus should sponsor, support and excel at sports played on an international stage.

Water polo is the oldest team sport in the Olympics. Water polo has a rich history that spans the globe. In some parts of the world, water polo is more popular than the NBA is in the USA.

Water polo players are welcomed to join with locals when traveling abroad.

Water polo is an emerging sport in the region and in the city. Be special.

Water polo is not PIAA nor WPIAL sponsored, so its operation is directed by the coaches association. Coaches everywhere work with a cooperative spirit to help the players and teams have great experiences.

Water polo is a sport for developing aquatic fitness that can lead to lifeguarding jobs and later lifeguard competitions as even help in open water swimming.

Water polo is often a co-ed sport with joint practices that accommodate both boys and girls.

Water polo is team sport and balances well next to swimming, more of an individual sport.

Water polo is a splendid conditioning activity for all sorts of activities.

Water polo is a perfect fitness builder for competitive swimming.

Playing water polo helps swimmers build stamina and get into pool earlier for a more successful scholastic swim season from last November to early March.

Water polo games are filled with player substitutions so newer and less conditioned players can easily wave themselves out of the game when desired. Taking a break on the bench feels good. Jumping back into the action, refreshed, is rewarding.

Water polo is played at many colleges and universities. Playing water polo in younger years gives students an edge at college with an additional group of 50 or so friends. Playing water polo as a teen would allow you to instantly contribute to a collegiate water polo team squad.

Water polo is a lifelong game. College aged athletes can play with those in high school and middle school. Those who graduated from college decades ago can even jump in to play with younger athletes. Both examples were true in the summer of 2010 as Max, a college player in Connecticut practiced with our squad to stay in shape and sharpen his skills. Meanwhile, at the team’s game at IUP in August, Jay, a '92 high school grad played with our community squad.

As we grow community water polo in Pittsburgh, we’ll be able to get adults into the action at different times. So one day, when in your 20s or 30s, you’ll be able to join a water polo league for fun, fitness and another set of friends.

With water polo, you’ll be able to stay connected to your friends in the years to come, playing an alumni game against the younger students.

Play water polo now so you can coach or officiate water polo wherever you go in the future, helping other kids learn sports in a safe environment – perhaps coaching your own son or daughter’s team and practices. Gain the skills and experiences that will allow you to join an adult recreational league for water polo, or a masters swim league, or an underwater hockey league.

Water polo and swim training often includes circuit workouts, a mix of sweat and social time.

Warm-ups and cool-downs can be completed without waiting around for others to catch up.

In swimming and water polo practice, everyone participates, not just the starters. Same too for the meets and games, mostly.

Coaches' assessments are clear and easily understood.

Whatever your sport or event - whether you're a jumper, cyclist, runner, ball player, skater, swimmer, or a participant in racket sports, you'll improve your strength, mobility and stamina through water polo and its training plan. As a result, you will move much more powerfully in your sport and between classes in the hallways.

The full training plan for water polo is just coming along. Join now before the squad gets really strong.

Water polo is not expensive here. Meanwhile, players at North Allegheny have an $800 per season charge to be a part of their water polo team. Go figure.

Water polo helps to improve your ability to tolerate increasing levels of muscular fatigue.

Get more hang out time with assistant coaches, Mr. Pitch and Ms. Borza.

Enhance your overall body strength, including the strength and resiliency of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, the integrity of your joints, and the strength and density of your supporting bone structures (strength improvement). Chlorine helps makes your teeth white.

Improve your movement skill and body awareness. You'll perform exercises that utilize body weight as the primary form of resistance.

Water polo is played the length of the pool, so there is a shallow end too.

Athletes in a number of sports have been able to drop into water polo practices and games to boost fitness and give bodies a break from the constant stress of gravity.

Heighten body awareness, upgrade coordination, reduce body-fat levels, improve self esteem, sleep better at night.

Water polo experiences and play can help you to improved performances during competition of other sports.

For swimmers an polo players, the ideal time to initiate a resistance training program is always today and seldom tomorrow.

Water polo makes for an excellent way to simultaneously build strength and stamina.

Free weights and instructions on how to make various exercises and lifts in safe and effective ways are part of the overall focus for the coach and team -- especially for beginners.

We train the core because we use it -- and all the other parts of our bodies.

With water polo, we develop strength and mobility in the knee and hip joints, important for high-speed movement on land and kicking in water, plus walking when you are 80-years old.

Water polo develops stability and strength in the upper trunk, abdominal, and pelvic regions. This strength that is necessary to control torso movements during the running stride and when you strike a ball or puck in other sports.

Water polo and swimming increases upper-body strength. Control hip, trunk, and shoulder movements as you move quickly. Water polo promotes balance between the upper and lower body.

People in sports and education from around the city, region, state and world care about the advancement of the water polo program at our school, and they are watching the progress.

The rivals for the water polo team include a prep school in New Jersey, schools in central and eastern PA, and other top schools in the county. With water polo and swimming, we are eager to compete with the best.

Many of the best students in the school are swimmers and enjoy water polo too.

Going to high school state tournament in water polo in a year or two is a strong possibility given the talent of some of our key and experienced players.

Water polo’s future travel with the community team is sure to include a trip to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Become strong in the water when young and healthy as swim pools are used in other programs for rehab and jump training. Big time college basketball, volleyball and track programs hold jump training practices in swim pools -- and the one’s that can’t swim well wear life-jackets.

The whole-body involvement of water polo increases your cardio -- even when game-times are as short as 12-minute halfs. Short games are plenty long enough. Short games feel long and they give time for more games plus other things in life.

With aquatics, swimming, water polo, the training has a cumulative effect over an extended period of time. After weeks, months and years, you’ll notice appreciable gains. Best of all, you'll always be stimulated with new challenges and experiences that will grow to match your competitive efforts.

Getting a glowing job or scholarship reference from your former water polo coach is impressive. It is a snap to use the internet to find Coach Mark.

Anyone can join the Facebook group. Search for Pittsburgh Schenley Water Polo.

The video library for water polo and swimming is extensive. With these sports you can improve and learn while at your computer keyboard.

With water polo, you are under no obligation to continue as the activity relies upon drop-in participation.

Swimming in the summer is great when it is hot.

The fall water polo season of games is super short.

Feel free to call Coach Mark Rauterkus, 412 98 3432. Mark@Rauterkus.com